Sheffield named among Tree Cities of the World - four years after felling controversy

Thousands of trees - many of them healthy - were controversially removed from the city’s streets and replaced with saplings as part of a £2bn highways contract which started in 2012, with the dispute leading to multiple arrests of protesters.

After work was put on hold in 2018, a new approach designed to save more trees was put in place by the council and work with campaigners eventually resulted in the publication of the Sheffield Street Tree Strategy last year.

Sheffield has now been recognised by the Tree Cities of the World programme, which is an international effort to recognise cities and towns committed to ensuring that their urban forests and trees are celebrated, sustainably managed and properly maintained.

There are 138 recognised tree cities globally, with 19 in the UK also including Leeds, Hull and Bradford.

Nathan Edwards, Chair of the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership said: “We are thrilled that Sheffield has received this recent global recognition. It comes after months of hard work and resilience by our partnership members who have dedicated their time and effort to making this happen.

“Becoming a Tree City of the World means we can continue to build on the progress which has already been made in protecting and nurturing our street trees. Residents can be reassured that we have the right governance and resources in place to protect our urban forest now and for future generations.

“With more trees per person than any city in Europe, Sheffield is known as one of the greenest cities in the UK and continues to celebrate and invest in its trees and woodlands.”

Executive member for Housing, Roads and Waste Management at Sheffield City Council Councillor Paul Wood said the positive steps that have been taken.

“In recent years we have worked alongside our partnership members to improve and enhance the way our street trees in Sheffield are managed.

“Being recognised as a Tree City of the World is testament to the commitment of the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership and is a well-deserved accolade, which symbolises the positive progress made.

“By meeting the core standards required to achieve this recognition, we are ensuring a thorough and established management approach to enriching our street tree population and moreover, making sure that approach is rightfully celebrated.”

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