News

SSTP

Alison Teal, as Co-Chair has been invited to a meeting with Nathan Edwards, Chair of the Sheffield Street Tree Partnership. 

The STAG interim reps to the SSTP will be Helen McIlroy and Isabel O’Leary, having already attended one meeting as observers. They plan to attend the SSTP Away Day on 14th October at the new Amey base at  Olive Grove . How glamourous. We haven’t forgotten campaigners blockading the entrance or climbing up ladders to look over the wall. 

The Partnership have been updating aspects of the Street Tree Strategy. and are now  looking at how to engage with the public about street trees, something that those of us who stood under trees have some experience of. Not always pleasant. 

We would like the STAG reps to be a 2-way conduit for communication from STAG members and supporters to the SSTP and back.  

Please let us know (at stagsheffieldmembers@gmail.com) if you have  thoughts on anything in the Street Tree Strategy, including how to engage with the public, that we can take to the Away Day.

The STAG reps will report back to STAG membership after the Away Day and any other meetings they attend.. 

There has never been a proper agreed process set up for choosing or electing STAG reps to the SSTP.  We’ve been thinking about this and hope to put a proposal to members on this very soon.

Newsletter

We will aim to circulate a newsletter every month or so and hope to be including news on positive activities, as we know simply reporting on meetings is dry, however necessary they are!

Recent meetings

General STAG meeting 13.9.25

The second hybrid (face to face and online) STAG meeting since the new committee was elected  was a ‘Development meeting’ in order to plan for the future of STAG. The format for the meeting is shown in this presentation. 

Firstly we reminded ourselves of the history of the tree campaign before STAG was formed, then reminded ourselves of the previous action plan and considered what actions STAG might focus on in the near future. Street tree planting seems an obvious area to try to get involved in and Nicola Gilbert kindly sent some slides to illustrate the process she went through to get trees planted at Bannercross. 

We know it is a complicated process to get street trees planted (much more complicated than planting in parks or other green spaces) needing Amey to be involved and funding to be raised. Trees need to be ordered well before the planting season in autumn/winter. 

The committee hopes to draw on Paul Selby’s knowledge and experience as through NESST he has raised £300,000 to plant 357 new street trees over the last 5 winters.

STAG Committee Meeting 29.9.25

We were glad that all 8 committee members were able to attend, plus 1 member observing.

The agenda included:

• Newsletter/communications
• Plan of action re arbitrary deadline for spending legal funds
• Possibilities for street tree planting in areas of low canopy and high social deprivation
• Plan of action for STAG Public Facebook Group
• Street Tree Partnership Group
• Street Tree Wardens
• Interactive campaign website
• AOB included 10th anniversary of STAG, recruitment of Trustee, Meeting with SCC and response to a SAR

Minutes will be published soon.

Dates for your diary

Next committee meeting 27.10.25 7.30pm. Venue to be confirmed. Observers welcome. 

Next general meeting To be arranged. 

Event to celebrate 10th anniversary of STAG’s formation Watch this space.

With best wishes,
Isabel O’Leary
Membership Secretary
The Sheffield Tree Action Group (STAG)