Acklington villagers fear plans by Northumberland Estates to build four homes will kill off beloved black poplar tree

Acklington’s black poplar is at least 250 years old and in 2018, it reached the shortlist for the Woodland Trust’s tree of the year competition, eventually finishing seventh.

However, after standing for centuries, it was felled during Storm Arwen. Following that, Northumberland Estates submitted plans to build four new homes on the site of Acklington’s former school, close to the tree.

However, limbs have continued to come into leaf, sparking hope it could still be alive.

As a result, dozens of residents packed into the village hall on Tuesday night to discuss plans for the new housing, which they fear could kill off the tree for good.

Speaking at the meeting, organiser and former head teacher at the village school, John Davison, said: “We’re extremely lucky to have this magnificent tree on the very edge of our village boundary. Some people think it could be over 300 years old.

“It was there before the school was built. The school closed in 2018, so it oversaw every child that ever went into the school.

“Storm Arwen brought it down and we thought that was the end. However, a spike started to break into leaf and leaves sprouted from the tree.

“The Woodland Trust has said the tree was reinventing itself. It has fallen, but it is not dead.”

The Woodland Trust has objected to the housing plan. In a statement it said: “The trust objects to this proposal on account of detrimental impact to a fallen ancient wild black poplar.

“Whilst we acknowledge that it is a fallen tree following Storm Arwen, we understand it is regenerating with new leaf cover. The applicants should look to retain the tree as much as possible for its ecological value to local wildlife and afford protection to ensure its continued survival.”

The trust added the tree should be afforded a “root protection area” to allow it to regenerate over time. Given the age of the tree before it fell, this would amount to a large buffer zone due to its extensive rooting system.

Residents are also concerned that the four new homes could lead to a larger development in the future.

However, Northumberland Estates has said that while it owns the land, there are no further plans “for the foreseeable future”.

In a statement, the developer said it intended to protect the black poplar tree if planning permission was granted.

A spokeswoman for Northumberland Estates said: “We were aware of the national and local importance of the ancient and rare black poplar tree and when initial assessments were made in 2021, it became apparent the tree restricted development across much of the site, hence the development proposals were halted.

“Storm Arwen forced the ‘catastrophic failure’ of the black poplar tree, and it fell southwards. After consultation with Acklington Parish Council and the council ecologist, a scheme has been proposed that protects the existing stump and the substantial majority of the root system.

“Cuttings will be taken to try and re-grow the black poplar tree in locations around Acklington and Hulne Park, and the deadwood will be appropriately and safely located on-site to promote increased biodiversity on site.

The proposal will be considered by planners in the coming months.