Nether Edge and Sharrow councillor, Alison Teal has received the most impressive Councillor achievement award at the Green Party conference in Harrogate. Teal has been a central organiser in the campaign to preserve Sheffield’s trees from Sheffield Council’s mass tree-felling programme and has faced suspension from the Council, arrest and a Council-backed court injunction. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Alison Teal, Councillor for Netheredge and Sharrow has spoken to Sheffield Live! after she was thrown out of a full meeting of Sheffield Council. The exclusion followed a comment the Green Party councillor made about Councillor Bryan Lodge in which she claimed that “he deliberately misled the public” on the felling of trees across the city. Although Teal later withdrew the word “deliberately” from her statement, a vote on whether or not to suspend her from the meeting was taken and passed by 49 to 21, with opposition councillors walking out in protest. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!
Deepa Shetty, of Sheffield Tree Action Groups, said there was no place for harrassment of members of a local councillor’s family in the campaign to save Sheffield trees. Councillor Bryan Lodge has defended the Sheffield City Council action to cut down trees in Rustlings Road which left many residents furious. Subsequently it has been reported that the councillor’s family faced harrassment at their home. Baillor Jalloh reports for Sheffield Live!