PROJECT: North Heybridge Garden Suburb
SECTORS: Commercial / Residential
SERVICES: Ecology / Arboriculture
CLIENT: Countryside Properties
DATE: Ongoing

North Heybridge Garden Suburb is a large garden suburb development located on an area of arable farmland within the district of Maldon, in Essex. The proposed scheme includes over a thousand new residential dwellings, major road and flood alleviation infrastructure, medical and educational facilities, and an extensive network of green and blue infrastructure that will accommodate a diverse range of new habitats.

D F Clark have been involved with this scheme since the early project scoping stages in 2012. We have conducted extensive ecological and arboricultural baseline surveys to inform design and to provide baseline data for an Environmental Statement submission. We also produced the ecology chapter of this document and were heavily involved with the production of the associated Habitat Regulations Assessment.

We work closely with the rest of the project design team - including planners, engineers, and air quality, traffic and flood risk consultants - to deliver landscape and infrastructure design proposals that will facilitate the creation of an exemplary garden suburb. We have also participated in and lead meetings with statutory consultees and other stakeholders including Maldon District Council, Natural England and Essex Wildlife Trust.

By working closely with these consultees, project team members, and the local planning authority, we aim to deliver a net gain for nature conservation through site development. Our current habitat creation proposals will improve landscape-scale habitat connectivity for a range of legally protected and priority species.