City councillor Sushila Dhal with the copper beech Oxford University wants to cut down An order to protect a tree on Oxford University land has been imposed -- despite opposition from the world-famous institution, which wants to chop it down to make way for a new building.

City councillors unanimously voted to issue the preservation order on the copper beech tree, in the car park of the university's science department in Parks Road.

This makes it an offence to cut down, lop, top, uproot, wilfully damage or destroy the tree without the council's permission.

A provisional six-month preservation order was secured in March following concerns from city councillor Sushilla Dhal that the tree might be felled.

She said: "I received a phone call very early one morning and had to stand between the tree and the chainsaw to stop the university chopping it down."

The topic was discussed at the city council's monthly central, south and west area committee meeting at the town Hall.

Kevin Caldicott, the council's tree officer, urged councillors to impose the order and said: "The tree is a merit to the area as a whole and worthy of the order."

After the provisional order was made, the university submitted a planning application for a new bio- chemistry building in the science area.

Councillors will discuss the proposals, including a separate application to demolish the nearby Walter Bodmer building, at a future committee meeting.

The council received 69 letters, 122 emails and a petition with 654 signatures in support of the order -- and two objections from the university.

Its agent Turnbury Consulting Ltd said it needed to remove the tree to make way for the new biochemistry building.

It would be replaced with a "more comprehensive landscape strategy" around the entire site, including extra trees.

A second objection stated that the tree was not in a public area.

The agent said: "As such, any public amenity interest that arises from its presence, which has been given as the key reason for making the order, is consequently negligible."

Mr Caldicott said the council had a statutory duty to consider the impact of any development on the existing trees. He said: "The order does not prevent planning permission being granted for development that includes the removal of the copper beech tree.

"The impact of construction work on the tree and the proposals for new planting are material considerations that will need to be taken into account and given appropriate weight at the time the current planning application is determined."

The university official in charge of the project was unavailable for comment but a spokesman said: "The university will continue with the planning process."