Landscape Assessments and Planning
With increasing awareness of the importance of the effects of development on the landscape and ever increasing pressure on the countryside, the need to thoroughly assess the effects of development and recommend appropriate mitigation now forms an important part of most major planning applications.
Our approach to landscape assessment is rooted in a detailed understanding of landscape character assessment, EIA methodologies and an in-depth knowledge of the UK planning system. The type of work we undertake is extremely varied and ranges from landscape and visual assessments for new settlements to assessing the effects of individual houses in the countryside. We have extensive experience of assessing the effects of development in sensitive locations, such as AONBs and National Parks.
Our main areas of activity are:
- Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments
- Landscape Capacity Studies
- Landscape Evidence for LDF promotions and Public Inquiries
- Landscape Chapters for EIA developments
To support our landscape planning work we frequently prepare landscape strategies to show how the effects of development can be mitigated; this work is typically undertaken with our in-house ecologists and urban designers to enable the best environmental ‘fit’ for the proposed development and the widest range of environmental benefits.
