They stand tall and proud as living memorials to young men who fought and died for their country in the Great War.
The soldiers who attended the same local primary school included a 17-year-old who should never have been near the action, many teenagers and a fresh-faced newlywed.
But council chiefs in Sheffield are set to ignore public fury and press ahead with a road management plan to chop down 41 of these official First World War memorial trees.
Sheffield Council is set to cut down these trees, planted in honour of local soldiers who died in the First World War
A report published yesterday claimed it would cost £500,000 to save the historic trees and involve raiding budgets of vital services such as ‘social care’ to fund it.
The figures have been ridiculed by campaigners as ‘grossly exaggerated’ but the city council’s Cabinet now seems certain to back the felling of the war memorial trees at a meeting next Wednesday.
Almost 100 years after they were planted council contractors will move in with their chainsaws to fell what many regard as sacred living memorials.
Contractors have surveyed every street to decide which trees are dead, dying, diseased, dangerous, damaging or could obstruct pedestrians or drivers.
Those in any of these categories are listed to be chopped down under the council’s £2.2 billion private finance deal with contractors Amey to maintain Sheffield’s roads.
Around 5,500 trees have been felled so far under this long-term contract but the war memorial trees have provoked the greatest anger.
The main memorial site on Western Road is set to lose 23 of the remaining 54 London plane trees planted in 1919 in ‘grateful appreciation’ of former pupils of Westways Primary School who took part in the war.
The council put the bill to save the trees on this road alone as £310,000.
Local researchers believe 64 residents died fighting for King and country. There were originally 97 trees in the memorial.
Today the remaining trees are up to 50ft tall and the roots of some make pavements bumpy. Most residents of the street regard them as ‘healthy’ and want them to remain, claim campaigners.
Commenting on the plan to fell and plant replacement saplings, the report’s author Philip Beecroft said: ‘Any potential work will make it easier for everyone to get around safely due to improved condition of footways, and this will particularly benefit older people, parents with buggies, and people with restricted mobility and their carers.’
In a bid to placate angry residents and veterans, the report recommends planting 300 trees to create ‘new memorials’ in parks which will be ready for the 2018 Centenary and be retained ‘in perpetuity’.
Almost two-thirds of the city’s existing war memorial trees will not be affected by the works programme, it adds.
In September the council’s Labour leader Julie Dore said the initial estimate for saving the trees of £350,000 was ‘not affordable’ and that any solution had ‘to be affordable.’ With costs escalating there is little chance of a U-turn.
The high cost has been put down to rebuilding pavements and making some streets one way as a result.
As well as Western Road there are five other streets with official war memorial trees recommended for felling.
Campaigners have resigned themselves to the council ordering in the chainsaws.
Alan Story, campaigner and Western Road resident, said: ‘They are trying to pit the social care budget against a memorial to people who died in World War One, it’s outrageous politics.’
He added: ‘It has become clear the council has no intention of saving these trees.’
Alison Garner, a relative of one of the soldiers Ernest Beck, said: ‘They have grossly exaggerated what it would cost to save these trees.
‘It doesn’t need to cost that much. I am disgusted that the council doesn’t care what residents of Sheffield think.
‘Trees have been planted in memory of particular people who made the ultimate sacrifice but they just don’t care.’
A council spokesman said: ‘No decision on these trees has yet been taken.’