LCA5B Middle Test Valley Floor

Landscape Strategy and Guidelines

The Middle Test Valley Floor remains strongly pastoral, undisturbed by modern development and tranquil, forming an important part of the River Test chalk stream SSSI and containing nationally significant water meadows. The overall strategy is to conserve the small scale traditional character of Middle Test Valley Floor.

Land Management

Landscape Distinctiveness

Reinforce intimate and tranquil pastoral field and woodland pattern

Maintain the contrasting pastoral character of the valley floodplain with the open valley sides

Maintain the characteristic water channels and drainage ditches, mill streams and pools

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 traditional methods of hedge management

Maintain hedgerow field boundaries

Woodland and Trees

Manage 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 woodland planting to mitigate visual distracters

Biodiversity

Conserve, enhance and manage riparian habitats

Encourage agricultural management that will protect and enhance remnant unimproved grasslands

Seek opportunities for wetland creation and ditch reinstatement

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

Historic Landscapes

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

Promote the survival of the historic character of the settlements along the river Test such as Stockbridge, Wherwell and the Clatfords

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

Avoid loss of separate identity of existing settlements through coalescence and homogeneous design

Infrastructure

Avoid overhead visually intrusive power lines and individual masts

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

Avoid loss of landscape features due to highway improvements

Recreation, Tourism and Access

Seek opportunities for additional access to the river for the public

Volume 1: LCA5B Landscape Character Types and Areas