Harborough District Council’s (‘HDC’) Planning Committee has resolved to grant outline planning consent for up to 50 new dwellings at Great Bowden in Leicestershire. CSA’s Urban Design, Landscape Planning, Ecology and Arboriculture teams worked closely to prepare the application on behalf of Gladman Development’s.
The site is located adjacent to the Great Bowden Conservation Area and within a short distance of the Grand Union Canal Conservation Area, with sensitive views in the middle distance to the north. CSA prepared a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) which considered these and other constraints, including the character of Leicester Lane alongside the southern boundary of the site. Following advice from CSA, housing was set back from the Great Bowden Conservation Area and Leicester Lane and the proposals included a new landscaped boundary to soften views from the north. By sensitively locating the development and the vehicular access, the heritage and landscape constraints of the site were acknowledged and the loss of avenue trees along Leicester Lane was avoided.
HDC acknowledged that the site was sustainable for development, and went on to state that ‘the public benefits include social benefits of market and affordable housing, economic investment in the local area and a net gain in biodiversity’.