East Devon Council

Landscape Character Assessment And Management Guidelines

BACKGROUND

The need for a detailed Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) at the local planning authority level has been identified in the existing Devon County Council Landscape Appraisal (2002), AONB Management Plans and the Regional Spatial Strategy, “the distinctive qualities and features of the South West’s landscape character areas will be sustained and enhanced by Local Planning Authorities undertaking assessments of landscape character at a strategic level (Policy ENV2)”.

The Landscape Character Assessment and Management Guidelines for East Devon and the Blackdown Hills (LCA&MG) has been produced in accordance with national guidance and an accepted methodology. It covers the whole of the East Devon District and the area covered by the Blackdown Hills AONB, extending into Somerset. It has been produced in partnership with the East Devon AONB and Blackdown Hills AONB teams with funding support from Natural England.

The LCA&MG has been verified by an extensive range of stakeholders, including Natural England, the Forestry Commission and a number of local land owners and managers to ensure terminology is acceptable and test the accuracy of information.

The LCA&MG main purposes are:

to record the existing condition of the landscape based on the desktop studies and verified by on site survey work;
to provide information that can act as a ‘tool’ to inform policy development, planning decisions, strategic thinking and the Local Development Framework process
to inform and influence the targeting and direction of landscape scale initiatives.
to provide landscape related information to support the work of a wide range of landowners, farmers, groups and organisations in respect of landscape management and nature conservation

The LCA&MG should not be confused with “Nature Map” or “Historic Landscape Characterisation” although it has utilised the latter in its development.

The scale of the Landscape Character Assessment & Management Guidelines (LCA&MG)

The LCA&MG has been completed to what is termed the land description unit (LDU) level, providing information at 1:40,000 / 1:50,000 scale. Some 129 LDU’s, the building blocks of the landscape, have been agglomerated in 13 landscape character types (LCTs’) which are the basis for the production of the Management Guidelines.

Picture - Landscape Character Map.

Click here to view a higher quality, downloadable version of the Landscape Character Map. (3332KB - PDF Help) The map has an Ordnance Survey base map, and the legend identifies the 13 Landscape Character Types (LCTs) which relate to this East Devon.

How to use the guidelines

1-Find out where your site is by clicking on then viewing the large map on these pages which has an Ordnance Survey (OS) base map with the Landscape Character Types(LCT) overlaid on top as a see-through layer.
2-Use the OS base map to find out which Landscape Character Type (LCT) your site is located in
3-Either go to the full LCA&MG document OR open the individual LCT sections that your site is within to confirm what information there is on the landscape condition, features and proposed management guidelines for that LCT
4-Use the information there to help guide your landscape proposals or development

Click here to view the complete LCA&MG document. (2659KB - PDF Help)

Alternatively, higher resolution versions of each section are available from this link

How can I get to see a hard copy of the guidelines?

Copies of the guidelines can be viewed at the following venues during normal office opening hours:

East Devon District Council Offices at Knowle, Sidmouth
Axminster Town Council Offices
Budleigh Salterton Town Council Offices
Exmouth Town Council Offices
Honiton Town Council Offices
Ottery St Mary Town Council Offices
Seaton Town Council Offices
Public Libraries in East Devon

The LCA&MG is intended to be website based but a paper version of the LCA&MG can be purchased for £12. Please send a cheque made payable to "East Devon District Council" to:

The Policy and Conservation Section
East Devon District Council
Council Offices
Knowle
Sidmouth
Devon
EX10 8HL

The LCA&MG going forward

Central Government intends to consider a ‘National Policy’ on Landscape and has currently tasked Natural England to progress this work.

The LCA database will provide a framework for further work concerning the sustainable development of the landscape of East Devon, with opportunities to consider and verify capacity and sensitivity measures across a range of areas.

LCA will also afford a mechanism for monitoring the state of the landscape. The role, state and use of the assessment and guidelines will be scheduled for review under the appropriate LDF timetable.

The LCA&MG will be reviewed every 5 years in line with two AONB Management Plan Review period.

Use this link to view a low resolution verison of the complete LCA&MG document (2659KB - PDF Help)

Alternatively, higher resolution versions of each section are available below:

Introduction and appendicies (1915KB - PDF Help)

Landscape Character Type 1: Plateaux