Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council
Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council
Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council
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Appendix B - 36<br />
<strong>Trees</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Public</strong> <strong>Realm</strong> (Draft)<br />
18 Caution Soho <strong>and</strong> Covent Garden<br />
Photos<br />
An aerial photograph of Soho shows how Soho retains its<br />
integrity with a tight urban grain <strong>and</strong> small plot sizes <strong>and</strong><br />
narrow streets. The trees visible are in Soho Square – as<br />
intended.<br />
Maiden Lane, Covent Garden: Narrow footways such as this are<br />
not generally suitable for trees.<br />
Planting principles<br />
1. The character of this townscape area is derived in part from its dense<br />
development <strong>and</strong> narrow streets, which made <strong>the</strong> inclusion of trees difficult or<br />
impossible. The almost total absence of planting underlines its deliberately 'dry'<br />
urban appearance <strong>and</strong> is one of <strong>the</strong> characteristics that <strong>the</strong> <strong>City</strong> <strong>Council</strong> is seeks<br />
to preserve in those areas<br />
2. Avenues of trees, including in front of refurbished or redeveloped buildings, is an<br />
inappropriate form of planting in this area due to <strong>the</strong> historic character of <strong>the</strong> area<br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>re will be a presumption against it.<br />
3. Whilst rare, some single l<strong>and</strong>mark trees exist, often at road junctions. All trees in<br />
this quarter each require careful consideration when thought is given to<br />
succession. However <strong>the</strong>se l<strong>and</strong>mark trees should generally be replaced unless<br />
<strong>the</strong>y caused amenity problems.<br />
4. There may be an opportunity for fur<strong>the</strong>r greening of Golden Square – <strong>the</strong> extensive<br />
hard l<strong>and</strong>scaping, dating from 1952 but retaining <strong>the</strong> concrete air raid shelter,<br />
does not contribute to <strong>the</strong> historic purpose of city squares <strong>and</strong> should be removed<br />
– to provide an enhanced green haven in <strong>the</strong> 17th century street pattern.<br />
5. Covent Garden Piazza is not an appropriate location for new planting. Its hard<br />
surfaces, wide open space <strong>and</strong> lack of greenery are an essential part of its<br />
character. The piazza, modelled on renaissance cities in Italy <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> first attempt<br />
at formal town planning in London, was intended as a clean, unbroken space, with<br />
<strong>the</strong> architecture <strong>and</strong> formal layout as <strong>the</strong> focus of <strong>the</strong> townscape.<br />
6. Some opportunities for planting exist along Charing Cross Road. However,<br />
careful consideration should be paid to <strong>the</strong> heavy pedestrian footfall <strong>and</strong><br />
pavement space available.