Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council
Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council
Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
<strong>Trees</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Realm</strong> (Draft) Appendix A - 1<br />
APPENDIX A<br />
GREAT TREES OF LONDON<br />
The Great <strong>Trees</strong> of London initiative was originally developed by <strong>the</strong> London Tree Forum <strong>and</strong> supported by<br />
The Countryside Alliance, to celebrate <strong>and</strong> bring to <strong>the</strong> public's attention <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>and</strong> uniqueness of<br />
London's tree heritage. This initiative is mentioned in <strong>the</strong> London Plan to promote significant trees.<br />
The first wave of Great <strong>Trees</strong> were chosen by a public nominations campaign in <strong>the</strong> Spring of 1997. Two trees<br />
within <strong>Westminster</strong> were identified as Great <strong>Trees</strong> (see 1 <strong>and</strong> 2 below). In October 2008 <strong>Trees</strong> for Cities<br />
selected ano<strong>the</strong>r 20 Great <strong>Trees</strong>, 5 of which are in <strong>Westminster</strong> (see 3 -7 below).<br />
All new Great <strong>Trees</strong> are publicly accessible (easily viewed from all sides) so that <strong>the</strong>y can be visited <strong>and</strong><br />
enjoyed by all <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>y were judged on <strong>the</strong> following criteria:<br />
• historical significance – is <strong>the</strong> tree related to past events <strong>and</strong>/or people, or with a story to tell<br />
• location – is <strong>the</strong> tree situated in a l<strong>and</strong>mark location or somewhere special<br />
• physical character – is <strong>the</strong> tree very large, or old, or an unusual shape<br />
Details of <strong>the</strong> seven Great <strong>Trees</strong> within <strong>Westminster</strong> are provided below. All information <strong>and</strong> photos have<br />
been sourced from <strong>the</strong> <strong>Trees</strong> For Cities webpage (see references in Appendix I).<br />
Name Photo Description<br />
1.<br />
St. James' Church Indian Bean<br />
Tree<br />
Piccadilly, W1<br />
An old <strong>and</strong> interesting specimen of this<br />
relatively uncommon tree species, thriving in<br />
<strong>the</strong> heart of London's busy West End. This<br />
tree, one of <strong>the</strong> oldest of its kind in <strong>the</strong><br />
country, creates a tranquil setting in St<br />
James's churchyard, particularly when in<br />
flower during <strong>the</strong> summer months.<br />
2.<br />
The Dorchester Plane<br />
Park Lane, W1<br />
A large semi-mature London Plane, planted<br />
around <strong>the</strong> time of <strong>the</strong> opening of <strong>the</strong><br />
Dorchester Hotel. It has a beautiful form <strong>and</strong><br />
shape <strong>and</strong> is dramatic when lit up at night. A<br />
l<strong>and</strong>mark in London's West End <strong>and</strong> a tree "to<br />
give directions by".