Sheffield Tree Action Groups

5,500 of Sheffield’s street trees have been chopped down in the last five years – another 12,000 will go over the next 20 years.

STAG is a non-party political ‘umbrella-group’ of local tree action groups that have sprung up citywide. Healthy trees are being ‘replaced’ as part of the ‘Streets Ahead’ highways PFI contract, run by Amey Plc on behalf of Sheffield City Council.  These ‘before and after’ photos show the impact on major roads, Council housing estates, and affluent and modest suburbs alike.

Forced publication of the contract has revealed a target to replace 17,500 (or half) of Sheffield’s street trees.  Although renewing street trees is vital work, to cut down so many in such a short space of time is ecological vandalism.  What we want is an expert-led approach to the management of the city’s street trees, for the long-term benefit of Sheffield’s people and our natural environment.  See what the experts say in support of STAG’s position.

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Trees with many decades to live are being destroyed, ignoring the advice of the Council’s own Independent Tree-Panel and maximising Amey’s profits.  The value of trees already lost is approximately £60 million – unless we can stop the Sheffield Chainsaw Massacre the final figure will be many times higher.

Read about the campaign’s history, our blog, catch up with press coverage and discover the key facts to understand why this issue matters to everyone in Sheffield. There are many ways to get involved: sign the petitions, chat on STAG’s Facebook page and share campaign leaflets with family, friends and neighbours.

Help save Sheffield’s ‘urban forest’ – say ‘no’ to felling healthy trees.

Sheffield city council behaved dishonestly in street trees row, inquiry finds

“Deluded” councillors in Sheffield behaved dishonestly and destroyed public trust by mishandling a dispute over the unnecessarily felling of thousands of healthy trees in the city, an independent inquiry has found here.

The Felling – An Epic Tale of People Power

The Felling is a David and Goliath story about how a small group of residents in one of Europe’s greenest cities battled to stop a powerful city council and a giant multinational from chopping down thousands of healthy street trees as part of a massive £2.2m billion PFI contract to maintain the city’s highways. Read more here

Sheffield’s Street Trees – New Partnership Working Strategy

The New Partnership Working Strategy has been drawn up as a result of partnership, discussion and dialogue between representatives from STAG, Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, The Woodland Trust, Amey and Sheffield City Council as well as tree valuation experts and tree officers. The Strategy Consultation Survey closed for public contributions on 8th October 2020. Further information is expected soon.

In other news:

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman says Sheffield City Council “…should apologise for tree controversy“.

The Felling – An Epic Tale of People Power

Innocent protest to save Sheffield’s healthy street trees turns into a nightmare, as a small group of brave suburbanites take on their Council, the police and a multinational corporation.

Crowdfunder: street trees legal fund

We are currently collecting to support the small number of campaigners who are facing court costs after cases brought by Sheffield City Council.

Heartwood TiCL trail

Walk the Heartwood Trail and find Robert Macfarlane’s beautiful charms against harm hung from some of Sheffield’s threatened Street Trees. Designed by Jackie Morris.