THE COUNTY DURHAM LANDSCAPE STRATEGY
FOREWORD
The landscape of County Durham is one of our greatest assets. It has
evolved over centuries as our predecessors have shaped it to meet their
needs. Change in the landscape is both inevitable and natural as we continually adapt it in response to new technologies and new economic,
environmental and cultural forces.
In the decades ahead the changing European and global economy will pose
new challenges for agriculture and the rural economy. Changing patterns of
work, transport, housing and recreation will bring pressures for new development in the countryside. Climate change is likely to have a
fundamental, if as yet uncertain, impact on our environment.
The County Durham Landscape Strategy sets out an agenda for managing change in the future to help us conserve what we value most about the
landscape while allowing it to evolve to meet these new challenges.
I commend this document to all those who have an interest in the Durham
landscape, and particularly those involved in planning, development, land management and regeneration work.
My thanks to all those who have been involved in its production.
Councillor Bob Pendlebury OBE Cabinet member for Transport, Sustainability and Tourism
THE COUNTY DURHAM LANDSCAPE STRATEGY
THE COUNTY DURHAM LANDSCAPE STRATEGY
Contents
Introduction 1 The Landscape Strategy 2 Methodology 6 How to use this document 9 Broad Issues 11 Climate change 12 Biodiversity 15 Geodiversity 17 Cultural Heritage 19 Tranquillity 21 Green Infrastructure 22 Land Management 25 Agriculture 26 Woodlands & Forestry 30 Moors & Heaths 36 Field Boundaries 39 Rivers & wetlands 43 Designed Landscapes 46 Development 49 Housing 50 Industry 52 Transport 54 Minerals 57 Waste 60 Renewable Energy 63 Recreation & Tourism 65 County Character Areas 69 North Pennines 71 Dales Fringe 81 West Durham Coalfield 89 Wear Lowlands 99 East Durham Limestone Plateau 109 Tees Lowlands 121 MAPS 129 Assets & attributes 130 Landscape Spatial Strategy 137 Conservation & Improvement Priority Areas 138 Woodland Priority Areas 139 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION
Introduction The Landscape Strategy
Methodology
How to use this document
1 INTRODUCTION THE LANDSCAPE STRATEGY
The Landscape Strategy This Landscape Strategy is a non-statutory plan which addresses issues that affect the varied landscapes of County Durham by setting out objectives for their conservation, restoration and enhancement. It is based on the County Durham Landscape Character Assessment.
The strategy is aimed at all those who have an interest in the Durham landscape, or who are involved in its management or development. It is intended that it will be adopted and used by a wide range of partners who will guide and facilitate its implementation. It was formally adopted by the County Council in April 2008.
Scope The strategy covers all rural areas in the county and does not deal generally with urban landscapes. However the settled nature of much of the Durham landscape, is such that the inter-relationship between urban and rural areas is often very strong, and the strategy therefore touches upon some urban issues.
The strategy addresses some issues that are dealt with in other plans and strategies – development plans, local development frameworks, environmental strategies, biodiversity and geodiversity action plans. It also overlaps geographically with other area-based plans such as the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan and the Great North Forest Plan. It is intended that the strategy should complement these plans and its relationship with them is set out in the relevant sections.
Aims
The strategy has three main aims
• To conserve and enhance the character and diversity of the Durham Landscape.
• To make development and land management more sustainable by helping to
ensure that they respect the character of the landscape and contribute
towards wider environmental objectives.
• To support and complement other environmental strategies to help promote co-ordinated action on the environment.
Landscape character and diversity The landscape is both a natural resource, on which we depend for our food and water, and a cultural resource that evokes feelings, memories, associations and attachments. Its beauty and diversity are important both to the quality of life of local communities and the economic prosperity of the region.
The landscape has evolved over thousands of years, reflecting the complex interaction of human activities and the physical and economic forces that have shaped their lives. In some landscapes change has been relatively slow and incremental in nature with each generation adding to, rather than removing, the evidence of their forbears.
2 INTRODUCTION THE LANDSCAPE STRATEGY
This cultural continuity or ‘time depth’ is one of the most valued characteristics of the English countryside and is fundamental to the relationship many people have with the landscapes they cherish. Change in the landscape is inevitable and, indeed, necessary as we continue to adapt it in response to new technologies, and to new economic, environmental and cultural forces. In the decades ahead the changing European and global economy will pose new challenges for agriculture and the rural economy. Changing patterns of work, transport, housing and recreation will bring pressures for new development in the countryside. Climate change is likely to have a fundamental, if as yet uncertain, impact on our environment.
The diversity of the English landscape is one of its most unique characteristics and the distinctiveness of local landscapes makes an important contribution to our sense of place, our sense of community and cultural identity. Many of the changes we have seen over the last 50 years have been at the expense of local character and distinctiveness – whether by the loss of the characteristic landscape features that distinguish one place from another, or by the widespread use of building materials, design styles and standard detailing which have brought an increasing uniformity to both urban and rural landscapes. These changes have also had adverse impacts on other attributes that we value such as biodiversity and cultural heritage, or natural resources like soil and water. We have choices as to how we accommodate change in the future – allowing us to maintain or increase what we value most in the landscape while adapting it to our changing needs.
The landscape strategy seeks to strike this balance, identifying priorities for conservation, restoration and enhancement in the landscape at the same time as establishing principles for development and management which will help to complement and enhance landscape character.
Conserving and enhancing the landscape
For most of the second half of the Twentieth Century the emphasis in landscape conservation was on the designation and protection of National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). At a local level this approach was followed by local authorities in identifying important local landscapes – such as the Areas of
High Landscape Value – often on the basis of their scenic qualities.
The widespread changes that have taken place in the countryside, often in areas outside of designated landscapes, have revealed weaknesses in this approach.
Many of the forces for change, like agricultural intensification, have been beyond the scope of planning policy. Some landscapes outside of designated areas, often those close to where people live, and valued by them, have been poorly protected.
The need for a more comprehensive approach based on an understanding of the character and distinctiveness of all landscapes, led to the emergence of landscape character assessment which was developed during the 1980s by the Countryside Commission, now part of Natural England. Landscape character assessment involves mapping, classifying and describing the character of different rural landscapes and identifying the forces for change operating within them.
3 INTRODUCTION THE LANDSCAPE STRATEGY
The County Durham Landscape Strategy follows this approach. It is based on the County Durham Landscape Character Assessment, and analyses the assets and attributes of the county’s varied landscapes, the trends and pressures for change operating within them, and the aspirations of stakeholders for their future management.
It also contains spatial strategies which are based on landscape character rather
than scenic value. These broadly indicate the kinds of action it is most appropriate
to take in different local landscapes, whether that be conservation, restoration or
enhancement or combinations of these. It is intended that these strategies will
help to establish integrated objectives for development and land management in
all of the county’s diverse landscapes.
This “character-led” approach to landscape in the United Kingdom has been mirrored by developments in Europe. The European Landscape Convention, of which the UK is a signatory, defines landscape as ‘an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or The European Landscape human factors.’ It is based on the premise that landscape is universal: it occurs Convention everywhere and everyone has a stake in it. The convention’s provisions cover all
landscapes of whatever quality, whether rural or urban, built or natural. It aims to
ensure the proper protection, management and planning of landscapes throughout
Europe.
Natural England has worked with DEFRA and English Heritage to produce a framework for implementing the ELC in England, published in October 2007. This framework seeks to further strengthen the protection, management and planning of landscape in England by providing a structure for Action Plans of partners and stakeholders. It underpins a wide range of activities which, through public engagement and stakeholder involvement, will lead to wider understanding and appreciation, improved knowledge and care, as well as a sense of inspiration, well-being and connection between people and place. The Framework for Implementation in England is available to view on the Landscape Character
network website at: www.landscapecharacter.org.uk
Sustainable Development and Land Management The Landscape Strategy will contribute to the sustainability of new development by informing planning policies for developments like housing, minerals or wind energy. It can help us decide where new development should go and how it should be designed if it is to conserve what we value about our environment. The Strategy will be used in the preparation of emerging Local Development Frameworks and guidance on its use in planning applications will be contained within a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).
The framework of strategic objectives set out in the Strategy can help developers assess the impacts of their proposals through the Environmental Assessment process, and design them to be in keeping with the character of the locality. It can also help them develop proposals which contribute positively to the strategy for the area.
4 INTRODUCTION THE LANDSCAPE STRATEGY
The landscape is affected as much by how it is managed as how it is developed. The Landscape Strategy will help inform the way land management initiatives and agri-environmental schemes - like Environmental Stewardship, the England Woodland Grant Scheme and the County Durham Hedgerow Partnership’s Field Boundary Restoration Grant - are targeted. An understanding of landscape character, and the strategic objectives identified here for different landscapes, can also help inform the day-to-day decisions of individual land managers, farmers and foresters. Further guidance is provided in the County Durham Landscape Guidelines.
Co-ordinated action on the environment
The character of the landscape, and the way it is perceived and used by people is heavily influenced by its geological and ecological characteristics, its cultural artefacts and associations, and its practical value as a physical resource. A strategy for the landscape must therefore have regard to all of these factors. The Landscape Strategy has been informed by a range of national, regional and local strategies and action plans dealing with other environmental resources - like biodiversity, geodiversity, cultural heritage, forestry, agriculture, water, soils and access. It is intended that it should complement these strategies and act as far as possible as a synthesis of them for the local landscape.
One of the principal mechanisms for delivering the Strategy will be through the development of Landscape-scale Partnerships. At the time of publication the County Durham Sustainability and Environment Partnership and Natural England, together with other partners in the North-east region, are exploring the potential of developing new long-term partnerships based on Natural Areas, the broad bio- geographical zones underlying the County Character Areas identified in the Landscape Assessment.
A key task of these landscape-scale partnerships will be to develop action plans based on a common purpose and a shared vision of the future of the landscape. It is intended that these action plans will integrate environmental, economic and social goals and be delivered by a broad partnership of local authorities, government agencies, the voluntary and private sectors and community groups. They will provide a framework for the activity of partners in those landscapes and identify key tasks and projects for conserving and enhancing the environment and securing funding for their implementation.
The first of these partnerships – the East Durham Limestone Natural Area Partnership was launched in 2008.
For more information contact Durham County Council by email at [email protected] or by post or telephone at:
The Landscape Section, Environment, Durham County Council, County Hall Durham. DH1 5UQ Tel: 0191 383 4076 Fax: 0191 386 4096
5 INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY
Methodology Issues and objectives The topic-based sections of the Strategy – Broad Issues, Land Management & Development – were produced through a process of desk-top study of published material followed by a series of structured workshops with a wide range of stakeholders facilitated by consultants The Planning Co-operative in 2003.
The character area-based sections of the strategy were based on an analysis of the assets and attributes of individual character areas including:
• Landscape Designations
• International Nature Conservation Designations
• National and Local Nature Conservation Designations
• Biodiversity Action plan Priority Habitats & Species
• Habitat networks
• Ancient Woodlands
• Earth Heritage Designations
• Archaeological sites & monuments
• Built Heritage designations
• Historic parks and Gardens
• Access, recreation & tourism
• Water resources
• Agricultural land classification
Trends and pressures affecting those assets and attributes were analysed along with any environmental initiatives, plans or strategies currently addressing them. Key issues and objectives and a series of strategy options were identified on that basis, and tested through a second series of more focussed stakeholder workshops.
Spatial Strategies. Spatial strategies were developed through an analysis of Local Landscape Types and Subtypes in the Landscape GIS Database, informed by the objectives and strategy options identified for the relevant County Character Areas. In some cases other information from the landscape database (such as the presence of a scheduled monument) would influence the strategy.
Each Landscape Description Unit (LDU) in the database was assigned one of six strategies: Conserve, Conserve & enhance, Conserve & restore, Restore, Restore or enhance, Enhance. This approach to strategy formulation was based on the understanding that the strategy should identify both the amount of change desirable in the landscape, and the broad direction that change should take.
6 INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY In a landscape which has many valued attributes and which is in good condition, little change may be desirable and the appropriate strategy will be to conserve its existing character. In a landscape which has few valued attributes and/or is in poor condition, a higher degree of change may be desirable. The strategy adopted will depend on whether it is more appropriate to restore the landscape back to its former character or to enhance it by developing entirely new features or characteristics.
For landscapes which have some valued attributes but which are in poor condition the appropriate strategy may be to conserve & restore, or conserve & enhance their character. For landscapes with few valued attributes where either restoration or enhancement might be equally appropriate, a strategy of restore or enhance might be adopted.
Landscape Spatial Strategy
Examples:
Local type Subtype Strategy Lowland woods Ancient woods Conserve Lowland woods Modified ancient woods Conserve & restore Lowland woods Plantation Conserve & enhance Plain farmland: open arable Modern field system Enhance Plain farmland: open pasture Old enclosure Restore or enhance Coastal arable Open Restore
These strategies give only a broad indication of the extent and direction of change that might be desirable. More detailed guidance on the kind of change appropriate to different landscape types is given in the Landscape Guidelines.
Landscape Conservation and Improvement Priority Areas Spatial Strategies can also be used to identify broader Landscape Conservation Priority Areas and Landscape Improvement Priority Areas. While there may be scope for conservation and improvement in all landscapes in varying degrees, the distinction between those where the emphasis is on conservation and those where the emphasis is on improvement can be useful for landscape planning.
7 INTRODUCTION METHODOLOGY
Those landscapes with strategies of conserve, conserve & restore and conserve & enhance are identified as Landscape Conservation Priority Areas and those with strategies of restore, restore or enhance, and enhance are identified as Landscape Improvement Priority Areas
Landscape Conservation and Improvement Priority Areas
Consultation
The Strategy was published as a consultation draft in 2004 on the Durham County Council website. Feedback from the consultation process was taken into account in preparing the final document, as were changes in relevant published polices or strategies as well as information on landscape change emerging from the Countryside Quality Counts initiative (www.cqc.org.uk).
8 HOW TO USE THIS DOCUMENT How to use this document Format The strategy has been written to be viewed and used primarily through the County Council’s website - www.durham.gov.uk/durhamlandscape - and is also printed in a limited number of hard copies as a loose-leaf folder. Map data can be viewed online in an interactive GIS, alongside other environmental data, on the website. The County Durham Landscape Assessment 2008 and County Durham Landscape Guidelines are available on the same site.
The remainder of this document is structured as follows:
Broad Issues deals with over-arching issues and cross-cutting themes like climate change and biodiversity.
Land management deals with issues arising out of, or affecting, land management activities.
Development deals with issues arising out of, or affecting, new development.
County Character Areas contains analysis of the assets and attributes of County Character Areas, the trends and pressures affecting them, key issues for action, strategic objectives and spatial strategies.
The Maps section at the back of the document contains maps showing environmental assets and attributes, the Spatial Strategy, Landscape Conservation and Improvement Priority Areas and the Woodland Strategy.
Periodic review This version of the County Durham Landscape Strategy was formally adopted by the County Council in April 2008. The Strategy will be updated periodically to ensure that its content is accurate and reflects changes in the landscape, changes in the policy environment, and emerging issues. Check that your version is the most up-to-date by visiting the website or contacting the County Council’s Landscape Section.
Feedback You can let us know your views on the contents of the landscape strategy, or on landscape issues that you consider to be important, by email at:
[email protected] or by post / telephone at:
The Landscape Section, Environment, Durham County Council, County Hall Durham. DH1 5UQ Tel: 0191 383 4076 Fax: 0191 386 4096
9 BROAD ISSUES
Broad Issues
Climate Change
Biodiversity
Geodiversity
Cultural heritage
Green Infrastructure
11 BROAD ISSUES CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate Change Climate has a fundamental influence on landscape character. Much of the variety in the Durham landscape comes from the differences in climate between the colder wetter uplands of the west and the warmer, drier lowlands of the east. These differences affect both the natural vegetation and the way the land is managed and farmed. There is increasing evidence that the climate is changing due to a combination of natural forces and human activities, and particularly the production of ‘greenhouse’ gasses like carbon dioxide. Even with concerted action at a global scale it is likely that the climate will continue to change and this will bring new challenges to the landscape.
