Landscape Character Advice - Planning and Development

Landscape character is an important factor that is considered in the assessment of planning applications. These pages have been designed specifically with residential development in mind.

If you have queries about other types of development - infrastructure, industry etc - please contact us directly.

Generally, an application for residential development should show that the key characteristics of the Landscape Type of the intended site have been considered in the siting, design, scale and layout of any proposed change. Wherever possible, development should strive to strengthen landscape character, retaining and conserving existing features whilst seeking opportunities to restore or enhance others.

This is fundamental to the principle of generating landscape gain – i.e. the concept that it is no longer acceptable simply to mitigate to maintain the status quo and that any change must be accompanied by considerable benefit to the landscape.

Learn more about LCA Guidelines for Planning and Development  Planning and Development Guidelines

Planning and Development Advice Sheets Enclosed Commons (481KB) Estate Farmlands  (572KB) Forest Smallholdings and Dwellings (620KB) Limestone Estatelands (482KB) Principal Settled Farmlands (558KB) Principal Timbered Farmlands (534KB) Principal Village Farmlands (485KB) Principal Wooded Hills (571KB) Sandstone Estatelands (539KB) Settled Farmlands on River Terraces (459KB) Settled Farmlands with Pastoral Land Use (525KB) Timbered Pastures (563KB) Timbered Plateau Farmlands (646KB) Unenclosed Commons (503KB) Village Claylands (482KB) Village Farmlands with Orchards (821KB) Wooded Estatelands (726KB) Wooded Hills and Farmlands (605KB)