Acting on behalf of Barwood Land, CSA provided expert advice on ecology, landscape, urban design, arboriculture and archaeology. Our teams worked together to input to the design of our Development Framework Plan and Illustrative Masterplan in support an outline planning application. Challenges were faced to accommodate a significant tree belt subject to a Tree Protection Order and to set aside some land to off-set some of the adverse effects on biodiversity, such as the loss of permanent grassland. Our designs needed to link with existing PRoW network and accommodate a highway buffer zone to the trunk road. Outline planning was consented by South Oxfordshire District Council in September 2017. CSA were able to demonstrate the sustainable delivery of up to 166 dwellings at the Site, with sympathetic design and connections to the extensive Great Western Park development in Didcot.
CSA were retained to provide ecological advice when the site was purchased by David Wilson Homes. We assisted in the discharge of the ecology conditions for the Site, including the preparation of a Biodiversity Mitigation and Enhancement Strategy and completion of the Biodiversity Impact Assessment (BIA) calculations. An enhancement strategy was approved, comprising a bird and bat box scheme, natural log piles, and a new wildlife pond, as well as other benefits, with an overall net gain in hedgerow habitat provided in the landscape scheme. Through consultation with the South Oxfordshire District Council ecologist, a BIA score and payment for offsetting the impact of the scheme was successfully agreed through an appropriate off-set provider. David Wilson Homes were granted full planning consent for 166 units in November 2018.