Climate change in the North East The potential extent of climate change in the north east has been modelled by the UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP), based on projections of likely greenhouse gas emissions under different global development scenarios. Some of their findings have been published by SustaiNE in their publication And The Weather Today Is: Climate Change in the North East. The predictions for 2080 – the range varies from a best- case scenario of concerted global action to a worst-case scenario of no action - include:
• an increase in annual mean temperatures of between 1.5°c and 4.0°c
• an increase in winter mean temperatures of between 1.0°c and 3.0°c
• an increase in summer mean temperatures of between 1.5°c and 4.5°c
• an increase in winter precipitation of between 10% and 28%
• a decrease in summer precipitation of between –18% and –45%
• a decrease in winter snowfall of between 40% and 100%
• a rise in sea level of between 6cm and 66cm
• an increase in the thermal growing season of between 40 and 100 days.
These changes would bring milder, wetter winters with fewer frosts and little snow, hotter, drier summers, an increase in extreme events like flooding, and increased coastal erosion. It is impossible to predict with any certainty how these changes will affect the landscape. Some of the more likely impacts are discussed below.
Changes in habitats The changing climate is likely to affect the flora and fauna of semi-natural habitats that are characteristic of individual landscapes. This may include the shrinking or drying of wetlands like blanket bog and lowland raised mire, ponds, seasonal watercourses and wet woodlands, and a decline in the extent of wet grasslands. Fragile habitats on the edge of their range like the relic artic-alpine heath of upper Teesdale are likely to be particularly vulnerable. There may be damage to, or changes in the species composition of, a wide range of other habitats from heathlands and grasslands to native woodlands.
We may expect to see the localised extinction of some species and the arrival of new plants and animals both native and exotic. Increased coastal erosion from rising sea levels may threaten coastal habitats like dune
12 BROAD ISSUES CLIMATE CHANGE systems and cliff top grasslands. There may be an increase in the incidence of forest, moor and heathland fires. The ability of habitats, and the species within them, to cope with the pressures of rapid change is already compromised in some cases by their poor condition or by their fragmentation and isolation. Improving the way they are managed and restoring connectivity at a landscape scale may increase their robustness and the ability of species to move in response to changing conditions.
Changes in agriculture. Agriculture is likely to be affected by increases in the length of the growing season and changing patterns of rainfall. This may lead to an increase in arable cultivation in the uplands and upland fringes as they become warmer, and a decrease in cultivation, or increased use of irrigation, in the lowlands as they become drier. It is also likely to lead to the introduction of new crops or crop varieties, changes in sowing and harvesting times, changes in the management of livestock and the arrival of new pests and diseases. There may be an increase in soil erosion from extremes of winter flooding and summer drought and from changing patterns of cultivation.
Conserving landscape character and local distinctiveness in the face of significant changes in agricultural land use or management is always difficult. Strategies and guidelines for the landscape must remain flexible to allow for both changing physical conditions and changes in the global economy affected by climate change that will change the markets for agricultural produce.
Flooding and erosion. As winters get wetter, and a greater proportion of precipitation occurs in intense events, river flows could become more variable leading to increased erosion and flooding. The risk of flooding in some areas is already exacerbated by the presence of development on floodplains or the way watercourses are engineered to prevent flooding of agricultural land. The impacts of extreme events can be reduced by restoring more natural hydrological conditions to river and wetland systems, and particularly by increasing natural flood storage on flood plains and water retention in the extensive blanket bogs of the uplands. Erosion can also be reduced by restoring bank side vegetation, and particularly riverside woodland.
Vulnerable landscape features. Some landscape features may be vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Mature trees in particular are vulnerable to drought, and lower summer rainfall may affect hedgerow, parkland and urban trees. The combination of more frequent winter gales and waterlogged ground arising from increased rainfall may cause damage to trees and woods. Subsidence caused by drought may cause damage to the fabric of historic buildings. Veteran trees are often already subject to stress from factors like cultivation or compaction. Improving their management may make them more robust and more able to cope with extreme events
Liveability Increased summer temperatures may lead to less healthy and less ‘liveable’ environments and particularly in urban areas. Historically public open space in England has not been designed to provide shade or cooling as it has been in many hotter countries. The effects of warming could be offset in some degree by the provision of higher quality urban green space, and the planting and retention of street trees
Responses to climate change. New technologies developing in response to climate change – such as renewable energy developments from wind farms to hydroelectric schemes and energy crops – are already bringing changes to some landscapes. Other responses to climate change will range from new flood protection schemes to ‘carbon trading’ schemes which may provide resources for woodland expansion or peatland conservation to store carbon, or new proposals
13 BROAD ISSUES CLIMATE CHANGE for multi-user routes to encourage walking and cycling. These will bring both new challenges and new opportunities for enhancement to the landscape.
Objectives • To encourage monitoring of the impacts of climate change on vulnerable species, habitats, landscape features and agricultural systems.
• To promote enhanced management and restoration of vulnerable habitats and landscape features to make them more robust.
• To promote habitat restoration at a landscape scale to improve the quality of ecosystems and restore connectivity.
• To support and encourage integrated approaches to water management and flood protection including river and floodplain restoration, and the restoration of blanket bog.
• To encourage the provision and high quality design of urban green space to make urban environments more ‘liveable’.
• To ensure that new renewable energy development respects the character of the landscape.
• To encourage the integration of action on climate change with wider environmental, economic and social goals.
14 BROAD ISSUES BIODIVERSITY
Biodiversity Biodiversity means the biological diversity of life. It includes a wide range of living things from flowering plants to mammals, birds, insects and bacteria. It includes common species, those that are under threat, and the habitats that humans, plants and animals depend on. The character and biodiversity of the landscape are closely linked. Many of the features that contribute most to our appreciation of the landscape - trees and hedges, ancient woodlands, the flowers of old meadows, pastures and heaths - are an essential part of its biodiversity.
Biodiversity in decline The biodiversity of the English landscape as a whole has been in decline for many decades. Development and changing land management practices have led to the widespread loss of landscape features and wildlife habitats. This has left many important habitats much reduced in their extent and fragmented or isolated. The rate of habitat loss has slowed in recent years due to the improved protection of important sites, the introduction of agri- environmental schemes and the conservation work of public and voluntary sector bodies. Despite this the legacy of fragmentation and isolation poses a threat to the survival of some species, a problem made more acute by the pressures of climate change, and many formerly common species continue to decline.
Conserving and restoring biodiversity Conserving and restoring biodiversity requires a combination of statutory protection for nationally important sites and species, the protection of both non-statutory sites and biodiversity in general from the impacts of development, the positive management of existing sites and habitats for wildlife, and the restoration of habitat quality and connectivity at a landscape scale.
The county’s most important sites have statutory protection as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Some of these are also designated as National Nature Reserves or as Special Areas for Conservation or Special Protection Areas under European legislation. The county also contains a large number of non-statutory Local Sites (formerly known as County Wildlife Sites). Policies for the protection of these sites are contained in local plans and emerging local development frameworks. The Durham Wildlife Trust owns or manages a number of nature reserves in the county and there are several Local Nature Reserves managed by local authorities. The Durham Biodiversity Action Plan (DBAP) builds on the UK National Biodiversity Action Plan and contains action plans for a wide range of species and habitats, delivered through the Durham Biodiversity Action Plan Partnership.
A landscape-scale approach While the protection and management of important sites and species is an essential task, it is also important to improve the quality of habitats in the wider landscape. This needs to involve both enlarging and linking important habitats that are fragmented or isolated, restoring those which are damaged or degraded, and improving the quality of the surrounding environment to sustain the wildlife outside Existing initiatives including agri- environmental schemes like Environmental Stewardship and grants like the England Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS) will have an important role to play in this process. If they are to be effective they need to be part of a landscape scale approach to biodiversity, one that is integrated with wider social, economic and environmental objectives, and one that involves a wide range of partners. Further work is needed to identify needs and
15 BROAD ISSUES BIODIVERSITY opportunities for habitat creation and restoration work across the county to ensure that the spatial issues affecting biodiversity are better understood.
Integrating action on biodiversity and landscape The objectives and strategies proposed in the County Durham Landscape Strategy have been strongly influenced by biodiversity issues and particularly by the DBAP and by Natural England’s Natural Area Profiles. Natural Areas are closely related to Countryside Character Areas and together they provide a common structure for dealing with landscape and biodiversity issues. The potential of new landscape-scale partnerships based on Natural Areas is currently (2080) being investigated in the region.
Biodiversity, design and development New development can have both positive and negative effects on biodiversity. If it is to be truly sustainable the net effect must be positive and much can be achieved through careful site selection and design and the adoption of appropriate mitigation measures. Building in Sustainability, a guide to sustainable development and construction in the north-east, gives guidance on biodiversity and development. Landscaping proposals that form part of new development can contribute to biodiversity by establishing new habitats of wildlife value, and particularly through the use of locally native species, and by establishing appropriate plant communities and management regimes.
Objectives • To support and encourage the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity and the delivery of the Durham Biodiversity Action Plan.
• To promote and develop a landscape-scale approach to biodiversity in County Durham.
• To promote an integrated approach to action on landscape and biodiversity, and particularly through the use of Natural Area Partnerships
• To secure a ‘positive audit’ for biodiversity in new development.
• To promote biodiversity in landscape design
16 BROAD ISSUES GEODIVERSITY
Geodiversity Geodiversity - the variety of rocks and minerals, landforms, soils and geological process - is a key component of our natural heritage. It is fundamental to the character and diversity of our landscapes, influencing both their physical form and their natural vegetation, which in turn have influenced patterns of farming and settlement. The exploitation of minerals has had a profound effect on many of the county’s landscapes and the variety of materials won are an essential part of the local distinctiveness of its buildings and townscapes.
Unlike biodiversity, which is now firmly established as an essential concept in dealing with environmental issues, geodiversity as an idea is only now gaining recognition. Many geological and geomorphological features have been seen in the past as being sufficiently robust not to require protection or management. They are, however, vulnerable in many ways.
• New development can damage natural topography or geological exposures.
• The infilling of quarries can destroy exposures of scientific or educational interest.
• Natural weathering, the encroachment of vegetation, or poaching by livestock, may damage or obscure geological features.
• Engineering works to rivers and streams, or coastal defences, may interfere with natural processes and damage natural features.
Geodiversity as a concept also has a cultural dimension – it encompasses the way minerals have been used, understood, collected recorded and interpreted. Since the 14th century when Richard de Bury, Bishop of Durham, first used the term ‘geologia’ to describe the ‘earthly science’ the county has played an important role in the development of the geological sciences. The North Pennines AONB has recently been designated as a European Geopark, the first on the UK mainland.
Conserving Geodiversity Conserving geodiversity requires a combination of statutory protection for nationally important sites, the protection of both non-statutory sites and geodiversity interests in general from the impacts of development, and active management of sites and features of importance to geodiversity.
The county’s most important sites have statutory protection as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Some were notified specifically for their geological interest, and many of those notified for other reasons contain features of geological significance. The county also contains a number of non-statutory sites: Regionally Important Geological and Geomorphological Sites (RIGS) and Durham County Geological and Geomorphological Sites (DCGS). Policies for the protection of these sites are contained in local plans. The County Durham Geological Conservation Strategy 1994, the first such strategy produced by a local authority, contains additional policies for identifying, creating and interpreting geological sites.
A Geodiversity Audit has recently been prepared by the British Geological Survey (BGS) in collaboration with Durham County Council, with funding from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability fund (ALSF) administered by the Minerals Industry Research Organisation (MIRO). A countywide Geodiversity Action Plan is currently being planned. A similar Geodiversity Audit and Action Plan has been prepared for the North Pennines Area of
17 BROAD ISSUES GEODIVERSITY Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and European Geopark. The action plan contain a broad range of tasks for conserving geodiversity.
Interpreting Geodiversity Increasing public awareness, understanding and enjoyment of geodiversity is central to its conservation. It also presents opportunities to increase understanding of the landscape as a whole and the physical factors that underpin local distinctiveness and biodiversity.
The North Pennines GAP and any future County Durham GAP will provide a framework and detailed action points for interpreting earth science. In the North Pennines AONB a considerable amount of work has already been done to promote the geodiversity of the Geopark and secure funding to support the implementation of the GAP.
Objectives • To support and facilitate the conservation of geodiversity in County Durham
• To promote awareness, understanding and enjoyment of geodiversity.
• To support the production of a Geodiversity Action Plan for County Durham
• To encourage and support the implementation of the North Pennines AONB Geodiversity Action Plans.
• To support the work of the North Pennines AONB Partnership in promoting and interpreting the geodiversity of the Geopark.
18 BROAD ISSUES CULTURAL HERITAGE
Cultural Heritage The landscape we see today has been shaped over thousands of years by the activities of people. Many of the things they made, like hedges and walls, buildings, roads and paths, are still in use today. Others, like barrows and stone circles or abandoned mines and quarries, survive as relics in the modern countryside or lie buried beneath its surface.
Less obvious legacies of our past are the plant communities of habitats like old meadows and pastures, moors, heaths and ancient woodlands that have evolved over centuries of interaction between people and their environment.
The landscape is a cultural artefact, a living record of the activities of our ancestors. It provides evidence of, and insight into, our past. This ‘time-depth’ is for many people an important point of connection with the landscape and yet it is not always well understood.
Most landscapes in the county contain features surviving from many periods of their history but some are strongly influenced by features developed in particular development phases. The difference in character between the planned enclosure landscapes of the upland fringes with their regular grids of fields and straight roads, and the irregular enclosures of the lowlands with their winding lanes and old villages is directly related to their history. The character of the landscape is affected by both these landscape scale patterns of interrelated elements and by the smaller idiosyncratic features that contribute so much to local character and ‘sense of place’.
All landscapes contain an historic dimension and all are evolving in some degree as we adapt them to meet our changing needs. Historic landscape features and archaeological features are continuously threatened by forces ranging from development to neglect, natural decay or changes in management. The challenge is to understand the historic features that surround us and to conserve what we value most while allowing the landscape to continue to evolve.
Understanding the historic landscape A considerable amount of information already exists about the archaeology and built heritage of the county. The County Durham Sites and Monuments Record contains thousands of records ranging from flint scatters to industrial buildings. It can now be accessed online through the County Council website or, with the added facility of internet mapping, through the Keys to the Past website.
The County Durham and Darlington Historic Landscape Character Assessment (HLCA) is currently being carried out with the support of English Heritage. This will map, analyse and identify the origins of man made features, and particularly field systems, across the county. It will provide a very detailed account of the history of the Durham landscape and a basis for future programmes of conservation and interpretation. It is anticipated that the HLCA will be completed in 2008
Conserving the historic environment Conserving the historic environment requires a combination of statutory protection for nationally important sites and buildings, the protection of historic landscapes and significant archaeological or landscape features from the impacts of development, and the positive management of valued sites and features.
19 BROAD ISSUES CULTURAL HERITAGE The county’s most important sites have statutory protection as Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM) or as Listed Buildings or Conservation Areas. Listed buildings include many landscape features like old mine entrances, sheepfolds and boundary posts. Conservation Areas often include parts of the landscape setting of important townscapes as well as historic landscapes like designed parklands. Durham Castle and Cathedral are designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
Historic field boundaries are protected by the Hedgerow Regulations 1997. The County Durham Structure Plan and District Wide Local Plans contain policies for the protection of features of importance to our cultural heritage from the impacts of development. A number of historic parklands are identified on English Heritage’s Register of Parks and Gardens of National Importance. Other locally important parklands are identified in local plans. Some if these are the subject of local planning policies or have Conservation Area status.
There are a number of existing initiatives aimed at conserving or restoring historic landscapes or landscape features. The Historic Grant Scheme provides funding for conservation works to buildings in Conservation Areas and a Repairs Grant is available in some circumstances for works to listed buildings. The County Durham Hedgerow Partnership Field Boundary Restoration Grant is available for the restoration of historic hedges. Some of the existing agri-environment schemes and their successor Environmental Stewardship give financial support for conserving archaeological and historic landscape features.
