Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council

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Page 14 Trees and the Public Realm (Draft) 4. WESTMINSTER’S TOWNSCAPE 22. Local distinctiveness and identity has a significant bearing on the suitability of trees. Notwithstanding their significant benefits in cities, trees as a natural element do not always sit easily in a complex urban environment, and require thought and consideration if they are to complement the buildings and survive the harshness of their situation. 23. This section provides an overview of Westminster’s varying townscape and sets out how local distinctiveness and identity should be considered when taking planting, succession or maintenance decisions 3 . Varying character 24. The unique character of many areas in Westminster is closely related to the amount, type, distribution and layout of the greenery they contain, and its historic and visual relationship with the built environment. For instance, Westminster has some of the earliest Arcadian suburbs within which tree cover is generally encouraged. At the other end of the scale, Westminster also contains some of the earliest and tightest street patterns where trees may not be as appropriate. 25. 55 areas in the City of Westminster have been designated as conservation areas, covering over 75% of the city’s land. These are of very varied age and character, ranging from the historic core of the city around Westminster Abbey and Whitehall, to the oldest surviving residential and commercial properties in Soho; from the expensive residential developments of the eighteenth and nineteenth century in Mayfair and Belgravia, to more modest residential areas such as the Queen's Park Estate of late nineteenth and twentieth century buildings. 26. Conservation areas are defined in the Planning Act 1990 as ‘areas of special architectural and historic interest, the character and appearance of which it is desirable to preserve and enhance'. Although conservation areas often include a number of listed buildings, the majority of buildings within them will not be listed. It is the character of the area, rather than individual buildings that the Act seeks to preserve or enhance. Part of that character may well be derived from the area’s original masterplan intention, which in some areas means the provision of garden squares to complement the surrounding hard urban townscape. Trees planted on these streets (rather than within the squares) must ensure that they do not materially detract from the character of the conservation area. 3 It is not within the scope of this guidance to prescribe the long term planting regime for every street in Westminster. Whilst this will help to ensure understanding of the correct principles at the start of the design process, street-specific understanding will be required to ensure the best design solution.
Trees and the Public Realm (Draft) Page 15 Westminster Townscape Areas
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