Euro House, Wembley

Source: Dominus Real Estate Unlocked

The Brief

A 1.35ha industrial site in Wembley with a very large warehouse and car parking area were identified for redevelopment including a hotel, residential and student accommodation and associated landscaping and public spaces.

Ecology by Design were instructed to undertake a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) and further surveys and assessments required to secure planning permission and discharge conditions which included:

An aerial inspection for bats
Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment
Ecology chapter of an Environmental Statement
BREEAM Assessment
Construction Environment Management Plan (CEMP)
Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP)
Ecological Clerk of Work (ECoW) during site clearance.

Work Undertaken

A key consideration of the PEA was the Wealdstone Brook Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) which forms the northern boundary of the site. Other features of significance included presence of invasive Japanese knotweed onsite, a tree with potential to support roosting bats, suitable foraging habitat for bats and opportunities for nesting birds.

An aerial tree inspection was completed of the tree identified as requiring further assessment which enabled this feature to be scoped out. Ecological supervision was provided during clearance of an area of vegetation to ensure that no nesting birds were harmed.

A BNG assessment was undertaken to establish the impact of the proposals and identify existing habitat of higher biodiversity value. Recommendations were provided to optimise the biodiversity value of the site.

We completed an Ecology Chapter for an Environmental Statement which included consideration of potential impacts on the adjacent SINC in conjunction with adjacent developments.

Outcomes

Planning permission was granted with a section 106 agreement without appeal and the former warehouse is being replaced by four new buildings between 11 and 21 storeys high.

The landscaping scheme incorporates areas of green roof, brown roof, species rich grassland, species poor grassland, shrub planting and tree planting to enhance biodiversity within the site. The creation of both extensive and intensive green roofs as well as brown roofs situated on top of the buildings are providing large areas of habitat for invertebrates and birds helping to optimise the biodiversity value of the site.

The biodiversity metric returned a net value of 0.72 habitat units prior to construction and 2.77 habitat units post construction. This results in a net change in habitat units of +282.55% resulting in a large net gain in biodiversity.

A key consideration for the landscaping scheme was enhancing the area adjacent to Wealdstone Brook SINC and connecting people with nature. Recommendations were incorporated for enhancement of the riparian corridor to improve species and structural diversity. This area also incorporates benches encouraging access to biodiversity and the Wealdstone Brook area. Multiple areas of green and brown roof with seating and play areas have also been incorporated to maximise biodiversity and provide further opportunities for interaction with nature.

Recommendations enabled biodiversity to be greatly enhanced within the site in a way sympathetic to the adjacent watercourse and SINC whilst providing opportunities for interaction with nature and safeguarding protected species.