guidance
note 14
Landscape Character |
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INTRODUCTION
1. The following
guidance as it relates to
2. The Landscape
Assessment divided
LCA 4 Rolling farmlands - around
Bishopbriggs and extending eastwards, south and east of Kirkintilloch to
Twechar and the Councils boundary with North Lanarkshire.
LCA 9 Green corridors - within the urban area along the
LCA 10 Broad valley lowland - the
valleys of the Glazert,
LCA 16 Drumlin foothills - foothills of the Kilpatricks around Milngavie and north
Bearsden extending eastwards to include the Lennox Hills.
LCA 20 Rugged Moorland Hills - The
Campsie Fells and Kilpatrick Hills.
3. The Guidance Note
deals with each LCA in turn and lists its landscape characteristics, key
issues, summarises its sensitivities and the forces for change currently in
evidence (together with planning and management guidance) where appropriate
for: -
trees and woodlands
agriculture
minerals
transport
other developments
4. The Council will where
appropriate assess the landscape impact of proposals for development (or other
activities on which it is consulted such as forestry) against the guidance set
out in this note.
GUIDANCE
5. Rolling
Farm Lands (LCA 4)
5.1 Characteristics
distinctive undulating landform
created by fluvio-glacial action;
dominance of pastoral farming,
varying in productivity according to elevation and exposure;
importance of woodland in
structuring the landscape and providing shelter for agriculture and rural settlement.
Landscape
planning and management should aim to conserve the distinctive agricultural
character of these areas. In particular,
management should aim to emphasise the role of woodland in these areas, and to
limit the wider impact of mineral working activities.
5.2 Landscape issues
a decline in traditional
agricultural activities, resulting in the deterioration of the farmland
landscape and of hedges, walls and hedgerow trees in particular;
the presence of glacial sand and
gravel means there is pressure for mineral working in some areas;
parts of this landscape type have
been lost to urban expansion in recent years, and those area adjacent to the
urban area continue to come under development pressure; this can have important implications for landscape
management and investment;
the importance of encouraging the
positive management of historic landscapes and the conservation of elements of
the historic environment.
5.3 Planning and Management Guidelines
5.3.1 Trees and woodland
This
landscape type has the potential to accommodate additional woodland planting
provided that this is of an appropriate scale, is correctly sited and reflects
local patterns of species. New woodland
can enhance the local landscape by emphasising the rolling landform created by
glacial activity:
along the south side of the Kelvin
Valley, there should be a particular emphasis on conserving and managing the
distinctive pattern of broadleaf woodland; in this area, there may be
opportunities to expand the area of broadleaf woodland, for example by creating
woodland belts linking existing areas of woodland and framing groups of
fields; this pattern exists already in
some areas with broadleaf shelterbelts radiating out from hill-top woods;
commercial plantations should be
designed carefully to ensure that they do not undermine or obscure the
small-scale nature of local topography;
where this type of forestry does occur, the aim should be to encourage
planting patterns which retain a significant proportion of open land, which
make use of organic shapes and outlines, and which avoid geometric edges and
boundaries.
Existing
broadleaf, mixed and policy woodlands should be managed to achieve continuous
cover woodland with age/species diversity.
Particular requirements are as follows:
protection from undergrazing
should be encouraged in certain areas to allow regeneration;
control of invasive species should
be encouraged in many policy woodlands and restocking with historically
appropriate species undertaken to compensate for the decline of old trees and
losses due to Dutch Elm disease.
5.3.2 Agriculture
support the retention of a viable
agricultural sector in these areas since this will help ensure that the
traditional structure of the landscape is maintained;
encourage the conservation,
including appropriate management and, where opportunities arise, the
restoration of drystone dykes and hedges (beech and hawthorn);
implement an urgent programme of
field boundary tree management to encourage replanting and to prevent the
complete loss of such trees in the coming decades; beech, ash and holly
hedgerow trees are characteristics of this landscape type, replanting should
use these species in accordance with the local patterns;
discourage the development of agricultural
buildings which, by their location, scale, design or materials, would have a
prominent impact on the landscape;
wherever possible, new farm buildings should be visually integrated with
older farmsteads and should make full use of natural screening provided by the
varied topography and tree cover.
