Public Realm Guidance

Westminster Way and Trees in the Public Realm.

The Council published the following documents for Consultation on 15th January 2010.

Westminster Way

Part 1 provides the principles for managing the spaces between buildings in a largely historic city.  Part 2 outlines what the council intends to do in principal topic areas to improve the city as a world class location. 

Trees in the Public Realm

This document adds further detail on selecting the right tree for the right place, managing the tree stock and developing biodiversity. 

These strategies are designed to enhance and replace the 2004 edition (below) by addressing the challenges concerning finding the right locations for trees and street lighting, appropriate paving types, and accommodating street trading.

The consultation period has now closed.

Westminster Way Part 1, Draft 2004

This document is maintained on the web site for anyone wishing to refer back to the 2004 version.  The principles have hardly changed and have provided over the last five years robust design, technical and procedural advice which have been carried into the new edition:

Westminster Way Part 2, Draft 2004

This Information Directory issued in 2004 will be revised as the ‘Westminster Catalogue’ and contains product reference sheets for street and park furniture and surfaces for use within the city. Until it is revised it can be read as the interim catalogue to go with the new edition – the introduction to each section is now incorporated in the body of the December 2009 draft and may be ignored:

Westminster Way working papers from 2004 are generally relevant as background to the present edition:

• 1: Review of 1991 Manual
• 2: Current Practice
• 3: Policy Review
• 4: Urban Analysis
• 4a: Issues Paper, Clutter Reduction
• 4b: Issues Paper, Listed Street Furniture
• 5: Maintenance Specification
• 6: Access Review

Westminster Way and Trees in the Public Realm (our Trees Strategy) will be a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) under the Local Development Framework (LDF) system, and will carry increasing weight as material considerations in applications as they progress towards adoption.

Please contact us for further information.