Landscape Design for Heritage-Led Redevelopment
Old Station, London
ECOLOGY - LANDSCAPE
Client
Cesa Developments Partnership
Status
TBD
Location
Watford, London
As part of the proposed development, contemporary and complementary additions were introduced to the Grade II listed Old Station House, including a new volume to the northwest, a small extension to the southeast, and interior refurbishments. External works were also undertaken to enhance the setting of the building, including the removal of a concrete ramp between St Albans Road and the northwest amenity area. This provided improved pedestrian and wheelchair access, as well as a suitable amenity space for the site’s proposed use as a public house.
Project Overview
A Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessment was conducted as a desk-based study due to budget constraints and the fact that the site had already been cleared before the application was submitted.
Baseline habitats were estimated using available site imagery, including aerial photographs and ground-level site photos. A precautionary approach was applied to estimating habitat types and conditions, utilising prior experience of urban habitats and local ecological knowledge.
TMA produced the soft landscape plan to support the BNG calculations, ensuring that appropriate planting was designed to align with BNG objectives and the site context.
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During the assessment, it was identified that a tree had been removed prior to the proposed development. To confirm this, historical imagery from Google Earth was used to compare past site conditions. The analysis confirmed that the tree was cleared independently of the development, allowing for a lower baseline biodiversity value and making it easier to achieve the 10% net gain target on-site.
Services
A Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) was prepared to outline the initial interventions and long-term management of on-site habitats, contributing to Biodiversity Net Gain in accordance with the Biodiversity Net Gain Desk Study (TMA, 2024).
If required, a separate HMMP will be produced for off-site habitat units
secured through offsetting schemes.
The HMMP outlines key objectives, including:
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The management of on-site and off-site habitats.
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The monitoring process, including methodologies and timelines.
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The reporting framework for monitoring results.
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The review process for management interventions.
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A risk register and monitoring strategy to ensure compliance with biodiversity objectives.
The Biodiversity Net Gain Desk Study (TMA, 2024) concluded that, with the inclusion of both on-site and off-site habitat measures, the project would result in a net loss of -0.05 habitat units (-17.94%).
To comply with local and national planning policies, an off-site provision was required to achieve an overall 10% net gain in habitat units.
This was achieved through the purchase of 0.07 habitat units via a biodiversity offsetting provider, ensuring full compliance with trading rules and BNG policy requirements.
Services provided
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Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP)
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Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Assessment
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Soft Landscape Plan
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Design Liaison
