Client: Mersea Homes
Location: Great Horkesley, Essex
Architect: ADP Ltd

Brief
The development team, under the direction of the BREEAM assessor, was seeking to maximise the potential credits available under the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) scheme for a residential scheme at Great Horkesley in Essex. Liz Lake Associates was required to devise a strategy to maximise the credits in the Landscape and Ecology (Eco) section of the CSH scheme.

Approach
The landscape architect and ecologist worked closely together, in liaison with the client, to deliver a landscape strategy for the site which provided an attractive and appropriate setting for the site, while significantly increasing the ecological value of the new habitat zones and planting proposals. In order to maximise the Eco credits for the CSH scheme, it was also necessary to adapt the scheme to maximise the retention of existing hedgerow habitat.

Outcome
The landscape scheme was specifically designed to incorporate extensive areas of new semi-natural habitat, including floristically diverse wild flower meadow, new wetland habitats and species-rich hedgerow. This combined with the retention and protection of strategic areas of existing site vegetation and other specific ecological enhancements, such as the use of ornamental plant species of value to invertebrates and the incorporation of a strong component of native trees, ensured that Eco credits for the scheme were effectively maximised.