I guess the lights are the favourite! :)

It’s one thing to fell trees that are diseased or encroaching paths or buildings, but to do that for no reason is sacrilege. What a sad day. As there are no buildings nearby (yet!) you could plant a couple of trees at the bottom. My favourites are birch (Betula), Mountain Ash (Sorbus), twisted willow (Salix). The birch is host to hundreds of insects which the birds feed on and they love to nest in them. Creates a lovely dappled shade. However, if the buildings are going to be built near your fence line then trees are not a good idea as the roots can cause damage. Shrubs such as evergreen Viburnums tinus or, as Carolina suggested, Photinia may help create a screen. I do hope you find a good remedy.

What a fantastic space! As well as shrubs, you could easily add some trees as you have the space, just don’t plant them too near to neighbours fences as it can invade their space. My favourite trees are Birch (Betula), Mountain Ash (Sorbus) and Hawthorn (Crataegus) but there are so many to choose from. Fruit trees such as apples, pears, figs and cherries are lovely, but can be messy if you do not pick the fruit, I agree with HORTED that you need to know soil type - you can get a tester for a few quid- because, for example, putting an acid lover in a chalky soil will make it very sad. Also check aspect - sunny, shady, part-shade as again a shrub can fail if it’s in the wrong spot. Shrubs I love are the Viburnum family, Sambucus Nigra Black Lace, Hibiscus, Hydrangeas, Weigela, Ceanothus, Cornus varieties, Syringa (Lilac), Buddleija. Lovely plants to grow through your shrubs are Clematis, apart from the Montana variety that will be too vigorous.

Off the wall...