G-Park Ashby-de-la-Zouch
Project Overview
In 2012 epd were part of the multidisciplinary team which secured planning permission for a Class B8 warehouse distribution building next to the A42 junction for Ashby-de-la-Zouch. In July 2017 the government indicated the preferred route for HS2 which traversed a large section of this site. Consequently in 2018 our client, Gazeley UK Ltd, engaged epd as part of a team putting together a hybrid planning application within a new site boundary to the east of the original. This application sought outline permission for the development plots to allow for flexibility in terms of the final building(s), and full permission for site access and infrastructure to allow works to commence on site.
The complex nature of the project with the various constraints and opportunities, along with the hybrid application, meant that the epd landscape team needed to be in close contact with the large design team and the client throughout the project.In 2020 epd were commissioned to undertake the landscape design, planning, construction supervision and aftercare inspections for a 1km brook diversion and associated works through the site. This involved the creation of diverse new habitats and the translocation of existing grassland habitats. epd are working closely with the hydrologists and ecologists to ensure bank protection and protection of any ecologically important species. We provided a full suite of outline/detailed plans and specifications which included details of geotechnical brook stabilisation using coir rolls, species-rich hydroseeding, and a variety of fast-growing willow planting measures.
The application involved the submission of an Environmental Statement (ES) to cover the process of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). epd worked closely with the Planning Consultant to ensure that our chapter within the ES which covered Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) was consistent with the overall assessment methodology. The LVIA was conducted in accordance with the Landscape Institute and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment’s Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, 3rd Edition (GLVIA3).