A TREE planted to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII will soon be back in the hands of the villagers of Lindale, near Grange-over-Sands, writes Justin Hawkins.

Planted in 1902, the Coronation tree was for years a site of community celebrations in the Furness village.

But somehow, and no one knows quite how, the splendid chestnut ended up walled-in as part of the front garden of Coronation Cottage, on The Gill.

Now, thanks to some delicate negotiations by Upper Allithwaite Parish Council, planners at the Lake District National Park Authority have granted permission for the tree to be returned to the people.

LDNPA's development control committee has approved the parish's plan to open up access to the tree by pulling down the garden wall enclosing it and replacing it with a much lower wall designed to prevent parking on the grass around the Coronation tree.

The parish council has agreed to pay for the upkeep of the tree and the new public area around it. Mr and Mrs Clitheroe, the owners of Coronation Cottage, will now use former staff parking spaces at Bateman's BMW garage to create a new piece of garden to make up for the loss of land.

Bill Woods, of Upper Allithwaite Parish Council, told the Gazette: "Thanks to the good will and generosity of the land owners an agreement has been reached to create an amenity area around the historic Coronation tree which is just 100 years old."

Parish council plans for the site include putting a bench around the Coronation tree itself and planting a new tree to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee last year. Formal celebrations of the return of the Coronation tree to the people of Lindale are expected to take place in July.

May 29, 2003 17:00