Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council

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Page 10 Trees and the Public Realm (Draft) 8. In contrast to trees on private land which are often governed by requirements for planning permission or Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), there is little formal regulation applicable to trees in the public realm. The guidance contained within this document is designed to establish a consistent approach across the city and set out in a transparent fashion how decisions over trees are made. Much of this is based on Westminster Way – the council’s public realm strategy. Whilst the council has limited control over some trees managed by other agencies (for instance those on the Transport for London Road Network or TLRN), it is hoped that this document can help encourage more joined up working. 9. The wider policy context of this document is set out in Appendix E and includes reference to national and regional policies such as Manual for Streets and the Disability Discrimination Act, regional advice such as TfL’s Streetscape Guidance 2009 and English Heritage’s Streets for All and relevant mayoral policy such as The London Plan and The London Tree & Woodland Framework. We will make informed decisions based on these policies when planting trees in streets, open spaces and other areas which have an impact on the public realm. In order to fulfil this purpose, this document has six aims: 1. To promote an awareness of the value of trees in Westminster; 2. To provide a practical guide to Westminster’s townscape to ensure the continuity of the positive contribution that trees make to its character; 3. To promote an understanding of urban design principles to ensure that trees are planted in the right places; 4. To promote an understanding of practical site considerations to ensure that trees are not planted in the wrong places; 5. To promote an understanding of species selection to ensure that species appropriate to the site are planted; and 6. To promote sustainable biodiversity goals and contribute to the wider sustainability and climate change agenda. 10. All of these heads of consideration should be taken into account when making planting decisions. Further discussion on each is provided within each of the following six corresponding sections of this report. While some degree of prescription is considered necessary, it intended that guidance provided herein provides the reader with the tools to make an informed decision with regard to what tree is planted where. 11. Lastly, it needs to be noted that this document is not intended to be a manual on tree planting/management practice, nor is it intended to cover the range of issues which often arise over privately-owned trees, particularly those in a domestic setting. This includes the topical issue of subsidence and issuing of TPOs. The Council’s arboriculturalists can provide specialist advice on such matters and can be contacted as per the details provided in Appendix F of this document. .
Trees and the Public Realm (Draft) Page 11 3. THE VALUE OF TREES 12. Trees in cities provide a range of tangible benefits which have considerable beneficial impacts on the lives of those who live and work in cities but do not have daily access to other more traditional types of open space. There are also a number of less obvious benefits that can sometimes be difficult to quantify, such as social and economic benefits. However, as is emphasised throughout this document, trees cannot be treated in isolation and should be carefully considered in their context. Environmental benefits 13. Heavy traffic, commercial and domestic heating systems and other background sources all contribute to poor air quality in Westminster. Concentrations of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide currently exceed air quality standards across the city. Whilst there is still a degree of uncertainty over their interaction with pollution, trees absorb and filter gaseous pollutants (ozone, sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide) through their leaves. The physical properties of trees can also have a direct influence on pollution levels in the area they are planted, for instance through acting as windbreaks and reducing dispersion 1 . 14. Trees can also have a positive effect on the environment by: • Cooling the city and benefiting micro-climate and humidity. The shading properties of trees will become increasingly important in light of the trends shown in recent UK climate change predictions. • Sequestering (or temporarily holding) carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas (although, in terms of trees in towns, this role is limited). • Trapping dust and particulate matters on all aerial parts, which are then washed away by rainfall. Conifers are the most effective in capturing particulates, followed by deciduous trees with coarse, hairy leaves 2 . • Producing oxygen as a bi-product of photosynthesis. • Potentially reducing localised extremes in temperatures (cooling in the summer, warming in the winter – countering urban heat island effects), although in certain locations they can actually trap heat and reduce breeze. • Reducing the effects of flash flooding. • Providing habitats for a broad range of wildlife in their own right, or by contributing to habitat. 1 In spite of their absorbing/filtering effects, the presence of trees near roads can sometimes lead to higher concentrations, tipping the scales due to their damping of wind speed. It is therefore important not to allow too much of a ‘tunnel’ to be created by mature trees along busy roads, and to plant trees with lower foliage density in those locations. 2 Although some trees, like the London Plane, do produce their own ‘particulates’ at times of the year, which can cause allergic or uncomfortable reactions in some people.
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Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council

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