Sheffield tree campaigner describes horrifying moment council's saws hit trees at dawn in sleepy suburb

'I used to look out of my window when my kids were little and see them climbing this tree. I wouldn't describe myself as a tree hugger - but I've made a promise to them to protect it.'
An anonymous tree protester on the road in SheffieldAn anonymous tree protester on the road in Sheffield
An anonymous tree protester on the road in Sheffield

At 4am on Tuesday morning, businesswoman and mother-of-two Jane Sharpe was woken by a strange noise outside her home.

“It took me a minute, then I realised,” she said. “It was them. I ran outside in my pyjamas and flip-flops and looked down the road and saw the van.”

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The van belonged to workers for Acorn, a sub-contractor of Amey, who have a £2bn contract with Sheffield Council that includes felling 5,500 mature trees across the city.

Jane Sharp, who described the horror momentJane Sharp, who described the horror moment
Jane Sharp, who described the horror moment

The road is Abbeydale Park Rise, in the affluent suburb of Dore. Cherry-tree lined and covered in a layer of snow now crunchy underfoot, yesterday the only thing unusual about this corner of suburbia was the boarding surrounding three of those trees, and a small smattering of media speaking to the residents who have taken into upon themselves to protect the trees.

Of the 65 trees on Abbeydale Park Rise, 19 have been earmarked for destruction since last year.

But what makes Abbeydale Park Rise’s trees special is the joy they bring this time of year.

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For decades, residents have placed fairy lights in the trees at their own expense, helping to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

Jane Sharp, who described the horror momentJane Sharp, who described the horror moment
Jane Sharp, who described the horror moment

Since the lights were turned on earlier this month, hundreds of pounds have already been raised for St Luke’s Hospice, as each evening, the cars arrive to admire the spectacle.

“The children call it Christmas Road or Twinkle Street,” Pam Hanrahan, who has lived opposite another of Abbeydale Park Rise’s threatened trees for 25 years, said. It, like many of the other cherry trees, were planted by residents, and like Ms Sharpe’s beloved tree, had branches hand sawn off in the early hours yesterday.

Mrs Hanrahan, a retired teacher, said: “I’ve spent the last few months standing on a garden wall in the hope they wouldn’t chop down the tree as I stood under its branches. They snuck in like thieves in the night and cut the overhang. The tree used to have lights in but they were cut out on a previous occasion.

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“This road is famous for its Christmas lights, almost every tree has them and people drive from miles around to see them.

“They call us protestors but we are just protectors. We are trying to protect our environment.”

A three minute drive away is Chatsworth Road, where Sue Unwin has lived for 20 years.

Four trees have already been felled, with three more set to go. She had met with Sheffield Council to ask for a compromise on which trees would go, in attempt to keep an rhythmic aesthetic to the road, but talks stalled. Yesterday Amey arrived, and the protesters were there.

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“At 5am this morning a crew were up a tree in the dark, hacking away at in,” she said yesterday. “This is their 11th visit so there is always hope that one day the council will listen and compromise.

“These are beautiful trees that enhance our environment. They are worth saving.”

A masked protester, who will not be named, agreed. He jumped the barriers around one lime tree, wrapped in a yellow ribbon, to sit beneath it, stopping the contractors from working.

He said: “Everything about these trees makes them worth saving - from the ecology to what they do to clean air pollution, their character and history, the list goes on and on.”

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Sheffield Council says just a small proportion of the city’s 36,000 trees are being removed because they are diseased or dangerous, and all will be replaced.

Last month, it announced it would begin work earlier than 7am as contractors were finding it “increasingly difficult” to complete work due to a small number of protesters.

Street Ahead account director at Amey, Darren Butt said it visited Abbedydale Park Rise early on Tuesday because it has “previously faced significant disruption from protesters”.

He said the “vast majority” of trees of the road remained untouched for the Christmas lights tradition to continue.