The dog theft pandemic: lockdown’s threat to dog owners
Dog thefts are estimated to have risen by 250% over the past year. Last week it was reported that the Home Secretary Priti Patel was looking to enforce stronger penalties for pet theft. However, this comes too late for thousands of owners across the UK who have lived through the nightmare of having their beloved dog taken from them. The law currently treats animal theft as the same offence as property theft, a crime which is tried in a Magistrates Court and usually incurs a nominal fine. However, the Pet Theft Reform Campaign highlighted only 1% of dog theft crimes have resulted in prosecution in recent years. Liv Turner, 19, whose Labrador Dexter is believed to have been stolen after he went missing on a walk in their home of Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire said: “At the moment the penalties for pet theft are similar to someone who’s just simply stolen a bike. Dogs are not objects they’re loved members of the family who have personalities and emotions.”
Dexter the Fox Red Labrador went missing in Beaconsfield
Louis the Dachshund was stolen from Southend
Ms McLoughlin with Bailey
Sheffield parents react to schools reopening
Schools are set to reopen on March 8, many South Yorkshire parents are pleased to hear. For some non-key worker parents from the Sheffield area, school closures have caused serious concerns for their children's education and mental health. 35-year-old Samantha Wood from Darnall has two sons aged seven and 14, who have had to stay at home since schools closed. She said: "My 7-year-old was top of the class at maths, he was the mathematician wizard. Since been off school I can tell a huge difference in his learning. "I don't care what anyone says, children have to be in the classroom to learn, being at home isn't helping them at all." Ms Wood said her youngest son has not played with a friend since finishing school before Christmas and feels as though this is having a huge impact on his mental health. She said she tells the boys' teachers they are struggling and cannot engage, but they said there is nothing they can do as "their hands are tied until children can go back." Bryany Wright, 24, from Penistone, has two daughters who are three and four years old. Her oldest daughter, Daisy, started school last September and has been struggling with the emotional and social toll of completing school from home. Ms Wright said: "I’m so happy to send her back, for her sake and ours. It’ll benefit her socially, but also her brain is so busy it needs the stimulation from school that I can’t give her at home." Being away from school has been emotionally difficult and has even affected Daisy's sleeping habits and appetite, her mum said. She explained: "It’s been really tough for her missing out, her emotions have been all over the place, one minute hyper, next minute angry, then two minutes later she’s crying because it’s all got too much for her. "The hardest part for her was knowing that some of her friends were still able to go to school being the children of key workers", she said. Rachel Louise Ken, 35, has three children and is currently studying for her masters degree in paramedicine, alongside working full time for the NHS. Rachel is not eligible to use childcare as her partner is not a key worker. Ms Ken said juggling her work, studies and having three children at home has been too much. She said: "Between home schooling, travelling two hours for practical studies, assignments, working nights, and general living, I'm ready for them to go back."
University of Sheffield lecturer to feature in Channel 4 programme
Investigating Viking burials is all part of a day’s work for Dr Elizabeth Craig-Atkins in this week’s episode of The Great British Dig.
In the second episode of the series, the crew, alongside comedian Hugh Dennis, visit Masham in North Yorkshire to explore the town's history.
Dr Craig-Atkins, who has been a lecturer in human osteology at the University of Sheffield’s Department of Archaeology since 2013, was first approached by the production team last summer.
“The Great British Dig has captured the public imagination for archaeology, and for me they have done a really important job of integrating local people into the archaeological process and the making of the series,” said Dr Craig-Atkins.
Archaeological experts from across the country have collaborated with the programme to introduce ordinary people to the history beneath their feet.
The osteologist praised the programme for showcasing the work of archaeologists. Dr Craig-Atkins said: “The public were able to watch us work during the week, but were also invited to an open day at the end of filming to showcase the outcomes of the excavation.”
Marketplace of Masham, North Yorkshire where the programme was filmed
Credit: Gordon Hatton
The documentary, which was first broadcast in April 2020, was Channel 4’s most successful one-off programme of the year.
Hugh Dennis, the host of the show, told Channel 4: “The Great British Dig is a fantastic format which combines finding out about the history of where you live and the surprising things that lie under your own back garden.”
