LCA5A Lower Test Floodplain

Landscape Strategy and Guidelines

The Lower Test Floodplain is a fragile landscape, important as part of the River Test chalk stream SSSI and for its extant historic features. It is, however, at risk from urban fringe development, especially in the south, and changes to its bio-diversity, resulting from agricultural rationalisation. The overall strategy is therefore to conserve and enhance the undisturbed floodplain and create new riverine landscapes for the Lower Test Floodplain.

Land Management

Landscape Distinctiveness

Conserve the wide open floodplain character

Maintain the characteristic water channel and drainage ditches

Safeguard the distinctive valley floor wetland character

Agriculture

Encourage management of traditional water meadows and reintroduce management of farmland as seasonally wet pastures where appropriate

Resist change from pasture to arable

Discourage merging of remaining smaller fields

Hedgerows

Encourage restoration of field boundaries with local native species

Encourage traditional methods of hedge management

Woodland and Trees

Management of the pollards and lines of poplar, which characterise some sections of the valley floor

Encourage the retention of hedgerow trees and individual specimens in the landscape

Conserve valley floor wet woodland and promote good woodland management

Encourage where appropriate new areas of wet woodland planting to mitigate the visual impact of the M27 and other visual distracters

Biodiversity

Conserve, enhance and manage riparian marshland and reedbed habitats

Encourage agricultural management that will protect and enhance remnant unimproved grasslands

Protect the water from further damage from pollution, soil erosion and construction projects

Historic Landscapes

Protect landscape setting of Broadlands Park and its relationship with the river

Encourage the restoration of parkland features

Protect the surviving water meadow systems including the earthworks and their structural remains

Urban Fringe

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

Improve management of the landscape around settlements

Land Use and Development

Built Developments

Limit development in order to conserve the existing settlement form and settlement-free character of the valley floor

Infrastructure

Improve the visual and acoustic containment of the M27

Avoid overhead visually intrusive power lines and individual masts and seek opportunities to place existing power lines underground

Avoid increased suburbanisation arising from introduction of highway measures, which conflict with the predominant rural character

Recreation Tourism and Access

Seek opportunities for additional access to the river for the public

Volume 1: LCA5A Landscape Character Types and Areas