LCA5H Pillhill Brook Valley Floor

Landscape Strategy and Guidelines

The Pillhill Brook Valley Floor is noted for its varied pattern of riverine landscapes which contrast with the adjacent open arable farmlands and separate the settlements along its course. The overall strategy is therefore to enhance and restore the small scale riverine landscape features and continue landscape separation of the villages within the Pillhill Brook Valley Floor.

Land Management

Landscape Distinctiveness

Reinforce existing local features and restore small scale field pattern

Retain open areas adjacent the river

Retain and enhance the contrast with the adjacent chalk valley sides

Restore levels of tranquillity

Enhance sense of place of crossing points of river

Agriculture

Encourage management of farmland as seasonally wet pastures where appropriate

Maintain and encourage management of watercress beds

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

Management of the pollards and lines of poplar, alder and willow

Conserve valley floor wet woodland and promote good woodland management

Biodiversity

Encourage agricultural management that will protect and enhance remnant unimproved grasslands

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

Prevent further loss and fragmentation of watermeadows as a result of inclusion within garden curtilages

Seek opportunities for wetland creation and ditch reinstatement

Historic Landscapes

Protect the surviving water meadows and associated features

Land Use and Development

Built Development

Restore and enhance local distinctiveness of individual settlements and avoid further amalgamation of settlements within valley floor

Built form to reflect local pattern and distinctiveness

Encourage new planting to define urban edge of Andover;

Infrastructure

Encourage measures to reduce the visual impact of the existing roads.

Avoid use of valley floor for intrusive new infrastructure development.

Recreation, Tourism and Access

Seek opportunities for additional access to the river for the public

Volume 1: LCA5H Landscape Character Types and Areas