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Post by David Boothroyd on Dec 29, 2020 14:32:04 GMT
Having so many trees next to roads in Sheffield has a big cost implication for roads and tree maintenance. If money was tight and they needed to cut budgets, cutting down a lot of trees was a quick win. This aspect is ignored by those who blame the council.
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alien8ted
Independent
I refuse to be governed by fear.
Posts: 3,725
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Post by alien8ted on Dec 29, 2020 16:39:01 GMT
Presumably (I speak with no insider knowledge at all) the trees issue was seen, and could be exploited, as a symbol of how Labour in Sheffield was out of touch with the people of Sheffield etc - as an indicative symptom rather than a one off issue (it only affected a few wards didn't it?)/ Though 2019 wasn't a great night for Labour all round, it does seem to have been materially affected by the perceived performance of the Labour council (see Sunderland as well for example)
For me a lot of the problem has originated from the specific to the issue of trees or the trees part of the amey contract for tree, street lights and road repairs in the city.
The first mistake the council, under Labour, made was that it kept it secret for years that they had agreed to a large number of trees to be uprooted and replaced, not just those that needed to be due to disease or the damage they were doing to the paths and roads where they were. This was supposidly due to commercial sensistivity, but it was seen as an excuse not to communicate fully. Both the Liberal Democrat and Labour administrations had a hand in negotiating this decision, but it impacted Labour more as they signed it off, if I remember correctly.
The second error the council, under Labour, made was not recognising early on that the trees issue impacted the west of the city more where there are more 'middle class' activists of the Green variety.
From there the council compounded the issue with intransigence on this issue which then spread from there to more general communication, it became us and them for the council cabinet against everyone else. The change of council leader will be good for the council, and Labour, as the former leader Julie Dore had become part of the problem in my opinion.
Personally I don't think people have thought council services are all that bad, I think people recognise that the other main bugbear the local buses is beyond local control, it became that people came to believe that the council leaders need to wake up and listen to what people are saying.
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alien8ted
Independent
I refuse to be governed by fear.
Posts: 3,725
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Post by alien8ted on Dec 29, 2020 16:48:08 GMT
Having so many trees next to roads in Sheffield has a big cost implication for roads and tree maintenance. If money was tight and they needed to cut budgets, cutting down a lot of trees was a quick win. This aspect is ignored by those who blame the council.
I think both the Liberal Democrat and Labour administrations saw it as such, within the massive road repairs funding, that they had successfully gotten from the government, but they were wrong it was a poitical hangmans rope. Unfortunately for the council the small trees issues overshadowed the huge road and lighting improvements that occured over the same period, which should have given them a political boost.
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J.G.Harston
Lib Dem
Leave-voting Brexit-supporting Liberal Democrat
Posts: 8,055 
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Post by J.G.Harston on Dec 29, 2020 18:38:50 GMT
Having so many trees next to roads in Sheffield has a big cost implication for roads and tree maintenance. If money was tight and they needed to cut budgets, cutting down a lot of trees was a quick win. This aspect is ignored by those who blame the council. I think both the Liberal Democrat and Labour administrations saw it as such, within the massive road repairs funding, that they had successfully gotten from the government, but they were wrong it was a poitical hangmans rope. Unfortunately for the council the small trees issues overshadowed the huge road and lighting improvements that occured over the same period, which should have given them a political boost.
The problem has been building up for decades. With these sorts of tree you need to be culling, say 5% every year and replacing them on a 20-year cycle, instead there's been probably 30 years of cut-backs on tree maintainance so you end up with 30%-40% of trees needing to be removed all at once. In my time there was one "tree man" for the whole city, and in 11 years I think I only managed to get him to "do" two trees in my ward. |
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Post by David Boothroyd on Dec 30, 2020 23:56:40 GMT
Having so many trees next to roads in Sheffield has a big cost implication for roads and tree maintenance. If money was tight and they needed to cut budgets, cutting down a lot of trees was a quick win. This aspect is ignored by those who blame the council. Utter bloody rubbish. Nothing is more important than trees. Certainly not people. |
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neilm
Non-Aligned
Posts: 17,788
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Sheffield
Dec 31, 2020 1:52:28 GMT
via mobile
Post by neilm on Dec 31, 2020 1:52:28 GMT
I think both the Liberal Democrat and Labour administrations saw it as such, within the massive road repairs funding, that they had successfully gotten from the government, but they were wrong it was a poitical hangmans rope. Unfortunately for the council the small trees issues overshadowed the huge road and lighting improvements that occured over the same period, which should have given them a political boost.