There have been a wide range of local authority initiatives to conserve or restore historic landscapes or buildings, including the current Hardwick Park Restoration Project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The North Pennines AONB Management Plan contains a broad range of proposals for conserving and interpreting the historic environment. Voluntary sector organisations such as the North Pennines Heritage Trust are also very active in this field.
Despite these initiatives many historic landscape features remain vulnerable to damage from development, or to the less obvious processes of neglect and decay. This is particularly the case for many widespread features like old hedges, walls and sheepfolds, old lanes and tracks, earthworks like lynchets and rig and furrow, relic features like coal and lead mining remains and designed parklands.
Interpreting the historic environment While there may be some merit in conserving historic landscape features for their own sake, their real value lies in their meaning to us as part of our cultural heritage.
Raising public awareness of the historic landscape, and making sites and landscapes accessible and intelligible to people is therefore a key element in their conservation.
Objectives • To promote awareness, understanding and enjoyment of the historic dimension of landscape character in County Durham.
• To support the development of the County Durham Historic Landscape Character Assessment.
• To promote the conservation of historic landscapes and landscape features.
20 BROAD ISSUES TRANQUILLITY
Tranquillity Tranquillity is one of the less easily defined attributes of the countryside but also one of the most important to the communities who live there and the people who visit it for recreation and relaxation.
A Government survey in 2001 found that tranquillity was the positive feature people mentioned most in describing why they visited the countryside. The North East has some of the most tranquil landscapes in the country and these are a major asset to the tourism economy.
The tranquillity of the countryside has been progressively eroding for decades under the impact of urban sprawl, increased traffic levels, the development of new roads and infrastructure, increases in air traffic and increasing levels of light pollution. In 1995 the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) carried out a study to map changes in tranquillity in the English countryside. They found that England had lost 21% of its Tranquil Areas (19,000km2) since the 1960s, equivalent to an area almost the size of Wales. Responding to CPRE's work on tranquillity, the Government’s Rural White Paper in 2000 included a commitment to promote tranquillity and to produce a National Ambient Noise Strategy.
Mapping tranquillity A recent study on tranquillity was carried out by the CPRE in the North East Region (Mapping Tranquillity CPRE 2005) to investigate ways of mapping tranquillity at a more detailed level in two pilot areas - the Northumberland National Park and the Durham Coalfield. The study provides the basis of a methodology which could be a extended to map levels of tranquillity for County Durham as a whole
Conserving and restoring tranquillity Conserving and, where possible, restoring tranquillity will require concerted action by a large number of organisations and individuals. Further work is needed to provide guidance on issues like noise and light pollution and to ensure that the impacts of new development on tranquillity are taken into account in the environmental impact assessment and planning processes. .
Objectives • To support and encourage the mapping of tranquillity in County Durham.
• To support the production of guidance on tranquillity issues in Supplementary Planning Documents.
21 BROAD ISSUES GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE
Green Infrastructure Green Infrastructure is an emerging concept which refers to the network of multi-functional green spaces – woodlands, nature reserves, river corridors, cycleways and public open space – that contribute to the appearance, accessibility, biodiversity and ‘liveability’ of urban areas and the countryside around and between them.
The countryside around towns, or the ‘rural urban fringe’ is the part of the rural landscape most familiar to people who live in cities, towns and villages. It is also the part of the landscape most subject to pressures for development, access and recreation. In County Durham the industrial settlement pattern of the coalfield gives a ‘semi-rural’ or urban fringe character to large areas of countryside in the centre and east of the county.
The complex of problems and opportunities in the rural urban fringe requires an integrated approach to land management and planning. Progress towards that has been made in the region’s Community Forests with the development of Forest Plans and local strategies like those for Local Management Zones in the Great North Forest. This has been geographically limited in its extent and necessarily independent of the planning system. The development of Green Infrastructure Strategies offers the potential of dealing with landscape, biodiversity, access and regeneration issues in the countryside around towns in a systematic way, and one that has a greater degree of integration with spatial planning at a regional and local level.
Sustainable development The rural urban fringe is inevitably the part of the countryside where pressure for new development – whether for new housing, industry, transport infrastructure, mineral working or waste disposal - is greatest. Often it is appropriate for such development to take place near to the main transport network and near to the population centres that create the demand. At the same time it is necessary to conserve the often fragile rural character of these landscapes and to contain urban sprawl. Development can contribute towards improving the appearance, biodiversity or accessibility of the countryside. Such improvements are more likely to be delivered in a systematic way where there are Green Infrastructure Strategies in place that are reflected in Local Development Frameworks.
Access to the Countryside Access to the countryside around towns is of great importance to the quality of life of urban communities. It offers opportunities for healthy outdoor activity, provides safe car-free routes within and between urban areas, and acts as a gateway to the wider countryside. A great deal of work has been done by local authorities and other agencies like SUSTRANS in the county, and particularly in the Great North Forest, to improve access to the countryside – including creating Country Parks, multi-user routes, and improving public rights of way. There is considerable potential in the semi-rural landscapes of the county to develop a more coherent network of green spaces, quiet lanes and greenways (see also Transport).
Access to nature The countryside around towns is also an important point of contact with the natural world. Natural England recommends minimum standards for the provision of natural green-space close to where people live in towns and cities including:
22 BROAD ISSUES GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE • accessible green-space of at least 2ha in size should be available within 300m (straight line) of all urban homes • accessible 20ha site within 2km • accessible 100 ha site within 5km • accessible 500ha site within 10km • 1 ha of Local Nature Reserve per 1,000 population In recent years local authorities have created a number of Local Nature Reserves (LNR) close to urban centres, and new community woodlands have been developed in the Great North Forest and elsewhere on the coalfield. The County Council’s Woodlands and Wildlife Project has established a number of new community woodlands and wildlife areas as part of the Mineral Valleys Project, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Creating new LNRs and community woodlands, and managing existing urban green-space to enhance its biodiversity, can help meet a wide range of social and environmental goals in the urban fringe.
Regeneration The quality of the environment both within and around urban areas affects both the quality of life of local communities and the perception of the area by visitors and potential investors. A major programme of investment in the county’s towns and villages is currently being implemented in the Urban and Rural Renaissance Initiative. A considerable amount of work has already been done in the county to rid the landscape of the legacy of dereliction left by the decline of traditional industries through the reclamation programme. At a more local level there has been continuous process of environmental improvement undertaken by local authorities, by the Great North Forest team, and by the Groundwork East Durham and West Durham Groundwork Trust.
Sustainable land management Farming in the urban fringe is subject to many pressures including trespass, vandalism and fly tipping. It is also an area where local farmers and landowners can take particular advantage of the urban demand for food, leisure and environmental services (see also Agriculture). Changes in land management in the rural urban fringe – for example the growing of bio-fuel crops like short rotation coppice – can make a positive contribution to the landscape’s Green Infrastructure.
Urban Green Space Green spaces are important to the quality of life of communities living in cities, towns and villages. Their ownership and management is complex, with responsibilities often falling between different bodies. Most areas are owned or managed by local authorities, town or parish council’s, or non-governmental organisations such as Durham Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust. The Government - in Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 17 – encourages local authorities to undertake an assessment of the needs of communities for open space, sports and recreational facilities, and to develop strategies for their provision and management. CABE Space, part of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, gives guidance on the production of Green Space Strategies. It describes their benefits as including:
• Maintaining and increasing the attractiveness of a locality to create a sense of civic pride;
• Raising property values and aiding urban regeneration and neighbourhood renewal;
• Boosting the economic potential of tourism, leisure and cultural activities;
• Securing external funding and focusing capital and revenue expenditure cost-effectively;
• Providing a wide variety of cultural, social and community facilities;
• Protecting the historical, cultural and archaeological heritage;
23 BROAD ISSUES GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE • Illustrating the contribution to health agendas, e.g., reducing stress levels, by providing formal and informal recreational facilities;
• Providing popular outdoor educational facilities for schools and academic institutions;
• Improving physical and social inclusion, particularly for young, disabled and older people;
• Offering alternative routes for circulation, including networks for walking and cycling;
• Protecting and enhancing levels of biodiversity and ecological habitats;
• Providing environmental infrastructure to improve water quality and flood control.
Some local authorities in the county have carried out Open Space Assessments, and a number of Open Space or Green Space Strategies are currently being prepared. The complex and fragmented nature of the settlement pattern in the more populated areas of the county, with large numbers of small and medium sized settlements and a small number of larger settlements, is such that a combination of Green Space and Green Infrastructure Strategies is required.
Objectives • To promote the development of integrated Green Space and Green Infrastructure Strategies, and particularly for the semi-rural landscapes of the former coalfield areas.
• To ensure that development in the rural urban fringe is sustainable and where appropriate delivers wider environmental and social benefits.
• To promote the development of a coherent network of footpaths, green spaces, quiet lanes and greenways in the countryside around towns.
• To support and encourage the creation of natural green-space and community woodlands close to settlements.
• To support and encourage environmental improvement works in and around the county’s towns and villages.
• To support sustainable land management initiatives in the rural urban fringe.
24 DEVELOPMENT
Development Housing Industry Transport Minerals Waste Renewable Energy Recreation & Tourism
49 DEVELOPMENT HOUSING
Housing The population of County Durham is relatively stable although there are some areas with declining populations, principally in the east and west, and areas where population growth is projected. Demographic changes and changing patterns of occupancy create pressure for new housing development in most parts of the county, but generally at relatively modest levels. Some of this new development will be accommodated on ‘brownfield’ or redundant sites within towns and villages but some will take place on ‘greenfield’ sites on the edges of existing towns and villages.
New housing development can bring changes – positive or negative - to the rural and urban landscape in a number of ways.
• Rural or urban fringe countryside – often of value to local residents – may be lost to permanent development.
• Mature landscapes and landscape features like hedgerows and hedgerow trees may be lost directly, or indirectly in the widening of roads and junctions.
• The character of the wider landscape may be affected by the visual intrusion of new urban areas or settlement edges and its tranquillity eroded by increased noise levels and lighting.
• Local distinctiveness may be weakened by the introduction of ‘generic’ housing styles or alien building materials.
• The physical separation between settlements and sense of separate identity may be eroded.
• The physical form of settlements may be changed by infill development with the loss of open green spaces, mature gardens and trees.
• Pedestrian circulation within settlements can be obstructed by ‘introspective’ housing layouts.
• Large scale developments can shift established neighbourhood centres.
• The rural character of the surrounding countryside may be weakened by new recreational activities and increased traffic levels on quiet country roads.
• The structure and appearance of towns and villages – particularly former mining settlements - can be improved by filling gaps in the urban fabric and creating new attractive green spaces and settlement edges.
It is important that the form, pattern and detailing of new residential development respects the character of local landscapes and the vernacular of local townscapes and makes a positive contribution to the sustainability of settlements and communities.
Issues and Objectives Planning for new development The Regional Spatial Strategy sets the strategic framework for the provision of land to meet housing needs. District Wide Local Development Plans and emerging Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) allocate specific sites for new housing and contained more detailed policies. The overall objective of local planning policies is to accommodate new housing on land within or well related to the main towns, or in other towns and larger villages
50 DEVELOPMENT HOUSING where it is consistent with their scale and function. Priority is given to the redevelopment of derelict or redundant sites. The Landscape Assessment and Strategy are contributing to the preparation of Local Development Frameworks, informing the identification of allocations for housing and providing guidance on landscape issues.
Objectives
• To inform LDF policies and housing allocations.
Guiding new development The impacts of new development on the urban and rural landscape are heavily influenced by the details of site selection and design. The Landscape Character Assessment provides baseline information on landscape character which can be used to inform these processes, but further detailed guidance is needed on residential design in different landscapes. Building-in Sustainability, the regional guide to sustainable building and development, provides guidance on how to adopt sustainability principles in building works. Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) are being proposed as part of Local Development Frameworks to give further guidance on design issues. In some circumstances Village Design Statements produced by local people may be a useful tool for guiding development in settlements where there is significant development pressure.
Objectives
• To inform and support the development of a Supplementary Planning Documents dealing with design issues.
• To encourage the preparation of ‘Village Design Statements’ by local communities.
Mature landscape features New development in the countryside, or within settlements on sites like old gardens, often brings buildings close to mature trees and hedges. Incorporating existing features into a housing layout can give it maturity and character but they can be damaged by building works, and can be lost in the future if their proximity to buildings wasn’t fully catered for at the design stage. Where the loss of mature features, and particularly hedges, cannot be avoided, alternatives like translocation, or planting or managing features in the surrounding area can be undertaken to offset unavoidable impacts.
Objectives
• To encourage the retention and safeguarding on mature landscape features – and particularly mature trees and hedges – on development sites
• To encourage off-site mitigation of impacts on local landscape character
Sustainable communities New development can make a positive contribution to the structure, pattern and functioning of existing settlements and their relationship to the surrounding countryside. New urban green spaces can be created within the settlement and new community woodlands in the urban fringe. Connections within and between settlements in the form of new footpaths and cycle ways can be created. New wildlife habitats can be developed, for example as part of Sustainable Urban Drainage schemes. Good design and high quality detailing in the landscaping of spaces between new buildings can make a valuable contribution to the quality of the urban environment.
Objectives
• To encourage positive contributions to the sustainability and quality of life of local communities from new development.
• To encourage high standards of design and detailing in the landscaping of new development.
51 DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY
Industry The past dependence of the region on the declining industries of coal, steel and heavy engineering has lead to a major restructuring of the economy in the industrial landscapes of the coalfield. Many large new industrial estates have been developed around larger settlements and close to the strategic highway network. Future development is likely to take place on existing allocated and serviced (though as yet undeveloped) land and on New Prestige Employment Sites or Strategic Reserve Sites, some of which are in rural situations.
New industrial or commercial development can bring changes to the rural landscape in a number of ways.
• Rural or urban fringe countryside – often of value to local residents – may be lost to permanent development
• Mature landscapes and landscape features like hedgerows and hedgerow trees may be lost directly, or indirectly in the development of new roads and infrastructure.
• The character of the wider landscape may be affected by the visual intrusion of new industrial scale buildings.
• Local distinctiveness may be weakened by the introduction of ‘universal’ industrial buildings and building materials.
• The rural character of the countryside between settlements, and particularly along main transport corridors, may be eroded.
• The tranquillity of the surrounding countryside may be weakened by noise and light pollution and by increased traffic levels on local roads.
• The appearance of derelict or underused sites can be improved by high quality development.
There will be a continued need for new industrial development to meet the demands of a changing economy and the employment needs of local communities. It is important that such development does not detract from the character and quality of the countryside, which is important to both the quality of life of local people and to the marketing of County Durham as a high quality location for business.
Issues and Objectives Planning for new development The Regional Spatial Strategy sets the strategic framework for the provision of land to meet employment needs. District Wide Local Plans and emerging Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) allocate specific sites for new development and contained more detailed policies. The overall objective of local planning policies is to accommodate new development on allocated sites well related to the main settlements and transport networks. Priority is given to the redevelopment of derelict or redundant sites. The Landscape Assessment and Strategy are contributing to the preparation of Local Development Frameworks, informing the identification of allocations for industry and providing guidance on landscape issues.
Objectives
• To inform LDF policies and allocations. 52 DEVELOPMENT INDUSTRY Guiding new development The impacts of new development are heavily influenced by the details of site selection and design. The County Durham Landscape Character Assessment provides baseline information on landscape character which can be used to inform these processes. Building-in Sustainability, the regional guide to sustainable building and development, provides guidance on how to adopt sustainability principles in building works. Further detailed guidance is needed on design principles and issues in different landscapes. A number of Supplementary Planning Documents (SPD) are being proposed as part of Local Development Frameworks to give further guidance on design issues.
Objectives
• To inform and support the development of a Supplementary Planning Documents dealing with design issues.
