Streets Ahead PFI contract statements

Cllr Douglas Johnson has written to Cllr Bryan Lodge, the Cabinet Member, about the Streets Ahead contract. The letter and reply are below:

Dear Bryan,

I am writing to ask for your explanation about the apparent inaccurate statements made by you and others in connection with the Streets Ahead contract.

These include statements that we have all heard repeated frequently over the last few years, including:

• Trees are only felled as a last resort
• Trees are only felled in accordance with the 6 Ds criteria: i.e. if they are dead, dying, diseased, dangerous, damaging footpaths, private property or roads or ‘discriminatory.’
• There are no targets to fell trees

The Administration has repeatedly refused to publish the relevant parts of the PFI contract until ordered to do so by the Information Commissioner on 5th February 2018. We now know that Table 6 of Schedule 2 of the contract does contain a specific and firm contractual requirement [denoted by ‘shall’] requiring Amey, as Service Provider, to fell trees, namely:

“The Service Provider [Amey] shall replace highway Trees … so that 17,500 Highway Trees are replaced by the end of the Term.”

Now that this clause, secret until now, has been revealed, it is apparent that none of the statements above, made by you as well as your colleagues, is true.

I am therefore asking you whether you agree or whether you have an alternative explanation to give for your statements.

Would you kindly let me know by the end of the week?

Regards,

Douglas

Cllr Douglas Johnson,
City Ward, Sheffield (Green Party)

Reply from Cllr Bryan Lodge

Dear Douglas,

For the avoidance of doubt, I will clarify my answers as follows:

Trees are only felled as a last resort

Trees are replaced in accordance with the 6 D’s criteria: i.e. if they are dead, dying, diseased, dangerous, damaging or ‘discriminatory’

There are no targets to fell trees.

Kind regards,

Bryan

Councillor Bryan Lodge
Cabinet Member for Environment and Streetscene.
Member for Birley