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Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough: Landscape Character and Planning Policy

This project is aiming to show how landscape character can be used to help identify the capacity of the landscape to accomodate new development in the Local Development Framework. It will use the methodology to aid the preparation of planning policies and associated guidance.

Aims and objectives of the project
In early 2004 Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council (SABC) in partnership with the Countryside Agency commissioned work to develop Landscape Character Parcels (LCP’s) around the major settlements within the Borough.   The purpose of the study was to identify landscape capacity for future housing and industrial allocations within their forthcoming Local Development Framework and to demonstrate the potential for LCA to inform spatial policies.   The Borough Council has benefited from the Landscape Description Unit study developed by Shropshire County Council, who are represented on the steering group for this project.

Following the successful completion of the first phase of this project a second phase is in development.   The intention of Phase 2 is to take the findings of the research and prepare planning policies within their core Local Development Document that will ensure that development is appropriate to the location and landscape character.   An element of the project will be to adopt the methodology used in the LCP study as guidance that developers should follow when seeking to gain planning permission.

Main findings 
The methodology developed involved dividing landscape sensitivity into four categories: cultural, ecological, visibility and tranquillity.   The study found that while the methodology was broadly robust at the LDU level, the visibility and tranquillity assessments would be more effective at the LCP or site level, focussing on the edges of settlements where development is most likely to occur.

The study sets out proposed landscape related planning policies for the LDF based on the findings of the sensitivity assessment.   The core policies put forward reflect the key objectives in relation to landscape – sustainable development, landscape character, countryside, settlements, and design.   However, the study recommends that more detailed assessments of landscape sensitivity and capacity are needed around the edges of settlements.