This success led to the renewal of the programme for a further four episodes.
Talking about Dr Craig-Atkin's work with the show, Professor Caroline Jackson, Head of the Archaeology Department at The University of Sheffield, said: “This research highlights our long history of impactful research which has an immediate public impact and sparks the imagination.”
The first episode of the new series aired Wednesday 17 February and investigated a Roman fort under a housing estate in Newcastle.
You can watch Dr Craig-Atkins on the second episode of The Great British Dig which airs on Wednesday 24 February at 9pm on More4.
Supreme Court Uber ruling will transform the rights of gig workers
A landmark ruling by the UK's supreme court has found Uber drivers should be recognised as 'workers' rather than 'independent contractors'. The ruling comes after a 4-year-long battle started by Uber drivers James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam. They argued they were entitled to workers' rights such as minimum wage and holiday pay. The Supreme Court unanimously dismissed Uber's final appeal after three had already failed. This is because Uber drivers are dependant contractors, dependant on Uber, rather than self-employed independent contractors known as 'gig workers'. Across Twitter there has been a substantial outcry, with users claiming the ruling will make Uber more expensive for customers and restrict the driver's flexibility - a key reason many began working for Uber. Users also claim that the new ruling on worker status will lead to job loss and an eventual withdrawal of Uber from the UK economy altogether. However, Ed Maltby, 33, a volunteer who has helped gig economy workers organise in Sheffield since 2019, disagrees with these notions, he said: "This judgement is not about turning people into workers who are more dependant on Uber than they already are, or taking away their autonomy.
Sheffield Needs A Pay Rise shows its support of the Uber ruling.
Lockdown pen pals: staying connected in a disconnected world
“There is a loneliness in this world so great you can see it in the slow movements of the hands of a clock.” The words of Charles Bukowski, the German-American poet, have never felt as relevant as they do now, seven weeks into England’s third COVID-19 lockdown. Yet, out of this loneliness have emerged tales of human compassion and community care that prove, even in times as dark as these, there is always a light to be found. Such was the case with the story of Muriel and Mathilda which has touched the hearts of people in Sheffield and throughout the country.
Credit: SCCCC
Credit: SCCCC
Hidden humanitarian: Meet inspirational Sheffield amputee Mark Whitehead
“I’m big on kindness, I love it. I live everyday by it. If I do kindness it seems to put another 10 percent into my energy levels. If I am down I remember one good thing that I did, that smile from that person, that appreciation, that gives me that boost.”“I think it’s quite frustrating when you get called a humanitarian activist. Aren’t all humans active? I’m just a humanitarian, everything I do is just to promote life and positivity through people’s lives,” Mark said. Raised on a farm in Mosborough, Sheffield, the 42-year-old humanitarian was shortlisted for a Pride of Britain award in 2018 after putting forward a 13-point housing strategy to Parliament which saw 25,000 people housed after three weeks of its implementation. “I’m a big believer that if you want to implement anything in life you’ve got to implement it through yourself, you’ve got to be the change to influence change in others.”Currently working with 14 students from the University of Sheffield's Bionics Society who are creating a prosthetic arm for him, Yorkshireman and amputee Mark Whitehead is one truly understated altruist here to inspire your day.
Mark's absolute determination to make a difference and measured approach to life is something he traces back to experiences of isolation, both in prison and whilst recovering from major surgery. After receiving treatment in hospital for a broken thumb following a charity boxing match, Mark was found to have an aortic aneurysm under his collarbone. An attempt to remove it caused him to develop sepsis.
“I can remember when the gangrene kicked in, they chopped my hand off on New Years Day 2016 and I came back down to the ward and within an hour and a half I’d died. I can remember that as vividly as hell, because I had just had my forearm and no hand. My forearm was bigger than my thighs and the smell was dead, dead body.”Mark had three amputations in all, resulting in the entire removal of his right arm. Yet what some might see as a huge setback, Mark saw as an event which gave him purpose and a "euphoric happiness" of no longer being in anguish. “It took me to nearly die to appreciate myself and then have four weeks at home where I was s**t scared of going outside and every time I did, something messed up and I burst out crying. But then I started laughing at myself and seeing the humour behind it. I can either get bitter or I can get better.”
