• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News Environment

Council embroiled in a bitter row with tree campaigners refuses to disclose its official policy behind its tree felling program

A city council embroiled in a bitter row with campaigners over a controversial tree felling programme has refused to disclose its official policy behind the measure. The authority has ruled it is in the “greater good” to keep its official policy for the felling of thousands of the city’s street trees secret. Its refusal comes […]

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2018-04-20 12:05
in Environment, News
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

A city council embroiled in a bitter row with campaigners over a controversial tree felling programme has refused to disclose its official policy behind the measure.

The authority has ruled it is in the “greater good” to keep its official policy for the felling of thousands of the city’s street trees secret.

Its refusal comes after a local newspaper submitted a Freedom of Information request to see its currently-redacted ‘Highway Tree Replacement Policy’.

FILE PHOTO; Police protect Amey staff from pro tree protesters as they cut down a tree on Abbeydale Park Rise, Sheffield. 

The policy is contained within a £2.2bn PFI contract between Sheffield City Council in South Yorkshire and a highway maintenance company.

The contract, which began in 2012, contains a target to remove 17,500 of the 36,000 street trees in Sheffield and replace them with saplings during the course of 25 years.

Trees – many of which campaigners say are healthy and are hundreds of years old – will be replaced with saplings.

Sheffield Council has previously insisted that felling is carried out as a “last resort” and that trees would only be removed if they were dead, dying, diseased, dangerous, damaging or ‘discriminatory’ – affecting the ability of people to use the pavement.

RelatedPosts

Trooping the Colour: ‘Multiple injuries’ reported as stand COLLAPSES

Teacher asks kids what they would do if they were royals for one day – these are the heartwarming responses

Mogg will be pleased! Government staff work in corridors over desks shortage

Good Friday agreement: People moved by Liam Neeson’s cameo in final episode of Derry Girls

Police protect Amey staff from pro tree protesters as they cut down a tree on Abbeydale Park Rise, Sheffield. 

However, a separate FoI council response to tree campaigner Paul Selby has confirmed that the strategy is superseded by what is contained within the contract.

It states: “In the event of any inconsistencies between the documents the obligations contained in the Streets Ahead contract take precedence over any document produced under it.”

Mr Selby said this admission appeared to show the published strategy was “worthless”.

In its response to the latest FOI by the Yorkshire Post Sheffield City Council stated: “We believe the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

“Please note, public interest is what is of greater good to the community and not what interests the public.”

The council further stated that the ongoing review of which parts of its Streets Ahead contract could be made public was “an arduous task and required appropriate levels of scrutiny”.

Indoor plants ‘reduce pollution and save energy’

Watch – New process contributing to sea level rise and climate change discovered

Please login to join discussion

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 .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

UK authorities playing role of ‘executioner’ in Assange case, fiancee says

Thousands of Labour supporters sign Vote of confidence petition in support of Jeremy Corbyn

Former Labour Prime Minister’s Isles of Scilly holiday home put up for sale

All the women make the ballot last minute as Labour leadership and Deputy contenders announced for next round

EuroMillions Results for Tuesday 8 March 2022 Tonight’s winning numbers

Review: Now You See Me 2

Marcus Rashford launches book club so ‘every child’ can experience ‘escapism’

Met issues first ever ‘Red’ Weather Warning & hundreds of schools closed as UK gripped by the Beast from the East

Chinese Space Station ‘In Freefall’ And Could Crash To Earth In Days

Key aide to Starmer quits after party suffers ‘worst Labour performance in any by-election’

About Us

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

Read more

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




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

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