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