Arguably the most admirable of Mark's qualities is his honesty, his belief that failure and an acceptance of your low points are key to success and happiness. Struggling to find a job due to his amputation and attempting to take his own life in 2016, Mark returned to hospital with kidney failure, an incident which motivated him to take action. Combined with his previous experience in outreach work, the humanitarian began research into mental health and vulnerability, realising he could make a difference.
Laying the groundwork in 2017, Mark founded his own non-profit organisation called Homelessness in South Yorkshire 2018 (
HISY 2018), with the view to support people and allow them to improve their own future.
"I could big myself up all the time but I don’t have to because it’s not me who should be bigged up, it’s that kid there that’s clean and sober, he’s got a relationship, he’s got a job and he’s doing well in life. Plus the extra benefit is when he sees someone down on his knees he’s the perfect person to be able to guide that person because he’s learnt from himself.”
Although based in Sheffield and the South Yorkshire region, Mark's organisation has sister groups set up in other areas including Birmingham and Liverpool. As much as he works closely with people providing housing, suicide intervention, helping victims of domestic abuse and delivering food parcels directly to those in need of them, Mark also speaks to landlords and business owners, the individuals likely to employ people who could become homeless.
A strong believer of finding solutions over targeting problems, he also established a small clothing company using organic and ethically recycled and resourced cotton with the help of one man's invention which transformed the old fabrics into mulch. Not for profit, but to supply charities with free stock so that people participating in fundraisers could do so without being charged to wear a t-shirt.
Humanitarianism aside, Mark has most recently been involved in a project with 14 students from the University of Sheffield's Bionics Society who have been working diligently since March 2020 to create a prosthetic arm for him. Third year bioengineering student and project leader, Thomas Binu, said how the team are close to nailing the structure for the first prototype and are working on incorporating motors so the arm can move.
He said: “We have done some gesture classification so basically Mark would squeeze his hand and the way he squeezes his hand would depend on whatever action the arm will do. That’s how he will interface with the arm."
On his experience of meeting and working with Mark, Thomas said: “Just talking to him will make you want to be a better person.”President of the Bionics Society, Alex Pop, is involved with much of the computer-aided design and manufacturing side of the project. “It’s very motivating having someone you’re doing this for. He’s a nice, chilled dude to work with and is inspiring to talk to," he said.
Nearing the end of the interview, Mark chuckled as he explained how he has found working with the students remarking how they beat themselves up too much for not being quick enough. “I got told by doctors there were no nerves in my arm so EMG [Electromyography] would never work, but we got like seven movements from the first one. Their technology is phenomenal."
Finally, Mark's advice for others? Even if you’re going through the worst traumas of your life, happiness is still an option.
Council tax increase for fire services approved amid COVID-19 shortfall
Council tax in Sheffield is set to go up in April. Sheffield City Council unanimously approved the increase today. The proposed change is intended to improve funding for the city's fire service. There will be a 1.99% increase, the highest increase possible without holding a referendum. In the previous financial year, funding for the fire services was down by £750,000. The coronavirus pandemic saw the number of people claiming universal credit soar and a huge range of businesses close down, and the slash in funding was deemed necessary by the Council. Stuart Booth, Director of Finance and Resources for the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Team, claimed Sheffield's Fire Service will now be able to employ around 100 more firefighters. He said it would also give firefighters a further incentive to apply for promotions. Mr Booth also stated that the South Yorkshire fire service currently employs around 500 people. Chris Kirby, Deputy Chief Fire Officer for the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue team, said: "South Yorkshire is one of the only fire services that pay a competent rate of pay when they are promoted." In other parts of the country, firefighters are given a lower rate of pay while training for a promotion. Views among the council members were generally positive. Councillor Steve Ayris said: "Bringing in extra council tax is a sticky plaster, not a long term strategy. I will be supporting this." There were no objections to the motion. However, there are elements which bring into question the need for a tax increase. There was a 3% decrease on the number of fire service call outs in England in the previous financial year, with a total of 539,225 incidents. The increase in council tax is set to be 3p a week, which has been estimated to provide fire services in Sheffield with an extra £530,000 in the next financial year. The tax increase will come into force on 1 April 2021.
