Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council

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Page 26 Trees and the Public Realm (Draft) Paddington Basin, W2: An avenue of regularly spaced trees, used to emphasise the direction of a (shaded) pedestrian route through the development Timeframes 50. It is important to plant for the long term. Young trees planted in the street can take about a decade to establish themselves and begin to look as though they belong. Whilst smaller standard specimens are more likely to adapt and succeed than semimature plantings, they do not give instant results and can be more prone to damage in the early years. The location will determine the most appropriate option. Victoria Embankment Gardens, WC2: Mature London Planes with a height and wide-spreading form which is compatible with the setting and space. It should be noted that the size of these trees 140years after planting have significantly changed the appearance of the area and mid-range views throughout it.
Trees and the Public Realm (Draft) Page 27 51. The lifespan of trees varies considerably and many species have shorter than average lifespans in the urban environment. Some like birch and cherry are relatively short-lived, with a typical lifespan of 50 to 80 years. Others, most notably oak and plane, have potential life spans of two centuries or more. Whilst it is possible to remove any tree, it is worth noting that the removal of older and large trees, even for reasons of safety, can be contentious. 52. The age of trees is increasingly of relevance in the preservation of boulevard or avenue planting. Such planting has the best impact when trees are approximately the same size. Conversely, if many trees die in a small space of time then the boulevard effect will be potentially lost for decades. Fortunately, Westminster’s stock of mature planes have 50 years or more of life remaining although it is likely that tough decisions on whether to pursue a balanced age structure will need to be made in the future. 53. It is also worth noting that the shape of trees changes over time, depending on species. Young trees often exhibit strong characteristics of “apical dominance”, in that they have a central leading shoot and a crown shape that is compact and narrow. As the tree matures the crowns of many species become broader, branches less upright, and wider-spreading with the passage of time. It is therefore important that these changes to shape and size over time, sometimes a very long time, are anticipated and factored into the design requirements and choice of species. Larger species that tolerate pruning are particularly valuable.
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