Public support has spared a beloved tree from the chop as part of a multi-million pound park redevelopment scheme.
A petition opposing the axe for the giant redwood ‘sequoia’ in Rhyddings Park in Oswaldtwistle had attracted more than 2,000 supporters.
Council bosses had previously said the tree would be felled as part of a £2m Heritage Lottery and Big Lottery Fund makeover of the park.
But Hyndburn council leader Miles Parkinson has now called for an open debate and re-assessment of the issue in recognition of the petition, leading a Labour cabinet member to dismiss rumours he was due to resign.
The future of the tree received a further boost this week when lottery bosses confirmed that their £2m investment would not be jeopardised by the preservation of the redwood.
Speaking at last week’s full council meeting Coun Parkinson said: “I would hope that we can negotiate a redesign of this element of the project with the Heritage Lottery Fund. If, on the other hand, there are significant concerns about these matters, we will need to have regard to this in our final decision.
“It is clear that there are many people in the area who would like the tree to stay. I would therefore like to have an open debate about this at council before any future action is taken.”
Samantha Haslope, from Oswaldtwistle , started the petition to save the tree, planted more than 40 years ago after being donated by Falkenberg - Oswaldtwistle’s twin town in Sweden.
She said: “I don’t think the council realised just how much support the tree would receive.
“It’s good that they are going to debate it, but on the other hand we worry the report won’t be independent, so we want to see if we can get our own independent surveyor, and not just rely on the council one.”
A Heritage Lottery fund spokesperson told the Observer: “The tree is absolutely not essential to the funding, there is no suggestion we would withdraw the funding as a result of the tree.”
Coun Ken Moss, the council’s cabinet member for parks, rejected rumours that he was considering his resignation - sparked by his absence at the full council meeting - as “pure electioneering”.
He told the Observer: “I’m washing my hands of the whole thing.”
