Council leader confirms support for legal action on tree protests
SHEFFIELD COUNCIL leader Julie Dore has confirmed she is supporting an attempt to jail four anti-tree felling campaigners – but insisted the decision to bring proceedings was not down to her.
At a meeting yesterday, she was questioned about her involvement in an ongoing High Court case in which the council is seeking to have four tree campaigners committed to prison for allegedly breaching the terms of an injunction banning ‘direct action’ protests against fellings.
The court had been told on Tuesday that while the ultimate decision was down to the council’s legal director, Coun Dore “positively agreed that proceedings should be brought.”
At full council yesterday, a member of the public asked Coun Dore at what point she had become involved in the decision. Coun Dore said because the court case was still active, she had to be careful with her response.
But she added: “I was contacted following a request for clarification from the judge to ask if I agreed to the case being brought forward and my reply was that I do, I did. I respect the process that was followed that led to this decision and think it’s important that this process is respected. The council is involved in many legal actions relating to a wide range of issues and it would be a very dangerous precedent to set for elected councillors to make decisions about bringing forward cases against individuals. It is right that the decisions are made independently and objectively by professional officers.”
Lib Democrat leader Shaffaq Mohammed asked when she gave her approval and informed fellow cabinet members. Coun Dore replied: “I have answered that question. I did say the cabinet member had been briefed.” After Coun Mohammed claimed she was “dodging the question”, councillors had to be called to order.
A SENIOR Sheffield Council officer in charge of the city’s controversial tree-felling programme has denied “not being open” with a court about replacement targets.
Paul Billington, director of culture and environment at Sheffield City Council, was questioned as he gave evidence in a High Court hearing against four tree campaigners accused of breaching a injunction barring ‘direct action’ protests under threatened trees.
Barrister Paul Powlesland, representing two of the campaigners, asked Mr Billington whether he had previously misled the court in relation to tree-felling targets.
It comes after a previously redacted part if the highways contract with private firm Amey was revealed earlier this year to contain a target to replace 17,500 trees by the end of its 25-year term.
Last summer, Mr Billington provided a witness statement to the High Court hearing which resulted in the injunction being imposed which indicated 6,000 trees would be replaced. The witness statement read: “For the avoidance of doubt, the vast majority of street trees in Sheffield are being retained (30,000 out of 36,000).”
In court yesterday, Mr Powlesland asked Mr Billington: “Would you agree you have not been fully open with the court in previous evidence provided, stating the number of trees being removed in the contract?”
Mr Billington said the 6,000 figure related only to the ‘Core Investment Period’ – the first five years of the 25-year contract,
He said: “Both long before I gave evidence in July last year, and after, I have made it clear that 6,000 related to the Core Investment Period. We have never tried to suggest that 6,000 would be the total number. That is not the case, and has never been suggested.”
The core investment period came to end in December last year, the court was told.
When asked about the figure of 17,500 trees, Mr Billington told the High Court at Sheffield that the figure did not relate to a ‘target,’ and said it was a figure used in order to give bidders for the contract the opportunity to ‘consistently price things’.
“What it means is, the council, if needed, they could request that 17,500 trees to be removed or felled without it costing the council any more,” he said, adding that while they could not know the final figure until the end of the programme, the total number of trees removed was more likely to be in the region of 10,000.
Mr Powlesland asked: “If the council does not have a target of 17,500, then is it fair to the taxpayers of Sheffield that they have paid for 17,500 trees to be removed?”
Mr Billington said: “It might be in their interest to fell less than that number, but as I’ve said, we won’t know what the final number is until the end of the contract.”
The council is attempting to have Simon Crump, Paul Brooke, Benoit Compin and Fran Grace sent to jail for allegedly breaching the injunction. The case continues.
We have never tried to suggest 6,000 would be the total number. Paul Billington, Sheffield City Council environment director