Sheffield tree campaigners honour oak due to be felled

The tree has been earmarked for felling

About 100 campaigners have been celebrating the life of an oak tree earmarked for felling in Sheffield.

The 150-year-old tree on Vernon Road, Dore, called "Vernon" by supporters, is causing disruption to the pavement.

Ann Anderson, a campaigner, said: "To consider taking down a tree of this importance and bio-diversity is absolute madness".

The felling is part of city-wide maintenance project Streets Ahead to upgrade roads, pavements and bridges.

Councillor Bryan Lodge said: "The Streets Ahead tree programme affects less than 1% of the city's tree stock."

Number of arrests

Campaigners gathered round the threatened tree which has been adorned with ribbons and slogans to sing protest songs.

Protests as other trees were felled in the city have resulted in a number of arrests.

Mr Lodge said: " A tree is only replaced if it's dead, dying, diseased, dangerous, damaging footpaths or roads or discriminatory by obstructing pavements.

"Every tree is replaced on a one for one basis and during the initial five-year investment period of the contract, around 6,000 trees will be replaced out of the city's 4,000,000 trees."

Messages of support have been wound around the tree

The tree "is a very fine specimen, in excellent condition" said an independent panel

Ms Anderson, of Save Dore, Totley and Bradway Trees, said: "We don't contest the felling of dead or diseased trees but this tree is healthy, and they're the ones we contest."

The Independent Tree Panel, set up to review the felling decisions, has said: "It is a very fine specimen, in excellent condition, with a further 150 years life expectancy."

The panel also said there was a "strong arboricultural case for retaining this tree".

Despite some disruption to the pavement and kerb, a solution could be found, the panel added.

In 2016 a High Court judge dismissed a bid for a judicial review into the tree-felling programme.