Test Valley LCA - Volume 1

The Landscape Character Assessment coverage for Hampshire is one of the most developed in the country. The Borough-wide Landscape Character Assessment for Test Valley Borough Council was originally undertaken in 1996 and has served the borough well since that time. However, this document preceded the publication of Landscape Character Assessment: Guidance for England and Scotland 2002[1] and The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the Future in 2000. These two documents advance the requirements of modern Landscape Character Assessments in Hampshire towards a much greater integration of landscape, ecological, historical and cultural aspects of the landscape, and consideration of the significance of settlements within the landscape, and tranquillity. The importance of public participation was recognised and has since been developed in the county, largely based on the involvement of communities of interest and local communities of place groups.

1999 also saw the publication of the Hampshire Historic Landscape Assessment, which has informed Landscape Character Assessments undertaken by other districts since that time. Most recently, Hampshire County Council have looked in greater detail at the contribution of habitat diversity in informing landscape characterisation.

There was therefore a need to update the Test Valley Landscape Character Assessment, in line with current best practice and the approach taken by the County, Hampshire boroughs and districts and the North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Countryside Agency and Hampshire County Council felt that ordinary members of the public were not as yet being adequately involved. The renewal of the Landscape Character Assessement provided an opportunity to pilot a new method of reaching the general public, combined with the need to bring Test Valley Borough’s landscape assessment up to date, in line with the new guidance and current practice within Hampshire.

The Test Valley Borough Landscape Character Assessment is a district wide assessment, which sits within the framework of the national and county Landscape Character Assessments and compliments the neighbouring district wide assessments. It is designed to support the emerging Borough Local Plan and the Main Report Volume 1 is to be adopted as Supplementary Planning Guidance.

1.2 Engaging Local Communities

A recent study undertaken in Hampshire[2] indicated that the attitudes of many local residents to the landscape may not accord with the accepted and often unchallenged views expressed through the public participation process in the past. It also demonstrated that there is a very mixed level of understanding of the pressing issues affecting the landscape. In the past there has been greater emphasis in involving organisations, interest groups and representatives of elected bodies. Their contribution remains invaluable but the processes adopted failed to bring out what local people, unaffiliated to interest groups and organisations, felt about the landscape on their doorstep.

The Test Valley Community Landscape Project has sought to put in place a means to engage local people and bring their views, using their own words, into identifying landscape character distinctions within the borough and the important characteristics of each character area. To this end a series of local residents’ focus meetings were held across the borough right at the early stages of the project. With members of the study team attending all these meetings, and a prompt report back to the team by the organisers, Miller Associates, the views of those who attended informed the definition and description of the landscape character types and character areas.

Test Valley Borough Council undertook a wide preliminary consultation exercise in Autumn 2003, distributing a summary of the key aspects of the landscape character types and character areas to organisations, interest groups, representatives of elected bodies, those who commented on rural aspects of the Initial Deposit Draft Borough Local Plan 2004 and a group of the local residents from the first focus group meeting.

A workshop was subsequently held in November attended by representatives from the residents’ focus groups and invited members of local interest groups. The responses from the wider consultation and the workshop led to a refinement of the classification and description of the borough landscape and the strategies and guidelines for the management and planning of the countryside.

The continuing involvement of the local residents throughout the assessment process has demonstrated that the general public do indeed see the landscape in which they live in a very different light to professionals and those with an active interest in the landscape. It also identified the difficulties of communicating the process of Landscape Character Assessment to the general public. However, the participation exercises showed that local people would like to be consulted, can use the techniques of Landscape Character Assessment to better understand and articulate their perceptions of the landscape and wish to contribute to the development of landscape planning and management policies.

1.3 Objectives of the Test Valley Community Landscape Project

The aim of the project has been to provide a clear framework to guide the future development and management of the borough landscape in order to ensure that the distinctive character of the borough is retained and change is accommodated in a positive way to the benefit of the people who live and work in the borough, the ecological and historical value of the borough and the overall condition of the landscape.

