An inter-disciplinary commission commencing with a comprehensive investigation into development constraints via a Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment, Tree and Ecology surveys and associated reports, followed by mitigation design informed by the LVIA, the site is now under development as a privately owned cemetery primarily serving nearby Harlow, Chelmsford and Bishops Stortford.
The land, irregularly shaped, lying adjacent to the M11 motorway and in close proximity to the Metropolitan Greenbelt, was characterised as un-managed and derelict, colonised over the passage of time by ruderal and sporadic scrub vegetation. Identified landscape receptors include farmland, residential development, the M11, and adjacent woodland and paddocks, each being considered for their value to the wider landscape, sensitivity to change and the magnitude of change posed by the development proposal.
Bounded by ditches, deciduous broadleaf woodland, mature conifer hedge and a woodland plantation, the Cemetery development comprises a burial ground, car parking, water features and woodland walkways and columbarium, together with a unique contemporary chapel.
The mitigation strategy includes a strong emphasis on ecological enhancement and the creation of a variety of additional habitats through the use of native scrub, hedge and tree planting, wildflower meadow and long grass areas, installation of bat and bird boxes and hibernacula within the existing woodland area.
