Ward / Postcode / GeoRef

Westgate / GL2 5XA / E: 381320 N: 216812

Gross Site Area:

1.2 ha.

Allocation:

Approximately 30 dwellings.

Description and overview

Greenfield site on the edge of Hempsted village. The site offers the opportunity for a small residential development located on the edge of the city and outside of the cordon sanitaire.

Site specific requirements and opportunities

Design and layout

• Any development will need to respond sensitively to the landscape character of the area.
• Buildings should be no more than two-storey and detailed with materials that complement the landscape.
• Trees, hedgerows and SUDs should be utilised to soften the development and protect views into the site from the open countryside.

Historic environment

• Written scheme of Investigation for archaeological evaluation.
• Mitigate potential impacts to the Hempsted Conservation Area and its setting.

Biodiversity

• The adjacent land has some potential for a Local Wildlife Site and opportunities should be explored. Orchard restoration is a possibility as there is restored orchard to the south and remnant orchard to the west. Additionally, improvements could focus on hedgerows, lowland meadow, coastal & floodplain grazing marsh, wet woodland, pond and margins.
• For the protection of hedgerows, foraging bats and breeding birds: A level of habitat protection and buffering. In terms of enhancement: Protection of sensitive habitats during construction. Enhancement of existing habitats through additional planting. Development of a sensitive lighting strategy to reduce light spill.
• For the protection of badgers, breeding birds and hedgehog: Hedgerow retention and buffering, as well as provision of green open space. In terms of enhancement: Protection during construction, enhancement of existing habitats through additional planting (shrub and/or wildflower grassland). Provision of nesting boxes to increase opportunities for breeding birds, roosting boxes to increase opportunities for bats, and log piles to provide refuge and foraging for hedgehogs.
• For the protection of Great crested newts and reptiles: Creation of new pond and species-rich wildflower grassland. Non-licenced avoidance measures to be included within an Ecological Construction Method Statement and provision of log piles to increase foraging and refuge opportunities.