Hellingly Community Park “Highly Commended” by Sussex Heritage Trust

The Hellingly Community Park Trust and Persimmon Homes’ Hellingly Park development was successful at the 2015 ceremony of the prestigious Sussex Heritage Awards, scooping the ‘Highly Commended’ accolade in the Landscape and Gardens category.

The judges commented, “Hellingly Community Park is an impressive community project driven by the residents, the Parish Council and the District Council working with the developer.  It is still in the early stages but there is sufficiently developed community use already e.g. youth schemes and sporting activity.  An exemplar of the type of developer involvement to be encouraged.”

Jaquelin Clay, managing director of JFA Environmental Planning and landscape architect on the project, commented, “We are thrilled that the development has gained recognition at such a prestigious event. At JFA, we have been involved with the project since 2006, and have enjoyed being a part of the development from the early stages; bringing nature to the heart of its design and helping to rejuvenate the former hospital grounds, creating a useable and sustainable site for Hellingly’s local community.”
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JFA Environmental Planning’s integrated landscape and ecology teams worked closely with Persimmon Homes and Hellingly Community Park Trust to create a local park with a focus on sustainability. Many sustainable measures were included; a stream and balancing pond were created, and a mitigation strategy implemented for the four bat species that were present at the site. Native planting for a SUDs scheme, a reptile receptor site and a wildflower meadow were introduced, whilst local craftsman, David Lucas, Woodland Centre Ltd, was used in the production of street furniture.  David Lucas was previously involved in the design of furniture at Wakehurst Place.