LCA7B Broughton Downs
Landscape Strategy and Guidelines
The Broughton Downs is noted for its woodland and nationally important unimproved calcareous grasslands. It is also an open landscape, which retains a tranquil remote character. The overall strategy is therefore to conserve the pattern of woodland and grassland habitats whilst enhancing the hedgerow structure of Broughton Downs.
Land Management
Landscape Distinctiveness
Maintain the present sense of remoteness and tranquillity
Maintain contrast of varied enclosed and open views
Agriculture
Discourage further amalgamation of fields and loss of hedgerows
Hedgerows
Maintain existing thick hedgerows linking woodland
Seek opportunities to provide further hedgerow links with adjacent woodland and replace former hedgerow boundaries
Woodland and Trees
Reinforce pattern of small copses, spinneys and shelter belts especially on steeper slopes
Biodiversity
Conserve, manage and restore chalk grassland
Introduce buffer strips at the edge of arable fields
Land Use and Development
Built Developments
Limit development in order to conserve the sense of remoteness and tranquillity
Infrastructure
Development to be small in scale and well sited, taking advantage of vegetation cover, to conserve the sense of remoteness and tranquillity
Wider impact of tall structures to be considered in view of openness of this landscape