LCA10C Thruxton and Danebury Chalk Downland

Landscape Strategy and Guidelines

The Thruxton and Danebury Chalk Downland is an open homogenous area of national importance for its unimproved grassland and woodland habitats and extant historic features. The overall strategy is therefore to conserve the open views and its historic and ecological value whilst restoring some of the landscape structural features of the downs at Thruxton and Danebury Chalk Downland.

Land Management

Landscape Distinctiveness

Maintain sense of remoteness and tranquillity

Protect significant open vistas from visual intrusion

Protect and enhance views to valued local landscape features

Agriculture

Seek opportunities to retain remaining small areas of pasture

Discourage further amalgamation of fields and loss of hedgerows

Encourage sustainable farming practices with a view to minimising the impact of new farming infrastructure and methods including spraying and fertiliser applications

Encourage new farm buildings to be well sited and integrated into the landscape

Encourage careful siting of new energy crops in keeping with the local landscape pattern and to create a positive contribution to the landscape

Hedgerows

Restore lost and fragmented hedgerows on former hedgerow lines

Seek opportunities mitigate impact from existing and future development through new hedgerow planting

Woodland and Trees

Seek opportunities for new woodland planting to link existing wooded areas and integrate modern development into the landscape

Identify woodlands where felling would make a positive contribution to the landscape and provide more suitably sited replacement woodlands

Promote good management of woodlands

Biodiversity

Conserve, restore and manage remnant areas of unimproved chalk grassland

Avoid further erosion of farmland biodiversity due to intensive agricultural methods

Seek opportunities to extend and link unimproved grassland and woodland habitats

Historic Landscapes

Protect the landscape setting to historic features

Avoid further erosion of historic landscapes due to modern agricultural methods

Protect and enhance parkland features

Maintain and enhance the surviving Iron Age Hill Forts at Danebury and Bury Ring while protecting earthworks from visitor erosion

Urban Fringe

Reinforce the edge of Andover through careful design and appropriate landscape planting

Avoid deterioration in the urban fringe landscape arising from poor design and intrusive development

Improve management of the landscape around settlements

Seek improved management and maintenance of farmsteads and farms in the urban fringeLand Use and Development

Built Developments

Development to respond to the local characteristics of the landscape

Opportunities to be sought to restore local landscape features and create a stronger landscape structure within the settlement edge of Andover

Maintain the historic integrity of the existing settlement pattern

Careful consideration to be given to the environmental impact of alternative uses for redundant MOD landInfrastructure

Seek opportunities to enhance roadside planting and minimise visual and noise intrusion

Avoid intrusive development of tall and large structures except where they can be successfully integrated into the landscape

Seek to minimise the visual intrusion and suburbanising effect arising from highway infrastructure

Recreation, Tourism and Access

Consider possibility of introducing small country parks or similar recreational focal points

Manage any growth in horse related recreational activities to prevent deterioration in landscape features

Volume 1: LCA10C Landscape Character Types and Areas