5.3.3 Minerals
extension of sand and gravel
working in these areas should be governed by the following factors:
- the
scale of working should be limited so as to minimise the extent of visual
impacts within these comparatively intimate landscapes;
- workings should be located so as
to make full use of the natural screening provided by topographic variety and
woodland cover;
- workings should avoid the complete
removal of features such as low hills;
- restoration plans should aim to
reintegrate the site into the surrounding landscape context, and to establish a
positive land use for the site in question;
where land has been damaged in the past, restoration following mineral
working may facilitate landscape enhancement;
5.3.4 Transport
conserve the existing character of
the networks of minor country roads which lace these areas. Encourage the
retention and positive management of field boundaries and field boundary trees
along minor roads. Discourage upgrading
schemes which would result in the loss of local features or which would
introduce urban engineered features into the rural landscape.
5.3.5 Development
the aim should be to conserve the
rural character of these areas of rolling farmland; developments should
therefore generally be of a small scale, well sited so as to maximise the
natural screening and integration provided by topographic and woodland variety;
the imposition of developments
which require medium to large scale modifications to the undulating topography
should be resisted; developments and
their external areas should be tailored to fit the landscape or sites
selected which permit their integration;
large scale development is unlikely
to be appropriate within this medium to small scale landscape type; where large areas of derelict land remain
from previous activities, the emphasis,
where practical should be upon restoring the land to rural land uses such as
agriculture, forestry or informal recreation;
new land uses that would result in
the loss of traditional features, or the introduction of new features, should
be discouraged, particularly in more prominent areas;
tall structures such as masts or
aerials should generally be discouraged except where there are opportunities to
provide a degree of backclothing.
6. GREEN CORRIDORS (LCA 9)
6.1 Characteristics
strategically important although
very narrow corridors of residual undeveloped land, following rivers and canals
and extending into the urban area.
Significant in terms of local landscape, townscape, recreation and
nature conservation;
a variety of different landscape
features including floodplain corridors (Kelvin) and remnant industrial and
transport features (
Planning and
management should aim to protect, conserve and enhance these corridors of open
land. Where possible, linkages with
other undeveloped areas (including the countryside) should be created or
reinforced. Management should also seek
to raise awareness and appreciation.
6.2 Landscape issues
the importance of conserving and
enhancing the visual, recreational and ecological value of these corridors;
the importance of realising the
potential role of neighbouring development in contributing to environmental
quality.
6.3 Planning and Management Guidelines
6.3.1 Trees and woodland
encourage positive management of
woodland, including new planting where appropriate, as a means of defining the
corridors and their linkages with other areas; woodland can increase the
attractiveness of the corridors for recreation as well as enhancing their
nature conservation potential; it is
important, however, to take into account any implications of woodland planting
for personal safety.
6.3.2 Agriculture
encourage the retention of farming
where it still occurs within the Green Corridors;
encourage the positive management
of field boundaries and trees;
encourage the positive management
of traditional farm buildings, including appropriate conversion schemes where
they become redundant.
6.3.5 Transport
the Corridors role in providing
routes for recreational and commuting on foot and by cycle should be
encouraged;
the reopening of the
new transport infrastructure
should be designed very sensitively where it crosses Green Corridors.
6.3.4 Development
encourage appropriate development
adjacent to Green Corridors to respond positively to buildings orientation,
scale, design and material, and in the provision of open space and access
associated with the corridor in question;
consider preparing a design guide and developing plan policies which
encourage sensitive design and patterns of development.
7 BROAD VALLEY LOWLAND (LCA 10)
7.1 Characteristics
wide flat bottomed valley;
presence of waterbodies, wetlands
and rivers;
transport routes and settlements
along the valley sides;
transition from arable to rough
grazing from the valley floor to the high valley sides;
historic sites and communication
routes along the valley sides;
presence of farm and policy
woodland.
