Memorial tree decision - Town Hall 13/12/17

[Guest makapaka]

Sensible designers will include existing mature trees in public realm schemes, not remove and replace them unnecessarily.

 

---------- Post added 14-12-2017 at 13:51 ----------

 

 

All war memorials require maintenance.

 

As has been discussed at length numerous times, in the majority of cases the damage to the pavement is minimal, and could be easily rectified.

 

The plans seem to show the more mature trees remaining don’t they?

[Robin-H]

The plans seem to show the more mature trees remaining don’t they?

 

The plan is to remove the 4 mature plane trees.

 

The application can be found here https://planningapps.sheffield.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=OX1IUENYM0500

 

This outlines that the removal of the trees will be part of the redevelopment work. The majority of the comments are also objections about the removal of the trees.

 

The tree report contained within the application documentation elucidates the situation further. It confirms that the trees are healthy specimens that were planted approximately 35 years ago. It also states that London Plane trees can be expected to live for 200-300 years.

 

It goes on to state this..

 

"Removal of these four trees will have a significant impact on the immediate area. The city centre has the lowest percentage tree cover in Sheffield and there are relatively few large trees within the area. Visually, the trees provide a natural living feature that helps to soften the harsh lines of the existing built environment. The trees play an important role in trapping and removing pollutants from the surrounding air as well as providing dappled shade for users of the square. The canopies also help to break up wind movement that may otherwise funnel between the buildings. All four trees are well established with a significant potential longevity. All are considered to be in their prime."

 

The council plan to remove them all anyway, because they don't want to adjust the design. Like I said originally, a good design would have included the retention of the trees as a primary objective.

[Guest makapaka]

The plan is to remove the 4 mature plane trees.

 

The application can be found here https://planningapps.sheffield.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=OX1IUENYM0500

 

This outlines that the removal of the trees will be part of the redevelopment work. The majority of the comments are also objections about the removal of the trees.

 

The tree report contained within the application documentation elucidates the situation further. It confirms that the trees are healthy specimens that were planted approximately 35 years ago. It also states that London Plane trees can be expected to live for 200-300 years.

 

It goes on to state this..

 

"Removal of these four trees will have a significant impact on the immediate area. The city centre has the lowest percentage tree cover in Sheffield and there are relatively few large trees within the area. Visually, the trees provide a natural living feature that helps to soften the harsh lines of the existing built environment. The trees play an important role in trapping and removing pollutants from the surrounding air as well as providing dappled shade for users of the square. The canopies also help to break up wind movement that may otherwise funnel between the buildings. All four trees are well established with a significant potential longevity. All are considered to be in their prime."

 

The council plan to remove them all anyway, because they don't want to adjust the design. Like I said originally, a good design would have included the retention of the trees as a primary objective.

 

Ok I assumed they were staying - wrongly.

 

The new scheme does involve planting 11 new trees though. So there will be more trees after the development than there are now?

[nightrider]

Hopefully , but the problem is , the same old people will still vote Labour because their fathers and grandfathers voted Labour.

 

Turnout is always low though form what I understand. If people bothered to vote it would be possible.

[paula4sheff]

Turnout is always low though form what I understand. If people bothered to vote it would be possible.

 

It's within the power if everyobe to vote. I will be- and I will be voting for a change. Ok, maybe it might not make a difference, but if enough people do, it just might. Change is needed. These people need to remember they work for us- sonething they seem to have forgotten a long time ago.

[Robin-H]

Ok I assumed they were staying - wrongly.

 

The new scheme does involve planting 11 new trees though. So there will be more trees after the development than there are now?

 

The scheme involves planting new trees yes.

 

However, the report also states that they will be smaller 'fastigiate' trees. These are trees that don't really have a canopy - the branches are parallel with the trunk (google image search to see what I mean..)

 

This goes completely against best practice advice for trees in public realm, which advises that trees are selected that have the maximum canopy size that the site can accommodate.

 

https://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/Trees-people-and-the-buit-environment_Kelly.pdf/$file/Trees-people-and-the-buit-environment_Kelly.pdf

[max]

Hopefully , but the problem is , the same old people will still vote Labour because their fathers and grandfathers voted Labour.

 

Well Tone, I guess when you're old enough you'll vote Tory just like your father and grandfathers did.

[taxman]

Ok I assumed they were staying - wrongly.

 

The new scheme does involve planting 11 new trees though. So there will be more trees after the development than there are now?

 

 

Can you not see the difference between a mature tree (with another 100 years of life in it) and a sapling? Which one cleans the air more? Which provides more cover? How many bats and owls live in saplings? Do you know anything about biodiversity?

 

You'll be telling us it's OK to demolish the Amazonian Rain Forest if an equivalent number of saplings are sown. You'd be both an idiot and wrong.

[Anna B]

I'm sure there are a million threads regarding the tree issue as a whole, however I am trying to make this specific to the happenings at the Town Hall this evening.

 

I was just notified of a live stream via The Star on social media. It was a live stream from the consultations and supposed decisions surrounding the future of the memorial trees that are scheduled to be removed.

 

I have tried to be impartial to the whole tree thing as a whole, not because I don't care (I do have my opinions however don't for one minute think that our individual opinions matter on this subject), but as a whole it seems quite a fiery debate which has captured global imagination......and well, as a general ruling I guess I am a little too long in the tooth to get involved in such heated debates.

 

Anyway the stream was a poor one or at least the sound on the feed was minimal to the extent that I don't have the foggiest of the conclusion. Can anybody shed any light on the final outcome / verdict?

 

Apparently the meeting was quite feisty, and had to be stopped several times because of disruption from the public gallery.

 

Good. Sooner or later the council might realise their future is at stake unless they take public opinion into account.

[taxman]

Apparently the meeting was quite feisty, and had to be stopped several times because of disruption from the public gallery.

 

Good. Sooner or later the council might realise their future is at stake unless they take public opinion into account.

 

I wish that would be the case, but some of these jokers get in their positions of power with just a couple of thousand of votes, a 20% share of a low turnout.

 

Not their fault that most people appear apolitical and disgruntled but it means they can just carry on failing and embarrassing the city.