Deteremined pupils have vowed to continue their battle to save a 250-year-old tree.
The ancient Scots pine at Perth Academy has come to be be regarded as a memorial to brothers Callum and Ethan Owen, who died in a road accident alongside their mother, Michelle, in 2009.
It could now be cut down to make way for a synthetic sports pitch after plans were approved by councillors on Wednesday.
The final decision, however, rests with the school, which now has the option of pushing ahead with its original proposals or finding an alternative site.
Ewan Patterson and Rachael Eynon, the school’s head boy and head girl, told The Courier they will fight on. Earlier this year, they launched a campaign, which included a 500-signature petition and a demonstration within the school grounds.
Rachael praised her fellow pupils for putting up a united front and said she hoped this would continue.
Ewan said they would rather retain the Scots pine than have a state-of-the-art all-weather pitch.
He said: “The decision has soured any excitement we may have had over the sports facility. We will be continuing our fight for the tree.”
Although it brought Perth Academy pupils together, the issue split councillors.
While some sympathised with the plight of pupils, others felt it was more important to have the all-weather pitch.
Councillor Callum Gillies suggested a compromise of dedicating the new facility to Callum and Ethan Owen. These proposals were backed by the education and children’s services team, who said they would be happy to do this if required.