High demand for new housing, particularly in the southeast of England, has led to increased pressure to develop difficult or marginal sites. We are often involved in the design of new housing schemes in areas of flood risk or on the edge of Greenbelt. Grasmere Gardens in Kent lies on a site that is prone to flooding and naturally, neighbors are concerned that the development will increase that risk. Our scheme for the 17 Hectare site used our in-house drone surveying capabilities to analyze the topography and propose a system of swales and ponds that would slow down and attenuate rainfall during storms events. Woven into the masterplan are a series of green corridors and community parks that not only provide permeability and access but integrate nature into the heart of the development.
Through our sister company Survey Drone, we carried out a site survey and appraisal which proved incredibly helpful in the analysis of hydrology and flooding. This was later used to develop the SUDS strategy for the landscape.