Tree devastation in Sheffield

[neeeeeeeeeek 10]

Amey used a flail on various nice and green central reservations leaving them in a real mess. They were supposed to replant them... Still waiting.

[JacquiG 10]

There is a Council meeting on 1st July at 2pm, and a meeting in front of the Town Hall at 1 pm. Trees and the vandalism being undertaken by Amey will be under discussion.

 

(We asked Amey to pollard the big sycamore outside our house, because the branches are over the roof, and the roots are raising the pavement. But I don't want it felled, just looked after.) If Amey fell it, there is a risk of heave or subsidence, due to changes in the water uptake which the tree won't be doing! That makes SCC liable I am told, by a chartered surveyor.

 

Jacqui

[Eater Sundae 12]

There is a Council meeting on 1st July at 2pm, and a meeting in front of the Town Hall at 1 pm. Trees and the vandalism being undertaken by Amey will be under discussion.

 

(We asked Amey to pollard the big sycamore outside our house, because the branches are over the roof, and the roots are raising the pavement. But I don't want it felled, just looked after.) If Amey fell it, there is a risk of heave or subsidence, due to changes in the water uptake which the tree won't be doing! That makes SCC liable I am told, by a chartered surveyor.

 

Jacqui

 

Conversely, if the tree is retained and the roots damage your property, they will be liable for this also. And as the tree canopy overhangs your property, the roots will have extended towards the foundations also.

 

I think this is an interesting article, about where roots grow (very wide and close to the surface), and shows how trees can be compromised by activities and structures nearby.

 

http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/02926.html

 

It is clear that a lot of our roadside trees have far from ideal settings, with roads, footpaths and buildings preventing oxygenation and water flow to the roots.

 

It appears from the Sheffield.gov website that the decisions regarding the trees have already been made, tree by tree. If this is the case, it may be possible to find out what is proposed for "your" tree. It might be worth asking, in case they are prepared to tell you what they propose to do, and why.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Eater Sundae
Removed a bit which wasn't exactly what I meant

[WalkleyIan 10]

been out doing cycling lesson with my youngest today and I've found a brand new avenue of trees.

 

Marlborough Road, I've looked on Google street view and there were none on there before. Didn't notice when they went in although the new street lights have gone in now as well. They are the LED ones that look like mock gas lights that the Broomhill forum campaigned for. Pavements not done yet mind you but once the red bags have all been collected its going to look pretty smart down there.

 

Maybe we should have a new thread, new roadside trees spotted in Sheffield.

[Eater Sundae 12]

I understand from radio Sheffield that the council meeting voted to not overturn the earlier decisions to replace trees on Rustling Road and Wayland.

 

Is that it, then? Or do those who want to save the trees have a plan B?

[Cyclone 10]

Amey used a flail on various nice and green central reservations leaving them in a real mess. They were supposed to replant them... Still waiting.

 

They replanted just one side of St Mary's Gate. I don't really understand why they ripped it all up in the first place.

[cgksheff 44]

I understand from radio Sheffield that the council meeting voted to not overturn the earlier decisions to replace trees on Rustling Road and Wayland.

 

 

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffield-trees-we-will-carry-on-our-fight-campaigners-vow-after-no-action-taken-on-10-000-strong-petition-1-7337321

[Eater Sundae 12]

http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/sheffield-trees-we-will-carry-on-our-fight-campaigners-vow-after-no-action-taken-on-10-000-strong-petition-1-7337321

 

Thanks. .

[ptrA 10]

At last, common sense prevails. The trees that are causing damage to the footpath are to come down. The jump on the bandwagon protesters can now search for another cause. "Good decision, Sheffield City Council"

[Eater Sundae 12]

At last, common sense prevails. The trees that are causing damage to the footpath are to come down. The jump on the bandwagon protesters can now search for another cause. "Good decision, Sheffield City Council"

 

I regularly walk along Rustlings Road, and in the case of some of the trees (on the park side, at the Ecclesall Road end), some of them don't appear to be affecting the road or the footpath, whereas some obviously are. Of course, in the case of the ones which look OK (to my untrained eye), it may be one of the other reasons for felling.

 

Councilor Fox (not sure of his title, he is responsible for roadside trees) was on Radio Sheffield, this morning. I don't think he came over very well, but he did touch on the need to meet various, separate requirements, such as equalities legislation. It may be this sort of requirement which pushes some trees, which look reasonable to most people, over the edge.

 

He did say that they were looking to open up the whole issue to public discussion, to include the experts, which I took as a means of explaining to the wider public how and why specific decisions are/were made. Whether this will is just a sop to shut people up or whether it will properly explain, well we'll have to wait and see.

 

However, I think there are plenty of people who will never be convinced that a decision to chop down a specific tree will ever be justified.

 

Edit. He also mentioned how many trees had been planted (overall), a number which more than offset the ones being removed. However, I can't remember the actual numbers he said. I suppose that this information is available. I think if the council were to be a bit more pro-active in shouting from the rooftops the overall numbers of trees being planted against the ones being removed from the roadside, then it might placate some of the objectors who have been sucked in by some of the misinformation that has been spouted on threads such as this.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Eater Sundae

[Cyclone 10]

Equalities legislation for trees?

[Eater Sundae 12]

Equalities legislation for trees?

 

I presumed he meant access for people in wheelchairs, or similar. I don't actually know. As I said above, I don't think he came over very well, it was all a bit jumbled.

 

If anyone wants to listen to it, on iplayer, it was on Toby's breakfast show on radio Sheffield, at around 7:15 this morning.

 

---------- Post added 02-07-2015 at 13:33 ----------

 

At last, common sense prevails. The trees that are causing damage to the footpath are to come down. The jump on the bandwagon protesters can now search for another cause. "Good decision, Sheffield City Council"

 

But there will have been a cost, eg the delays to Amey's work on Rustlings Road and Wayland Road, the extra council meeting, the proposed forum that Councilor Fox has offered. This will have to be paid from somewhere. I hope it doesn't come out of the money allocated to pay Amey, as that would mean that work to a corresponding value within Streets Ahead will not now be completed. Somebody's road left pot-hole filled, maybe?

 

But if it doesn't come out of this pot of money, then where will it come from?

 

Also, going forward, are we going to get similar hold ups on every street where trees are planned to be felled? If so, there will be even more costs.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Eater Sundae