Campaigner Kate Needham says that she received a call from a resident in Cantley that workmen were chopping the cherry tree down close by her house on Willow Avenue – contrary to the new street tree policy.

The new tree policy was agreed following protests about the unnecessary felling of 64 trees in Middlefield Road in Bessacarr.

Kate Needham said, “When challenged, the workmen stopped the felling and began pruning nearby instead but I contacted DMBC to remind them they had agreed that the public are supposed to be notified and a thorough investigation should be carried out before trees are felled.”

“I have now been told that the original reason for felling the trees had already been resolved so the planned felling is completely unnecessary.

“It is becoming clear that there is dysfunction at the heart of the Doncaster Council tree team where new policy and ways of working are not being effectively relayed to the workforce.”

Last month, Doncaster Council released a statement to the press saying that has committed to the principle of “minimal tree removal” as a last resort and where no alternative solution can be found.

Green Party Mayoral Candidate, Warren Draper said,

“Street trees are valued by local residents and play an important part in protecting our local environment. They provide homes to birds and their removal as we approach Spring is particularly problematic during breeding season.

“You would expect that with all the negative attention regarding the unnecessary felling of street trees in Bessacarr and the fact that they have made such a big deal of their new policy that the council would be trying to get things right.

“Is it any wonder that trust in our elected politicians is so low when one minute the Council is saying one thing, then when they think no one is looking they do another.”

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Councillor Wood who has been a Councillor representing the rural Sprotborough Ward for the last twelve years.

Councillor Wood said, “I’m proud to be a new member for the Green Party. For some time, it has been clear to me that the interests of rural communities like Sprotbrough, and others like it, have not been well served by Doncaster Council.

“It’s become increasingly apparent that the Conservatives are failing to respond the action we desperately need on environmental issues. Even a climate emergency seems to make little or no change to their direction.

“I’ve always been especially vocal about protecting the Green Belt, highlighting the dangers from over development around flood zones, proper environmental protection, and common sense tree policies that don’t just chop them down because they’re in the way.

“Whilst I wish all my former colleagues in the Conservative Party well, I am simply unable to stand with them as they stand-by doing nothing to leave politics, or more importantly the environment in a better place than they found it”

Tony Nicholson, a spokesperson from Doncaster Green Party, said,

“I’m really pleased Jonathan has chosen to join the Green Party. We have worked well with him over a number of years, particularly on planning issues when the quality of our local environment has been under threat. We are very happy to welcome him to the Green Party.”

Councillor Wood has been selected as one of the two Green Party candidates for the Sprotborough Ward in the upcoming local elections in May along with local Parish Councillor Fiona Cahill.

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So far, 60 healthy street trees along the road have been felled with only four remaining.

Campaigners have said they would continue to peacefully protest and adhere to Covid-19 guidelines.

Councillor Douglas Johnson, the leader of the Green Party group on Sheffield Council made enquiries following the claims made by Councillor Blackham in the Doncaster Free Press:

Douglas Johnson commented:

“Dave Dillner told me that he had two meetings last year with senior officers at Doncaster in Waterdale. I l told them in no uncertain terms how wrong their actions were.

“Not a single one of those trees needed to be removed. We are appalled at what they’ve done, especially given the assurances they gave Dave during our second meeting. It’s Sheffield…in Spades!” Dave Dillner was the founder of Sheffield Tree Action Group which successfully campaigned against the infamous tree felling programme by Sheffield Council.
Earlier this year Councillor Julie Dore, the Labour leader of Sheffield Council was forced to apologise for the Council’s actions.

A report by the local government ombudsman said it acted with a “lack of transparency, openness and, on occasion, honesty.”

Tony Nicholson, one of the protestors and a Green Party spokesperson said,

“It really is like Doncaster Council looked at the appalling behaviour by Sheffield Council and are deliberately setting to one up them.

“They are not engaging with our concerns, they are not reaching out to talk, they are making statements to the media which how no bearing on reality.

“At a time when public trust in politicians is so low it is beyond belief that the Labour administration in Doncaster is showing so much contempt for local residents and the general public.”

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Kate Needham, a Green Party campaigner has said, “This is not only bad for our environment, but offers poor value for money for taxpayers here in Doncaster.

“Doncaster Council is already struggling financially to deal with deal with huge problems such as bailing out the firm that run Doncaster markets as well as the financial problems being caused by the ongoing battle with covid-19.

“It makes no sense that they have decided that now is the time they choose to revisit felling beautiful, healthy and mature lime trees on Middlefield Road.”

Fiona Cahill, another Green Party activists said, “The residents living on Middlefield Road we spoke to who were alarmed by the ‘so-called consultation’ were already well informed that felling is not the best or most economical way to deal with the damage that tree roots can cause to pavements.”

“It’s worth remembering that newly planted saplings cannot replace mature canopy cover so we are calling on the council to keep the existing tree cover and instead repair the pavements.”

Paul Powlesland, founder of Lawyers For Nature offered his opinion “When I wrote my advice in January, felling the trees without a license from the Forestry Commission was of dubious legality.

“It appears that little has changed since then, except the desire from the council to give it another go. It is frustrating that the lessons from Sheffield that it can be cheap and easy to fix pavements and retain street trees have not been learned.

“It is to be hoped that local people will take peaceful protest action to retain these beautiful trees that cannot be properly replaced.”

Sheffield Council attracted national attention for the long drawn out dispute regarding its tree felling programme which ultimately saw the Council back down and apologise

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