Tree lovers invited to Sheffield's first Highway Tree Forum
13th July 2015
Anyone who cares about the trees on Sheffield’s streets can come along to a new group set up by Sheffield city council. The first Highway Tree Advisory Forum meeting will be held at the town hall on Thursday 23rd July, 5pm to 7pm.
The forum has been set up to give people an opportunity to hear from a variety of experts from various fields from across the city debate how highway trees should be managed.
Experts from the fields of civil engineering, arboriculture, the wildlife trust and biology/ecology professors will make up the forum and debate and answer questions.
Cllr Terry Fox, Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport, said: “I am fully aware that one of the issues that Sheffielders care most about is our highway trees. I recently promised to set up this forum and I am really pleased that there is enough enthusiasm to already hold our first meeting. In recent months there has been a lot of debate about how we manage the trees on our streets and how we could do this in a different way.
“The first meeting will focus on our approach to managing and caring for highway trees, which we do using the 6 D’s (dangerous, dead, dying, diseased, damaging and discriminating).
“Alongside the experts that will sit on the forum I have invited interest groups such as members from the access liaison group, the over 50’s group and the Sheffield branch of the Royal Society for the Blind. I am also inviting Councillors from all parties that represent the city to hear from as wide a selection of people who may have a view about our highway trees. I would like anyone who cares about the trees on our streets to come along.”
The first meeting on Thursday 23rd July will be held in the Reception Rooms in the Town Hall between 5pm to 7pm. Those members of the public who would like to attend should register their interest by emailing trees@sheffield.gov.uk
If any members of the public would also like to ask a question at the forum then these should be emailed in advance of the meeting to trees@sheffield.gov.uk
Further details about how we manage the highway trees can be found via www.sheffield.gov.uk/streetsahead