Petition to save 'iconic' trees from axe gains hundreds of signatures
Almost 500 people have signed a petition calling on Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council to publish evidence showing why the trees need to be removed and prove that felling is being used only as a last resort.
The campaign began after residents 'heard chainsaws' and found contractors were cutting down a large tree without prior notice.
The council, however, said that particular tree contained honey fungus and rot and “posed a risk to the public," but no decisions had been made about the remaining trees, which would only be removed as a last resort following professional assessments.
Campaigners later learned that 23 more trees could be at risk between Worrygoose Roundabout and Mushroom Garage.
Further work has now been paused while the council speaks to residents and ward councillors.
Petition organiser Andy Hayter said residents accepted that genuinely dangerous trees may need to be removed but wanted to see the assessments behind the proposals.
He said: “We just need reassurance that they’re not being cut down for convenience. We need to see the evidence.
“The idea that 24 trees all pose an imminent threat to life just isn’t plausible.”
The petition asks the council to publish a tree-by-tree assessment setting out the condition, risks and urgency of any proposed work.
Mr Hayter said several are believed to be more than 100 years old and had become a defining feature of the road.
“A woman in her nineties came to our residents’ meeting and said she remembered the trees from her childhood,” he said.
“There’s an emotional attachment locally. The trees are iconic. Putting 24 saplings in would change the very fabric of the area.”
The petition stresses that residents are not asking the council to ignore safety risks. Instead, they want each proposed removal shown to be necessary and supported by clear professional evidence.
Mr Hayter said the council had been willing to listen, but added: “Trees are still under threat.”
However. Polly Hamilton, Service Director for Culture, Sport and Tourism at RMBC said that the council understood residents’ concerns but had a legal duty to act where trees posed a public safety risk, particularly along a busy pedestrian and traffic route.
Ms Hamilton added: “No decisions have been made regarding future tree removals on Herringthorpe Valley Road. Any decisions will be evidence-led and based on professional assessments. Trees are only removed as a last resort, not as a matter of routine.”
Where felling was necessary, up to three replacements could be planted for each tree removed. The council said it could not consult before taking action against an individual high-risk tree but was engaging with residents, HEART and local councillors about the wider programme.
The petition, which runs until September 10, had attracted 495 signatures at the time of writing.