Exploratory work to be carried out on war memorial trees on Sheffield street

Between Monday, March 6 and Friday, March 10, Sheffield Council's 'Streets Ahead' team will be carrying out exploratory work on Western Road, Crookes, where 23 trees planted as a war memorial are at risk of the chop as part of a city-wide road improvement programme.

More than 5,100 people signed an online petition to preserve the trees and last month Sheffield Council announced that it had instructed contractor Amey, which is carrying out the city-wide street improvement programme, to investigate 'engineering solutions' which would allow roadworks to be carried out without the trees having to be felled.

Some excavation work needs to be carried out to examine the roots of the trees.

A Sheffield Council spokesman said: "Between March 6 and 10, Streets Ahead will be carrying out investigations to the Western Road trees to determine the position of the roots and how they may affect further works."

Almost 100 trees were planted along Western Road in 1919 to honour 67 former pupils from nearby Westways School who died in the First World War.