Justification - Role of Trees in Development and Resilience

Preserving and enhancing the natural environment, of which trees form an important element, is a core planning principle of the SPPS. The council also has a duty to specifically consider tree preservation and additional planting when considering development proposals. The LDP provides the opportunity to further protect existing trees as well as requiring the provision of new trees. This is justified as trees play an important role in mitigating and adapting to environmental change and helping to build city resilience, as well as assisting in improving public health and wellbeing. Trees improve the visual amenity of new developments and help to improve biodiversity and provide habitats for wildlife in the urban area. Trees can help to create the green ecological linkages throughout the city and form a valuable element of the green and blue infrastructure network. Trees should be an early consideration at the design stage of all new development, including how existing trees can be retained and how additional trees can be incorporated.