The Verdis: From Endcliffe Village to their debut EP “Streetlight Fables”
When Rowan Yaxley and Max Haywood met in their first year student halls in September 2018, neither of them would have thought just over two years later they would be sitting down to talk about their band’s debut EP.
On 14 February, The Verdis released "Streetlight Fables". It is the genre-bending band’s ode to Sheffield life, giving an insight into how it feels to be a young person in the steel city.
This is the group’s first offering to Spotify playlists across the land, and so Sheffield Wire sat down with them to find out about their journey up until this point.
It was through their mutual friend Dan Adam that the pair initially met.
Max explained: “Me and Rowan met completely by chance really. Rowan was in Crewe flats in Endcliffe. He went round knocking on a load of flats and Dan happened to be there at a party. They got chatting about music and then Dan came round to my flat and said I’ve got a mate here who plays guitar. Then me and Rowan ended up just chatting and playing.”
Dan (left), Rowan (middle) and Max (right).
Singer Rowan had performed by himself previously and continued to do so during his first year. He explained however, that in order to progress from a live point of view he needed to come up with some original material.
Fast-forward to September 2019, and after a summer of songwriting the duo returned to Sheffield with some bigger ideas.
Max said: “We thought if we want to do this seriously then we should probably try and do open mics consistently. Playing live just makes you better and gives you new ideas for the songs you’re already playing.”
At this point the band were still a two-piece, having made a good impression at the Green Room on Devonshire Street.
The Green Room. (Source www.view.co.uk)
This is where they gained inspiration for the name ‘The Verdis’ (vert meaning Green in French). However, if they thought their style and image was nearly perfected, two new members made that transition complete.
Rowan said: “In our first term of second year we met Jamie and John through Facebook I think, and then started practicing with them.”
With a wide grin on his face Rowan continued: “I think it got pretty cool with the bass and a drummer. That’s when the whole arrangements of the songs really changed and started to take shape.”
The additions of Jamie Wright on bass and John Thomson on drums in late 2019 meant the pair of students who had met a year previously in a student flat, were now on their way to developing a holistic sound that they were eager for others to hear.
One such fan is Martin Clark, who has lived in Sheffield since 2013. He attended 474 (yes, 474!) gigs in 2019 and was enthralled when he discovered The Verdis.
He said: “When I first saw them play on 17 December 2019 as an acoustic duo at West Street Live, I was immediately and seriously impressed by Rowan’s voice and Max’s superb jangling guitar parts. The fact that The Verdis made such an impression and have become one of my absolute favourite bands is a definite tribute to their song writing and musicianship.”
Though the success of their first term would not be mirrored in their second, as in March 2020, the group found themselves in lockdown, a world away from performing on the live music scene which had delivered them notoriety.
For the band, the cycle of tightening and easing of restrictions, followed by another order to stay at home, has not been completely negative.
Nearly a year into the Covid calendar which has seen the music industry struggle and crowd-funders popping up in order to save local venues, The Verdis were pleased the recording process still managed to go ahead, so the group could release music they’d been working on for some time.
Max said: “We were sat in lockdown, constantly playing music at home. In a way I think it’s good we released it in lockdown because people are sat at home doing nothing. They may be more inclined to think I’ll listen to the music, so when we do come out of it people will want to come and see us.”
During this time, Rowan found his lyrics took on new meaning sometimes weeks after he had put pen to paper.
“When you’re writing lyrics that are good, when you first write them you don’t really know what they mean. The good ones give you something to mull over afterwards, you think, why did I write that? And then it can occur to you months later, ah that’s what that it means!” Rowan said.
The pair then laughed about how this idea compares to when Johnny Marr explains the riff to ‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now’ by The Smiths in an interview with NME. The legendary guitarist said it came to him from nowhere, but the group finds serious inspiration from this sort of content.
https://youtu.be/DX0fX47rQMc
Max said: “The ideas for a lot of the songs came from watching tonnes of videos like that. I think listening to loads more music is the best way.”
