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THE felling of a historic 400-year-old mulberry tree - believed to be the oldest in the town - has sparked a row in Kirkham.
The tree - at the back of The Cube nightclub - was hacked back to a stump, with the permission of the council, because of its poor condition.
It is the former site of the Hillside Restaurant - built about 1811 by wealthy Kirkham flax merchant John Birley.
The old mulberry tree in the rear garden was a charming feature for photographs of many local couples who had booked their summer weddings there.
Police have investigated.
Coun Liz Oades, representative for Kirkham South on Fylde Council, said: "I would say if you cut into most trees in the county they will be diseased – whether that disease is fatal is another matter.
"I have said to our legal officer and I want to take it further and I still want a site meeting this week to see what action can be taken.
"It was the oldest tree in Kirkham and it meant a lot to the older residents – it is part of the town's history."
The tree was chopped down by workers brought in by bosses at the Preston Street nightclub, which opened two years ago but is currently closed.
Coun Oades said she was told workers were cutting into the tree.
She called the council and the police who turned up and told them to stop work.
She then received another call the following day saying the tree was being cut down.
Again, she called the police who went to the site, but were told by operatives they had council permission to fell it.
Club manager Paul Mellor said the tree was not listed on plans for the area.
He said: "It might by the oldest tree in Kirkham, but it is dead. It was apparent that it was dead, it was not listed, so we cut it down."
Mr Mellor said he had asked his architect to meet the council's tree expert to confirm the mulberry was dead.
A spokesman for Fylde Council said a replacement tree would have to be planted.
He said: "Dead or dying trees are not covered by the restrictions in tree preservation orders."
The Cube went on the market for 1.3m last August.
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Weather for Blackpool
Monday 13 February 2012
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