We agree. Enhancing biodiversity by creating new habitats and foraging opportunities for wildlife is key in the considered landscape design we’ve submitted at planning.

We appointed landscape architect and ecology experts Collington Winter and ecology consultancy Ecology by Design to undertake detailed surveys of present wildlife and to come up with a sensitive landscape masterplan that avoids damage to existing habitats and enhances them wherever possible.

The design incorporates a pond with emergent wetland vegetation creating a haven for wildlife. Bird and bat boxes will be installed onto existing trees and on the external walls of houses. External lighting is kept to an absolute safe minimum to avoid pollution and disturbing bats. A management strategy will ensure that deadwood is retained on-site wherever possible. A green edge is maintained along most of the boundaries by retaining the existing hedgerow and vegetations. We will legally stipulate a two-metre no-build zone within each plot to ensure the survival and maintenance of the green edge. Boundaries of traditional rural fencing in combination with hedgerows, ensure green links are preserved and enhanced with new habitats created. Where any wooden fences do occur, they are fitted with hedgehog holes. The existing native hedgerows, which define the site and form a key element in the landscape, will be managed by traditional methods to ensure their longevity and gaps planted with species of local provenance. Finally, the existing woodland is protected and enhanced with new hibernacula and refugia for amphibian and reptile species.