Existing industrial Sites Some existing industrial sites have a high standard of external screening and interior landscaping. Others – and particularly those that have developed in a piecemeal fashion – have a poor appearance in views from surrounding areas and lack an integrated approach to the management of elements like structure planting. Existing sites can be made more attractive to local people and businesses alike by environmental improvement works and offsite screening.
Objectives
• To encourage improvements to the environment of industrial sites.
Vacant industrial land Vacant industrial land can have a run down and neglected appearance. There is little incentive to manage positively or create permanent landscape features where uncertainties exist over the form of future development. In some case permanent structure planting can be developed in advance of development, which will gain maturity and screening value in the interim. Some short-term uses of industrial land – for example as hay meadows – can have considerable biodiversity value.
Objectives
• To encourage positive management of vacant industrial land to improve its appearance and wildlife value.
• To encourage early structure planting on vacant and reserve sites.
53 DEVELOPMENT TRANSPORT
Transport In recent decades social and economic changes have led to mass car ownership, increases in road freight and changing patterns of travel for work, business and leisure. This has lead to both higher levels of traffic and the development of new infrastructure to cope with demand. There is growing recognition of the detrimental effects of transport on the environment, the economy and quality of life. This requires a new approach to ensure that future needs are provided for in away that reduces the impact of transport on people and their environment.
Increased traffic levels and new transport infrastructure can bring changes to the landscape in a number of ways.
• Road verges and roadside vegetation can be affected by pollution, salt spray and physical damage.
• Roadside walls and buildings may be affected by physical damage or vibration.
• Minor road works can erode the distinctive character and rural quality of minor roads.
• The use and enjoyment of country roads by walkers, cyclists and horse riders may be impaired.
• The rural character of the landscape may be affected by the introduction of new development – new landforms, bridges, surfaces, lighting, signage, landscaping and moving traffic.
• The tranquillity of the countryside may be weakened by noise and light pollution.
• Landscape features like natural landforms, hedgerows and mature trees may be lost.
• The structure of the landscape and the connectivity of habitats may be disrupted.
Transport Planning The Local Transport Plan 2006-2011 (LTP) outlines the approach towards the development of all forms of transport in the county and a programme of capital works for the plan period. In towns and villages it places an emphasis on the development of places for people to walk and cycle safely, and the improvement of public transport. In the countryside the main focus for action is sustaining the accessibility of jobs and services for the many people living in the countryside without access to a car and alleviating the impacts of private car use. The plan recognises the need to limit future traffic growth and the need to look for other solutions before new road construction is considered. Improvements to the highway network are proposed in some locations, including the provision of bypasses to remove traffic from towns.
Issues and Objectives New transport infrastructure The impacts of new infrastructure on the character of the landscape can be substantial. These can be reduced in some degree by careful route selection and engineering design, by retaining or translocating mature landscape features, by minimising lighting, by selecting materials and plant species for landscaping works which reflect the character of the local landscape, and by on and off-site planting. Most new development requires planning consent and in many cases the preparation of an Environmental Statement. The Landscape Assessment provides baseline information on landscape character which can inform these processes.
Objectives
54 DEVELOPMENT TRANSPORT • To ensure that new transport infrastructure is designed to minimise its impact on the character of the local landscape.
Minor road works The character of minor rural roads and lanes, from sunken hollow-ways and narrow winding lanes in the lowlands to straight enclosure roads in the upland fringes, is often an important component of local distinctiveness. Minor engineering improvements like junction improvements, traffic calming, road widening, and the easing of bends, kerbing, lighting and signage, can weaken their character as well as having a generally urbanising effect on the rural landscape. This can often be minimised by careful planning and design. The recent Guidelines for the Management of Roads in the North Pennines AONB provides a useful model for developing character area based guidelines elsewhere in the county.
Objectives
• To ensure that highway improvement works respect the rural and historic character of minor roads and lanes.
• To support the preparation of area based guidelines for the management of roads.
Traffic management High levels of traffic on rural roads affect both their physical fabric and their use and enjoyment by other groups – cyclists, horse riders and walkers. In some places this can be addressed by traffic management measures. Road networks can be designated as ‘Quiet Lanes’ or as access only routes where motorised traffic is discouraged. Weight restrictions and signage can reduce through traffic. The removal of road markings can reduce the speed of traffic. Under the Transport Act 2000 local authorities were given powers to designate Quiet Lanes and their development is being promoted through the Natural England’s Quiet Lanes initiative. The Local Transport plan provides for the identification of quiet routes and traffic calming measures in the countryside.
Objectives
• To support measures which reduce or manage traffic on rural roads.
• To support and promote the development of Quiet Lanes.
Cycling, walking and horse riding Cycling, walking and horse riding, whether for utility or recreation, can reduce motorised traffic and its impacts on the environment. The county is well provided with cycle ways and bridleways, many on old railway lines, but connections between many towns and villages remain on busy roads. The Local Transport Plan contains policies on the creation of cycle routes, including inter-urban utility and recreational routes. The County Durham Cycling Strategy and County Durham Walking Strategy promote cycling and walking and inform the Local Transport Plan. The Safer Routes to School project seeks to develop safe routes for schoolchildren. Natural England is promoting the development of ‘Greenways’ – multi-user car-free networks- providing people with the option of making journeys for work or leisure on foot, cycle or horseback.
Objectives
• To support and encourage initiatives which promote cycling and walking.
• To support the creation of Greenways between towns and villages.
Road verges Road verges are an attractive part of the highway landscape and an important habitat for wildlife. They often contain remnants of species rich grasslands that are declining in the wider countryside. These verges need to be managed to maintain their attractiveness and species diversity. Existing records of important roadside verges 55 DEVELOPMENT TRANSPORT are held on a GIS database by the County Council, including records from recent surveys in the North Pennines by the Durham BAP partnership. Further work is needed to complete this process to ensure the protection and conservation of important verges across the county. Roadside hedges, trees, woodlands and scrub also make an important contribution to the character and scenic quality of the landscape. They are vulnerable to physical damage, minor road improvements and routine maintenance works.
Objectives
• To support further surveys of roadside vegetation.
• To encourage the conservation and appropriate management of roadside verges
56 DEVELOPMENT MINERALS
Minerals County Durham is rich in mineral resources, and mineral extraction and processing has had a considerable impact on the character of the landscape. The industry’s legacy runs deep in the landscapes of the coalfield and the North Pennines, where in addition to the more obvious physical features – old abandoned quarries and mines and restored opencast workings – the settlement, and even enclosure patterns, have evolved under the influence of the mining economy.
Mineral extraction can bring changes to the rural landscape in a number of ways.
• Natural topography may be damaged temporarily or permanently.
• Mature landscapes and landscape features like hedgerows and hedgerow trees may be lost.
• The rural character of the landscape may be eroded by the presence of industrial features - extraction faces, stockpiles and screening mounds, buildings and processing plant.
• The tranquillity of the surrounding countryside may be weakened by noise and light pollution and by increased levels of lorry traffic on local roads.
• Local distinctiveness may be weakened by insensitive restoration.
• Derelict or contaminated land may be reclaimed efficiently by recovering minerals.
• New landscape features can be created on restoration which contribute to the local landscape – ponds and wetlands, native woodlands, species rich grasslands, heathland, hedges and walls.
• There will be a continued need for new mineral workings or extensions to existing workings in the future. It is important that these do not adversely affect valued attributes of the landscape, and where possible contribute to wider goals like restoring biodiversity.
Issues and Objectives Planning for new development The adopted County Durham Minerals Local Plan 2000 sets out the detailed local planning policies and proposals that guide mineral working. It will be replaced by the emerging County Durham Minerals and Waste Local Development Framework. This will contain policies concerning the general needs for new mineral working, the efficient use of resources, and the protection of the environment and amenity of those affected by it. It will also contain specific proposals for future working of particular minerals. The County Durham Landscape Assessment and Strategy will contribute to this process, informing landscape policies and the identification of allocated sites or areas of search.
Objectives
• To inform Local Development Framework policies and allocations.
57 DEVELOPMENT MINERALS Guiding new development Mineral working inevitably involves change in the landscape. The extent to which this is positive or negative depends on how sites are selected, designed, and restored. The County Durham Landscape Character Assessment and Strategy provides baseline information on landscape character and broad objectives for county character areas which can be used to inform these processes. Building-in Sustainability, the regional guide to sustainable building and development, provides guidance on how to adopt sustainability principles in mineral workings. A Supplementary Planning Document is currently being prepared as part of the Minerals & Waste LDF which will give further guidance on landscape issues.
Objectives
• To inform and support the development of a Supplementary Planning Document on Minerals & Waste.
Existing mineral sites Mineral workings can be long lived and many existing sites date from planning permissions granted some time ago when standards were lower. The operation and restoration of sites granted permission between 1948 and 1982 is now subject of a review process under the Environment Act 1995. Despite this process there are often residual impacts – particularly visual impacts - that are difficult to mitigate. In some areas – and particularly on the limestone escarpment – the cumulative impact of existing sites is significant and likely to increase in the coming decades. Action plans for areas such as these which provided for off site structure planting and hedgerow planting, together with improvements to disrupted footpath networks, could address some of these issues.
Objectives
• To encourage improvements to the appearance of active and dormant mineral workings.
• To promote and support area based initiatives that address the impacts of mineral workings.
Creative Restoration The restoration of mineral workings can offer significant opportunities to meet wider goals like enhancing landscape character and biodiversity, increasing access to the countryside, or contributing to the expansion of woodland. This Strategy identifies broad objectives for local landscapes which should be used, together with the Landscape Guidelines and other strategies like the Durham Biodiversity Action Plan, to inform the after-use and detailed design of restored sites.
Objectives
• To encourage the creative restoration of mineral workings to restore or enhance landscape character and biodiversity and bring benefits to local communities.
Legacies from the past Mineral working has had an enduring impact on much of the Durham landscape. Some features like old quarries and lead mining remains are important components of local landscape character. Other mining legacies - dereliction, the contamination of watercourses and beaches, the poor restoration design of early opencast workings and reclamation schemes - are problematic. Some derelict sites have a nature conservation or heritage value which needs to be balanced against their environmental problems. The reclamation programme, together with initiatives like the Turning The Tide project on the coast, has accomplished a great deal in recent decades. Further work is required to deal with residual issues like contamination and pollution, and to improve the character and conservation value of restored land.
Objectives: 58 DEVELOPMENT MINERALS • To promote an understanding of the importance of mining heritage to the character of local landscapes and to secure the conservation of key features.
• To promote and support landscape renewal initiatives which seek to improve the character and biodiversity of areas affected in the past by mineral working.
59 DEVELOPMENT WASTE
Waste The disposal of waste in County Durham in the past has been largely to landfill due to the abundance of capacity in abandoned quarries and clay pits. This has discouraged the development of more sustainable methods of waste management and encouraged large quantities of waste to be imported from nearby conurbations. The increasing emphasis placed on recycling and recovery of waste and the requirement to reduce waste going to landfill under the EC Landfill Directive are bringing about a significant change in the way waste is managed.
Waste management and disposal facilities can bring changes to the rural landscape in a number of ways.
• Natural topography may be permanently damaged by land-filling or land-raising
• Geological exposures in old quarries may be concealed.
• Mature landscapes and landscape features like hedgerows and hedgerow trees may be lost.
• The rural character of the landscape may be eroded by the presence of industrial features - operational and tipping areas, litter-trap fencing, stockpiles and screening mounds, processing plant and buildings
• The tranquillity of the surrounding countryside may be weakened by noise and light pollution and by increased levels of lorry traffic on local roads.
• Local distinctiveness may be weakened by insensitive restoration.
• Old mineral workings, derelict or contaminated land may be restored by landfilling.
• Organic wastes may be returned to land to restore or increase soil fertility.
• New landscape features can be created on restoration that contribute to the local landscape – ponds and wetlands, native woodlands, species rich grasslands, heathland, hedges and walls.
There will be a continued need for new waste management and disposal facilities ranging from landfill sites to waste digesters. It is important that these developments do not adversely affect valued attributes of the landscape, and where possible contribute to wider goals like restoring biodiversity.
Issues and Objectives Planning for new development The adopted County Durham Waste Local Plan sets out the detailed local planning policies and proposals that guide the management of waste. It will be replaced by the emerging County Durham Minerals and Waste Local Development Framework. Its informing principles will be to minimise the amount of waste produced and to view waste as a resource from which value can be extracted through recycling or recovery, before disposal of the residues. The Landscape Assessment and Strategy will be used to inform both the selection and design requirements of sites that come forward through the Waste Local Plan process.
Objectives
• To inform Local Development Framework policies and allocations.
60 DEVELOPMENT WASTE Guiding new development The impacts of new waste facilities will be strongly influenced by the way sites are selected, designed, managed and restored. The Landscape Character Assessment and Strategy provides baseline information on landscape character, and broad objectives which can inform those processes. New technologies bring new challenges, both in terms of accommodating new types of development, and in integrating waste and land management objectives – for example in returning organic wastes or residues to land. There is a need for further design guidance on waste development and particularly for these newer technologies. A Supplementary Planning Document is currently being prepared (2007) as part of the Minerals & Waste LDF which will give further guidance on landscape issues.
Objectives
• To inform and support the development of a Supplementary Planning Document on Minerals & Waste.
Landfill Approved landfill capacity in the County has been declining and is currently low in some areas and for particular types of waste. The emphasis placed on protecting water resources by the Environment Agency in the recent The Location and Impact Assessment of Landfill Sites may result in new sites being required off the Permian limestone aquifer which in the past has presented most opportunities in abandoned quarries. New landfill or land-raise sites may therefore be proposed on greenfield sites. Some existing landfill sites are visually intrusive and unsightly. Their effects on the locality could be improved in places by on-site improvements and off-site planting.
Objectives:
• To ensure that new landfill or land-raise proposals are in keeping with the character of the landscape and contribute to the landscape strategy for the area.
• To encourage improvements to the appearance of active landfill sites.
Restoration and aftercare Restoration can offer opportunities to meet wider goals like enhancing landscape character and biodiversity or increasing woodland cover. Restoration design is often constrained by the need to accommodate settlement, leachate and gas control, or energy recovery. Restoration and aftercare works may need to be phased over a long period to achieve satisfactory results. This Strategy identifies broad objectives for local landscapes which should be used, together with the Landscape Guidelines and other strategies like the Durham Biodiversity Action Plan, to inform the after-use and detailed design of restored sites.
Objectives
• To encourage the creative restoration of waste disposal sites to restore or enhance landscape character and biodiversity and bring benefits to local communities.
Legacies from the past Reclamation practices on many former waste disposal sites in the County were significantly below modern standards and some sites were restored with little regard to landscape character. Opportunities to improve the landscape quality of former waste disposal sites may be constrained by the lack of adequate capping materials or ongoing operational and monitoring requirements.
Objectives
• To secure improvements to the restoration of old waste disposal sites where technically feasible.
61 DEVELOPMENT WASTE Specification of recycled materials There are many opportunities for using recycled materials in landscaping works. The use of reclaimed stone or brick, secondary aggregates, recovered soils and organic composts or street furniture manufactured from recycled materials can help reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.
Objectives
• To promote the use of re-used or recycled material in landscaping works.
62 DEVELOPMENT RENEWABLE ENERGY
Renewable energy In response to the threats posed by climate change the Government has set a target for reducing CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050. As one of the measures to meet that objective it is proposing to achieve 10% of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2010, and 20% by 2020.This requires a radical change in the way energy is generated and one that is likely to bring new forms of development and new crops to the rural landscape.
New renewable energy development can bring changes to the landscape in a number of ways.
• New development of an industrial nature in the countryside may be visually intrusive and may weaken its rural character.
• Large wind turbines may dominate the local landscape and be visible over extensive areas.
• New infrastructure in the form of access roads, power lines and substations may be damaging to landscape features or be visually intrusive.
• New energy crops may introduce novel features, textures or colours to farmland landscapes.
• New energy efficient buildings, or energy installations on existing buildings, may conflict with traditional architectural styles.
The North East renewable Energy Strategy (March 2005) published by the North East Assembly describes the renewable energy resources in the region and sets targets for energy generation to 2020.
