Warwickshire Police Headquarters is located in Leek Wootton, south of Kenilworth. The estate, the grounds to a Grade II listed Manor House, Woodcote Manor, have been the police headquarters since World War II. The preferred plan for the redevelopment of the site was to retain the site location as the police HQ in new premises and to dispose of the Manor House.
HDA carried out a landscape survey of the estate and advised on the location of the new buildings and associated parking strategy and on the potential impacts on the setting of the Manor buildings.
HDA prepared an LVIA and detailed design proposals. HDA ecologists carried out a scoping exercise at an early stage, thereby enabling the subsequent protected species surveys for bats, badgers, water voles, otters, dormice, reptiles and great crested newts to be carried out within the shortest possible timeframe. Early availability of survey findings allowed an iterative approach to the development of the scheme allowing the majority of ecological constraints to be avoided.
HDA also prepared exhibition material for the police authority, and further landscape detailing for the discharge of planning conditions.
Following a dispute over the felling and management of trees within the grounds of the Warwickshire Police Headquarters, HDA was commissioned to represent our client to the UK Forestry Authority and to prepare responses to local councillors, residents groups and the local press. By providing a robust rationale for the management of trees within the grounds, based on sound arboricultural principles, we were able to successfully defend the actions of our client and address the concerns of local objectors.
Warwickshire Police has since sought the services of HDA ecologists to provide advice to estate managers regarding the avoidance of impacts on protected species and designated areas within the estate (including bats, badgers, reptiles, ancient woodland and several County Wildlife Sites), together with overseeing a scheme for the control of Japanese Knotweed.