Present: Helen McIlroy, Isabel Oleary, Paul Selby, Woll Newall
Observers: None
Minutes: The minutes of the previous committee meeting (25/5/26) were agreed as a true and accurate record.
Matters arising/Previous Actions
- IO, HM and WN to meet Nathan to discuss STAG’s role in the SSTP.
- WN to update the constitution on the STAG website. Done.
Items on the Agenda
Item 1:Tree Planting Project
Isabel reported that the process of getting approvals for STAG’s tree planting is confused. Out of 20 initial locations suggested by local community foresters, only one was approved, and most locations in the Spital Hill area have been rejected due to infrastructure concerns. Paul noted the confusing feedback from tree inspectors and proposed scheduling a meeting with Carl to clarify the contradictions in the approval process. The significant price increases for street tree planting is also concerning, which have risen to around £820 for pavement planting and £500+ for grass verges. Therefore STAG may only be able to fund approximately 13 trees in Burngreave rather than the hoped-for 20 due to the increased costs, though the 11 currently approved locations should be within budget.
Item 2: SSTP representatives
Isabel announced her new role as co-chair of the Planting Biodiversity and Engagement Group within the Street Tree Partnership, where she is working on developing a guide for community funders regarding tree planting processes. The meeting also noted that Nathan had resigned as chair of the partnership and would be replaced by Jill Edmondson from Sheffield University. Nathan will remain on the Core Investment Period Working Group. The planting palette project is still on-going, though questions have been raised within the partnership about its progress.
Item 3: Eyre Street Tree Removal
Isabel reported that during a recent SSTP meeting, there was pushback against removing trees on Eyre St in the city centre near the Salvation Army hostel, with questions being raised whether the trees should be removed due to ‘antisocial behavior’. Paul noted that work is supposed to start very soon in September after four years of design planning, so time for objections is limited.
Item 4: Street Tree Campaign Archive
Helen gave an update on the archive project, reporting positive developments thanks to Sarah Deakin’s work with a contact at the archives. A visit to the archives was planned for August or September, with potential for a small group to participate, and Helen clarified that professional archivists would handle the curation without censorship. Woll mentioned progress on the website app for storing personal memories, which would complement the council’s archive by allowing better and open public access and search functionality.
Item 5: Newsletter Content
Updates on the archive project and tree planting, with Helen and Woll tasked to provide summary information. Also include a request for co-optees.
Item 6: Stag Public Facebook Group
The committee discussed a draft proposal to end the legal pursuit of the STAG Public Facebook group, and reviewed a draft message to members. Woll suggested clarifying that it’s a new committee making the decision and proposed adding language to allow future committees to potentially resume the pursuit if new evidence emerges. The group agreed the proposal would require a member vote rather than just a statement, with Paul clarifying that if members reject the proposal, the committee would need to continue legal pursuit due to their legal duties as trustees of STAG. Deadline of Saturday for finalizing the current wording, aiming to send the final proposal to Woll for member distribution by the following week.
Item 7: STAG’s Future
The committee discussed the future of STAG, with concern being raised about lack of interest from potential co-optees and questioning whether the organization should continue. Paul emphasized the potential consequences of closing STAG, including losing its strong national brand and the ability to lobby for continued tree replacement after the PFI contract ends. The group agreed to address the membership about STAG’s potential closure and its serious implications, in the next newsletter including STAG’s role in community funded planting and tree replacement processes.
Actions
Helen
- Contact Dan Whittaker at SCC to remind him about the street tree display at the Town Hall and request notification when it needs to be removed.
- Send a summary of the archive project updates to Isabel for inclusion in the newsletter.
Isabel
- Draft the next newsletter, including updates on tree planting, the archive project, and the proposal regarding the Facebook group.
Paul
- Review the spreadsheet and email feedback regarding tree planting locations, and propose dates for a meeting with Carl to clarify contradictions.
- Revise the proposal regarding the Facebook group based on committee feedback, including wording changes to distinguish between the current and previous committee, and add a caveat about future committees.
- Complete the evidence section for the proposal and aim to send the final version to Woll for distribution to members by mid-next week.
- Send proposed dates to Isabel for a meeting with Carl regarding tree planting locations.
Woll
- Provide a screenshot or image of the app for the archive project to be included in the newsletter.
Date of next meeting
1st or 2nd September.