Campaigners accuse Sheffield Council of 'hypocrisy' over greenbelt plan - and Sean Bean is on their side
Sean Bean has backed campaigners accusing Sheffield City Council of “wanton hypocrisy” for apologising over the Sheffield tree felling scandal amid the ongoing greenbelt protest.
A plaque was unveiled at Sheffield Town Hall on March 7 praising the protestors who battled tree felling between 2012 and 2018.
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Now, protestors have accused the council of “hypocrisy” in the face thousands of residents fighting against plans to build 3,500 new homes on 800 acres of greenbelt land - and legendary actor Sean Bean is in their corner.
Sean, who donated £5,000 into a greenbelt campaign group’s fighting fund, said: “The unveiling of a plaque commemorating the protection of Sheffield’s street trees was intended to symbolise the city’s ability to learn from the past.
“They need to take heed of this message now and listen to these very real concerns before our amazing greenbelt is destroyed.”
The plaque was unveiled after the council made international headlines for axing more than 5,000 trees for a street improvement programme, but was later found to have “behaved dishonestly.”
Protestors in Sheffield fighting plans to build 3,529 homes on 14 greenbelt sites have accused the council of hypocrisy - which the Game of Thrones star agrees with.
They claim the same council showing contrition for the tree felling scandal is now pursuing an “unfair” local plan which has attracted thousands of objections across the city since it was first announced in April 2025.
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The same campaigners are also critical of the city’s Green Party, which largely voted in favour of the plan despite national messaging that “building homes must protect green spaces.”
Residents across Sheffield announced this month the formation of the ‘Sheffield Greenbelt Alliance’ to bring together action groups and have the plan withdrawn.
A spokesperson for the Sheffield Greenbelt Alliance said: “[The council set out] three principles emerging from the Street Trees experience - one, that the council recognises that failing to properly listen to residents led to a loss of trust; two, that residents who raised concerns are now acknowledged as having helped the city learn important lessons; and thirdly, trees are a valued part of Sheffield’s identity and these are presented as lessons they have learned for the future.
“The council might apologise for their failures around the tree-felling but they do not seem to learn.
“The residents concerned about the greenbelt destruction do not seek a blue plaque and an apology in five years time. They seek to be heard to protect the environment they live in. They are no different to those who resisted the tree-felling.
“For many residents concerned about the proposed loss of green belt land, the key question is whether those lessons are now being applied in practice or is this just wanton hypocrisy?”
Labour MP Clive Betts, Sheffield South East, has joined campaigners in his opposition to the plan and has said he will continue to make submissions against the proposals.
In a letter to constituents he said: “I will be honest with you. I am incredibly skeptical that this is a meaningful consultation given the way the council and the inspectorate have refused to take account of alternative views so far.
“I want to reassure you that I remain opposed to this Local Plan. It does not serve the area or any residents and only adds to the inequality between the East and the West of the city. The council must reject this local plan and I will be campaigning to this end over the coming months. There is still time to prevent this injustice.”