The tree has stood in the city's Centenary Square since the 1930s, making it one of the oldest in the city centre.
The council now says it will be removed as part of a revamp of the square, allowing it to be used for public events without fear of it being targeted by attacks.
This will involve heavy stone benches which will double as barricades to keep vehicles out.The case for keeping the tree will be confused by familiar rebuttals. New trees will be planted. The need to defend against terrorism is paramount. I'm sure the counter-terrorism unit can come up with a Plan B to ensure the security of Centenary Square. Maybe this powerful and highly emotive argument was made to distract people from other reasons for wishing to be rid of an 150 year old tree that I and others have known all our lives in this city. It cannot be beyond the ingenuity of our municipal leaders and their expert advisors to press for and invent a way to secure the square's safety and keep this tree - or indeed to carry through their plans for the up-grading the square without losing this landmark tree. I feel the the most powerful argument was the one that said that getting rid of this tree would be a little triumph for those who wish us ill.
