Land off Vasey Close, Bassingham
Landscape architecture and visual assessment services for a residential development on the edge of Bassingham, Lincolnshire — incorporating the mandatory 10% Biodiversity Net Gain through targeted habitat creation and sustainable drainage design.
Our approach
RDC was appointed by Lindum Group Ltd, on behalf of Longhurst Group, to provide landscape architecture services for a small residential development on land off Vasey Close in Bassingham. The development consists of 18 one and two bedroom bungalows and two and three bedroom semi-detached homes. RDC’s role included preparing a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and detailed landscape design proposals responding to the site’s rural-edge setting and the requirements of the mandatory 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
The LVIA assessed the site’s existing landscape character and visual receptors, establishing a baseline to inform the overall landscape strategy. This process identified key opportunities to integrate new planting, screening, and habitat enhancement measures that would soften the site edge while supporting measurable biodiversity improvements.
Working collaboratively with the appointed ecological consultant, RDC developed a strategy to deliver biodiversity enhancements across the site. Key interventions included native tree, shrub, and hedgerow planting to reinforce existing boundaries and reduce landscape impact, alongside the creation of wildflower meadow grassland and broadleaved woodland habitats to the west and north-west of the residential area. The planting palette featured oak, pine, hazel, field maple, hawthorn, cherry, rowan, holly, and guelder rose, providing a rich mix of native species.
Within the residential area, sustainable drainage features (SuDS) in the form of swales were introduced to manage surface water and create additional wetland habitat. These swales were sown with meadow grasses to provide seasonal colour and ecological diversity, requiring minimal long-term maintenance.
The landscape strategy was carefully designed to maintain views towards the Southern Lincolnshire Edge escarpment and Area of Great Landscape Value to the east, with new planting positioned to screen built form without interrupting key vistas.
Now complete, the scheme demonstrates how well-considered landscape design can enhance a small residential development — achieving a Biodiversity Net Gain exceeding 10% and leaving the site in a measurably better ecological condition than before construction.
