• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • FAQ
  • Meet the Team
  • About The London Economic
  • Advertise
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
NEWSLETTER
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News Environment

Activist scales iconic 150yo tree in bid to save it from felling as long-standing tree row continues

An activist scaled a 150-year-old oak tree today (mon) in a bid to prevent it from being felled by a local council. Residents gathered in the street where the tree is sited today (October 16) in the hope of stopping the council from tearing it down. TV presenter Vernon Kaye is among campaigners who have […]

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
October 16, 2017
in Environment, News

An activist scaled a 150-year-old oak tree today (mon) in a bid to prevent it from being felled by a local council.

Residents gathered in the street where the tree is sited today (October 16) in the hope of stopping the council from tearing it down.

TV presenter Vernon Kaye is among campaigners who have appealed to Sheffield City Council to re-think pavement resurfacing plans and save the much-loved oak.

In a video appeal, he said: “Sheffield Council, come on.

RelatedPosts

Watch: Extinction Rebellion activists smash windows of HSBC’s London headquarters

EU citizens found rough sleeping could be deported under new policy

Football fan ‘choked to death’ after being force fed chicken kebab as he slept on a train

Police called after intruder held at Prince Andrew’s home

Protestors, including Sue Unwin, 59 (right), oppose the felling of a 150+ year old oak tree on Vernon Road in Sheffield, South Yorks., October 16 2017. 

“It’s only a pavement – I’m sure you’ve got a few quid somewhere that you can re-design that pavement around that tree that’s been in Sheffield longer than everyone in Sheffield.”

Campaigners have converged on Sheffield’s Vernon Road, South Yorks., bedecked in yellow ribbons and singing songs ahead of announcement that felling was due to start this week.

One campaigner has even scaled its branches with a climbing rope, telling onlookers “I’ll stay here all week if I have to” as they passed him food and supplies from ground level.

Resident Sue Unwin has created a focal point for campaigning in her back garden and has messages on display from various protesters including MP Nick Clegg.

Appearing on the street today, Sue from Sheffield Save Dore, Totley and Broadway Trees, said: “I sincerely hope this tree can be saved.

“I’ve lived here for 20 years and it’s the first thing I see in the morning.

“There’s a guy up the road who is 93 – he and his mates used to meet at the tree when they were kids.

“The first part of the street was built in the 1930s and then they extended it in the 1960s with some quite dull houses.

“We just don’t have many large street trees in the street here.”

The protest comes in the midst of a bitter row between activists and Sheffield City Council over a 25-year highways maintenance project with a private contractor which will see thousands of trees felled.

Since the Sheffield’s “Streets Ahead” project began in 2012 5,600 trees have been felled with 400 set for removal by the end of the year.

A protestor has climbed high to oppose the felling of a 150+ year old oak tree on Vernon Road in Sheffield, South Yorks., October 16 2017. See 

The oak tree on Vernon Road in the well-healed Sheffield suburb of Dore preserves a time when the now built-up suburb was nothing more a few Derbyshire fields.

It has become one of the most important trees in Sheffield’s campaign against the city council’s campaign against felling.

Protester Margaret Peart, also of Save Dore, Totley and Bradway Trees, who is out on the street, said: “Vernon Oak has been growing where it is for at least 150 years and it is a perfectly healthy tree which preserves a time when Dore was agricultural.

“There was a time when this tree was growing in a field in Derbyshire – before Dore became part of the city of Sheffield.

“There are pictures which show the fields here before Vernon Road was built and the tree is in them.

“Not only is this tree beautiful but it’s important culturally and for the area’s heritage.”

“If we lose this tree it will be more than sad – it will be the disastrous and totally unnecessary depletion of green areas.

“If we don’t manage to stop this tree being felled it may help somewhere else.”

The latest Sheffield activist facing legal action is Sheffield Green Party councillor Alison Teal.

Calvin Payne, 45, a Sheffield historian and tour guide, is charged with breaking the injunction and inciting others to do so.

He said: “People who have never broken the law in their lives are considering breaking this injunction now.

“I will be pleading not guilty on the basis that I do not think breaking this injunction is a crime.

“I could be looking at a short prison sentence but you get to the point where you don’t care what they threaten you with any more.”

Protestors, including Colin Ross, 64, and Sue Unwin, 59, oppose the felling of a 150+ year old oak tree on Vernon Road in Sheffield, South Yorks., October 16 2017. 

Councillor Bryan Lodge, Cabinet member for Environment and Street Scene at Sheffield City Council said:

“Unfortunately, a very small number of tree activists are continuing to trespass inside the exclusion zone erected around tree works despite a High Court ruling stating that anyone who did so is acting unlawfully and would be in contempt of court.

“The continued breach of the injunction is both disappointing and unacceptable and will now result in further court action and potential imprisonment for those involved.

“What’s more, this direct action is in complete disregard of the law and goes against the wishes of the majority of people in Sheffield who are in support of our work.

“The purposeful breach of the civil ruling means the Council will now follow all associated legal steps to ensure committal for contempt for those involved.”

WATCH: Shocking footage shows fuming farmer repeatedly ram hunt sabs with his quad bike

This heartfelt plea from a writer whose son has been cruelly stripped of disability benefits needs to be shared

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism Support fearless, free, investigative journalism
Please login to join discussion

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending fromTLE

  • All
  • trending

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

Stress, fear and homelessness: The threat looming over families confronted with eviction

File photo dated 07/11/03 of a prison cell.

The Other Prison Pandemic

Latest from TLE

Watch: Extinction Rebellion activists smash windows of HSBC’s London headquarters

SNP to lose out on majority at Holyrood election, poll predicts

Current and former Residents for Uttlesford councillors

What is a residents party?

Mercer blasts ‘awful’ government environment where ‘almost nobody tells the truth’

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: jack@thelondoneconomic.com

Commercial enquiries, please contact: advertise@thelondoneconomic.com

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Film
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech & Auto
  • About The London Economic
  • Meet the Team
  • Privacy policy

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.