Landscape
planning and management should aim to conserve and enhance the diversity of
this valley landscape and its component parts.
In particular, this should aim to protect the transitions between valley
floor and surrounding hills and prevent developments which would obscure the
inherent changes in character.
7.2 Landscape issues
development pressures associated
with settlements within, or bordering the valleys;
pressures to upgrade or improve
transport infrastructure, particularly roads and concerns that this could
result in the loss of important local landscape features and characteristic
qualities, introduce modern engineering structures into the valley landscape,
and modify peoples perceptions of the landscape;
potential development pressures
associated with refurbishment and reopening of the
the importance of conserving
historic sites and their context, and encouraging awareness and appreciation of
them;
the need to maintain field
boundaries (hedges, walls, field boundary trees), particularly on the higher
slopes where there has been decline or loss;
the importance of minimising the
impact of mineral working on the valley landscapes;
the need to strike a balance
between the reclamation of mineral sites and the conservation of industrial
archaeology;
the importance of encouraging
water management which is sensitive to the character of these naturally
low-lying, and wet valley landscapes;
the importance of maintaining
nature conservation interest, particularly related to the valley lochs.
7.3 Planning
and Management Guidelines
7.3.1 Trees and woodland
encourage the conservation and
active management of existing farm and policy woodlands to ensure their longevity; mixed species including exotics should be
used in restocking where these were historically present; opportunities to extend these woodlands as
belts around new buildings in the countryside or as connections between
plantations should also be supported where this could achieve visual
integration;
encourage the preparation of
historic management/conservation plans for important designed landscapes in
this landscape type; encourage the use
of these plans to guide woodland and tree management;
encourage the restructuring of
isolated conifer plantations on the valley slopes and their extensions to
connect with woodlands at lower levels;
the use of transitional mixed-species belts may help to achieve visual
integration. In all cases, these extensions
should be of small to medium scale and should preserve the dominance of open
ground allowing views to and from the valley floor;
encourage the conservation of
agricultural tree lines and small groups around farmsteads through replacement
planting. Beech, sycamore, oak and ash
are most characteristic of this landscape type;
encourage the conservation and
appropriate management of valley floor broadleaf woodlands associated with
wetlands, river corridors and loch shores in recognition of their role in
providing important wildlife habitats and essential features of waterside
areas. They should be conserved and
protected from clearance for development or from drainage alterations;
encourage woodland development and
extension along minor riparian corridors, along tributary burns and up
watercourse gullies in the valley sides;
support the use of new woodland
planting to improve the integration of recent or planned developments on the
urban fringe. Where developments are, or
may be, prominent on valley slopes, woodland could provide a backcloth or
partial screen. In the valley floor,
additional broadleaf woodland could reduce visual intrusion. This would be most effective where it could
be connected with existing valley floor woodlands.
7.3.2 Agriculture
support and encourage the
conservation and enhancement of waterbodies and wetlands within agricultural
land; ideally, these areas should be
integrated within the farm landscape through the use of uncultivated or woodland
corridors which would also increase their wildlife potential;
field boundaries are visually
important linear features in the landscape which emphasise topographic
variations and indicate changes in altitude/ground conditions. In the lower ground, hedgerows are common but
in decline; the restoration of hedgerows
(through replanting and possibly laying) should be encouraged to reinforce
agricultural patterns and improve the visual integrity of the landscape;
some field boundaries and road
corridors are also lined with trees, most of which are mature and many lost
(notably the A807 between Torrance and Balmore); replanting of these lines should be
encouraged, particularly along road edges and field boundaries close to the
development sites;
on higher ground, dry stone walls
replace hedgerows as field boundaries;
encourage the conservation of these walls in local stone and in a style
traditional to the area; priority should be given to roadside walls and those
in the most visible areas;
farm building developments should
ensure that the visual integrity of the original steadings should not be
compromised; this is particularly
important where farms occupy knolls in the valley floor or prominent hillside
sites; new buildings should be located
in a complementary fashion behind, below or at a distance from, the original
buildings; the use of multi-pitch roofed
structures many also be more sympathetic to the scale of traditional
buildings; available tree groups or
woodland belts should be utilised for screening, where possible.
