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City transport bosses have been called a ‘disgrace’ over plans to chop down the oldest tree in Birmingham city centre.

The London plane tree on Broad Street, near the Library of Birmingham, is at least 140 years old but has been earmarked for removal as part of the works on the tram line extension.

There are plans to axe it because it is near a new tram line running to Centenary Square.

The Birmingham Trees for Life group and councillors say the line could easily be run past without disturbing the tree which stands on the pavement in front of the iron fence at the edge of the square.

More than 100 city centre trees have already been uprooted in recent years for the Metro extension and Paradise Circus works and 17 more are lined up for the axe during the Centenary Square works.

The giant London Plane is reckoned to be the last of 99 planted on Broad Street during the great transformation of the city centre under Mayor Joseph Chamberlain and recorded in the Gardener’s Chronicle in 1876 in an article praising Birmingham as the ‘one of the first large towns to plant trees in public streets’.

Cllr Fiona Williams (Lab, Hodge Hill) said: “There is no valid reason for the removal of this tree. I have been quoted safety reasons but as it is nowhere near where the tramline will go I fail to understand what the safety issue is.”

She said that while the developers have promised to plant two trees for every one lost, these will not be nearby.

“There is nowhere in the city centre to put them and the pollution in the city centre is above average. Even more reason to have fully mature trees to absorb the pollution.”

Geoff Cole of Birmingham Trees for Life it is a disgrace and little wonder the air quality in the City Centre is so poor and getting worse.

“It is a man made ecological disaster. Where are the planners and the people of vision who would value a green city centre with clean air? Not here in Birmingham , that’s for sure.”

Tree expert Mark Johnston MBE, who confirmed the Plane Tree is the last Victorian tree remaining in Broad Street, said that the tree could be protected from the works.

A spokesman for Transport for the West Midlands, which is behind the Metro extension, said that the removal of the trees would be mitigated by new trees being planted in the revamped Centenary Square. But he added that gas, electric and water mains often make it difficult to replace trees on pavements.

He said: “ Where highway trees do have to be removed we aim to replace them on a two for one basis and work with the City Council to identify areas where re-planting and new planting can take place, although as you will appreciate there is often little space within the footways due to the complexity of the underground services in the city centre.”

Watch Below Midlands Metro in Birmingham City Centre