Sheffield Street Tree Inquiry Report has been published and we should expect resignations.

The Tree Inquiry Report has been published but it is a long read. I am going to use this page to catalogue the varied coverage of the report.

The tree campaigners have been completely vindicated. Sir Mark said that initially developing and adopting a flawed plan “was a failure of strategic leadership” with responsibility resting primarily with senior council officers and senior political leaders in post between 2008 and 2012 – during which time both the Lib Dems and Labour held power.” Some leading Councillors should be considering their position. From what I have read it is clear to me that both Cllr Terry Fox and Cllr Bryan Lodge should resign. As I said on Facebook “People responsible for “irrational, unreasonable, deceitful, dishonest, bullying and intimidating behaviour” should no longer be at the helm of Sheffield City Council.”

On Radio Sheffield this morning (8/3/23) Paul Brooke from STAG was calling for a full apology to the High Court for the way the Council misled them. Misleading the High Court is an extremely serious matter. Those that did this are lucky perjury is not being considered. Surely a written apology is clearly needed.

The Lib Dems are calling for Fox and Lodge to resign, but this should not distract from the fact that they too are very much to blame. Lord Scriven has apologised for his mistake in misinterpreting the term “over-mature”. This led to the plan to target 17,500 street trees in the city for felling. The 2007 report stated 74 per cent of its 35,000 street trees would be classed as “mature” or “over-mature” by March 2008. The council then produced an outline business case which wrongly misinterpreted those findings as meaning those trees were “ready for replacement” – leading to the 17,500 figure being put in the contract tender in 2009. The Lib Dems should also be apologising for championing this disastrous PFI contract with Amey. The contract was originally negotiated by a Liberal Democrat led council but was finalised under Labour and signed in 2012.

Here are all the documents and videos related to the report. (including a link to download the 227 page report)

Here is Sir Mark Lowcock launching the report.

Here you will find links to various articles in the press.

The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/06/sheffield-city-council-behaved-dishonestly-in-street-trees-row-inquiry-finds

The Yorkshire Post Truth and Reconciliation https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-trees-inquiry-to-be-guided-by-search-for-truth-and-reconciliation-3605190

YorkshirPost. Why Fox and Lodge won’t resign https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/sheffield-council-leader-wont-quit-over-trees-scandal-and-rejects-colleagues-resignation-offer-4053587

Yorkshire Post calls for resignations https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/those-responsible-for-the-sheffield-tree-felling-scandal-need-to-be-moved-on-the-yorkshire-post-says-4054478

Yorkshire Post Five Damning Findings https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/five-damning-findings-from-the-sheffield-trees-inquiry-what-you-need-to-know-4054182

Yorkshire Post Sheffield Council Misled the Courts https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-council-misled-public-and-courts-over-efforts-to-chop-down-half-of-citys-street-trees-inquiry-finds-4052054?

Sheffield Star Council Misled the public https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/politics/sheffield-tree-inquiry-council-misled-the-public-and-courts-in-dark-episode-for-sheffield-4052037

Sheffield Green Party Key lessons for Sheffield Council https://sheffieldgreenparty.org.uk/2023/03/06/the-need-for-honesty-and-openness-are-the-key-lessons-for-sheffield-council-say-greens-on-street-trees-inquiry/

Sheffield Lib Dems Call for Resignations https://www.shefflibdems.org.uk/?tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Bnews%5D=4256&cHash=181ad15001fe2bc6b5435b60870b6f72

Sheffield Tree Action Groups Press Release

BBC Radio Sheffield. Toby Foster Breakfast Show. Features featuring Cllr Terry Fox (SCC), Rebecca Hammond (STAG) and Alison Teal. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0f32448

ITV Calendar (Spot me on the video!) https://www.facebook.com/544179433/videos/546900350609928/