The practice, refinement and hard work the group has put into the EP shows. The accompanying videos on their YouTube channel add a dash of professionalism to the excitement surrounding the band and of the talent which embodies their first release.
https://youtu.be/voh_1PfYpLQ
All feedback has been positive so far and the group have made it clear they cannot wait to continue.
Rowan said: “There’s loads more songs to come. This is just the tip of the iceberg.”
https://open.spotify.com/album/5VrjpVd1n3XqnDRAhVGXty?si=N2tOvnF3TmSX83kovrBRqg
How Covid-19 has brought new life to Seven Hills Bakery book club
For some of us the pandemic has slowed our hustle right down, leading us to question what we are meant to be doing with all this spare time. So far we have seen many lockdown trends from baking banana bread and creating TikToks, to sweaty fitness classes and doing laps of our local park to wave the time away. It looks like we are finally seeing the end to our third, and hopefully final lockdown, but what many of us can now all celebrate is our reignited love for reading and an appreciation towards ever growing book clubs.
For the time being, existing reading groups have moved online to regular Zoom calls and engagements through Instagram to keep the book worm communities alive. But the internet has been a magical place for allowing new book clubs to form. Whether it be to discuss your favourite plot twists with friends, or to cosy up with a hardback while gripping your tenth cup of tea of the day.
A new up and coming book club casts a spotlight on Seven Hills Bakery in Sheffield, nestled away in the cool Sharrow Vale area that attracts lovers of food, fashion, and art. The staff have started their own book club, known as #sevenhillsbookclub, to share the books that have been giving them a sense of escapism through lockdown. 
India Johnson is 26 years old and originally from Nottingham. She is the kitchen supervisor at the bakery and in her spare time curates the delicious menus on offer. Since lockdown started the bakery has had to switch to takeaway food only, which gave India some leeway with her time at work. She decided to take on more of the social media management duties which gave back her creative flair. From this #sevenhillsbookclub was born.
“The book club itself was inspired by my wonderful co-workers. We could no longer meet up socially as we once did, but one thing we could do was discuss the shows we'd been watching, the films we'd seen and the books we'd read. I love the feeling of reading a great book and instantly wanting to share it with everyone you know. That’s where the book club came from, it’s a way of reconnecting with the community in the same way we'd been connecting to each other.”
Working in a neighbourhood bakery holds many perks, like the smell of freshly baked bread filling the air. But the other bonus is getting to know the regulars and getting a chance to interact with them every week, as well as building up a good relationship with them. But when COVID-19 hit, a lot of that was put on pause for the community.
"Some of our customers no longer wanted to leave the house and those that still visited the bakery weren't able to chat with us in the carefree way they once did. That's why our social media presence has been so important to us, it has allowed us to communicate with our customers in a safe way."
Whilst it is still early days for the club, at the moment, it is only able to take place online. This is expected to change and evolve when life resumes to how it once was. The staff involved with #sevenhillsbookclub have found a way to really get behind this idea and make it unique to them- linking each book with one of their famous bakes.
Ms Johnson said: “I love the idea of running a monthly meet-up at the bakery where we share food and drink to discuss the latest read. We try to match the book to one of the items on our menu, so it would be really exciting to prepare food that matches the region the chosen book is set in. Maybe one day this will be a reality.”
The latest and first book mentioned was "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens. The novels theme of grits regularly cropping up inspired the bakery to match their blood orange polenta cake to the contents. Spoiler alert, everybody loved it. The post has been showered with love and attention so far. First book - big success.
Ms Johnson added: “The way it works at the moment is we select a book from the recommendations from our customers on Instagram. We then announce the chosen book on our Instagram page to allow everyone to read along. A number of us at the bakery will also read the book and once we're ready we will write our own short reviews in a post. We then ask our followers to let us know what they think and voice their opinions and recommendations in the comments. We then select another book and start again.”
According to The Guardian, a new survey of 1,000 people has revealed people in the UK have almost doubled the amount of time they spend reading books since lockdown began. Nielsen Book’s research found that 41% of people said they were reading more books since Boris Johnson imposed the measures on 23rd March.