The prime objectives of the study have been as follows:

1.4 Summary of Methodology

The methodology adopted for the Test Valley Landscape Character Assessment follows the guidance set out in Landscape Character Assessment: Guidance for England and Scotland 2002. The methodology however differs in some respects from that adopted by other Hampshire districts and boroughs.

Key aspects of the methodology were to:

At all times the study was approached with the aim of obtaining a greater understanding of local perceptions of the landscape and reflecting these in the assessment and the final report. The methodology was also developed to reflect the intention to adopt the Main Report Volume 1 as Supplementary Planning Guidance and provide supporting evidence to ensure that the Borough Local Plan Review complied with the Landscape Character Assessment requirements of PPG7 and PPG1.

1.5 Structure of the Report

The Report is set out in four volumes. Volume 1 brings together the results of the separate studies into the landscape, ecology, history and community perceptions. It summarises the Borough-wide characteristics of the landscape and the influences on the formation of the past and present landscape. It goes onto classify the Borough into twelve landscape character types (LCTs) which are defined by their overriding geology, landform, and landscape pattern. Each landscape character type is further classified into forty distinctive landscape character areas (LCAs) where local features define a specific identity.

Section One: Introduction sets out the background to the study, its objectives, a summary of the methodology and the structure of the Reports.

Section Two: Formative Influences on the Landscape sets out the main influences that have created the landscape we see today across Test Valley Borough. These include physical influences (geology, soils and agriculture, landform and hydrology, climate, ecology and vegetation) and the human influences (historic landscape character, historic settlement pattern, historical periods, cultural and community values). Social and economic influences are set out in the next section under Forces for Change.

Section Three: Forces for Change – Borough-wide identifies the main forces of change to the landscape of the Borough. It looks at the main aspects of national, regional and local policy and guidance that will affect the future of the countryside and looks in more detail at the main social and economic forces for change found to affect the Borough. This section has drawn extensively from national, county and local sources and from the responses of consultees. A bibliography of sources and list of consultees is to be found in Volume 4 (Appendices) of this report.

Section Four: The Character of the Test Valley sets out the characteristics for each landscape character type identifying the landscape, ecological historical and community perceptions and requirements for each type. These are key aspects that are common to all the character areas within the character type and are not repeated in the character area descriptions and guidelines. Each type is followed by the landscape character areas within that type with detailed assessment reflecting the distinctive characteristics of the particular area.

Section Five: Strategies and Guidelines for Landscape Character Areas sets out landscape strategies for each landscape character area and guidelines for land management and the built form.

Volume 3 contains the ‘Report on Community and Stakeholder Involvement in the Landscape Character Assessment Process,’ and examines the benefits and advantages of the methodology adopted for this study.

Volume 4 contains the supporting appendices and includes a bibliography, Historic Landscape Character Assessment, ecological study and methodology.

1.6 How to Use the Study

The Test Valley Landscape Character Assessment is designed to be used as a live document which will advise the planning process and land management within the Test Valley Borough.

Government guidance in PPG7 and PPG1 makes it clear that changes within the countryside should respect and enhance the distinctive character of the land and built environment. This can only realistically be achieved if those responsible for changes, developers, landowners, farmers, government and local government bodies, have ready access to clear guidance on what makes each area distinctive and how this can be respected and enhanced. This Report sets out that guidance for the Test Valley Borough.

Users of this study are advised that we have tried to avoid unnecessary repetition and therefore it is essential to read the relevant text for both the landscape character type and character area within which the land, which is of interest, falls. The landscape character type sets out the characteristics and guidance common to all areas within the type. The area specific details are set out under each landscape character area. Context and details of background studies can be found in Section Two and the Main Report Volume 4 (Appendices).

For clarification, we have adopted the following approach to our classification and assessment.

Landscape classification is central to Landscape Character Assessment and is concerned with dividing the landscape into areas of distinct, recognisable and consistent common character, grouping areas of similar character together3. For the Test Valley Borough Landscape Character Assessment the Borough has been divided into Landscape Character Types (LCTs). Each LCT has been sub divided into distinctive Landscape Character Areas (LCAs).

