YP Letters: Sheffield Council talks compromise over trees while going on attack

From: Chris Rust, Co-Chair, STAG, Sheffield Tree Action Groups.
Sheffield remains at the centre of a tree felling controversy.Sheffield remains at the centre of a tree felling controversy.
Sheffield remains at the centre of a tree felling controversy.

COUNCILLOR Lewis Dagnall makes some impressive claims about Sheffield City Council’s desire for ‘compromise’, but he has been saying this for some time and meanwhile SCC are throwing public money at a very aggressive programme of legal action against citizens who protect their healthy street trees (The Yorkshire Post, July 12).

It’s not a compromise when individuals are put in fear of bankruptcy. It’s not a compromise when repeated requests for negotiations are brushed aside. Our supporters have been generous in contributing to funds for our campaign and we explained to SCC months ago that if we faced no more legal costs we hoped to work with SCC to spend that money on tree planting.

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No such luck. By throwing eye-watering amounts of taxpayers’ cash at pointless, vindictive legal actions, SCC has forced us to spend our supporters’ donations on defending our friends and paying their costs.

When the ‘pause’ in fellings started, campaigners felt real optimism and a wish to work with SCC. That spirit of co-operation has evaporated with SCC’s latest legal onslaught. Compromise is a two-way street Coun Dagnall. Your fine words are not matched by your actions.