LCA3B Melchet and Awbridge Wooded Farmland

Landscape Strategy and Guidelines

The landscape of the area is generally in good condition but lacks strong local distinctiveness and cohesion. The overall strategy is to enhance the existing variety within the landscape structure of Melchet and Awbridge Wooded Farmland.

Land Management

Landscape Distinctiveness

Reinforce existing local features and add to woodland structure

Enhance the extant remnants of historic landscape features

Protect the existing sense of tranquillity

Agriculture

Encourage reversion of arable land to pasture

Discourage merging of remaining smaller fields

Hedgerows

Restore hedgerows and encourage replanting of former hedgerow lines

Woodland and Trees

Encourage new planting of woodlands in keeping with extant local woodland pattern

Encourage the replanting of plantations with native broadleaved woodland

Biodiversity

Protect watercourses and wetlands by minimising pollution, soil erosion and construction projects

Encourage agricultural management that will protect and enhance remnant unimproved grasslands

Encourage heathland restoration

Historic Landscapes

Protect the setting of local historic landscapes

Encourage the restoration of parkland and park estate features

Land Use and Development

Built Developments

Built form to reflect local pattern and materials

New development to be carefully integrated into the landscape

Infrastructure

Avoid suburbanisation arising from introduction of inappropriate highway measures

Maintain existing landscape character of shady, leafy lanes

Minerals and Waste

Encourage restoration of old and active minerals workings

Resist creation of new sites

The landscape impact of any proposed waste after use should be carefully considered

Volume 1: LCA3B Landscape Character Types and Areas