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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/26/sheffield-council-pauses-tree-felling-scheme-after-criticism
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| Sheffield council pauses tree-felling scheme after criticism | Sheffield council pauses tree-felling scheme after criticism |
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| Sheffield city council has announced an immediate pause of its controversial tree-felling scheme after a barrage of criticism. | Sheffield city council has announced an immediate pause of its controversial tree-felling scheme after a barrage of criticism. |
| Thousands of trees assessed as dead, dying, dangerous or diseased have been cut down under a £2bn project to improve the condition of the streets. | Thousands of trees assessed as dead, dying, dangerous or diseased have been cut down under a £2bn project to improve the condition of the streets. |
| Michael Gove, the environment secretary, said on Sunday he would “do anything” to stop what he described as the “environmental vandalism”. | Michael Gove, the environment secretary, said on Sunday he would “do anything” to stop what he described as the “environmental vandalism”. |
| A spokeswoman for Sheffield city council confirmed to the Guardian that the tree-felling was being paused for a few weeks. The Labour-run authority is expected to issue a full statement shortly. | A spokeswoman for Sheffield city council confirmed to the Guardian that the tree-felling was being paused for a few weeks. The Labour-run authority is expected to issue a full statement shortly. |
| The announcement will be met with relief and some scepticism by campaigners who have fought a long battle to save the street trees, of which 5,500 have been felled amid scores of arrests. | The announcement will be met with relief and some scepticism by campaigners who have fought a long battle to save the street trees, of which 5,500 have been felled amid scores of arrests. |
| The council began felling elderly street trees in 2012 under a 25-year private finance initiative (PFI) contract with Amey called Streets Ahead. | |
| Despite sustained criticism of the project, the authority has repeatedly refused to suspend or cancel the works and has said it would be liable to pay millions of pounds in penalties if it terminated the deal. | Despite sustained criticism of the project, the authority has repeatedly refused to suspend or cancel the works and has said it would be liable to pay millions of pounds in penalties if it terminated the deal. |
| Asked if the government would step in to help pay contract termination penalties, Gove said on Sunday: “We will make sure that we will do anything that is required in order to stop this.” | Asked if the government would step in to help pay contract termination penalties, Gove said on Sunday: “We will make sure that we will do anything that is required in order to stop this.” |
| He also said the council had been “strong-armed and draconian” with citizens who had tried to protest, and called on the Labour leadership to intervene. | He also said the council had been “strong-armed and draconian” with citizens who had tried to protest, and called on the Labour leadership to intervene. |
| Sue Hayman, Labour’s shadow environment secretary, wrote to the council last week offering to formally mediate in the dispute. | Sue Hayman, Labour’s shadow environment secretary, wrote to the council last week offering to formally mediate in the dispute. |
| Alison Teal, a Green party councillor in Sheffield, gave a cautious welcome to the news. Speaking before the detail of the announcement was available, she said: “Let’s hope that this can lead to the end of the needless felling of healthy trees and bring an end to this eco-vandalism”. | |
| Teal, who has been arrested and expelled from Sheffield city council’s town hall during the dispute, said she suspected the council had finally bowed to “mounting pressure from Labour and the community and perhaps the police starting to feel uncomfortable”. | |
| She added: “It just couldn’t continue. We don’t know what the outcome is going to be, but it’s really positive that there’s been enough pressure that they can’t continue the way they are.” | |
| This month a freedom of information request revealed that the council’s PFI deal specifies that up to 17,500 trees – half the city’s 36,000 trees – could be felled as part of the work to maintain the roads and pavements. | |
| Sheffield council’s cabinet member for the environment, Bryan Lodge, denied that the 17,500 figure was a target, but the revelation prompted three of the city’s Labour MPs to call for an end to the programme. | |
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