“My hope for the book club is that it not only allows us to interact with our customers, but for our customers to communicate with each other. Many people are stuck at home right now, so if this can act as a small way for people to feel somewhat social again that would be amazing. Even if it is only online!” said Ms Johnson.
Follow Seven Hills Bakery over on their Instagram to follow their book club journey @7hillsbakery
Sheffield United youngster impressing fans on international stage
(Credit: Sheffield United/ Sportimage) A Sheffield United youngster has impressed fans after a string of strong performances for Tunisia at the U20 Africa Cup of Nations. Hassan Ayari, 19, and his fellow countrymen progressed to the quarter-finals of the competition, with the attacking midfielder having an influential role. A fan YouTube channel, The Sheff United Way, are amongst the Blades supporters who are excited to see what the footballer can produce in the future. Co-presenter, Hal Stewart, said: “He’s got so much in his locker, he’s great at free kicks, very good with his feet, has a bit of flair, loves a trick, and obviously an eye for goal. “The best thing we can do, is either give him a chance in the Premier League or hold him back until next season.”
Despite a defeat last night, Tunisia have will go through to the next round after finishing third in the group stages. Ayari’s stand out performance so far, was in a 2-0 victory against Namibia, where he scored one and assisted one.View this post on Instagram
These performances will not come as a surprise for followers of Sheffield United’s youth teams, with the youngster scoring 11 times in ten games whilst at U18s level. The club have a good pedigree of producing strong youth players, with the likes of Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all currently England internationals. Some supporters are equally excited about Ayari’s potential, if he is able to step up to the demands of senior football. United fan, Jamie Weaver stated: “He is probably the biggest natural talent we’ve had since David Brooks. I’d like to see him as a prodigy to an experienced number ten, but my only reservation is, if he will be an instant hit because of the step up.”Congrats, @HassanAyari. 💪
Hassan starred in Tunisia’s 2-0 win over Namibia in the U20 African Cup of Nations with a goal and an assist. 🇹🇳 pic.twitter.com/SUdaSYu3O3 — Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) February 18, 2021
James Edwards also believes Ayari has the talent to burst into the first team and should be in Chris Wilder’s plans sooner rather than later. He said: “He should be on the bench every single week, we are missing a massive opportunity. A number of top teams are sniffing around him, so making him a regular feature could be a real incentive for him to stay at the club.” Listen to The Sheff United Way's, Hal Stewart, discuss United's history of bringing through youth players:A goal and assist for Hassan Ayari in the U20 African Cup of Nations. 🇹🇳pic.twitter.com/6qbzcHkLSp
— Sheffield United Development (@sufcdevelopment) February 18, 2021
Sheffield Labour MPs urge parliament to condemn Palestinian village demolition
Sheffield MPs have signed an Early Day Motion (EDM) to bring parliament’s attention to Israel’s destruction of an entire Palestinian village.
Olivia Blake, Labour MP for Sheffield Hallam, tweeted last week to say she had signed the EDM, which was also signed by Labour’s Clive Betts, MP for Sheffield South East.
Clive Betts, Labour MP for Sheffield South East, also signed the EDM
She said the international community “must step in” to condemn the demolition of Khirbet Hamsa al-Foqa, which has made 73 people homeless, including 41 children.
Many of my constituents have been in touch in the last few days about the appalling scenes in the Palestinian village of Khirbet Hamsa al-Foqa, where peoples homes are being demolished. The international community must step in.
I have signed this EDM👇🏼 https://t.co/kgIPwqYFCK — Olivia Blake MP (@_OliviaBlake) February 18, 2021
According to the EDM, it is the largest incident of forced displacement in the West Bank for years.
The motion stresses MPs alarm that equipment manufactured by British company JCB is being supplied to Israeli forces for the demolition of Palestinian structures.
It calls on the government to ban all UK trade with illegal Israeli settlements and to take action to prevent equipment supplied by British companies such as JCB from operating in them.
When contacted for comment, Ms Blake said:
“Many of my constituents have written to me over the last week about the appalling scenes in the Palestinian village of Khirbet Hamsa al-Foqa, where people’s homes are being demolished.
