Council is seeking to jail its own councillor in tree row

SHEFFIELD COUNCIL will try to get one of its own members sent to prison for allegedly breaching an injunction relating to tree-felling.

Alison Teal, a Green Party councillor for Nether Edge and Sharrow, tweeted a ‘hand-delivered’ letter from the authority claiming she had breached the High Court order stopping people from, among other things, stepping inside safety barriers put up around trees in the city.

The letter, dated September 29, warns Coun Teal the council plans to take her back to court for the alleged breach, adding: “In the application the council will be seeking your committal to prison, or, in the alternative, a fine or seizure of your assets and an order to pay the council’s reasonable legal costs.”

The letter advises the councillor to take legal advice and adds: “I would respectfully ask that you refrain from further breaching the injunction order and warn you that any further breaches after this letter may be regarded as significant aggravating factors by the court.”

Coun Teal has not yet commented on the letter. She was one of three named defendants – with Dave Dillner and Calvin Payne – against whom the council won an injunction in August, along with ‘persons unknown’ – meaning the order applies to anyone. It forbids people from entering any safety zone put up around any tree within the Sheffield city boundary or seeking to prevent any safety zone from being put up. It also forbids remaining in a safety zone after it is put up, leaving a vehicle in a safety zone or putting one somewhere to stop a safety zone being put up, and they are also forbidden from encouraging anyone else to do the same, including on social media. The council argued that such actions were illegal. The authority says protests have been holding up the work of the Streets Ahead PFI contract with Amey.