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