AN ICONIC tree in a busy Southampton high street has been saved after a supermarket giant amended its plans.

Campaigners were celebrating after “common sense prevailed” and one of the final yew trees along Shirley High Street will be retained.

Lidl have earmarked the old police station in Shirley High Street as a site for a new supermarket and within its original application had said the tree could be removed.

Hundreds signed a petition to save the tree and now Lidl has resubmitted its application, confirming the tree would remain.

Steven Galton, who led the campaign, said: “It’s a good day for us and common sense has prevailed.

“The hundreds of people who signed the petition helped show the strength of love for the tree and helped save it for generations to come.

“By working together we have helped protect and shape our community.”

He added: “Lidl should never have proposed the removal of such a loved and iconic tree in the first place, but thanks do go to them for listening to our concerns.”

The discount supermarket chain aims to build a new store – double the size of its nearby Janson Road premises – with 125 parking spaces, creating 15 new jobs and retaining 30 from the existing store, which has been earmarked for closure next year.

In a letter sent to the city council, head of property at Lidl James Mitchell said the plans had been changed in order to retain the tree as well as minimise the impact on the surrounding highway network.