A landscape architect has won a contract to work on delivering an ecological landscape design and environmental planning for a major expansion of one of Europe’s biggest distribution hubs.
Bath-based Grant Architects is working on the landscape design for the expanded 550 acre Magna Park site, at Lutterworth, in south Leicestershire.
Its work will focus on biodiversity, habitat enhancement as well as making it more part of the wider local community.
Magna Park has been developed by GLP over the last 30 years and has more than 25 businesses based there in 33 buildings.
It has more than 10 million sq ft of floor space and with plans to expand to 16 million sq ft over 1,350 acres.
A spokesman said: “The vision is to create a truly green logistics park with spaces for wildlife, people, agriculture, innovation, education, recreation and play spaces – as well as open spaces for people to engage with the wider countryside and become immersed in nature.”
He said Grant Associates had played a central role in the development of Magna Park since 2014, supporting developer GLP’s aspiration for the development of a high quality, sustainable site.
The practice is working alongside architects Chetwoods and Stephen George Partnership for Magna North and Magna South respectively, as well as Bath-based environmental consultants Nicholas Pearson Associates, who have overseen the landscape and virtual impact assessment for the site.
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The spokesman said around 11 million sq ft of total habitat had been created at the Magna Park site, including 6.7 million sq ft of woodland area and 2.9 million sq ft of wildflower meadow area.
Over half a million hedging plants, shrubs and transplants have been planted, alongside 138,000 wetland, marginal and aquatic plants.
Grant Associates director Peter Chmiel said: “The landscape vision and landscape led masterplan for Magna Park, Lutterworth is shaped by the principles of a holistic and integrated strategy for the provision of green infrastructure, habitat creation and the sensitive integration of the proposed development in its surroundings.
“Magna Park continues to set new standards for logistics parks, particularly in terms of environmental land management and stewardship, holistic design, occupier efficiency and job creation.
“This is a rare opportunity to provide a critical mass to biodiversity species and a highly focused approach has really enriched the site through gainings in true greenery, with significant percentages of the site being dedicated to species rich wetlands, meadows and reafforestation.”