Trees in the capital city

The British Woodland Trust submitted a memorandum to the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee Inquiry concerning the publication by the UK government of an Urban White Paper which aims at revitalising urban life and helping to better ensure the protection of the natural heritage from development pressures.

The memorandum presents some very pertinent points which are also applicable to our local situation. It states that "the role of green space in rendering urban living more attractive is a crucial one that will need to be addressed if the desired renaissance of urban living is to be achieved".

The memorandum makes particular reference to the report of the Urban Task Force which emphasises the need to address the idea of the ecological sensitive city in which humans recognise that they cohabit with nature. "Trees, woodland and other green space are all important in fostering biodiversity, in enhancing human health and well being and reducing noise and pollution."

The Trust quotes the regeneration of Barcelona, New York and Paris as examples to be followed. The Trust is therefore supportive of the establishment within urban areas of a range of green spaces which may be dominated to a greater or lesser extent by trees, with different green spaces reflecting differing community aspirations and preferences. "Consequently, some will have a relatively formal character whilst others will be more informal, some will have a large number of trees and others will have fewer."

The last quotation is important and needs to be underlined when considering the local situation. It means that trees in urban areas need to be selected and planted with care and managed appropriately.

The impression one is left with after taking a walk around our capital city is of disorderly planning where planting of trees is concerned. When plants get out of hand problems will occur. Would anyone with a modicum of sense and artistic feeling plant trees with the potential of overgrowth in front of great monuments and buildings of historical and cultural value such as we have in some of the most important parts of our capital city? Would the authorities in Rome ever dare to think of planting trees in front of the Trevi Fountain, or Castel Sant Angelo, or the Quirinale? The same applies to other famous sites in other old cities in Europe. The list is unending.

I therefore agree with Vinny Vella (August 24) that trees should not have been planted in Valletta in St John's Square, in Republic Square (ex Queen's Square), in front of the Law Courts and in Palace Square. Despite being in the minority, I still maintain that trees should be removed from Castille Place and agree wholeheartedly with the recently published plans for its pedestrianisation on the principle of a wide open square with no visual encumbrances to its architectural and historical richness.

Equally out of place are the trees planted in front of the bastions which serve no purpose other than to provide sites for dumping of unwanted material and destroying the visual impact of the line of fortifications around the walled city. I have never seen anywhere in the world such fortifications surrounded by trees. The principle is as incongruous as planting trees around prisons. The same applies to the trees planted in the ditches surrounding the bastions at Mdina (although here at least most of the trees planted are by nature small and do not have the potential of overgrowing).

In line with the principle enunciated by the British Woodland Trust on green spaces within urban areas, I fully support the drive that has been undertaken by the local authorities to rehabilitate the gardens at the Upper and Lower Barakka and Hastings Gardens. This is the kind of planning that merits to be lauded and supported by all.