CSA were commissioned in 2015 by a Consortium of housebuilders, comprising Bellway Homes, Bloor Homes and Taylor Wimpey, as landscape consultants for the redevelopment of the former Severalls Hospital site in Colchester. The site is listed as Grade II on English Heritage’s Register of Historic Parks and Gardens and also contains the Grade II former administrative building of the hospital. The administrative building is a fine Queen Anne style building with a handsome façade. There are also numerous mature trees within the site and pockets of woodland.
From the outset of the project, CSA worked closely with Cooper Baillie architects to establish an approach to the redevelopment of the site that was in harmony with the landscape and respected the setting of the listed buildings. CSA’s landscape team also struck up a good working relationship with Officers’ of the Council and successfully discharged the landscape conditions of the planning consent. The result of this collaborative approach was to deliver a development of 730 new homes.
After producing the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment for the scheme the landscape team worked on detailed designs for the public open spaces that satisfied the aims of preserving and restoring the fabric of the listed landscape (including several areas of woodland) whilst providing usable open space, which included a number of children’s play areas, and areas of ecological mitigation. The Consortium also commissioned CSA to produce the detailed landscape design for each of the development parcels.
By respecting the historic assets of the site, CSA were able to create a clearly defined spatial structure that has enabled each of the Consortium members to develop the site with distinct and varying character, whilst maintaining a cohesive and legible development as a whole.
We are pleased to say that the development is now well underway and the new properties are selling well.