LCA5G River Dever Valley Floor

Landscape Strategy and Guidelines

The River Dever Valley Floor is valued for its quiet seclusion in contrast to the surrounding open arable landscape. The overall strategy is therefore to conserve the small scale pastoral character of the River Dever Valley Floor.

Land Management

Landscape Distinctiveness

Reinforce existing local features and restore small scale field pattern

Retain levels of tranquillity in lower and upper reaches

Maintain the contrast of a pastoral valley within the open arable valley sides

Agriculture

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

Resist change from pasture to arable

Encourage reversion of arable fields in upper reaches to pasture

Discourage merging of remaining smaller fields

Hedgerows

Restore hedgerows and encourage replanting of former hedgerow lines

Maintain hedgerow field boundaries

Woodland and Trees

Conserve valley floor wet woodland and promote good woodland management

Biodiversity

Conserve, enhance and manage mosaic of riparian 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

Seek opportunities for wetland creation and ditch reinstatement

Historic Landscapes

Protect the surviving bedwork water meadow systems

Land Use and Development

Built Developments

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

Protect the historic focus around the Church, Church Farm and Bullington Manor

Infrastructure

Avoid suburbanisation arising from introduction of inappropriate highway measures

Encourage measures to reduce the visual impact of existing roads

Recreation, Tourism and Access

Seek opportunities for additional access to the river for the public

Volume 1: LCA5G Landscape Character Types and Areas