LCA10E Drayton Chalk Downland

Landscape Strategy and Guidelines

The Drayton Chalk Downland is a more disturbed area of open downland as a result of major changes. The overall strategy is therefore to restore and create a pattern of woodland and hedgerows, integrating both existing and any future development to help re-establish a quiet open rural character to Drayton Chalk Downland.

Land Management

Landscape Distinctiveness

Maintain areas of remoteness and tranquillity

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

Woodland and Trees

Promote good management of woodlands

Seek opportunity to enhance and manage the woodland structure of Drayton Camp

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 such as Tidbury Ring

Avoid further erosion of historic landscapes due to modern agricultural methods

Land Use and Development

Built Developments

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

Infrastructure

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

Volume 1: LCA10E Landscape Character Types and Areas