Tree campaign in Sheffield in 2016 (continuation thread)

[Eater Sundae 12]

What do I think about an arborist who is siding with the council, because he stands to make a great deal of money from being a sub-contractor? Well I think that is pretty obvious. And forgive me for paying more attention to the opinion of seven other national and international tree experts who condemn Sheffield's lack of planning and strategy, because they don't have a vested interest in any outcome.

 

---------- Post added 31-05-2016 at 11:09 ----------

 

 

This is correct CGK. Steve Robinson, Simon Green and whoever else were involved with the signing of this 2.2 billion pound contract SHOULD have employed tree and engineer consultants, to ensure appropriate protection of Sheffield's green assets. This has NOT happened. Amey are doing the bare minimum to meet contract requirements, felling trees because it is expedient for their longterm profits. And Sheffield City Council is just sitting there, watching them - watching them fell perfectly healthy trees for no reason, damaging healthy trees with improper and unsupervised use of machinery within the root protection zone, improperly planting saplings with no aftercare, trenching within the RPA with no arboricultural guidance, using substandard materials for road and pavement repair, which are already degrading after a year of use.

 

What evidence do you have that SCC do not employ qualified arborists?

[Mindfulness 10]

It is patently obvious that no consultation with tree experts or engineers with the appropriate level of training and experience, were involved prior to signing of the PFI contract. If they had, alternative highway specifications that allowed the safe retention of trees on tree-lined streets would have been drafted. Search for the word 'tree' in the contract and it is not mentioned even ONCE. Proper protection for highway trees has NOT been accounted for at ANY stage of the process and this has been confirmed by Cllr Jack Scott in Aug 2014, when he said that Sheffield had no tree strategy. SCC have since dishonestly produced Amey's '5 year tree management strategy' last year, claiming that it existed since 2012, despite the evidence from Cllr Scott to the contrary. Furthermore, language from SORT documents and emails has been wholesale plagiarised.

Edited May 31, 2016 by Mindfulness

[Eater Sundae 12]

It is patently obvious that no consultation with tree experts or engineers with the appropriate level of training and experience, were involved prior to signing of the PFI contract. If they had, alternative highway specifications that allowed the safe retention of trees on tree-lined streets would have been drafted. Search for the word 'tree' in the contract and it is not mentioned even ONCE. Proper protection for highway trees has NOT been accounted for at ANY stage of the process and this has been confirmed by Cllr Jack Scott in Aug 2014, when he said that Sheffield had no tree strategy. SCC have since dishonestly produced Amey's '5 year tree management strategy' last year, claiming that it existed since 2012, despite the evidence from Cllr Scott to the contrary. Furthermore, language from SORT documents and emails has been wholesale plagiarised.

 

Why not just "none".

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

Why not just "none".

Maybe that slipped his mindfulness.

[Solomon1 10]

All those trees gone, utterly shameful

 

Totally agree mate

 

---------- Post added 31-05-2016 at 18:00 ----------

 

Maybe that slipped his mindfulness.

 

How on EARTH are you a moderator?

[taxman 12]

How on EARTH are you a moderator?

 

They have to balance the normal mods with a beardy UKIPer......just to stop people bleating about "left-wing bias"

[Solomon1 10]

They have to balance the normal mods with a beardy UKIPer......just to stop people bleating about "left-wing bias"

 

Thaar's been doin summat!

[max 13]

These new eco school's Libraries, Hospital's Etc: Feed on wood and so on. Wouldn't put it past the council cutting tree's down for their little project's. Whatever Happened To The greenest city in Europe. Our council know no bound's of they're absurd plan's.

 

They could probably power the incinerator for a week on your aberrant apostrophes.

 

PS Welcome to the forum.

[Mindfulness 10]

Whatever Happened To The greenest city in Europe. Our council know no bound's of they're absurd plan's.

 

The council's absurdness becomes more apparent by the day Mr Disturbed . They are in a jam, because they are simply not willing to challenge Amey or police them properly in terms of the contract conditions. They signed up to the £2.2 billion contract with Amey and they owe it to us as Sheffield citizens to make sure they manage it properly. They need to be braver with Amey and face up to this multinational, which is also being sued by Birmingham City Council for malpractice, and also Herefordshire Council over defective works that have not been rectified and works that were not delivered.

