Councillor should take look in mirror

Sheffield City Council has utterly mishandled the whole highways street tree issue from the outset.

The wilful disregard for evidence and expert opinion (of which there is plenty ranged against them) is breath-taking.

Their only defence against a well-informed and organised group of campaigners is to try to drag the dialogue into a muddy political brawl. The spectacle is frankly pathetic.

It is unworthy. Peter Price (and his colleagues backing this strategy of vilification) should be ashamed.

The onslaught faced by Sheffield City Council will not abate because of their hackneyed strategy of ignoring truth and blocking access to information and debate.

The tree campaign groups are not politically affiliated.

Many of the campaigners are astonished and dismayed by the Council’s paternalistic steamrollering strategy when faced with organised dissent.

And that is where the ruling group on the council are finding it difficult. This is not about ideology.

The facts of the matter are quite clear and the evidence against the management approach adopted by the Council and Amey is frankly damning of them.

A review of the research evidence concerning the value of urban and street tress reveals the deep folly of wholesale felling (and thousands is wholesale to me).

The alternatives to Sheffield City Council’s approach are many and proven.

Sadly, Peter’s not for turning and nor are his comrades.

Equally sadly, in the wider UK and beyond the failure of our council is finding the spotlight of opprobrium that it deserves.

My children are proud of my small efforts to support the save the trees campaigns.

I am sure my grandchildren will be.

Peter Price should take a long look in the mirror before plumping up his oversized political ego and making similar claims.

Richard Ward,

High Storrs Road, Sheffield