YP Letters: Gove right to intervene on Sheffield tree felling

SHEFFIELD Council’s specious description of their tree felling programme as ‘a tree replacement programme’ must be the favourite contender for the George Orwell 1984 Newspeak Award of the year (The Yorkshire Post, August 10).

Whatever next? Are they going to demolish old established buildings and replace them with tents, to be known as ‘replacement structures’?

It is good that the Secretary of State has intervened and will hopefully introduce some common sense into things. When did trees and greenery stop being known as the lungs of a city because of their ability to reduce pollution?

From: Beccy Speight, Chief Executive, Woodland Trust.

I WOULD like to make it absolutely clear that Sheffield City Council is not ‘working with’ the Woodland Trust, as claimed by Coun Brian Lodge.

We have attempted to influence the City Council’s thinking on the Streets Ahead programme, as like all concerned residents we have serious misgivings about the reasoning behind the felling of so many thousands of healthy mature trees. However, despite our best efforts, we have been unable to persuade the council.

At the Trust, we are passionate about trees and are actively working in cities like Sheffield providing free trees for communities to plant, advising local authorities on management and supporting people who love trees too. That we might offer this support in Sheffield should not be interpreted/construed as ‘working with’ Sheffield City Council.

We are still willing to work collaboratively to find a solution to the issues in Sheffield but like others we are finding it increasingly difficult to do so.

From: Richard Ward, Nether Edge, Sheffield.

I READ with growing disdain the letter sent to Michael Gove by Sheffield City Council’s cabinet member Bryan Lodge (The Yorkshire Post, August 15).

Let me focus on one leg of Brian’s truth unicorn for a moment, the claim that 65,000 trees have been planted during the five years of the Streets Ahead contract to date. Without overdoing the analysis, it’s worth starting the process of chipping away at this figure by noting that many of these claimed plantings were undertaken in a partnership with the international charity ‘Trees for Cities’. We also know that said charity, acting on independent expert advice, very publicly withdrew from future collaboration with SCC in early 2017, citing their grave concerns about the felling of large numbers of healthy street trees.

The bottom line is that large numbers of healthy street trees are being lost in the first targeted 6,000 fellings. Beyond the first five years of the Streets Ahead contract, the council’s own documents hint at more to come.

Credible experts have denounced what is happening in Sheffield. Thorough external scrutiny is long overdue. The councillor doth protest too much.

From: Rebecca Hammond, Co Chair, Sheffield Tree Action Groups.

MANY experts have come forward publicly to criticise the tree-felling programme. These include highway and civil engineers, arborists, arboricultural consultants, and tree officers working for other local authorities. SCC appears to have none who are willing to support them publicly.

Some people say that we should have better things to do than worry about a few trees. But this issue goes much further than that: it’s about accountability, transparency of governance, and the misuse of power.

Rather than listening to citizens’ concerns, councillors have repeated the same scripted responses. They refuse to acknowledge that the programme they are pursuing may not actually be the best approach, or to engage with the vast reservoir of potential goodwill and expertise that could be at their disposal.

Work against polio not over

From: David Mitchell, National Chairman, British Polio Fellowship/ Director European Polio Union, Lincoln.

WHAT an excellent letter (The Yorkshire Post, August 8) from Geoffrey North regarding monies from the British Government going towards the further eradication of polio.

He quite rightly applauds the wonderful work done in the fight against this killer disease by Rotary International and the Gates Foundation. Of great concern at present is the outbreak (mainly children) in the Syrian refugee camps. We also must remember and help the people in this country and throughout Europe who have suffered from this crippling condition. Many thanks to The Yorkshire Post for highlighting this often forgotten scourge.

In defence of older drivers

From: Ken Fleming, Gildersome, Morley.

NOW in my 70s, I can’t help but notice how people seem to think that people of my age are past our sell-by date.

Firstly, some think we should take a driving test again at 70. How many times do you see people of my age using mobile phones while driving, not wearing seat belts, breaking motorway speeds and 30mph limits in built up areas? Most people between 20 and 40 don’t appear to have indicators. These are the ones who should be taking a test.

Claim too far on village

From: Graham Snowdon, Hallam Grange Croft, Sheffield.

WHILE I would be more than happy for Yorkshire to regain some of the Broad Acres it lost in 1974, I would point out that Gringley on (not in) the Hill is, and as far as I know always has been, in Nottinghamshire (‘Palace on Wheels goes on sale’, The Yorkshire Post, August 10).