Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council

Trees and the Public Realm (Draft) Appendix B - 15
8 Opportunity Public realm within new development schemes
The guidance provided in this section applies to all contemporary development sites of a scale whereby
building mass and form can be configured to integrate public realm within the site. Whilst Paddington,
Chelsea Barracks and Victoria are the only such areas shown on the townscape areas map, this section
applies to all sites which meet these characteristics.
However it should be noted that this section only generally refers to public realm in addition to that which is
generally required as part of the street curtilage. Street trees adjacent to development sites for instance should
be generally considered with reference to the townscape area which the site is located within.
Trees and built form
As noted in Section 3 of this document, trees add value to development. These benefits include:
attractiveness, stature, creating a sense of place, assisting with way-finding and, crucially, for casting deep
shade and cooling our buildings, public squares and meeting places in future. However, the number of trees
planted is less relevant than the quality and scale of the trees planted. It is the larger landscape species of
trees that confer the greatest benefit.
The principal aim should be “the right trees in the right places”, with the emphasis not on numbers of trees,
but the inclusion of trees that are able to grow into specimens of quality and scale for that site.
Space for planting should be integrated into layout and building designs, and, wherever possible, located on
private land or buildings (generous balconies, roof gardens, walls) or public land intended for adoption,
including the highway.
Street layouts, geometries and networks should aim to make the environment self-explanatory to all users, and
features such as trees (in addition to others such as public art, planting, lighting and architectural style – see
the Westminster Way for more details) can assist navigation and potentially reducing the need for cluttering
signs.
Other considerations
The council will, where appropriate, require suitable landscaping of developments that as a minimum
maintains existing levels of amenity. This can be secured through the use of planning conditions and Section
106 agreements. The objective will be to enhance the amenity of the development and its environs through
tree planting, and also to increase biodiversity.
Street lighting should be planned as an integral part of the design of the street layout, and in conjunction with
the location and anticipated growth of planting. The potential for planting to obscure lighting through growth
should be considered when deciding what and where to plant.
If the council is not to be responsible for tree maintenance in the public realm, alternative innovative
arrangements may be required to ensure sustainable management of the landscape. These may include the
careful design of ownership boundaries, the use of covenants, and annual service charges on new properties.
Funding for initial set-up costs and an endowment to generate income for maintenance (e.g. executive staff,
gardening staff, site offices, equipment, machinery, stores, compost/leaf litter-bins), and community and
resident facilities capable of generating regular income, may be sought under a Section 106 agreements.
Contributions to cover the cost of tree planting in other locations, should trees be lost due to development,
may be required.