 

http://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/regional/11863789.Council_s___40m_legal_stand_off_with_former_major_contract_partner_could_last_another_year/

 

---------- Post added 01-06-2016 at 21:04 ----------

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/roads-contractor-amey-counter-claim-against-8858485

“They come out to fill a pothole, and there’s another 12 feet away and it gets left rather than being done at the same time”

 

“The conditions of the roads now seem worse than they were before"

 

---------- Post added 02-06-2016 at 00:45 ----------

 

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/birmingham-city-council-roads-contractor-7552

"BIRMINGHAM’S £2.7 billion roads contractor has been told to make more effort to talk to residents about repairs and works in a report from a council watchdog committee"

 

---------- Post added 02-06-2016 at 00:53 ----------

 

"Residents were not being adequately consulted or informed"

[Solomon1 10]

They could probably power the incinerator for a week on your aberrant apostrophes

 

...............

[Mindfulness 10]

Comment (blue and red) on Amey's 5 year Tree Management Strategy here:

https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/in-your-area/report_request/trees.html

 

 

1.0 INTRODUCTION Strategic Goals

This is a disappointingly unambitious and simplistic list which does not appear to respond to public concern or the ‘published’ statements/promises of the Sheffield City Council. It is of great concern that it is informing the draft SCC Tree Strategy and not vice versa – why is this?

 

1. Maximise potential canopy cover through species selection, good establishment and good arboricultural management – also by not felling healthy mature trees.

2. Establish a sustainable tree stock through improved planting design and appropriate management. The removal of trees should only be ‘as a last resort’ – why has this maxim not been stated here? Record all decisions regarding the rejection of straightforward footpath and kerb improvement works that are being carried out by dozens of other councils across Britain.

 

3. Minimise Achieve a sustainable level of future maintenance costs through species selection and appropriate management – such replacement species to reflect their location and the remaining trees within any group or urban setting.

 

4. Ensure sufficient appropriate funding for mature tree retention and ongoing maintenance.

 

5. Carry out full appraisal of economical equivalent tree ‘values’ (including their ecosystem-services) using internationally recognised software and criteria to inform these considerations.

 

6. Establish a resilient tree stock through species diversity and species selection – assess and prepare pits, and plant and maintain in accordance with best practice and guidance.

 

7. Establish and publish transparently agreed data across the tree stock and particularly for all trees proposed for felling.

 

8. Introduce appropriate new trees (not just replacements) into the highway to ensure a consistent flow of ages and a softening of the effect of future replacements (there are plenty of spaces left where trees have been removed and not replaced in the past).

 

9. Maintain Sheffield’s tree heritage by protecting and conserving where appropriate – research and understand what this is (including commemorative as well as historic and rarity indicators).

 

10. Increase biodiversity through species selection and protection and introduction of habitats.

 

11. Ensure a safe tree stock through good tree management and protection – and note that there are solutions other than felling.

 

12. Make improvements to the future well-being and safety circumstances of trees that are to remain when doing adjacent upgrades (e.g. introduce growth space, air and water permeability, drainage, flexible final surfaces, etc) to also help ensure full term growth potential is achieved.

 

13. Improve compatibility with environment through holistic highway design and management.

 

14. Understand ‘design’ when it comes to Highway trees (both removal and replacement). For example; the use of trees for reinforcing the street corridor and the feeling of safety and separation from traffic; alignment and wayfinding for those with various disabilities; emphasis of a significant entrance or intersection – again Bristol has set out simple exemplary guidance.

 

15. Improve public relationship with highway trees and highway tree Contractors through positive properly informed and interactive engagement and consultation and good management.

 

16. Improve understanding of benefits of urban trees through communications and events – this to apply equally to Amey/Streets Ahead.

 

17. Improve function of highway trees through innovative design strategy – and understand their full range of such possibilities (e.g. safety; security; guidance; and orientation from tree avenues).

 

18. Keep publicly accessible auditable records of all that is decided and done to highway trees.

 

19. Follow all relevant guidance and best practice regarding work to and around existing trees for upgrades, utilities, street lighting, proximity of equipment and material loadings, etc.

 

20. Ensure that the Council monitors the work of any contractors, and uses its powers to have anything that falls short of published guidance and best practice is redone.

 

21. All operatives, inspectors, designers, managers, etc to be appropriately qualified for the above.

 

Also, with the introduction of the Sheffield Trees and Woodlands Strategy 2015-2030, ensure this Strategy properly comes under the auspices and control of that document and of its Managers

Edited June 3, 2016 by Mindfulness

[Crosser 10]

Wouldn't it make more sense to plant/grow trees where they are not going to present a NUISANCE to people (You know, like in woods, and the countryside and places like that),

 

Rather than at the side of roads & streets where they drop their leaves in your garden in winter, then block all your light from spring to Autumn, whilst in the winter provide a convenient perch for birds to crap all over your motor!

 

Ruddy things are a menace, ESPECIALLY the ones which sneakily secreet resin all over the place.

 

CITIES are not the place for trees, the bloody things should have thought about that before they moved here