| A Landscape Vision
The Business Park has been designed to integrate the built forms into the existing (and new) landscape both visually and physically. The protection of the River Blythe SSSI has been of paramount importance in the location of the Business Park and the design of the drainage and in the implementation of the construction works. The Countryside Park forms a wide green ‘buffer’ between this river corridor and the development area.
Access
A total of 3,500m of new footpaths and cycle paths, with lengths of boardwalk and bridges, provide access into the Countryside Park. These connect into the existing Solihull Borough right of way network and include a 1200m long stretch of the new Blythe Valley Walkway which in the future will connect South Solihull with Cheswick Green. Water
The treatment of water is fundamental to the design of Blythe Valley Park. The surface water from the built area passes through a system of ponds, joined by open grassed swales, designed to recharge ground water naturally after rain and to reduce the effects of storms on the River Blythe, a design approach which is relatively novel in the UK. Water is treated after flowing across hard surfaces by petrol and oil interceptors and later by two systems of rectangular reed beds which extract pollutants biologically.
These features are managed and maintained by the Business Park Management Company. Prior to discharge into the Hawkeshaw Brook, further treatment occurs in the final, oval shaped ponds which contain a variety of native marginal and aquatic plants. It is proposed that these ponds be named by local school children.
In addition to functional wetlands, two ornamental ponds have been created. The first known as ‘Oracle Pond’ lies at the eastern entrance of the development area and the second, larger pond, known as 'Illshaw Pool’, lies to the west of the Illshaw Brook. Illshaw Pool also acts as a balancing pond, taking roof water from the plots nearby.
The creation of the drainage system has allowed a variety of different animal and plant habitats to be created, ranging from damp willow woodland through to tall emergent reeds and wet grassland. The drainage systems serving the Business Park : balancing ponds, ornamental ponds and reedbeds altogether create more than 25,000m2 of new and varied wetland wildlife habitat.
Where Hawkeshaw Brook crossed by the new access road, loss of trees has been minimised by the careful location and orientation of the earthworks. The culvert across the Brook is minimal in length and maximised in width and also includes a specially designed ‘crossing shelf’ to encourage its use by wildlife.
Safety signage is provided to make the potentially hazardous nature of these features clear. Please take care and do not go into reedbeds or water bodies. Some of the ponds may be deep especially after rain.
Grasslands
Grasslands forms an integral part of the Countryside Park landscape with the added benefit that they can provide space for walking and picnicking. Existing areas of ecological value such as the 'Hawkeshaw Sedge Bed' were identified early and protected from disturbance through the construction phase.
In the Countryside Park subsoil has been spread over arable farmland to reduce fertility. Seed mixes rich in wild flowers have then been sown to improve the species diversity of the sward. The nature of the grassland across the Park varies according to soil type, drainage characteristics and species present and each type will be carefully managed with combinations of traditional hay cutting and grazing to maintain and gradually improve this habitat.
Woodland
Some 38,000m2 of new woodland has been planted within the Countryside Park while existing woodland and hedgerows have been protected. Hawkeshaw Wood (A ‘Site of Importance for Nature Conservation’ (SINC) in the Solihull Unitary Development Plan) has been conserved and future woodland management will be aimed at improving floristic diversity by selective felling of trees to bring more light to the woodland floor.
In the newly planted woodland, the dominant trees are Oak, Ash and Small Leaved Lime with a range of lower growing understorey shrubs. All plants are planted small to assist establishment and later management will thin out the less successful plants and nurse species. Woodlands are designed in blocks with a variety of species in each and an open glades structure has been built in to create a more varied habitat for wildlife. New hedgerows across ‘Illshaw Pastures’ are planted in 5 metre wide ‘belts’ to achieve maximum value as nesting bird habitat.
Towards the river where the ground is wetter, the conditions favour different types of trees. Alder, Aspen, Poplars and different species of willow are planted both in rows and blocks to blend the water bodies into the landscape. Lines of fast growing trees pick out the direction of footpaths, marking changes of direction and enclose the spaces by the ponds. |
