Cricketers Farm, Nether Stowey
Residential Development and Public Open Space
Services: LVIA and Landscape Design
Background
This site presents a fantastic opportunity to redevelop a series of vacant barns, buildings and hard standing adjacent to the high quality Nether Stowey Conservation Area, with its distinctive Listed Buildings including Stowey Court, St Mary’s Church with 15th century tower and 18th century gazebo. The site also forms part of the setting to the Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), which form the backdrop to the village of Nether Stowey.
Credit: Sketch by Philip Watts, courtesy of Strongvox Homes
The Landmark Practice produced a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and Landscape Masterplan to accompany a Full Planning Application for 109 dwellings with associated infrastructure and landscape. We were involved from the outset of the scheme, assisting in developing a layout which respects the landscape setting of the Conservation Area, incorporating appropriate setbacks, mitigation planting and open space.
It was identified early on that an existing walled paddock could provide an ideal location for public open space which could respect and enhance the landscape setting of the Conservation Area. The open space will have a traditional character, incorporating orchard tree planting, a reopened formal water channel which is currently buried beneath a paddock; meadows and seating orientated to take in the backdrop of St Mary’s Church.
The scheme also ensures that mature trees on the site are sensitively incorporated into the layout and the form of development is appropriate to it edge of village location and context of the AONB. Additional open spaces with informal and formal play provision, habitat enhancement and planting to the edges of the site will integrate the development into its wider context. Existing Public Rights of Way (PRoWs) crossing the site have been carefully incorporated within proposed public open spaces wherever possible, providing leisure opportunities and connections to the wider area.
Strongvox Homes has used Landmark for landscape design and assessment at a number of sites in our region. The Practice establishes very good working relations with Local Authorities, which helps us to reach agreement on specifications for public open space, play equipment and other aspects of landscape design and assessment. This means that critical points of agreement can be reached, which limits uncertainty and the need for landscape planning conditions post planning permission. Landmark works well within our project teams and always delivers on time, often to tight planning programmes. I can strongly recommend the Practice.
Working with:
Architects : Focus on Design
Arboricultural Consultants : JP Associates
Planning Consultants : Pegasus Group
Ecologists: Ethos
Engineers : Focus on Design