Landscape Character Types (LCTs) are generic in nature, in that they may occur in different parts of the country, but wherever they occur they share broadly similar combinations of geology, topography, drainage patterns, vegetation, historical landuse and settlement pattern.
Landscape Character Areas (LCAs) are units of landscape, which are geographically specific and have their own individual sense of place. These are particularly useful in planning and management terms so that appropriate policies or actions can be applied at a local level.

In 1993, Hampshire County Council defined a range of generic Landscape Character Types for the rural areas of Hampshire, divided into two broad groupings: the Chalklands and Lowland Mosaic. Within the Test Valley Borough, these two groupings were subdivided into a total of eight county level Landscape Character Types. These eight types have been examined in more detail and refined, resulting in a more detailed locally specific classification of subdivisions, boundaries and characteristics which are summarised under the Key Characteristics for each LCA. The classification also reflects the Landscape Character Assessments of adjacent LCTs and LCAs outside Test Valley.

By looking at the forces of change within the Test Valley, such as agricultural policy, the future of Andover, demand for wind farms and access to the countryside, the study identifies the Key Issues and Local Issues affecting each LCT and LCA.

An understanding of the characteristics and main issues in each character area provides the basis for an overall Strategy and more detailed Guidelines, contained within Volume 2, which are designed to retain and strengthen the distinctive landscape character (landscape, biodiversity, history and culture) of each character area, protect each area from inappropriate changes and identify specific improvements to the features of the landscape. The Guidelines are sub-divided into two categories: Land Management and Land Use and Development.

Community Involvement: This report includes a summary of local community views (Section 2) and notes within each landscape character area. The results of the community participation exercises were used to inform the strategies and guidelines (Volume 2). A full report on the community involvement project can be found in ‘Test Valley Community Landscape Project: Report on Community and Stakeholder Involvement in the Landscape Character Assessment Process.’ March 2004 (Volume 3).

Built Form: This includes a general description of the locally distinctive building materials and building style. It is not intended to guide new built form. Further details will be included in Village Design Statements which can be informed by the Landscape Character Assessment.

Key Characteristics: These are the features that distinguish a landscape character area. They will include the main features of the landscape type (distinctive geology, topography, vegetation) and locally distinctive features. They will include commonly repeated features of the landscape and single features that have an important influence in defining local sense of place.

Natural and Cultural Landscape Issues: These include live issues that are anticipated to influence future change in the landscape. Some are a continuation of current changes whilst others are potential issues arising from new or expanding forces of change. The Issues are identified from professional sources and the perceptions of the local community and may have either a beneficial or adverse effect on the landscape.Guidelines: The Guidelines are set out in Volume 2 which will not be included as Supplementary Planning Guidance. They set out recommendations for each landscape character area, based on the natural and cultural landscape characteristics of each area, in order to conserve, enhance and create a healthy and locally distinctive landscape across the Borough.

Proposed New Forest National Park: At the time of preparation the final decision on the boundaries to the National Park had not been made. It is not expected that the part of the Borough which lies within the New Forest Heritage Area will be significantly effected by the decision. However inclusion of the area proposed by Test Valley Borough, up to the A27, may have a long term affect on the landscape of that area.

Urban Areas: the urban areas have been considered as a part of the Settlement Analysis (Volume 4: Appendices) but a townscape character assessment has not been undertaken for each urban area. We have however examined the historic development of the towns and shown the underlying landscape character area within which the settlement lies.

1.7 Project Steering Group

The Project Steering Group consisted of:

The Project Steering Group were supported by Linda Tartaglia-Kershaw - Hampshire County Council and Maddy Winter and Steve Lees - Test Valley Borough Council.

KLPC, Giffords and Countryscape would like to acknowledge the help and support provided by Steering Group members and other members of staff at Hampshire County Council and Test Valley Borough Council throughout the study. We also acknowledge the contribution made to the Test Valley Community Landscape Project by Miller Associates who were responsible for managing the focus group meetings and the stakeholder workshop.

Footnotes

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Contents

1.1 Background to the Study