Issues and Objectives Planning for renewable energy The Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) provides the strategic planning policy framework for renewable energy development in the region. It sets sub-regional targets for energy generation, including a target of 82MW for County Durham. Local Plans contain more detailed policies, as will the Local Development Frameworks (LDFs) that replace them. The Landscape Assessment and Strategy will contribute to the preparation of LDFs, informing the formulation of policies and providing guidance on landscape issues.
Objectives
• To inform Local Development Framework policies.
Wind Energy It is likely that wind energy will make the largest contribution to new renewable energy generation in the county in the coming decade. RSS identifies a number of ‘broad areas of least constraint’ for wind energy generation, which include the northern and southern uplands of the West Durham Coalfield, the East Durham Plateau and the Tees Plain. Modern wind turbines are uniquely large structures that occupy prominent locations and are generally highly visible. Their development always involves an impact on the character of the landscape. For some landscapes the consequences are greater than others. For example in the wild moorland landscapes of the North Pennines the introduction of large man made elements would entail more of a ‘step change’ in character than in settled landscapes which already contain man-made features like pylons, telecommunications and TV masts. In all landscapes there are local sensitivities. Small-scale topography, field and vegetation patterns may be dwarfed 63 DEVELOPMENT RENEWABLE ENERGY by tall structures. Turbines may interfere visually, or detract from the setting of, notable buildings, designed parks and gardens, or historic monuments. The tranquillity of the countryside may be disturbed by the presence of moving turbines. The movement or noise of turbines in close proximity may affect the amenity of local residents.
Physical, economic and environmental constraints are likely to make large parts of the county unsuited to development, and pressure is likely to be concentrated in certain areas. The pattern of constraints in County Durham is such that there are few opportunities for large or medium scale wind farms. Development is likely to take place largely in the form of smaller scale groups (up to five or six turbines). It is important that the cumulative impact of individual sites is taken into account and the right balance is struck between the concentration of development in some landscapes and the consequences to the wider landscape of a more dispersed pattern of development. It is important that local communities are involved at an early stage in the planning process and particularly in making judgements about the capacity of the local landscape to accommodate new development.
Objectives
• To ensure that wind energy development does not detract from the special qualities of designated landscapes and in particular the North Pennines AONB, the Durham Cathedral and Castle World Heritage Site, Scheduled Ancient Monuments and Historic Parks and Gardens.
• To ensure that the scale and form of wind farms is compatible with the character of the local landscape and the wider landscapes in which they are visible.
• To ensure that the cumulative impact of wind farms in any one locality is not excessive.
• To promote the involvement of local communities at an early stage in the planning process.
Biomass Energy or heat can be produced in a number of ways from biomass - whether woody material from forest products, waste wood and energy crops like willow or poplar, or non-woody material such as biodegradable wastes and high energy crops. New facilities such as anaerobic digesters, power stations, and pyrolisis plants are likely to be proposed, some in rural locations close to their sources of materials. The introduction of unfamiliar crops may also have an impact on the landscape. Short rotation coppice in particular is likely to become more commonly planted. This can make a positive contribution to the character of some landscapes, as well as to their biodiversity, but will need careful site selection and design.
Objectives:
• To ensure that new energy development respects the character of the local landscape and contributes to the strategy for the area.
• To encourage sensitive site selection and design in the planting of energy crops.
Other technologies Other renewables technologies – principally hydroelectric, solar and geo-energy – are likely to have relatively small-scale applications in the county in the immediate future. Impacts on the landscape are likely to be localised, but many suitable locations (for example the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Areas of High Landscape Value) are likely to be sensitive. Care will need to be taken to ensure that development respects the character of the local landscape, buildings and townscapes.
Objectives:
• To ensure that new energy development respects the character of the local landscape and built environment.
64 DEVELOPMENT RECREATION AND TOURISM
Recreation and Tourism The rural landscapes of County Durham are attractive to both residents and visitors. Tourism is important to the economy, and particularly in rural areas like the North Pennines, and there is considerable demand for recreational and sporting activities in the countryside around towns and villages. Environmentally sustainable tourism and recreation can encourage appreciation of the landscape, wildlife, culture and history of the countryside while providing new opportunities for diversification and employment.
New recreational or tourist development and associated activities can also bring changes to the rural landscape in a number of ways.
• Development may have an ‘urbanising’ effect on the rural landscape through the introduction of new buildings and land uses.
• The tranquillity of the countryside may be affected by noisy activities, increased traffic levels and lighting.
• Mature landscapes and landscape features may be damaged or lost.
• Land may be managed without the expertise or resources of farmers and foresters.
• The conversion of traditional buildings and the scale or design of new buildings may be out of keeping with the vernacular character of the locality.
• Pressures of visitor numbers can lead to damage to footpaths and fragile habitats.
• Recreational developments may bring opportunities to re-use and maintain traditional buildings, or to support traditional forms of land management.
Tourism and recreational activities play an increasingly important role in the rural economy. It is essential that they don’t detract from the very qualities that make the countryside attractive to visitors and residents.
Issues and Objectives Planning for new development in the countryside Most new development requires planning permission and District Wide Local Plans contain policies for recreational development in the countryside, as will the Local Development Frameworks that are to replace them. The Landscape Assessment and Strategy will contribute to the preparation or review of development plans, informing policy making, and will assist in evaluating proposals that come forward.
Objectives
• To inform Local Development Framework policies.
Guiding new development The impacts of new development are heavily influenced by the details of site selection and design. The County Durham Landscape Character Assessment provides baseline information on landscape character which can be used to inform these processes. Building-in Sustainability, the regional guide to sustainable building and development, provides guidance on how to adopt sustainability principles in building works. Further detailed guidance is needed on design principles and issues in different landscapes. A number of Supplementary 65 DEVELOPMENT RECREATION AND TOURISM Planning Documents (SPD) are being proposed as part of Local Development Frameworks to give further guidance on design issues.
Objectives
• To inform and support the development of a Supplementary Planning Documents dealing with design issues.
Urbanisation Changes from agriculture or forestry to recreation based land uses can erode the specifically rural character of the countryside, introducing features more characteristic of urban or suburban landscapes. This ranges from the development of new roads and buildings to the creation of formal or exotic landscaping such as that found on golf courses. The extent to which this happens depends partly on the location of new development and partly on the way it is designed and managed.
Objectives
• To minimise urbanising effects on the rural landscape by ensuring that new development respects the character of the local landscape and contributes to the landscape strategy for the area.
• To encourage the use of species and materials native to, or characteristic of, the local landscape in landscaping proposals.
Tranquillity New development can erode the tranquillity of the countryside. Noisy activities like motor sports can be particularly intrusive as can the high levels of lighting required for activities like golf driving ranges. Increased numbers of visitors can lead to higher levels of traffic on rural roads, which makes them less attractive to other users. Noise from traffic can disturb the tranquillity of the wider landscape.
Objectives
• To encourage the selection of suitable locations for noisy activities and particularly areas close to existing noise sources like busy roads.
• To minimise the effects of lighting by encouraging the selection of suitable locations for developments like driving ranges and by promoting good practice in lighting design.
• To encourage sustainable transport solutions in planning for new recreational development.
Conservation of landscape features Development or changes in land use can result in the loss of mature landscape features and habitats either directly, by their removal, or indirectly through changes in management. Some forms of development, like golf courses or fishing lakes, may involve changes to the landform affecting either natural topography or historic features like rigg and furrow. Retaining existing features can bring maturity, quality and a sense of identity to new development. Opportunities may also arise to restore or create features and habitats that are declining in the wider landscape.
Objectives
• To encourage the protection and conservation of existing landscape features in new development.
• To encourage the restoration or creation of locally distinctive landscape features and habitats.
Equestrian activities Features associated with horse riding - stables and buildings, ranch fencing and horse jumps – can bring a domestic scale and suburban character to working agricultural landscapes. 66 DEVELOPMENT RECREATION AND TOURISM Pony paddocks are sometimes poorly managed; hedgerows may be browsed or unmanaged and the ground may be heavily poached or weed infested. There is a general lack of guidance and advice for small-scale land managers who often lack the expertise of traditional land managers.
Objectives
• To encourage good management of land used for equestrian activities.
Buildings The reuse of older buildings can be an important way of retaining them as features of the landscape. Their conversion to new uses can often be done in a way that respects their character. New buildings can be out of scale or character with their surroundings unless located and designed with care. In some cases specialised uses may preclude the use of traditional designs or materials in buildings, and robust screening in the form of woodland planting may be required if they are to be assimilated into the surrounding countryside.
Objectives
• To encourage the re-use or sensitive conversion of existing buildings in the countryside.
• To ensure that new buildings respect the scale and architectural character of the locality or are adequately screened by vegetation.
67 LAND MANAGEMENT
LAND MANAGEMENT Agriculture
Woodlands & Forestry
Moors & Heaths
Field Boundaries
Rivers & Wetlands
Designed Landscapes
25 LAND MANAGEMENT AGRICULTURE
Agriculture The appearance and character of the rural landscapes of County Durham owe much to the way they have been managed by successive generations of farmers. The second half of the twentieth century saw widespread intensification in agriculture under the influence of national and European Community agricultural policies promoting technological progress and productivity. This brought change to many agricultural landscapes, and for most, a decline in the strength of character and diversity of the landscape and a loss of wildlife habitats
In recent decades the introduction of new legislation and agri-environment schemes supporting farmers in maintaining valued areas of countryside have reduced the large scale loss of habitat and the removal of landscape features. Significant problems remain, however, including overgrazing in some upland areas, a continuing decline of historic landscape features, falling populations of some common farmland species, pollution of watercourses, and ongoing damage to sites of nature conservation value.
The future of our farmland landscapes is likely to be influenced by the growing economic pressures coming from the liberalisation of global markets and increased global demand for both food and bio-fuels, balanced by an increasing emphasis on support for agri-environmental schemes and diversification of the rural economy. It is also likely to be affected in the medium to long term by climate change, which may bring changing patterns of cultivation and new crops.
Issues and Objectives Agricultural policy Under recent reforms of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) agricultural subsidies have been decoupled from production, the Single Farm Payment replacing a range of individual production-based subsidies. The impacts on the character of the landscape of this fundamental change in the nature of agricultural support are difficult to predict at this early stage. Increased resources have been allocated to agri-environment schemes, but again their potential influence on the landscape is not yet clear.
Objectives
• To monitor the impacts of new agricultural support mechanisms on the character of the landscape to inform the development of national policies.
Legacies of the past In the uplands of the county, high stocking levels have lead to a decline in the quality of semi-natural vegetation. Across all landscapes there has been a reduction in the species-diversity of pastures and meadows as a result of drainage and reseeding, the use of high levels of fertilisers and herbicides, and the move from hay to silage production. There has been an increase in cultivation in areas of formerly mixed farmland resulting in the loss of older pastures, increases in field size, removal of hedgerows and hedgerow trees and drainage of wetlands.
Many traditional features of the agricultural landscape have also declined through neglect as they have become functionally less important, or costly to maintain. Many hedgerows have become overgrown or gappy - supplanted by wire fences or trimmed low by mechanical flails. Many hedgerow trees planted in the past for farm timber are now reaching the end of their natural lives and are not being replaced by a new generation of trees. Field ponds for the watering of livestock in formerly pastoral areas have silted up or become isolated in the 26 LAND MANAGEMENT AGRICULTURE middle of large arable fields. Many old field barns and other farm buildings have fallen into disrepair or been replaced by larger modern buildings.
Restoration of landscape features is only possible or appropriate in some landscapes. In others we must look to the development of new farmland landscapes that meet the challenges of changing economic and environmental forces while respecting landscape character and local distinctiveness.
Objectives
• To encourage conservation, restoration and enhanced management of semi-natural habitats and traditional features of the farmland landscape.
• To promote a ’landscape-scale’ approach to conservation and restoration works.
• To provide access to information on the character of the landscape to help inform the future decisions of farmers and land managers.
Agri-environmental schemes From 2005 pre-existing agri-environmental schemes were replaced by the single Environmental Stewardship scheme, which includes both a Higher Level Scheme (HLS) for specialist management and restoration works and a ‘broad and shallow’ Entry Level Scheme (ELS) to support good environmental management. To be effective these new schemes will need to be responsive to the needs of different landscapes, be integrated with activities across the whole farm, and in some circumstances across the wider landscape.
Take-up of ELS has been fairly widespread in the county, although the number of schemes incorporating HLS has been limited to date. Take-up may be expected to increase as HLS replaces some existing ESA agreements and Countryside Stewardship schemes. There is some concern that HLS will be strongly targeted on important sites like SSSI, leaving a gap in resources available for specialised and capital works elsewhere.
Objectives
• To encourage and facilitate entry into Environmental Stewardship Schemes.
• To monitor the take up of schemes and identify gaps in funding provision.
• To inform the targeting of resources with an understanding of local landscape character.
• To encourage the development of integrated area-based schemes.
• To encourage the adoption of a ‘whole farm’ approach.
Environmental Management Modern farming techniques have costs to the environment including pollution of watercourses or groundwater and reduction in the diversity of vegetation and wildlife through the use of herbicides and pesticides. Environmental impacts can be reduced by adopting practices like Integrated Farm Management, which integrates beneficial natural processes into modern farming activities using advanced technology, or by adopting organic techniques. New crops and technologies like genetically modified organisms can bring risks to the environment that must be assessed before deployment at a landscape scale.
Objectives
• To encourage the adoption of Integrated Farm Management techniques to reduce inputs and minimise environmental impacts.
• To encourage organic farming and particularly in areas of high environmental sensitivities.
27 LAND MANAGEMENT AGRICULTURE • To encourage the adoption of permanent grassland margins, and /or conservation headlands, around arable fields to buffer hedges and watercourses.
• To resist the introduction of genetically modified organisms unless their environmental effects are thoroughly understood and are acceptable.
Diversification Diversification of the rural economy is critical to the future of rural communities but brings its own challenges in terms of the scale and types of development appropriate to rural landscapes. The most sustainable forms of diversification are likely to be those which are closely associated with farming and forestry and which do not detract from the rural character of the countryside.
Objectives
• To encourage sustainable forms of farm diversification that respect the character of local landscapes.
• To encourage sensitive design in the conversion of old farm buildings, and sensitive siting, design and screening of new farm buildings.
Climate Change In the coming decades, climate change is likely to bring new challenges to the agricultural landscape, which may see changing patterns of cultivation or the introduction of new crops. Agriculture itself contributes to climate change, being responsible for about 7.5% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. Food is increasingly transported long distances to markets which contributes further. There are farming techniques such as minimum tillage, improving grassland management and agro forestry which may improve carbon storage. In the long term the substitution of agricultural products for petrochemicals as fuels - such as bio-diesel or biomass - or in manufacturing processes may have a role in reducing CO2 emissions.
Objectives
• To encourage farming systems which minimize inputs, and emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses.
• To encourage local marketing of farm produce.
• To encourage farming techniques which increase carbon storage.
• To encourage the development of energy crops and particularly where they contribute to the enhancement of farmland landscapes
Changing land tenure In recent decades there have been considerable changes in land tenure with an increasing number of both large and small land holdings. This reflects the amalgamation of working farms into larger units and the spread of smallholdings, part-time farms, hobby farms and ‘horsiculture’. An increasing proportion of the countryside is managed by people other than farmers, many of whom lack their expertise and their access to advice and resources. There remains a need for advice and small-scale grants for landscape conservation works which are not provided through mainstream agri-environmental schemes.
Objectives
• To support the provision of advice and financial assistance to the managers of smaller land holdings to promote appropriate management and conservation of landscape features.
28 LAND MANAGEMENT AGRICULTURE Farmland around towns Farming in the urban fringe is subject to many pressures including trespass, vandalism and fly tipping. At the same time the proximity of urban populations can bring opportunities for building local markets for farm produce or for diversification into providing recreational or educational services. The promotion and development of a local food economy through farmers markets is already well established in some of the county’s market towns.
Objectives
• To encourage diversification in the countryside around towns where it can bring benefits to local communities and to the urban fringe environment.