7.3.3 Minerals
Extension
of mineral working which affects the integrity of the middle and upper valley
slopes should be resisted although extension on sites on the lower slopes may
offer greater potential for screening, particularly where there are local
topographic variations and where woodlands are present which could provide a
visual framework for mineral extraction.
7.3.4 Transport
the management and development of
the road network should reflect the scale and character of the Broad Valley
Lowland; large scale road schemes should
be resisted, particularly where they would require embankments, cuttings, under
and over-bridges which would be both intrusive and cause visual and physical
severance in the valley. This would
follow the advice in Fitting Roads issued by the Scottish Executive (1995);
road improvement schemes should
seek to conserve roadside features such as hedgerows, tree lines and walls and
where in decline, should use the opportunity to reinstate these features
(possibly on new alignments);
there is scope to integrate better
existing roads through woodland planting on and off-site (as for example has
been done on the realigned Auchenhowie Road);
this could also serve to improve views from the road by the careful
screening of certain developments, e.g. urban fringe developments visible on
the approaches to towns from the valley sides or where long views are possible
on the valley floor;
several of the valley roads are
narrow and have winding or undulating routes presenting potential traffic
hazards; their informal character is,
however, suited to this valley landscape;
attempts at road safety improvements should therefore use traffic
calming measures in preference to significant alterations to the roads
character; traffic calming should work
with indigenous features and not apply contrived, overly-engineered or garish
treatments such as complex chicanes or red road paint.
7.3.5 Development
the Broad Valley Lowland provides many
opportunities to view settlements and their development sites from above (on
the valley sides) and from long distances within the valley; this highlights the importance of visual
integration within the landscape through the use of landscape frameworks; the appropriate selection of building colours
and materials and the appropriate locations of untypical buildings of large
scale or unusual form;
development which extends up
valley slopes should ideally be set against and within a framework of woodland
and should occupy natural terraced landforms or bowls which can provide spatial
containment;
building development on the flood
plain or flat valley floor should generally be resisted unless it occupies a
previously developed site of long standing;
wetlands and waterbodies should be protected from disturbance and
pollution from any development;
the potential impact of large
scale buildings should be assessed from viewpoints on the valley sides, where
their roof colour, reflectivity and size would be most apparent; roof forms and colours should be designed to
minimise the impression of scale and to appear in sympathy with traditional
large buildings; sites with established landscape
frameworks or an urban context should be favoured for large buildings; the creation of large artificial landforms in
the flat valley floor should, however, be resisted;
for residential developments, the
design of houses should ideally respect traditional qualities without creating
pastiche; for pitched roof structures,
slate grey-blue colouring should be used in preference to pantiles, wall
colouring should predominantly match the indigenous blond sandstone colour;
the impact of residential
development proposals of considerable scale should be considered carefully; the
average small size of settlement in this landscape type could lose its identity
by poorly integrated housing scheme extensions;
open space linkages and housing layouts which respect the form of the
villages and towns should be sought from developers.
8 DRUMLIN FOOTHILLS (LCA 16)
8.1 Characteristics
distinctive undulating landform
created by glacial deposition subsequently modified by fluvial erosion;
area of transition from lowlands
areas to the Rugged Moorland Hills;
dominance of pastoral farming in
lower parts of the hills, giving way to areas of moorland vegetation in more
elevated and exposed areas;
combination of semi-natural
woodlands along incised burns, farm woodlands, designed and policy landscapes,
small conifer plantations and more extensive areas of mixed and coniferous
woodland.
Landscape
planning and management should aim to conserve and reinforce this areas
distinctive character. Management should
aim to secure the conservation of distinctive landscape features and explore
the potential for patterns of additional woodland planting that would emphasise
variations in landform and land use.
