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