Mendip Medical Centre, Congresbury
Health Care Development
Services: Landscape Design, LVIA, Ecological Surveys and Visualisations
To assist in meeting local demand for services, the Mendip Medical Centre project involved preparation of a planning application for a new purpose built medical centre that would amalgamate two existing surgeries into one combined practice with adjoining pharmacy and specialist facilities. The Landmark Practices’ Landscape, Ecology and Graphics teams supported the design team from project inception to final design, providing LVIA services together with ecology survey and assessment, Habitat Regulations Assessment and rendered visualisations.
The Landscape and Ecology teams at The Landmark Practice worked closely together on the project to ensure that ecological features and mitigation measures were inherently incorporated into the landscape proposals for this sensitive site within a ‘strategic gap’. Located within within a consultation zone of the North Somerset and Mendip Bat Special Area of Conservation (SAC), it was important that habitat for horsehoe bats in particular was retained and enhanced.
The Landmark Practices’ Landscape team prepared a sensitive landscape scheme that integrated the site within its surroundings whilst providing sensory planting with year round interest for visitors and staff. To support the planning submission and public consultation, a series of visuals were produced by Landmark’s graphics team for planning and promotional use.
The landscape approach provided a stimulating arrival space which included a medicinal themed plant palette together with seating areas. High value habitats were identified by bat surveys and grassland, plant and tree specifications were made to maximise invertebrate providing foraging opportunities for bats within the site; these include wide native hedges, species rich grassland along with orchard tree planting, all which reflect the local character and heritage of the area.