“I, along with many of my colleagues, have signed this Early Day Motion. For too long our government, and the international community, have looked the other way. It’s time we step in to end these illegal and inhuman demolitions.”
While Israel claims villagers were living there illegally, The University of Sheffield’s Palestine Society also strongly condemned Israel’s actions, and drew attention to UK universities’ institutional links with JCB.
A spokesperson said: “The demolitions contribute to the ongoing dispossession of the Palestinian people and is central in creating a coercive environment in their attempt to ethnically cleanse an indigenous peoples from their land.
“It is enraging to see unethical and illegal actions committed by the state of Israel be met with total impunity and silence from the international community.
“We urge the British government to take action at last and put an end to decades of Israeli apartheid, and for UK universities to cut their ties with unethical companies.”
Doncaster Council updates tree strategy following protests
Protests against tree-felling in both Sheffield and Doncaster prompted Doncaster Council to hold an independent review of its tree policy, which will be approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday.
The original tree policy was written before Doncaster Council’s declaration of a climate and biodiversity emergency in 2019 and DEFRA’s consultation on an England Tree Strategy for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Aimed at both improving Doncaster's urban tree management and providing a "valuable contribution" to the borough's net-zero by 2040 target, the plan involves the council's proposal to spend £144,000 to plant 100 large trees along main roads to increase canopy cover over the next four years.
The review comes after public backlash over Doncaster Council’s controversial tree removal of 64 trees on Middlefield Road in Bessacarr which led to protests and an arrest in November 2020.
Kate Needham, Doncaster Green Party and street trees campaigner, said: "I am pleased that as a direct result of our protest a long overdue review is happening. Middlefield road was a fiasco. The mass felling of 64 mature healthy urban trees was unacceptable, unsustainable and should never be allowed to happen again.
"Beyond the scope of the policy, many trees are being lost to developments. Protection for these trees is something I'd like to see the Council officers and planning department working together on going forward.
"If Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council (DMBC) don’t adhere to the spirit of the policy then rest assured, we are here and we will challenge poor decisions and raise public awareness. DMBC, don’t be another Sheffield."
Bethany Haley, senior programme and projects manager at Doncaster Council, said: "Following high profile tree issues in Sheffield and recent discussions with activists around Doncaster tree removal schemes, an independent tree policy review was initiated [to ensure Doncaster's] policy was fit for purpose."
"Doncaster Council is committed to the principle of minimal tree removal, considered only a last resort, where no alternative solution can be found."
She said the review of urban tree management highlighted several areas for improvement, particularly the way the Council communicates its planned works to residents and interested parties.
The independent review, which was undertaken by Professor Ian Rotherham, urban wildlife expert from Sheffield Hallam University, found Doncaster locals have “serious doubts about the positive statements” and are concerned “considerations of finance, perceived risk and damage and of nuisance will override the desire to retain mature trees.”
Paul Martyn, member of the Sheffield Tree Action Group, said he is sceptical about Doncaster Council's words and intentions. "There are good examples of street tree strategies out there, which are based on good arboricultural practice. Doncaster needs to take these as their starting point rather than somewhat bland statements of good intent."
Warren Draper, photographer and Doncaster resident, took part in the Green Party's protests last year against the felling of street trees in Middlefield Road. "There was some public consultation but the full scope of options hadn't been put to the residents...[authorities] never talked about the engineering solutions that were available, especially after the Sheffield tree protests. It was either 'do this or we're not going to look after your streets, that was the ultimatum they got'."
Mr Draper said he is cautiously optimistic that the Council will implement the changes: "Damian Allen, the chief executive of Doncaster council, is an ecologist and he's done some great stuff...but there's just a lot of systematic problems.
"The council systems have been in place for a long while, so it takes time for those to adapt and for people in certain roles to get the message. It's great that they're going forward, but we'll have to see in practice what that means."
Fiona Cahill, Green Party Parish councillor for Sprotbrough, Doncaster, said: "In a climate and biodiversity emergency, we need to protect mature canopy. Doncaster Council must stop turning healthy mature trees into chipwood in the the name of street maintenance when there are good alternatives in the case of genuine access issues."