Letter: Neighbours’ tree row

This letter sent to the Star was written by Cyril Olsen, Busk Meadow, Sheffield, S5
By Cyril Olsen
Published 28th Jun 2021, 07:00 BST
Updated 28th Jun 2021, 07:05 BST
The chopped tree at the centre of the neighbour dispute in Sheffield, June 23, 2021. A neighbourly dispute in Sheffield sparked debate on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show after a tree was cut in half. See SWNS story SWLEtree. During the programme, it was revealed that the tree was meticulously halved after a “petty” neighbour, from the Waterthorpe area, didn’t like branches of the tree hanging over their driveway. A man who wished to remain anonymous said that it was cut in half on Friday afternoon and both neighbours had agreed to this, as one person wanted to keep the tree on their half, but the other didn’t. The chopped tree at the centre of the neighbour dispute in Sheffield, June 23, 2021. A neighbourly dispute in Sheffield sparked debate on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show after a tree was cut in half. See SWNS story SWLEtree. During the programme, it was revealed that the tree was meticulously halved after a “petty” neighbour, from the Waterthorpe area, didn’t like branches of the tree hanging over their driveway. A man who wished to remain anonymous said that it was cut in half on Friday afternoon and both neighbours had agreed to this, as one person wanted to keep the tree on their half, but the other didn’t.
The chopped tree at the centre of the neighbour dispute in Sheffield, June 23, 2021. A neighbourly dispute in Sheffield sparked debate on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show after a tree was cut in half. See SWNS story SWLEtree. During the programme, it was revealed that the tree was meticulously halved after a “petty” neighbour, from the Waterthorpe area, didn’t like branches of the tree hanging over their driveway. A man who wished to remain anonymous said that it was cut in half on Friday afternoon and both neighbours had agreed to this, as one person wanted to keep the tree on their half, but the other didn’t.

Sheffield is in the national media spotlight yet again for all the wrong reasons.

Just when we thought that the local tree culling saga perpetrated by SCC had died a quiet death, we now have the private sector becoming involved in the case of Waterthorpe neighbours Bharat and Sangita Mistry who are at ‘loggerheads’ with Graham and Irene Lee who have engaged a tree surgeon to split their 16 foot fir tree right down the middle in a dispute about overhanging branches.

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The 25-year-old tree was previously trimmed into a ball shape by agreement with the neighbour but drastic unilateral action has now been taken as a result of alleged birds making too much noise and messing up the Lee’s bungalow driveway.

Despite an offer to get it trimmed and put a net in to stop the birds, the offensive-to-some tree has now been given a severe pruning, so much so that it has become a visitor attraction at the quiet cul de sac since a photo appeared on Channel 5’s Jeremy Vine show.

As a matter of local interest could The Star print a photo of the ‘before and after’ tree?

Related topics:NeighboursSheffield

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