A landscape led approach
Creating accessible space for play, community activities and wellbeing
As part of the proposals, the new development will deliver over 2.5ha of new public open space that will be accessible to all, designed to foster community activities and recreational opportunities. This will include new areas of informal and equipped play.
The landscape proposals include the creation of new native woodland adjacent to the site’s western boundary, and the reinstatement of a previously lost historic hedgerows running through the site.
Included in the application area, is the existing open space and attenuation features associated with the Mersea Homes development, to the east. This land will be retained in its current form.
Landscape proposals
Potential benefits of the proposed landscaping strategy
- Ensuring that the visual impact is limited by fostering a new and vibrant community whilst successfully blending with the surrounding landscape and village.
- A 10% biodiversity net gain.
- Inclusion of a native woodland along the site’s southwestern boundary adjacent to Coach Road.
- Reinstating a previously lost field hedgerow.
- Retaining and reinforcing existing boundary vegetation through the proposals.
Drainage
Surface Water Management
The surface water runoff from the proposed development will be managed by a Sustainable Drainage System, to prevent the risk of flooding. Surface water runoff from the proposed development will be collected and held in a landscaped basin and fed into the existing southern boundary ditch at a controlled rate.
Space will also be made in the layout to include soft landscaped roadside drainage features, such as shallow grassed channels, to filter runoff as it enters the system and is directed into the basin. The combination of drainage features alongside the roads and in the open space will make up a Sustainable Drainage System.
Ecology
Helping to create new habitats and increase biodiveristy
The planning application will be supported by a full suite of ecological surveys which will inform a programme of local ecological enhancements to be delivered as part of the proposals. New landscaping and planting with the development will create new habitats with the overall aim being to achieve a net gain in biodiversity of 10%.