8.2 Landscape
issues
development pressure for housing
along the urban edge leading to the potential for declining landscape
management and a loss of agricultural land and features including designed
landscapes, policy and farm woodlands and field boundary trees;
possible development pressure for
mineral extraction;
the importance of managing demand
for countryside recreation in a positive manner.
8.3 Planning and Management Guidelines
8.3.1 Trees and woodland
this landscape type has the
potential to accommodate additional woodland planting provided that this is of
an appropriate scale, is correctly sited and reflects local patterns of
species; new woodland can enhance the
local landscape by emphasising the rolling landform created by glacial
activity, echoing, for example the existing pattern of farm woodlands, and
tying into the existing structure of field boundaries, shelterbelts and
burnside woodlands; any new woodlands
should not cover an area greater than one drumlin and should seek to respect
topographic variations by both covering and framing hill landforms;
encourage sensitive design of new
commercial plantations to ensure that they do not undermine or obscure the
small-scale nature of local topography;
where this type of forestry does occur, the aim should be to encourage
planting patterns which retain a significant proportion of open land, which
make use of organic shapes and outlines, and which avoid geometric edges and
boundaries.
8.3.2 Agriculture
support the retention of a viable
agricultural sector in these areas since this will help ensure that the
traditional structure of the landscape is maintained;
where recreational landscapes such
as golf courses or restoration for leisure uses are proposed, design solutions
should be sought which retain and utilise indigenous landscape features and which
avoid creating highly managed and incongruous parklands amidst agricultural
landscapes;
encourage the management and,
where opportunities arise, the restoration of drystone dykes on higher ground
and hedges (beech and hawthorn) in lower areas;
implement an urgent programme of
field boundary tree management to encourage replanting and to prevent the
complete loss of such trees in the coming decades;
discourage the development of new
agricultural buildings which, by their location, scale, design or materials,
would have a prominent impact on the landscape; wherever possible, new farm
buildings should be visually integrated with older farmsteads and should make
full use of natural screening provided by the varied topography and tree cover; in general, locations in the lower ground or
folds between drumlins would be better able to accommodate new agricultural
buildings.
8.3.3 Minerals
sand and gravel working should
generally be discouraged in this area due its strong rural character and its
prominence when viewed from neighbouring areas;
the scale of working should be
limited so as to minimise the extent of visual impacts within this intimate
landscape;
sites should be located so as to
make full use of the natural screening provided by topographic variety and
woodland cover;
mineral working should avoid the
complete removal of features such as low hills;
restoration plans should aim to
reintegrate the site into the surrounding landscape context and to re-establish
pre-existing patterns of land use; where
land has been degraded, restoration should result in enhancement and the
establishment of positive after-uses;
large scale hard rock quarrying
should be discouraged in this area due to its limited extent and strong rural
character;
where hard rock quarrying is
permitted it should be of a small scale and located to avoid major landscape
impacts; important landscape features
such as ridgelines, skylines and hill tops should be conserved intact.
8.3.4 Development
the aim should be to conserve the
rural character of these areas of rolling farmland. Developments should therefore generally be of
a small scale, well sited between drumlin ridges so as to maximise the natural
screening and integration provided by topographic and woodland variety;
large scale development is
unlikely to be appropriate in this small scale landscape type;
new land uses that would result in
the loss of traditional features, or the introduction of new features, should
be discouraged, particularly in more prominent areas;
tall structures such as
communications masts or aerials should generally be discouraged except where
there opportunities to provide a degree of backclothing
9. RUGGED MOORLAND HILLS (LCA 20)
9.1 Characteristics
distinctive upland character
created by the combination of elevation, exposure, rugged landform, moorland
vegetation and the predominant lack of modern development;
these areas share a sense of
apparent naturalness and remoteness which contrasts strongly with the farmed
and developed lowland areas;
presence of archaeological sites
on hillsides.
