Senior Sheffield councillor Bryan Lodge quits after tree scandal - as pressure grows on leader

He had already announced he would be resigning as a councillor when his latest term came to an end next year.

Coun Lodge's statement made no direct mention of the Sheffield trees scandal but a senior Labour source tonight said that his position had been "completely untenable" following the recent publication of Sir Mark Lowcock's report into the scandal.

Sir Mark found that the council had misled the courts and the public over its strategy after signing up to a flawed plan to cut down half of the city's 35,000 street trees as part of a highways improvement contract.

It followed a misintepretation of a consultant's report which had said most of the trees were mature or over-mature - but this was wrongly understood as meaning they were "ready for replacement".

Around 5,000 trees - many of them healthy - were removed and replaced with saplings before work was stopped in May 2018 in the face of increasing protests.

Senior council figures, including Coun Lodge, repeatedly denied there was any target but the council has now accepted there was following the publication of Sir Mark's report.

Sir Mark's report also criticised "speculative and unreliable" estimates of supposedly "catastrophic" costs for not felling trees made publicly by Coun Lodge and others.

Following the publication of the report, Sheffield Council leader Terry Fox – who was also criticised for his part in the scandal in the inquiry - said he had refused an offer by Coun Lodge to resign.

But following repeated calls for both men to quit over the scandal, including the launch of a petition, Coun Lodge has now stepped down in a move that is expected to increase pressure on Coun Fox to follow suit. The decision follows internal Labour pressure on both men in advance of May’s local elections.

Coun Lodge said: “I've made no secret of the fact that I'm not seeking re-election when my current term as a Councillor comes to an end in May 2024. My family, friends and branch have been aware of this for over two years.

“We have just come out of a very difficult budget setting process, working hard to set a balanced budget for the forthcoming year. In light of my intention to retire from the council in May 2024, I feel that this is the right time to advise that I have let Cllr Terry Fox know that I feel it appropriate that I no longer take a lead on Finance for the next year. It wouldn't feel right for me to be setting a budget for the following year if I am not around to deliver it. In making my decision now, it means that the Labour Group leadership team have the time to consider all options in deliberations for the year ahead.

“Working with a Co-chair in Cllr Zahira Naz, has enhanced how we have worked with the Finance Sub Committee and I've every confidence that Zahira will continue to provide a strong lead on Finance until such time that the council's policy committees are confirmed at the AGM in May.”

A senior Labour source said Coun Lodge had pressed to quit by senior Party figures.

They said: "Bryan needed to go immediately but held on to the detriment of his Labour colleagues. Now we can move on and show the people of Sheffield what Labour can deliver, without this massive distraction hanging over us."