Recommendations
Creating Better Links between Urban and Rural Sectors of Society on Landscape Issues
Unfortunately the study did not have the scope to develop this. In some areas, as in and around Romsey, the two communities seemed to be more intertwined and links are well developed. The greater problem seemed to be the perceived divide between incomers and long standing inhabitants, and between the residents of Andover and the rural inhabitants. The way that the Test Valley Landscape Character Assessment was carried out, in common with many such studies, did not enable this process to be used as a tool to create better links. A more integrated approach at a local level, absorbing cities, towns, villages and the urban fringe into an understanding of landscape character, may assist in achieving this goal.
Better links could be built on common values on landscape issues. By mixing urban and rural communities, as achieved in the study workshop, there is an opportunity to bring these sectors together to identify common values and aspirations. The Countryside Agency’s and Groundwork’s Countryside for Towns is one such initiative.