Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
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1.0 Land North of Church Street, Bocking Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Prepared by CSA Environmental on behalf of Gladman Developments Ltd Report No: CSA/3321/04 November 2017 Report Date Revision Prepared by Approved by Comments Reference CSA/3321/04 - 16.11.17 JE CA First Issue CSA/3321/04 A 29.11.17 JE CA Clients Comments B 30.11.17 SE CA Clients Comments C D CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 Introduction 5 Methodology 5 2.0 Landscape Policy Context 7 3.0 Site Context 15 Site Context 15 National Landscape Character 15 4.0 Site Description and Visibility 20 Site Description 20 Topography 22 Short Distance Views 23 Medium to Long Distance Views 23 Landscape Quality, Value and Sensitivity 24 5.0 Suitability of the Site to Accommodate Development 26 The Proposed Development 26 Landscape Features 27 Public Rights of Way 27 Visibility of the Proposed Development 27 Landscape Effects 28 Visual Effects 29 Compliance with Planning Policy 31 Suitability of the Site to Accommodate Development 31 6.0 Conclusions 33 Appendices Appendix A: Site Location Plan Appendix B: Aerial Photograph and Photograph Viewpoints Appendix C: Photosheets Appendix D: MAGIC Map Extract and Heritage Plan Appendix E: Visual Envelope and Photograph Viewpoints Appendix F: Zone of Theoretical Visibility Appendix G: Constraints and Opportunities Appendix H: Summary of Landscape and Visual Effects Appendix I: Methodology EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This assessment has been undertaken in connection with the proposed development for up to 265 dwellings of a Site to the north of Church Street, Bocking, on the northern edge of Braintree. The Site lies to the north of Church Street adjacent to the existing edge of the settlement, and is bounded to the south by Church Street and existing houses along it, to the north by open fields, to the west by a small tree-lined watercourse with open fields beyond it and also by houses along Ashpole Road and Hadley Close, and to the east by existing houses in Grove Field, a small block of woodland and the A131 High Garret. This proposal is a revision of previous proposals for development of up to 300 dwellings on the site, with the principal differences between the current and previous proposals being the reduction in the number of dwellings and the provision of a community orchard and public open space in the south eastern part of the Site. The Site is currently in agricultural use, and comprises 4 fields used for arable, grazing and horse paddocks - the largest of these is a roughly rectangular field which makes up the northern, more open part of the Site, with three smaller, enclosed paddocks to its south west, south and south east. The south eastern part of the Site is relatively flat, but the north western part slopes down to a small watercourse which runs along the north western Site boundary. The Braintree Settlement Fringes Capacity Assessment found that Parcel 13b, which includes the Site, had a low to medium capacity to accept development, but the assessment set out in this report is that the parts of that parcel closer to the existing edge of the settlement are likely to have a greater capacity. This assessment has found the Site and immediately surrounding area to be of medium landscape quality and value, and medium (for the main, northern field) or low to medium (for the enclosed paddocks in the southern part of the Site) sensitivity to development of the type proposed. This is because valuable landscape features within the Site would be retained, and the Site is well screened from most of the surrounding area and well related to the existing settlement to its south and east. The Site carries no designations for landscape quality at national or local levels, and there are no Public Rights of Way across it, though a public footpath runs adjacent to the north western site boundary, on the far side of the tree lined watercourse. Views of the Site are generally limited to short distance views from adjoining properties to the east, glimpse views from High Garrett and Church Street as Land north of Church Street, Bocking – Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Page 2 they pass the southern part of the Site, and more limited and distant views from public footpaths to the north and west. The proposed development would provide a landscaped buffer along the eastern side of the Site, alongside rear gardens of houses in Grove Field, and the lower, western parts of the Site would be laid out as a new, natural open space. There would also be a community orchard and public open space in the south eastern part of the site, to the north of Church Street and the west of High Garrett. The existing vegetation around and within the Site would in general be retained and augmented by significant areas of new structural planting. The only visually significant vegetation which would need to be removed would be short sections of the existing hedge or tree lines on the southern boundary with Church Street (to provide the Site access) and at two points along the southern side of the main northern field to provide access within the Site. There would be no effects on the trees or woodland around the Site which are covered by TPOs. This assessment has found that effects of the proposed development on local landscape character would be slight to moderate adverse initially and in the winter, and would be at a lower level in the summer and would gradually decline over time. This is on the basis that, while the majority of the Site itself would obviously undergo a significant change (from fields to new housing), the overall development would have a limited impact on the countryside around it. The development would be confined to an area running along the existing urban edge, and would be visible from the wider landscape to the north and west, but in such views would replace existing views of the houses in Grove Field. The proposals would not lead to an extension of the settlement edge into the wider, more open countryside to the north west of the tree line along the watercourse, the development would be generally well screened in views from the south and east, and (where visible) the new houses would not appear intrusive or discordant. In terms of visual effects, this assessment has found that effects on public views would be no more than slight to moderate adverse, for some sections of the adjoining roads and also more distant views from Public Rights of Way. Effects on private views from the adjoining houses to the east of the Site would be at a higher level, and would be up to moderate to substantial adverse - these properties would lose their presently open views, but views of the new houses would be screened and filtered over time by the proposed buffer planting. The limited adverse visual effects which have been identified are no more than would be expected from development of an edge of settlement site, and result chiefly from the appearance of new houses in mainly private views from existing houses, and from the roads around the Site. There would be some low level harm in respect of general landscape protection policies, but that harm would be minimised by the proposed Land north of Church Street, Bocking – Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Page 3 mitigation measures, and would decline over time. Such harm is a largely inevitable consequence of the development of any greenfield site, and needs to be balanced against the provision of new housing. The Site is therefore suitable for development of the type proposed. Land north of Church Street, Bocking – Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Page 4 INTRODUCTION 1.1 CSA Environmental has been appointed by Gladman Developments Ltd to undertake a landscape and visual impact assessment of land to the north of Church Street, Bocking, on the northern edge of Braintree. The proposal is for a medium scale housing development comprising up to 265 new dwellings together with associated landscaping, a community orchard, open space, children’s play areas, a sustainable drainage system and access. The Site is within the jurisdiction of Braintree District Council (BDC), and the location and extent of the Site are shown on the Location Plan at Appendix A, and on the Aerial Photograph at Appendix B. 1.2 The Site lies to the north of Church Street, Bocking, and is bounded to the south by Church Street and dwellings along it, to the north by open fields, to the west by a small tree-lined watercourse with open fields beyond it and also by houses along Ashpole Road and Hadley Close, and to the east by existing dwellings, a small block of woodland and the A131 High Garret. There are a number of hedgerows and mature trees along and within the Site boundaries. 1.3 The Site is currently in agricultural use, and comprises four land parcels used for arable, grazing and horse paddocks - the largest of these is a roughly rectangular field which makes up the northern, more open part of the Site, with three smaller, enclosed paddocks to its south west, south and south east. 1.4 This assessment describes the existing landscape character and quality of the Site and the surrounding area. The report then goes on to discuss the suitability of the Site to accommodate the proposed development, and the potential landscape and visual effects which it is likely to have on the area around it. There are no detailed proposals for development of the Site at this stage, but some recommendations for the form and layout of the development have been made on the Constraints and Opportunities Plan which forms Appendix G, and a Development Framework Plan has also been produced to accompany the application.