Landscape
planning and management should aim to conserve the upland character of the
Rugged Moorland Hills. Where possible,
the visual influence of existing developments should be reduced. New developments which introduce modern
elements or which would undermine the sense of wildness and remoteness should
be resisted.
9.2 Landscape issues
development pressures in some
areas around the fringes of the hills;
urban fringe issues such as
vandalism and dumping in some areas;
visual prominence of tall
structures including masts and pylons;
the importance of encouraging the
enhancement of existing coniferous plantations and the careful assessment of
any proposals for additional planting;
the need to encourage management
of semi-natural woodland on lower slopes and along burnsides;
recreational importance of these
hills and the importance of supporting managed access;
management of field boundaries and
pastures on surrounding slope
9.3 Planning and Management Guidelines
9.3.1 Trees and woodland
These hills are
generally unwooded in character. The
principal exceptions are coniferous plantations (concentrated on the less prominent plateau areas and to a
lesser extent found on some of the slopes) and deciduous
scrub (found in some of the gully and burnside areas, and around some of the
hill fringes). The following guidelines should apply to the
management of woodland in the Rugged Moorland Hills:
encourage the management of
existing coniferous plantations on the plateau areas with the aim of achieving
a more natural fit with topography, allowing rocky outcrops to be visible and
providing more varied age and species composition;
expansion of these conifer
plantations from the plateau areas onto more prominent hillslopes and scarps
should be discouraged strongly;
forestry planting proposals should
respect the presence of prehistoric and historic settlement and defensive sites
in the hills and should retain open ground in these sensitive areas, sufficient
to protect the sites and their visual context;
geometric conifer plantations and
shelterbelts should be discouraged, particularly in prominent hillslope areas
such as the lower slopes of the escarpment of the Campsie Fells; remaining plantations of this kind should be
removed in due course;
there may be opportunities to
encourage the regeneration or expansion of broadleaf woodland and scrub along
burnsides and in gullies (as has been done in Campsie Glen), creating a closer
integration of lowland woodland and the moorland landscape;
The
provisions of the Campsie Fells Local Forestry Framework should continue to be
applied.
9.3.2 Agriculture
where pastures extend onto the
flanks of the hills, field boundaries should be managed to maintain the
contrast between farmland and open moorland;
stone dykes should be conserved, and, where appropriate, field boundary
trees encourages or retained;
heather and grazing management
should be supported to conserve and improve nature conservation values;
support semi-natural regeneration
in limited areas where grazing no longer continues;
ensure archaeological sites are
adequately protected from disturbance by agricultural activities, overgrazing
or neglect.
9.3.3 Minerals
large scale quarrying would have a
significant adverse impact on the remote, upland character of the Kilpatrick
Hills and the Campsie Fells and should be resisted strongly;
where further small scale mineral working
is permitted, the visually sensitive flanks of the hills should remain
intact; areas to be quarried should be
chosen to ensure that views of the mineral working areas from surrounding areas
are limited and that important recreation areas within the hills are not
affected directly or as a result of visual intrusion.
9.3.4 Development
an important part of these areas
character is derived from the lack of development. It follows that new development should
generally be resisted; where circumstances
require buildings (for example to serve recreation activity, or with regard to
water supply infrastructure) it should located and designed so as to limit
visual intrusion and landscape impact;
although hills sometimes provide
ideal locations for masts, the erection of such structures can lead to
disproportionate levels of landscape impact, affecting the remote character of
the moorland hills, and sometime being visible on the skyline when viewed from
surrounding lowland areas. Consequently any such developments should be
strongly resisted;
particular concerns relate to wind
farm development on these hills; the
limited extent of the hills, their remote and apparently natural character,
and the sensitivity of their hillslopes and skylines, mean that is very likely
that a windfarm development in any of the three areas would have a significant
and adverse effect on the local landscape character.
Should
you require any further information please do not hesitate to contact :
The
Planning Office, Development Quality Section,
The
Triangle,
Bishopbriggs
G64 2TR
Tel: 0141 578 8000