YP Letters: Sheffield Council should commit to planting more street trees

In your article “Council still ‘unable to say’ how changes to tree deal would work’ (The Yorkshire Post, June 11), there is discussion about the costs of felling street trees during the 25-year PFI contract period and how Sheffield Council (and its taxpayers) may receive a financial adjustment if indeed 17,500 trees are not felled.

Maybe the council should make a commitment now that any monies saved by not felling the full total of 17,500 trees 
would be spent on adding new street trees.

The trees could be planted along those streets that have lost many more over the years than are being replaced under the Streets Ahead contract or perhaps better, plant trees along streets that never had trees.

There are a large number of streets, particularly in the east and north of the city, that would benefit from a policy of turning the streets from ‘grey to green’.

It may be rather hopeful, but I think there should be an aspiration to spread the green surburbs across the city and to seek funding to meet that aspiration.

Such a policy might just cast the council in a favourable light by doing something much more positive for the city’s streets and street trees than is currently the case.