• To encourage the production and marketing of high quality local produce and closer links between local farmers, processors, retailers and customers.
• To promote understanding of the countryside generally among urban communities and particularly the young.
29 LAND MANAGEMENT WOODLANDS AND FORESTRY
Woodlands and Forestry Woodlands and forests are very important to the character of the Durham landscape and particularly the valley landscapes of the Wear lowlands, the upland fringes and the dales. The Government’s Strategy for England’s Trees, Woods and Forests (DEFRA 2007) aims to:
• provide, in England, a resource of trees, woods and forests in places where they can contribute most in terms of environmental, economic and social benefits now and for future generations;
• ensure that existing and newly planted tees, woods and forests are resilient to the impacts of climate change and also contribute to the way in which biodiversity and natural resources adjust to a changing climate;
• protect and enhance the environmental resources of water, soil, air, biodiversity and landscapes (both woodland and non-woodland), and the cultural and amenity values of trees and woodland;
• increase the contribution that trees, woods and forests make to the quality of life for those living in, working in or visiting England;
• improve the competitiveness of woodland businesses and promote the development of new or improved markets for sustainable woodland product and ecosystem services where this will deliver identifiable public benefits, nationally or locally, including the reduction of carbon emissions.
The first Regional Forest Strategy (RFS) for the North East of England, Trees, Woodlands, Forests and People was published in 2005. Delivery plans for the strategy are produced annually.
Issues and Objectives The condition and isolation of ancient semi-natural woodlands. Most ancient woodlands in the county survive as isolated fragments. The physical and genetic isolation of woodland plants and animals has led to a decline in biodiversity and the ability of species to cope with forces like climate change. This has been compounded by changes in the agricultural landscapes around woodlands - particularly the decline in hedgerows and the improvement of grasslands - which have further reduced biodiversity and opportunities for migration. Many ancient woodlands have been heavily modified over the years by the planting of ornamental or commercial species. Many were clear felled and replanted with conifers in the mid C20th. These Planted Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) often contain relics of the flora and fauna of ancient woodland.
Objectives
• To encourage the mapping of ancient woodlands in the county and assessment of their condition.
• To encourage the protection of ancient semi-natural woods – and particularly the adoption of policies in Local Development Frameworks which protect woodlands from the impacts of development.
• To encourage positive and appropriate management of semi-natural woods.
• To encourage the restoration of damaged or planted ancient woodlands.
30 LAND MANAGEMENT WOODLANDS AND FORESTRY • To promote a strategic landscape-scale approach to the creation of new native woods, and encourage planting which extends, or improve links between, isolated woods.
• To encourage the positive management or restoration of other important habitats within the wider ‘forest habitat network’ – and particularly hedges and species-rich grasslands.
Conserving and managing existing woodlands. Some woodlands in the County, and particularly smaller broadleaved woodlands, receive little active management. Traditional management techniques like coppicing have generally been abandoned for some time. Where woods are grazed – particularly a problem with upland gill woods – there is little natural regeneration and the woodlands are in decline in their physical extent and their landscape and wildlife value.
Objectives
• To encourage the protection and conservation of the county’s woodlands.
• To encourage the appropriate management of woodlands to maximise their environmental value and ensure their long term viability and productivity
• To promote understanding of the management requirements of the varied woodland types within the county.
• To promote the adoption of woodland management plans and encourage greater participation in woodland grant aid schemes.
• To adopt the Forestry Stewardship Council standard for the management of the Council’s woodlands, and promote its wider adoption.
• To support woodland initiatives such as the NORTHWOODS project.
• To encourage and promote greater involvement of local communities in the management, planting and care of woodlands and trees in their neighbourhoods.
Forest design Some forests and plantations established in the C20th were designed with little regard to landscape character, biodiversity, water quality or archaeological interests. Opportunities now exist to improve forest design through restructuring as timber crops reach felling age. The adoption of Forest Plans and Forest Design Plans can assist in this process.
Objectives
• To encourage the sensitive restructuring of plantations
• To encourage an increase in the proportion of locally native broadleaved species in plantations.
• To encourage the removal of trees or plantations from sites of ecological or archaeological importance damaged by recent planting.
• To encourage improvements in the design of plantations and shelterbelts during restocking to improve their ‘fit’ with the surrounding landscape.
Supply and utilisation of woodland products The utilisation of locally grown timber in the county is limited in some degree by lack of demand and supply. There is a need to develop new markets for timber products, and particularly hardwoods, as a way of adding value to woodlands and so fostering better management. There is also a need to encourage the production of higher quality timber to meet market requirements. Forestry crops, residues and biomass crops are likely to have
31 LAND MANAGEMENT WOODLANDS AND FORESTRY an increasing role to play in reducing greenhouse gases through their use in heating and energy generation schemes.
Objectives
• To encourage the development of new local markets for woodland produce including wood-fuels, woodland crafts and niche markets.
• To encourage architects and specifiers to use a greater proportion of timber for construction and other purposes and source such timber from regional suppliers.
• To encourage the increased use of wood fuels such as short rotation coppice and forest residues as a contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Woodland expansion. Woodland cover in the county is low (6%) in comparison with national average of 9%, the average for England of 7.5% and the average for the region of 12%. The landscape of parts of the county has been heavily affected by urban and industrial development or mineral extraction and would benefit from new woodland planting to strengthen its character and improve the setting of towns and villages. With ongoing pressures on farming incomes, forestry can have a role to play in diversifying the rural economy. The county contains substantial areas of lower grades of agricultural land and also of reclaimed or restored opencast land. Large areas in the west of the county have Less Favoured Area status. The whole of the county lies within either a Rural Productivity ‘Lagging’ Area or an Economic Regeneration Priority Area identified in the Forestry Commission’s England Woodland Grant Scheme. Large areas of the county – including the North Pennines AONB and much of the West Durham Coalfield - lies within a Woodland Creation Initiative Area identified in the North East RFS.
The creation of new woodlands can provide many benefits including:
expanding timber and other woodland resources;
enhancing the beauty of the countryside and contributing to the diversity and distinctiveness of rural and urban landscapes;
creating and improving habitats for wildlife;
regulating the movement of water through river catchments, reducing soil erosion and the leaching of pollutants into surface and ground waters;
helping to revitalise derelict and degraded land;
creating jobs and providing opportunities for economic diversification in rural areas;
improving the quality of life, especially in and around towns and cities by creating opportunities for recreation, education and local community involvement;
storing carbon.
Objectives
• To promote a substantial increase in the County’s woodland cover while ensuring that plans for woodland expansion are integrated with wider environmental, economic and social objectives.
• To encourage the establishment of new woodlands and particularly:
o new native woodlands to help reverse woodland losses and habitat fragmentation, strengthen landscape character and enhance biodiversity;
32 LAND MANAGEMENT WOODLANDS AND FORESTRY o new community woodlands in areas close to settlements to provide new opportunities for public access;
o new large multi-purpose woodlands in landscapes which can accommodate them and in particular those areas affected in the past by land reclamation, opencast working or agricultural intensification;
o new woodlands in the urban fringe improving the appearance of settlements and creating a setting for new development;
o new woodlands in the restoration of mineral workings or waste disposal sites, or in the reclamation of derelict land;
o new woodlands on land in public ownership including reclaimed land and industrial sites;
o new woodlands in the Great North Forest.
A spatial strategy for new woodland planting The landscapes of the county vary in their ability to accommodate new woodlands – either because of their existing wildlife value or historical interest, or the particular characteristics of the local landscape. The benefits of woodland creation are also likely to be greater in some areas, for example close to centres of population or in areas heavily affected by mineral working.
In some cases land might be sensitive to new planting for one reason while planting may be desirable there for another. For example an upland meadow on the dale floor may be sensitive because of its existing landscape and wildlife value, but it may lie within a potential corridor for connecting native woodland habitat. For this reason, the Woodland Strategy maps these two factors separately.
Sensitivity The sensitivity of any landscape to new woodland planting depends partly on the contribution that woodlands already make to its character. Landscapes in which woodlands are important components of character are generally less sensitive to new woodland planting than those where woodlands are absent or uncharacteristic. Some landscapes where woodlands are sparse may be of lower sensitivity, and particularly if their openness is a product of recent forces like agricultural intensification or surface mineral working, or where wooded examples of the same landscape type can be found elsewhere. In some sensitive open landscapes there are local landscapes or landscape features which are less sensitive to woodland planting than their surroundings. For example the development of new native woodlands in moorland gills may enhance the character of the moorland landscape without compromising its general openness.
Sensitivity also depends greatly on the scale, type and location of new woodlands. Landscapes in which small woodlands are characteristic may not be sensitive to the development of similar woods but may be sensitive to the introduction of large woods. Sensitivity mapping can therefore only be carried out with a relatively broad brush. Guidance on the design of new woodlands in the county’s different landscapes can be found in the County Durham Landscape Guidelines.
The strategy identifies Highly Sensitive, Sensitive and Less Sensitive areas on the basis of the character of the local landscape type, and the presence of nature conservation and cultural heritage designations.
Highly Sensitive Areas are those where landscape, nature conservation or heritage value is particularly high, and likely to be threatened by significant changes in land use. The strategy for these areas should be to broadly maintain the current balance of land uses. New woodland planting should only take place in exceptional circumstances.
Sensitive Areas are those where the landscape has many valued characteristics but depends in part for its character on the presence of woodlands. New woodlands of an appropriate scale, type and location may
33 LAND MANAGEMENT WOODLANDS AND FORESTRY strengthen landscape character and bring wider environmental benefits. The strategy for these areas should be to increase woodland cover where it can make a positive contribution to landscape character and biodiversity, and particularly in Priority Areas.
Less Sensitive Areas are those where new woodlands could generally be developed without adverse effects on landscape character or biodiversity provided that careful consideration was given to siting and design. The strategy for these areas should be to increase woodland cover, and particularly in Priority Areas
Priority Areas Priority areas for new woodland planting are those where the greatest public or environmental benefit might arise from new woodland creation. Four types of priority areas are mapped.
Native Woodland Priority Areas are areas close to (<500m) existing native woodlands where new planting may buffer or extend the woodland habitat.
Riparian Woodland Priority Areas are areas close to rivers and streams (<100m from major watercourses, <50m from minor watercourses) where new planting may control erosion and improve the quality of the river and river corridor habitat.
34 LAND MANAGEMENT WOODLANDS AND FORESTRY
Community Woodland Priority Areas are areas close to where people live (<1000m from larger settlements, <500m from smaller settlements) where new planting may create opportunities for access and recreation.
Landscape Improvement Priority Areas are areas where the landscape is in poor condition (local landscapes with strategies of Enhance or Restore or Enhance) and where new woodland planting would enhance the character of the landscape.
Outside of priority areas there are other areas suitable for new woodland creation that have not been identified due to the more limited opportunities arising there for meeting wider social and environmental goals.
These woodland strategy maps can be viewed in an online Geographical Information System (GIS) on the council’s website at www.durham.gov.uk/landscape
35 LAND MANAGEMENT MOORS AND HEATHS
Moors and Heaths Moorlands are important components of the Durham landscape, covering extensive areas on the higher ridges and plateaux of the North Pennines. Many are of national or international importance for their biodiversity. Smaller heathlands in the lowlands and Pennine fringes are survivors from the more pastoral medieval landscape and are the last refuges for heathland plants and animals in otherwise intensively managed farmlands. Many moors and heaths in the county are registered as common land, and most are now also designated as Access Land.
Issues and Objectives Moorland drainage Moorland drainage or ‘gripping’ has been extensive in the North Pennines, causing damage to blanket bog, erosion of peat, and in some cases conversion of bog to acid grassland or heath. Gripping reduces the water retention capacity of the peat leading to increased flooding downstream. It also leads to drying and decomposition in the peat, resulting in the emission of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The associated erosion leads to discolouration of water in public water supplies which can be expensive to treat.
The blocking of grips can restore natural hydrological conditions to blanket bogs, increasing their ability to store water and carbon and improving water quality. The North Pennines AONB Partnership’s Peatscapes Project – funded by the Environment Agency through the Northumbria Regional Flood Defence Committee - is currently promoting grip-blocking across the area.
Objectives
• To support and encourage the restoration of natural hydrological conditions in the County’s peatlands.
Grazing levels Overgrazing has lead to a decline in biodiversity on some moors and a notable shift from heather to ‘white moor’ of acid grassland. Overgrazing can be a particular problem on common land due to over-registration of grazing rights and lack of co-ordinated management. It tends to be less prevalent on grouse moors where heather is conserved.
Stocking densities on the moor have increased gradually over many decades as a result of agricultural improvements such as drainage, liming, reseeding and supplementary feeding. This was given added impetus in the past by headage-based support payments for sheep and cattle. A general trend towards specialisation has also seen a decline in mixed livestock farming and an increasing emphasis on sheep. This has been linked to other vegetation changes such as the spread of bracken on some moors.
While agricultural subsidies have moved away from headage payments, the impacts of these changes on stocking levels and the intensity of management of upland moors is difficult to predict. It seems likely that these changes, coupled with resources in Higher Level Stewardship being targeted at important sites, will see stocking levels decrease and management improve on some moors. It is also possible that high stocking levels might be maintained elsewhere under economic pressures, or that stocking levels will reduce dramatically in places leading to changes in vegetation.
36 LAND MANAGEMENT MOORS AND HEATHS Objectives
• To promote environmentally sustainable moorland management.
• To encourage and support initiatives for the restoration of damaged moorland habitats.
• To monitor the effect of changing agricultural support mechanisms on moorland management to inform the development of policy.
Management of Grouse Moors The economic importance of shooting has helped protect some moors from overgrazing or forestation in the past and many now support important bird populations that benefit in varying degrees from management for grouse. Rotational burning is an important management tool but where it is very frequent or poorly controlled it can be damaging, and particularly to sensitive habitats like blanket bog. The Heather and Grass Burning Code 2007 gives guidance on good practice. Moorland drainage or ‘gripping’- though not now as popular with grouse moor managers – also causes damage to blanket bog. Some managers are now reversing this process to improve feeding opportunities for grouse chicks. Greater diversity in moorland vegetation which incorporates stands of mature heather and native woodland or scrub along with areas of short heather, bare ground and bog or mire is likely to support a wider range of wildlife while enhancing the scenic qualities of the moorland landscape.
Objectives
• To promote sustainable management of grouse moors to meet wider environmental goals.
• To encourage observance of the Heather and Grass Burning Code 2007
Access and recreation The moors are an important recreational resource providing a sense of tranquillity and wilderness that is central to the experience of the North Pennines. They also provide opportunities for active pursuits like fell walking, horse riding and orienteering. Pressures on the landscape from these activities are modest and localised in the North Pennines compared to some upland landscapes due to the scale of the moors and the relatively low numbers of visitors.
Most of the moorland in the county is now designated as Access Land. This offers new opportunities for visitors to experience the landscape. It may also bring new pressures including disturbance to birds and mammals, trampling and erosion in previously undisturbed areas, and car parking on moorland roads. These pressures are likely to fall unevenly, the most accessible sites becoming more heavily used but remote areas remaining largely undisturbed.
Some of the potential impacts of access to open land will be managed through seasonal or permanent closure of sensitive areas. Other impacts will need to be addressed through education and visitor management.
Objectives
• To promote an integrated approach to managing public access to open land that recognises both the benefits to visitors and the sensitivities of the landscape.
• To provide information to the public about the character, biodiversity and management of moorland landscapes.
Management of lowland and mid-altitude heaths Lowland and mid-altitude heaths have declined in extent over hundreds of years under pressures from development, mining, forestry and agricultural improvement and now survive only as isolated fragments. Their role in the surrounding agricultural landscapes has diminished and few are currently grazed or actively managed. 37 LAND MANAGEMENT MOORS AND HEATHS Neglected heaths are at risk from scrub encroachment and from abuse in the form of motorcycle scrambling and fly tipping.
Objectives
• To conserve existing lowland and mid-altitude heaths and to seek improvements to the management of those which are neglected.
