Landscaping, open space and biodiversity

Obsidian has adopted a landscape-led approach to design that responds positively to its context and aims to provide generous open spaces for people to meet and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Enhancements to existing hedgerows alongside new planting create a landscape buffer to reduce the impact on Tollesbury Cemetery and existing residential properties.

Unlocking the eastern area of the site by providing a new public open space with room for a Locally

Equipped Area of Play, sports equipment, allotments and biodiversity enhancement.

Tree-lined streets enhance the local streetscape and integrate the development into the existing landscape fabric.

Achieving at least 10% biodiversity net gain supports local wildlife and ecology.

Highways, connectivity and access

Obsidian has consulted with Essex Highways to ensure the surrounding road network can accommodate additional traffic, including construction vehicles.

Where necessary, mitigation measures will be implemented to upgrade the local road infrastructure.

The scheme has been designed to prioritise sustainable and active modes of travel to and from the village centre, including new pedestrian and cycle routes focused to the north-east of the site.

Obsidian will retain and enhance the existing Public Rights of Way that run through the site.

Vehicular access is proposed from the site’s northern edge via West Street, while pedestrian access will be integrated from West Street and the existing Public Rights of Way.

Sustainability

New homes will be designed to meet or exceed Building Regulations, with future updates such as The Future Homes Standard considered.

Sustainable features being considered will include:

• Air source heat pumps

• EV charging points

• Sustainable building materials

• Solar PV panels

Drainge

The emerging proposal's design is supported by a drainage strategy incorporating permeable surfaces, swales, and attenuation basins to manage surface water runoff across the site.

This strategy is intended to withstand a one-in-one-hundred-year storm event and the effects of climate change, and ensure that flood risk will not increase either on-site or elsewhere due to the proposal.

The drainage strategy will also reduce pollutants, improving the quality of surface water discharged to the watercourse.

Heritage

The emerging proposal has been sensitively designed to preserve the setting of the Grade II* Listed Church of St Mary, including the framing of a viewing corridor through the site.

Local infrastructure

Contributions towards local highways and community infrastructure. The final amount will be negotiated with Maldon Council.