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