• To restore damaged heaths and create new heathland on appropriate sites such as former heaths and restored mineral sites.
Archaeology and cultural heritage Moorlands contain relics from many different periods. In the North Pennines notable remains include Bronze Age ritual landscapes and cairn-fields, and industrial remains from lead mining. Most of these remains are under no immediate pressures although some lead mining features, having fallen out of use in relatively recent times, are in a derelict, occasionally dangerous condition. There are many shafts, adits and drainage levels which remain open and uncapped. Most of these features are found in relatively inaccessible areas. Increased public access will bring new opportunities for interpretation as well as a need for some sites to be made safe.
Objectives
• To encourage the conservation and interpretation of relic landscapes and archaeological features in moorland landscapes.
Climate change and atmospheric pollution The potential impacts of climate change on upland landscapes are, as yet, poorly understood. Increases in temperature are likely to lead to greater decomposition of peat, the decline of blanket bog and an increased risk of fire damage. The decomposition of peat is itself a major source of CO2 emissions which fuels climate change. Conversely, wetter conditions may lead to bog expansion but greater risks of erosion. The artic and alpine flora of upper Teesdale are likely to be at particular risk from climate change of any scale.
Acidification and nutrient enrichment of upland soils and watercourses from atmospheric pollution in the form of sulphur dioxide, ammonia and nitrogen oxides, continues to have impacts on flora and fauna.
Objectives
• To encourage the conservation and restoration of moors and heaths to make them more robust and more able to adapt to climate change.
Forestry The development of commercial forestry in the uplands in the C20th left a legacy of conifer plantations in the moorland fringes and on some smaller heaths in the upland fringes and lowlands. Many were designed with little regard to landscape character, biodiversity or archaeological interests. Opportunities now exist to improve forest design through restructuring as timber crops reach felling age. Potential improvements include removing trees from sensitive habitats or archaeological features, increasing the proportion of native broadleaved species and sensitive design of compartments, rides, watercourses and forest edges.
Objectives
• To encourage the restoration of moors and heaths where they have been damaged by forestry planting and the enhancement of plantations to complement the moorland landscape.
38 LAND MANAGEMENT FIELD BOUNDARIES
Field boundaries Field boundaries make an important contribution to the character and biodiversity of the landscape and are one of the strongest surviving links to the farming traditions of the past. Some hedges and walls along parish boundaries, old roads and tracks date back to the medieval period and perhaps even earlier. Most were laid out in successive waves of enclosure from the late middle ages through to the nineteenth century.
Over much of the County the network of field boundaries has been subject to piecemeal erosion over many decades. The Durham Hedgerow Survey 1994 found that almost half of the hedges on parish and township boundaries had been lost since 1860, or survived only as relics. The Durham Hedgerow Survey 2006 estimated that 21% of the hedgerow resource had been lost since 1979.
The removal of hedges to create larger fields has had a large impact in the lowlands where the emphasis has moved to increasingly specialised arable production after a long period of mixed or pastoral farming. The decline of hedges and walls through neglect has been a less conspicuous but equally powerful force in the pastoral farmland of the uplands and upland fringes. Many hedges have also been lost to development, both built development and mineral extraction. The fragmentation of boundary networks has consequences for both the character and biodiversity of the landscape. The loss of habitat - and the loss of connectivity between habitats as the network declines - has impacts on wildlife, which increasingly depends on hedgerows for food, shelter and dispersal in intensively managed agricultural landscapes.
In recent years concern over the decline of hedgerows has lead to the development of both protective legislation (The Hedgerow Regulations 1997) and financial support for hedgerow planting and renovation in the (now obsolete) Hedgerow Incentive and Countryside Stewardship schemes. The current Environmental Stewardship Entry Level Scheme encourages appropriate cutting regimes for hedges but does not provide support for renovation works like laying and coppicing. The Higher Level Scheme is likely to be more focussed on national land management priorities and is unlikely to offer the same level of support for field boundary work as Countryside Stewardship. In County Durham the County Durham Hedgerow Partnership was established to address the decline of hedgerows and walls and provides financial assistance through its Field Boundary Restoration Grant. The Durham Biodiversity Action Plan contains an Action Plan for hedgerows.
Issues and objectives Hedgerow removal The rate of hedgerow removal for agricultural purposes has slowed in recent years but some pressure continues in arable areas as farmers seek increases in efficiency from larger field sizes. Further pressure might be expected in the longer term and particularly if climate change brings changing patterns of land use.
The removal of hedges when land is developed continues to be an issue wherever there is development pressure. Established hedges and trees can often be successfully incorporated into the design of new development and in some circumstances can be translocated where preservation is impractical. Losses of hedgerows can be mitigated in some cases by the provision of new hedges or the renovation of hedges in the locality.
39 LAND MANAGEMENT FIELD BOUNDARIES Hedgerow removal is controlled by the Hedgerow Regulations 1997. The regulations have been criticised by some as being difficult to apply and failing to protect important hedges. They are currently under review. Further work is needed in the County to identify hedges of particular historical or ecological importance.
Objectives
• To encourage the protection, conservation and restoration of field boundary networks to maintain and strengthen landscape character.
• To promote awareness of the importance and value of hedges in the landscape and to provide information on the hedgerow resource to decision makers and land managers.
• To encourage and inform the reform of the Hedgerow Regulations and to guide their application.
• To encourage the retention of mature hedgerows and trees in new development together with new hedgerow planting and renovation.
• To encourage the mitigation of hedgerow loss in development through compensatory hedge planting or maintenance using Section 106 Agreements.
Neglect and abandonment In pastoral areas, particularly in the upland fringes where returns from land are small, hedgerow maintenance can be a low priority. Unmanaged hedgerows, reduced by grazing pressure to lines of individual thorns, are gradually supplanted by fences or abandoned altogether in favour of larger enclosures and more extensive grazing regimes. The Durham Hedgerow Survey 2006 found that 62% of the hedges surveyed showed no signs of active management, and that only 17% were in ‘favourable’ condition, with gaps along the length and in the base of the hedge being the main factors in this.
Most pastoral landscapes in the county are subject to these trends and are therefore undergoing a period of transition that will significantly affect their character in the medium to long term. Where field systems are old, or their pattern has a strong influence on the character of the landscape, this decline is of particular significance. In landscapes of more recent enclosure, a return to extensive grazing and a more open landscape may be unavoidable.
Well-managed hedgerows are cost-effective to maintain, but when management has been abandoned for some time, renovation by can be expensive. Land managers may lack the resources or the skills to carry out the work. Grant assistance for renovation was available in the past through the Hedgerow Incentive Scheme and its successor Countryside Stewardship. As Entry Level Environmental Stewardship does not provide for capital works and the Higher Level scheme is likely to be focussed on more environmentally important sites, there is currently (2007) a significant gap in funding for this kind of work. In the Durham BAP area the County Durham Hedgerow Partnership’s Field Boundary Restoration Grant is available, though it has limited resources. The Partnership produces detailed guidance on the restoration and management of field boundaries which is published on the County Council’s website.
Objectives
• To encourage the restoration of neglected hedges, particularly those of older field systems, ancient boundaries and where field patterns are an important component of landscape character.
• To promote the development of rural skills in hedgerow management.
• To secure resources for the County Durham Hedgerow Partnership’s Field Boundary Restoration Grant.
• To advise Government on the need for financial support for hedgerow renovation.
40 LAND MANAGEMENT FIELD BOUNDARIES Hedgerow and headland management Mechanical trimming is the commonest form of hedgerow management and in most circumstances the most cost efficient. Excessive trimming has been linked with declining vigour in hedges and greatly reduces the value of a hedge as a habitat and food resource for wildlife. In arable fields uncultivated headlands are often narrow or absent which reduces the habitat value of hedges and makes them more vulnerable to spray or fertiliser drift.
In open arable landscapes hedgerows are often important refuges for wildlife and significant, if sometimes isolated, features in the landscape. Trimming over longer rotations can be more cost effective than annual trimming and create more robust and ecologically valuable hedgerows. This is now a requirement of Entry Level Environmental Stewardship. The adoption of broader field margins of permanent grass increases the value of hedges as habitat for invertebrates, including pollinating insects, birds and wildlife. The County Durham Hedgerow Partnership produces detailed guidance on the trimming of hedges which is published on the County Council’s website. The National Proficiency Tests Council (NPTC) now has a module on the environmental aspects of hedgerow maintenance in its Certificate of Competence in the Safe Use of hedge Trimmers.
Objectives
• To encourage the appropriate management of hedges to maintain and improve their vigour and value as habitat.
• To encourage the adoption of permanent grass field margins along field boundaries.
• To promote training in the environmental aspects of hedgerow maintenance and the use of suitably qualified personnel in maintenance works on the council’s land holdings.
Hedgerow and field trees Boundary trees are important feature of much of the lowland and upland fringe landscape and in many cases are veteran survivors of a time when they where more highly valued for their timber or for shading livestock. A high proportion of hedgerow trees are mature and there is little positive recruitment of new trees to replace those that are lost to sustain their overall numbers. Boundary trees are vulnerable to damage from close cultivation, from fencing works and mechanical hedge trimming. Trees may be removed in arable areas to reduce crop shading or increase field size.
Objectives
• To support the recording and mapping of ancient and veteran trees.
• To encourage the protection and careful management of mature hedgerow trees.
• To encourage the planting or recruitment of new hedgerow and boundary trees in landscapes where they are characteristic.
Dry Stone Walls Dry stone walls are a distinctive feature of the County’s upland and upland fringe landscapes. In places the network is in generally good repair and particularly in the Pennine Dales Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) where financial assistance has been available for restoration. Elsewhere the situation is more varied. In the marginal land of the upland fringes many walls are derelict or in poor repair and are often abandoned, replaced by fences, or removed as a source of building stone. Roadside walls in particular are vulnerable to damage and theft. Grant assistance for repairing walls was available in the past through ESA agreements and Countryside Stewardship. Some assistance will continue to be available in Environmental Stewardship Higher Level schemes but only for whole farm schemes within the AONB. There is likely to be a significant gap in funding for this kind of work elsewhere. A new training scheme for apprentice wallers was launched in 2007 by the North Pennines 41 LAND MANAGEMENT FIELD BOUNDARIES AONB Partnership and BTCV. This should go some way to addressing the skills shortage in dry stone walling in the area as a whole.
Objectives
• To encourage the restoration of dry stone walls and particularly where they are part of a wider network or make a strong individual contribution to local landscape character.
• To support the development of rural skills in dry stone walling.
• To advise Government on the need for financial support for walling renovation.
New hedges in the landscape There is increasing interest in planting new hedges both amongst farmers, conservation organisations and developers. Priorities for new planting include areas where hedgerow networks have been severely disrupted in the past – for example in areas of intensive arable farmland and restored mineral workings – and in connecting isolated habitats such as semi-natural woodlands, field ponds and species rich grasslands. The County Durham Hedgerow Partnership produces detailed guidance on hedge planting which is published on the County Council’s website.
Objectives
• To encourage the planting of new hedgerows of an appropriate character where they can bring particular benefits in restoring landscape character and enhancing biodiversity.
42 LAND MANAGEMENT DESIGNED LANDSCAPES
Rivers and Wetlands Rivers and wetlands are a valuable environmental resource, which contribute to the diversity of landscape and habitat in the county. They are also an important economic resource supporting tourism based on walking, canoeing, angling or shooting. Many of the county’s major rivers are used for domestic and industrial water supply. The quality of their water is affected by the management of both the watercourses themselves and their wider catchments.
The management of rivers and wetlands involves many organisations and private individuals. The Environment Agency is the principle regulatory body, and has prepared Local Environment Agency Plans (LEAPS) for the Tyne, Wear and Tees catchment areas which deal with many of the issues set out below. The European Water Framework Directive is a new piece of legislation which promotes a new approach to water management through river basin planning. River Basin Management Plans will be produced for each River Basin District by 2009. The county falls within the Northumbria River Basin District.
Issues and Objectives Mine-water pollution Deep mining for coal on the Durham coalfield has ceased and there is no longer a need to pump groundwater to protect underground workings. Cessation of the pumping currently carried out by the Coal Authority could lead to severe pollution of rivers and streams with mine-water which is both acidic and contains rusty deposits of iron hydroxide. The situation is monitored by the Environment Agency. There are existing discharges from a number of old spoil heaps on the coalfield, and from metalliferous mines in the dales, which affect water quality. A number of these have recently been improved through the use of reed-beds.
Objectives:
• To protect the rivers and streams of the coalfield from pollution by mine-water.
• To encourage the improvement of existing discharges through the use of natural solutions like reedbeds.
Loss of bank-side vegetation Natural bank-side vegetation has been lost in many places due to urbanisation, river engineering, grazing by livestock or the cultivation of land up to bank edges. Loss of bank-side vegetation can damage the structure of rivers and streams leading to increased erosion, widening and shallowing of channels, siltation of spawning beds and a general decline in habitat quality and connectivity.
Objectives:
• To promote the restoration of natural bank-side vegetation, and particularly wet woodland, along the county’s rivers and streams.
Spread of invasive species A number of invasive alien species are becoming increasingly widespread, principally Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed, and Giant Hogweed. These species can displace native bank-side vegetation.
Objectives:
43 LAND MANAGEMENT DESIGNED LANDSCAPES • To encourage the control of invasive species and the improvement of riverbank habitat to make it less susceptible to colonisation.
Loss of field ponds Field ponds, both natural and artificial, are important features of the landscape in many parts of the county but have declined in number and quality in recent decades. As their role in watering livestock has diminished, ponds have been drained, in-filled or become choked with vegetation and silt. This has lead to fragmentation of the habitat and increased genetic isolation of less mobile aquatic or amphibious species. We need to increase our understanding of the distribution of ponds in the county and its implications for wetland species.
Objectives:
• To encourage the restoration and creation of field ponds.
• To promote a ‘whole landscape’ approach to the management and creation of ponds.
Water Quality The water in some of the county’s rivers and streams is of poor quality, often as a result of discharges from sewerage treatment works or combined sewerage overflows. This affects both the habitat value of the watercourse and its recreational use. Often those rivers or streams with the poorest water quality are in heavily populated areas and have potentially high levels of recreational use.
Parts of the county are identified as Nitrate Vulnerable Zones - areas where nitrate from agricultural land is causing pollution of the water environment. In these zones Action Programmes of compulsory measures apply including requirements for farmers to limit their applications of livestock manures.
Objectives:
• To support the continued improvement of water quality in the county’s rivers and streams.
• To promote the use of natural systems like reed-beds in conditioning water.
• To promote the adoption of uncultivated or tree-planted margins to ditches and watercourses and particularly in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones.
Drainage of upland bogs and mires Drainage of moorland bogs by gripping was carried out extensively in the 1960s and 1970s. Gripping leads to the rapid run-off of rain and snow melt, increasing the risk of flash flooding, and the drying out of peat margins. Over deepening of grips has lead to areas of severe erosion on some moors and increased sediment load and siltation in watercourses downstream. This has adverse impacts on both fisheries and water abstraction. The decomposition of moorland peats is also a major contributor of atmospheric CO2 which contributes to global warming.
Objectives
• To support and encourage the restoration of natural hydrological conditions in the County’s peatlands.
Drainage of wetlands and wet grasslands Wet grasslands across the county have been in progressive declined for decades due to improvements in field drainage and larger scale land drainage and flood alleviation schemes. Wet or seasonally flooded grasslands are a particularly important feature of the uplands and upland fringes, river floodplains, and the poorly drained carr landscapes of the lowlands.
Objectives:
44 LAND MANAGEMENT DESIGNED LANDSCAPES • To encourage the restoration of natural hydrological conditions to wetland systems and particularly river floodplains, lowland mires and lowland carrs.
• To encourage the conservation and restoration of wet grasslands
Development New development in the form of housing, industry, roads and mineral sites can have substantial, if largely hidden, impacts on the water environment. Development on floodplains can reduce flood storage or require flood protection. Impermeable surfaces such as car parks and roads create increased rates of run-off and a reduction in water quality.
