Northumberland MP warns that a decision on the future of Sycamore Gap is 'not simple' and will be a 'slow process'

Hundreds of people have suggested plans for the future of the site after the beloved tree that stood there for hundreds of years was felled.

And while bosses at Northumberland National Park have pledged to make the site “iconic” once more, Hexham MP Guy Opperman has warned that the situation is not straightforward.

The sycamore tree stood next to Hadrian’s Wall, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been confirmed that the 1,900-year-old structure was damaged when the tree came down.

Mr Opperman said: “I had a meeting this week with the Director General of the National Trust and Lord Parkinson, the Minister for Culture and Heritage. We discussed what the National Trust, who own the land, are doing on the site and began to set out a road map for the future.

“We know that this tree belonged to everyone. It symbolised so much; its loss grieves us and affects us all in a truly unfathomable way. I was there myself a week before its loss.

“I want to thank the hundreds of people who have got in touch. I am trying to answer everyone but the situation is complex – the National Trust own the land, and it is located in Northumberland National Park.

“Hadrian’s Wall itself and the land around it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, which brings significant complications. In the short term, the National Trust have secured the site and saved seeds.

“There is on-going discussion as to the future of the site and a mechanism for the public to add to the hundreds who have already made suggestions of what we do next. Both the National Trust and Northumberland National Park are preparing Q and A plans going forward. Bear with them. This is not simple.”

Northumbria Police launched an investigation after the tree was discovered felled. Two men – a 16-year-old and a man in his 60s – have been arrested and since released on bail.

Mr Opperman added: “We are all grieving. This tree was part of us: part of our history, our culture, our heritage, our National Park and our nature.”