Trees and the Public Realm - Westminster City Council

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Trees and the Public Realm (Draft)
summer drought is predicted to increase. Former coal vaults can make excellent
ready-made planters if they have not been converted into usable space, and only with
the consent of the building owner.
81. Deep shade, cast by a large tall buildings, will not provide optimal growing conditions.
Petty France, SW1: The proximity of trees to buildings needs to be considered. The pavement space available for
these new plantings (right) is more suitable than that available for existing trees (left).
Illumination
82. The illumination of trees can help to create drama and a sense of place into the evening
– particularly when used seasonally in the winter period. However the decoration of
trees with lights can also look untidy and out of place in an historic city, particularly
during the daytime. It can also cause problems for the tree’s health, particularly if poorly
installed. Ecologically, lighting in trees is not advisable as it disturbs the natural cycle
for wildlife. In addition, illumination of trees raises sustainability issues due to the
consumption of electricity required.
83. As such, illumination should only be used in appropriate locations as an integral part of
a purposeful place-making scheme. Care should also be taken to avoid diluting the
visual effect of irregular incidences of illumination and excessive light pollution that may
result. All proposals to illuminate trees should use more energy-efficient LED sources,
light away from the vertical, have timer controls, and the energy and carbon cost should
be explicitly stated when a case is made for them. Furthermore, the amount of
hardware used should be minimised, it location carefully considerd, invasive fixing
techniques should be avoided and the maintenance schedule should be prescribed,
costed and funded.