Objectives:
• To promote ‘sustainable urban drainage’.
• To protect floodplains from inappropriate development.
Engineering of watercourses and ditches The majority of rivers and streams in the county are relatively natural in their structure, but many have been modified by flood berms, by channel straightening or profiling, or by structures such as weirs and culverts.
Objectives:
• To promote the restoration of natural ‘dynamic’ conditions to watercourses and floodplains where possible.
• To promote the adoption of more ‘natural’ techniques in river engineering works
• To promote good practice in managing ditches and engineered watercourses to maximise biodiversity and enhance landscape character.
Reservoirs and treatment works The county contains a number of reservoirs, most notably in the upland dales and dale-heads, developed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Some of their features – and particularly engineered structures and bare drawdown zones – can look alien or visually intrusive in the upland landscape. Across the county sewerage treatment works are found close to many settlements. These are generally small in scale but can be visually intrusive in rural locations.
Objectives:
• To encourage the enhancement of the setting of reservoirs and particularly through the planting of new native woodlands where appropriate.
• To improve the appearance of treatment works in rural locations through design detailing, tree and woodland planting.
45 DEVELOPMENT
Designed Landscapes Historic parks and gardens are an important part of the County’s cultural heritage and are often of considerable scenic value. Some are of medieval origins, others surround the later country houses of larger landowners and industrial entrepreneurs. Historic parks and gardens are a living record of the evolving aesthetics of English landscape design. They are also often of nature conservation value because of their age, physical structure, or continuity of management, and contain some of the county’s most notable ancient and veteran trees.
English Heritage has compiled a Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest, 13 of which are in County Durham. Development plans contain policies for the protection of the historic interest and special character of parks and gardens, and a number are also designated as, or fall within, Conservation Areas. The register is currently subject to review and further sites within the county may be included in future.
Issues and Objectives Recognition and protection While some historic parks and gardens are recognised and protected in some degree by policies in local plans, many are not. The County Durham Landscape Assessment has identified a large number of parklands, relic parklands and ornamental gardens, most of which are not registered or covered by any protective designations or policies.
Objectives:
• To develop and maintain a record of the county’s designed landscapes.
• To encourage appropriate levels of protection for designed landscapes in local development frameworks.
Neglect and decline Many historic parks and gardens no longer function as recreational landscapes and their features survive only as relics on land that is now managed for other purposes. There may be little incentive to invest in the upkeep of relic features like park walls, iron railings, ornamental lakes and buildings, ha-has, formal copses, walled gardens, and veteran avenue and parkland trees. These features are therefore often neglected and in progressive decline.
Objectives:
• To encourage the conservation, management and restoration of designed landscapes and landscape features.
Development pressure Historic parks and gardens, and the buildings associated with them, are often under pressure for the development of new or alternative uses. While new development can bring resources for managing them sustainably in the future, it needs to be carried out in a way which is sensitive to their special character and historic interest.
Objectives:
• To encourage, and provide guidance on, sensitivity in the development in designed landscapes
46 DEVELOPMENT
Veteran trees The county’s historic parks and gardens contain some of its oldest trees. The physical structure of parkland is often similar to that of wood pasture and can be important for species associated with old trees and mosaics of woodland and grassland, and particularly certain dead-wood invertebrates, fungi, hole-nesting birds and bats. Veteran and ancient trees are particularly vulnerable to damage from livestock, soil compaction and cultivation. They are also often seen erroneously as being ‘dead’ ‘dying’ ‘diseased’ or ‘over-mature’ and are therefore susceptible to being felled or heavily pruned on safety grounds.
Objectives:
• To develop and maintain a record of notable, veteran and ancient parkland trees
• To encourage the sensitive management of veteran and ancient trees.
47 MAPS
MAPS Assets & attributes Landscape designations International Nature Conservation designations National and Local Nature Conservation Designations Habitat networks Ancient woodland Earth heritage designations Archaeological sites & monuments Built heritage designations Recreation & tourism Access Water Resources Agricultural land classification Land management agreements Strategy Landscape Strategy Conservation and Improvement Priority Areas Woodland Priority Areas
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LANDSCAPE CHARACTER THE LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION The Landscape Classification The County Durham Landscape Character Assessment identifies landscape types and character areas at three different levels - the regional, the sub-regional and the local.
Regional County Character Areas
Sub-regional Broad Landscape Types Broad Character Areas See Table 1
Local Local Landscape Types See Table 2 Local Sub-types County Character Areas. County Character Areas are based on Natural England’s Countryside Character Areas. There are 6 Countryside Character Areas in County Durham, all of which extend beyond its administrative boundaries. County Character Areas are effectively those parts of Countryside Character Areas lying within the County. The boundaries of County Character Areas are more precisely drawn than those of Countryside Character Areas as they are based on a more detailed level of assessment. In reality the boundaries between these broad landscape zones are often gradual and progressive and difficult to identify precisely on the ground. The character of County Character Areas may differ in some ways from that of the larger Countryside Character Areas to which they belong. The descriptions of County Character Areas given here in the Landscape Assessment may therefore be slightly different to the descriptions given in other publications for Countryside Character Areas.
Broad Landscape Types and Character Areas Broad Landscape Types are landscapes with similar patterns of geology, soils, vegetation, land use, settlement and field patterns identified at a broad sub-regional level. As with County Character Areas, the boundaries between Broad Landscape Types are not always precise, as the change between one landscape and another can be gradual and progressive. Landscapes belonging to a particular type – for example an ‘Upper Dale’ landscape - may be found in many different places.
Broad Character areas are unique areas - geographically discrete examples of a particular landscape type. For example Upper Teesdale is a character area belonging to the Upper Dale type. In some cases character areas are physically separate landscapes – as they are in the Upper Dales and the Coalfield Valleys – in other cases larger tracts of landscape have been broken down into a number of character areas where this was the best way of accounting for variations in character within the broad type.
Local landscape Types and sub-types Local Landscape Types are tracts of land which share similar combinations of soils, land use, field boundaries and tree and woodland cover. Some Local Landscape Types may be found in only one Broad Landscape Type; others may be found across a wider range of landscapes.
Local Landscape Sub-types are used to identify variations within a local landscape type. For example landscapes belonging to the type ‘Valley farmland: pasture’ may include some examples with early post-medieval field systems (subtype: old enclosure) and some with parliamentary enclosure field systems (subtype: surveyor- enclosed). Local subtypes are not listed separately here but are described within the sections dealing with local landscape types.
34 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER THE LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION TABLE 1: REGIONAL AND SUB-REGIONAL LANDSCAPES
County Character Area Broad Landscape Type Broad Character Area North Pennines Moorland Ridges & Summits Barningham, Hope & Scargill Moors Bollihope Common Holwick & Cronkley Langdon, Newbiggin & Middleton Commons Lune Forest & Mickle Fell Middlehope Fell, Redburn, Wolfcleugh & Lintzgarth Muggleswick & Waskerley Nookton Fell Pikestone & Woodland Fells Stanhope Common & Wolsingham Moor West Common & Cow Green Moorland Plateau Cotherstone Moor Mickleton & Hunderthwaite Moors Stainmore Moorland Fringe Deepdale Moorland Fringe Derwentdale Moorland Fringe Hamsterley Woodland, Langleydale & Marwood Fringes Lunedale Moorland Fringe Romaldkirk Moor Slieghtholme & Greta Moorland Fringes Teesdale Moorland Fringes Scargill & Barnigham Fringe Waskerley & Tunstall Fringe Weardale Moorland Fringe Upper Dale Upper Baldersdale Upper Derwentdale Upper Greta Valley Upper Lunedale Upper Rookhope Upper Teesdale Upper Weardale Middle Dale Baldersdale Langleydale & Marwood Lunedale Mid Greta Valley Mid Derwentdale Mid Teesdale Mid Weardale Rookhope Tunstall Lower Dale Lower Derwent Lower Greta Lower Teesdale Lower Weardale Dales Fringe Gritstone Upland Fringe Bowes Moorhouse & Gillbeck Raby Hill, Marwood & Kinninvie Gritstone Vale Barnigham, Brignall & Rokeby Boldron & Lartington Newsham & Cleatlam Raby & Streatlam Bolam, Hilton & Wackerfield
35 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER THE LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION TABLE 1: REGIONAL AND SUB-REGIONAL LANDSCAPES
West Durham Coalfield Coalfield Upland Fringe Browney uplands Central Coalfield Uplands Northern Coalfield Uplands Upper Bedburn & Harthope Valleys Upper Gaunless Valley Upper Linburn Valley Coalfield Valley Floodplain Derwent Floodplain Gaunless Floodplain Wear Floodplain Coalfield Valley Beamish & Causey Burn Valleys Beechburn Valley Browney Valley Cong Burn Valley Deerness & Hedleyhope Valleys Derwent Valley Findon Hill & South Burn Valley Hummerbeck Valley Kyo Burn Valley Lower Gaunless Valley Lower Linburn Valley Middle Wear Valley Stanley Burn Valley Stockley Beck Valley Upper Wear & Lower Bedburn valleys Wear Lowlands Lowland Valley Terraces Eastern Valley Terraces Western Valley Terraces Incised Lowland Valley Congburn, Southburn & Blackdene Lower Browney Valley Northern Wear Valley Southern Wear Valley Team Valley East Durham Limestone Escarpment The Limestone Escarpment Ridge Limestone Plateau The Northern Limestone Escarpment The Southern Limestone Escarpment Clay Plateau The Central East Durham Plateau Coastal Limestone Plateau The East Durham Coastal Plateau The Hart Coastal Plain Limestone Coast The Durham Coast Tees Plain Lowland Vale Northern Tees Vale: Staindrop & Ingleton Southern Tees Vale: Hutton Magna
Lowland Carrs Bradbury, Preston & Mordon Carrs Nunstainton, Mainsforth & Middleham Carrs Lowland River Terraces The River Tees Lowland Plain Butterwick & Shotton Embleton Sedgefield, Windlestone & Aycliffe Sheraton
36 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER THE LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION TABLE 2: LOCAL LANDSCAPES TYPES
County Character Area Local Landscape Type NORTH PENNINES Crags, scars and stone bands Dale floor farmland: pasture and meadow Dale floor farmland: walled pasture and meadow Dale reservoir Daleside farmland: pasture and meadow Daleside farmland: walled pasture and meadow Daleside farmland: wooded estate pasture Daleside farmland: wooded pasture and meadow Daleside farmland: wooded walled pasture and meadow Disturbed land Gill pastures Infrastructure Lakes & ponds Low moor Mineral working Moorland edge Moorland gill Moorland plateau Moorland plateau summit Moorland reservoir Moorland ridge Moorland slope Moorland summit Outlying moor Parkland Parks and recreation grounds River: upper reaches Steep daleside bluff: pasture Top land, allotments and intakes: open pasture Top land, allotments and intakes: wooded pasture Top land, allotments and intakes: open rough grazing Top land, allotments and intakes: wooded rough grazing Upland woods Upland woods: forest Upland woods: gills and gorges Upland woods: juniper Upland woods: riverside Urban DALES FRINGE Dene pastures Disturbed land Floodplain farmland: pasture High plateau farmland: open pasture High plateau farmland: open walled pasture High ridge and valley farmland: open pasture High ridge and valley farmland: walled pasture High ridge and valley farmland: wooded estate arable High ridge and valley farmland: wooded estate pasture 37 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER THE LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION TABLE 2: LOCAL LANDSCAPES TYPES High ridge and valley farmland: wooded pasture Infrastructure Lowland reservoir Lowland woods Lowland woods: floodplain & riverside Lowland woods: denes, bluffs & river terraces Mineral working Parkland Parks and recreation grounds River: middle reaches Upland woods Upland woods: denes & bluffs Urban Vale farmland: arable Vale farmland: pasture Vale farmland: walled arable Vale farmland: walled pasture Vale farmland: wooded arable Vale farmland: wooded estate arable Vale farmland: wooded estate pasture Vale farmland: wooded pasture WEST DURHAM COALFIELD Dene pastures Disturbed land Floodplain farmland: arable Floodplain farmland: pasture Heaths and fells High ridge and valley farmland: open arable High ridge and valley farmland: open pasture High ridge and valley farmland: pasture High ridge and valley farmland: walled arable High ridge and valley farmland: walled pasture High ridge and valley farmland: wooded arable High ridge and valley farmland: wooded pasture Infrastructure Lakes & ponds Lowland woods Lowland woods: denes & bluffs Lowland woods: floodplain & riverside Nurseries & market gardens Mineral working Parkland Parks and recreation grounds River: middle reaches Upland woods Upland woods: denes & bluffs Upland woods: forest Urban Valley farmland: arable Valley farmland: open arable Valley farmland: open pasture Valley farmland: pasture Valley farmland: wooded arable 38 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER THE LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION TABLE 2: LOCAL LANDSCAPES TYPES Valley farmland: wooded estate arable Valley farmland: wooded estate pasture Valley farmland: wooded pasture WEAR LOWLANDS Dene pastures Disturbed land Floodplain farmland: arable Floodplain farmland: pasture Heaths and fells Infrastructure Lowland woods Lowland woods: denes & bluffs Lowland woods: floodplain & riverside Nurseries & market gardens Mineral working Parkland Parks and recreation grounds River: middle reaches River: tidal reaches Terrace farmland: arable Terrace farmland: open arable Terrace farmland: open pasture Terrace farmland: pasture Terrace farmland: wooded arable Terrace farmland: wooded estate arable Terrace farmland: wooded estate pasture Terrace farmland: wooded pasture Urban Valley farmland: open arable Valley farmland: open pasture Valley farmland: open pasture Valley farmland: wooded arable Valley farmland: wooded estate arable Valley farmland: wooded estate pasture Valley farmland: wooded pasture EAST DURHAM LIMESTONE Carr farmland: open pasture PLATEAU Coastal arable Coastal gills & denes Coastal grassland Coastal plain farmland: pasture Coastal plain farmland: wooded arable Dene pastures Dene pastures (limestone) Disturbed land Escarpment ridges & spurs: open arable Escarpment ridges & spurs: open pasture Escarpment ridges & spurs: wooded estate arable Escarpment ridges & spurs: wooded pasture Escarpment valley farmland: open arable Escarpment valley farmland: open pasture Escarpment valley farmland: steep pasture Escarpment valley farmland: wooded pasture Foreshore Infrastructure Limestone cliffs & clay slopes
39 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER THE LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION TABLE 2: LOCAL LANDSCAPES TYPES Lowland woods Lowland woods: denes & bluffs Mineral working Parkland Parks and recreation grounds Plateau farmland: open arable Plateau farmland: open pasture Plateau farmland: pasture Plateau farmland: timbered estate arable Plateau farmland: timbered estate pasture Plateau farmland: wooded arable Sand dunes Scarp and dipslope farmland: arable Scarp and dipslope farmland: open arable Scarp and dipslope farmland: open pasture Scarp and dipslope farmland: pasture Scarp and dipslope farmland: wooded arable Scarp and dipslope farmland: wooded pasture Urban TEES LOWLANDS Carr farmland: open arable Carr farmland: open pasture Dene pastures Disturbed land Floodplain farmland: arable Floodplain farmland: pasture Infrastructure Lakes & ponds Lowland reservoirs Lowland woods Lowland woods: denes & bluffs Lowland woods: floodplain & riverside woods Nurseries & market gardens Mineral working Parkland Parks and recreation grounds Plain farmland: arable Plain farmland: open arable Plain farmland: open pasture Plain farmland: pasture Plain farmland: wooded arable Plain farmland: wooded estate arable Plain farmland: wooded estate pasture Plain farmland: wooded pasture River: middle reaches Urban Vale floor farmland: arable Vale floor farmland: open arable Vale floor farmland: open pasture Vale floor farmland: pasture Vale floor farmland: wooded estate arable Vale floor farmland: wooded estate pasture
40 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER THE LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION MAP1: COUNTY CHARACTER AREAS
41 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER THE LANDSCAPE CLASSIFICATION MAP2: BROAD LANDSCAPE TYPES
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