The problem has been building up for decades. With these sorts of tree you need to be culling, say 5% every year and replacing them on a 20-year cycle, instead there's been probably 30 years of cut-backs on tree maintainance so you end up with 30%-40% of trees needing to be removed all at once. In my time there was one "tree man" for the whole city, and in 11 years I think I only managed to get him to "do" two trees in my ward. When I lived on Raisen Hall Road (not at the end with the creepy child bollards), it was obvious that a large amount of tree maintenance had been put off for years. It was less obvious when I lived in the City Centre, probably due to the lack of trees but even in Weston Park and around the Ponderosa it was starting to become obvious. |
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finsobruce
Labour
what has happened to all the little moons?
Posts: 31,394
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Post by finsobruce on Dec 31, 2020 9:38:16 GMT
The problem has been building up for decades. With these sorts of tree you need to be culling, say 5% every year and replacing them on a 20-year cycle, instead there's been probably 30 years of cut-backs on tree maintainance so you end up with 30%-40% of trees needing to be removed all at once. In my time there was one "tree man" for the whole city, and in 11 years I think I only managed to get him to "do" two trees in my ward. When I lived on Raisen Hall Road (not at the end with the creepy child bollards), it was obvious that a large amount of tree maintenance had been put off for years. It was less obvious when I lived in the City Centre, probably due to the lack of trees but even in Weston Park and around the Ponderosa it was starting to become obvious. The creepy child bollards? |
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Post by Arthur Figgis on Dec 31, 2020 10:18:58 GMT
When I lived on Raisen Hall Road (not at the end with the creepy child bollards), it was obvious that a large amount of tree maintenance had been put off for years. It was less obvious when I lived in the City Centre, probably due to the lack of trees but even in Weston Park and around the Ponderosa it was starting to become obvious. The creepy child bollards?  |
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Post by David Ashforth on Dec 31, 2020 10:31:26 GMT
When I lived on Raisen Hall Road (not at the end with the creepy child bollards), it was obvious that a large amount of tree maintenance had been put off for years. It was less obvious when I lived in the City Centre, probably due to the lack of trees but even in Weston Park and around the Ponderosa it was starting to become obvious. The creepy child bollards? |
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Post by iang on Dec 31, 2020 12:10:38 GMT
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Post by David Ashforth on Dec 31, 2020 13:17:59 GMT
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Chris from Brum
Lib Dem
What I need is a strong drink and a peer group" - Douglas Adams
Posts: 5,077
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Sheffield
Dec 31, 2020 13:28:27 GMT
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Post by Chris from Brum on Dec 31, 2020 13:28:27 GMT
I've seen a few like that in Birmingham too. |
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finsobruce
Labour
what has happened to all the little moons?
Posts: 31,394
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Post by finsobruce on Dec 31, 2020 15:03:57 GMT
I think they might cause more accidents than they prevent. "My god , what's that!!" (swerves off road into tree that had already been controversially removed). |
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Post by Arthur Figgis on Dec 31, 2020 15:10:32 GMT
I think they might cause more accidents than they prevent. "My god , what's that!!" (swerves off road into tree that had already been controversially removed). Or deliberate collisions, as it's a ginger kid. |
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Post by iang on Dec 31, 2020 19:18:26 GMT
I've seen a few like that in Birmingham too. Really - where? They haven't reached Quinton / Harborne, I'm glad to say |
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Chris from Brum
Lib Dem
What I need is a strong drink and a peer group" - Douglas Adams
Posts: 5,077
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Sheffield
Dec 31, 2020 19:29:56 GMT
via mobile
Post by Chris from Brum on Dec 31, 2020 19:29:56 GMT
I've seen a few like that in Birmingham too. Really - where? They haven't reached Quinton / Harborne, I'm glad to say Over Yardley way. johnhemming may know more. |
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neilm
Non-Aligned
Posts: 17,788
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Sheffield
Jan 1, 2021 14:03:33 GMT
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Post by neilm on Jan 1, 2021 14:03:33 GMT
That tweet is from 2018 but they were there in 2011. The first night I lived there, I walked to the pub and, in my lubricated state, got slightly alarmed on the way back- wondering why there was a child in the road at gone midnight in February.
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Post by David Ashforth on Feb 18, 2021 20:21:57 GMT
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J.G.Harston
Lib Dem
Leave-voting Brexit-supporting Liberal Democrat
Posts: 8,055
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Post by J.G.Harston on Feb 18, 2021 20:49:33 GMT
If it's guidance it's not prohibiting. If it's prohibiting, it's not guidance. |
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