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Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary REVISED EDITION - 2003

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ystone walls, ancient hedgerows, beech hedgebanks, rhynes, pollarded willows dr , h SETTLEMENT PATTERNS, MATERIALS AND BUILDING FORMS, COLOUR AND TEXTURE, church towers, street Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary REVISED EDITION - 2003 GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, LANDCOVER, LANDSCAPE CHARACTER, lowland, upland, wetland, pasture, arable, orchard, forest, heat p a t t e , r e s e adtn,bik lytls hth islmsoe edr abnfru limeston carboniferous render, limestone, lias thatch, tiles, clay brick, sandstone, red ns, Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary (Revised Edition, 2003) Adopted by Sedgemoor District Council, Chris Marks 10th September 2003 Head of Planning and Transportation Sedgemoor District Council Bridgwater House Tel: 01278 435244 King Square Bridgwater Fax: 01278 435770 Somerset E-mail: [email protected] TA6 3AR Design: Sedgemoor Graphic Design All maps in this document are reproduced from Ordnance Survey material with the permission of ordnance Survey on behalf of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office. © Crown Copyright reserved. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Sedgemoor District Council. LA079286. SEDGEMOOR LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT AND COUNTRYSIDE DESIGN SUMMARY Contents page PREFACE 7 - 9 National context 7 The original draft 7 Public consultation 7 - 8 Extent of revisions 8 Design guidance 8 Acknowledgements 9 1. INTRODUCTION 11 - 12 The purpose of the study 11 - 12 Structure of the report 12 2. AN OVERVIEW OF THE LANDSCAPE OF THE DISTRICT 13 - 26 An introduction to the landscape of the District 13 - 14 The evolution of the landscape 15 - 17 Hydrology and Drainage 17 - 18 Agriculture and Rural Land Management 18 - 21 Existing patterns 18 The impact of changing agricultural practice 19 - 20 The management of woodlands and orchards 21 Settlement in the District 22 - 23 Geology and Minerals 23 - 24 Recreation, leisure and tourism 24 - 25 Nature conservation 25 - 26 3. LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREAS 27 - 28 Criteria for landscape character area definition 27 - 28 Countryside Design Summary aims 28 4. LEVELS AND MOORS 29 - 54 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 29 - 34 The existing landscape 29 - 31 Evolution of the landscape 31 - 32 Key issues and forces for change 32 - 33 Landscape Management Issues 33 - 34 B. THE PEAT MOORS AND CLAY MOORS 35 - 40 Photo pages 35 - 36 Description in detail 37 Landcover types 38 Settlement and building form 38 - 39 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 40 Key principles for new development Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 3 C. THE LEVELS (including Estuarine Levels and Islands in the Moors) 41 - 50 Photo pages 41 - 43 Description in detail 44 Landcover types 45 Settlement and building form 45 - 50 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 46 - 47 Key principles for new development D. SEA EDGE AND INTERTIDAL ZONE 51 - 54 Photo page 51 Description in detail 52 Landcover types 52 Settlement and building form 52 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 53 -54 Key principles for new development 5. MENDIPS 55 - 75 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 55 - 58 The existing landscape 55 Evolution of the landscape 56 - 57 Key issues and forces for change 57 - 58 Landscape Management Issues 58 B. THE STRAWBERRY BELT AND FOOTSLOPE VILLAGES 59 - 64 Photo page 59 Description in detail 60 Landcover types 60 - 61 Settlement and building form 61 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 61 - 64 Key principles for new development C. SCARP SLOPE,WEST MENDIP SUMMITS AND CHEDDAR GORGE 65 - 67 Photo page 65 Description in detail 66 Landcover types 66 Settlement and building form 67 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 67 Key principles for new development D. MENDIP PLATEAU 68 - 69 Photo page 68 Description in detail 69 Landcover types 69 Settlement and building form 69 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 69 Key principles for new development E. SHIPHAM SLOPES AND VALLEYS 70 - 73 Photo page 70 Description in detail 71 Landcover types 71 Settlement and building form 71 - 72 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for new development/ 72 - 73 Key principles for new development 4 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary F. BREAN DOWN 74 - 75 Photo page 74 Description in detail 75 Landcover types 75 Settlement and building form 75 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development 75 6. LOWLAND HILLS 77 - 108 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 77 - 79 The existing landscape 77 Evolution of the landscape 78 - 79 Key issues and forces for change 79 Landscape Management Issues 79 B. ISLE OF WEDMORE 80 - 85 Photo page 80 Description in detail 81 Landcover types 81 Settlement and building form 82 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 82 - 85 Key principles for new development C. POLDEN HILLS 86 - 91 Photo page 86 Description in detail 87 Landcover types 87 Settlement and building form 88 - 89 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 89 - 91 Key principles for new development D. ISOLATED HILLS 92 - 94 Photo page 92 Description in detail 93 Landcover types 93 Settlement and building form 93 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 94 Key principles for new development E. QUANTOCK FOOTHILLS 95 - 102 Photo page 95 Description in detail 96 - 97 Landcover Types 97 Settlement and building form 97 - 98 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 99 - 102 Key principles for new development F. STOCKLAND HILLS 103 - 108 Photo page 103 Description in detail 104 Landcover types 105 Settlement and building form 105 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 105 - 108 Key principles for new development Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary 5 7. QUANTOCKS 109 - 119 A. GENERAL DESCRIPTION 109 - 112 The existing landscape 109 Evolution of the landscape 109 - 110 Key issues and forces for change 110 - 111 Landscape Management Issues 111 - 112 B. QUANTOCK HILLS AND COMBES 113 - 116 Photo page 113 Description in detail 114 Landcover types 115 Settlement and building form 115 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 115 - 116 Key principles for new development C. QUANTOCK SUMMITS 117 - 119 Photo page 117 Description in detail 118 Landcover types 118 Settlement and building form 119 Sensitivity to visual impact and capacity for development/ 119 Key principles for new development 8. ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & SUSTAINABILITY 121 - 127 GENERAL AIMS AND BACKGROUND 121 Principles of Sustainability 121 The role of Landscape Management in achieving Sustainability 121 MAINTAINING APPROPRIATE PLANNING POLICIES 121 Protection of Designated Landscape Areas 121 Safeguarding other areas of landscape interest 122 PREPARING A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 122 Landscape Aims and Objectives 122 MONITORING FUTURE CHANGE 122 - 123 Land and Soil Resources 124 Resource Protection 124 Water Conservation 124 Biodiversity 125 Air Quality and carbon dioxide fixing 125 Cultural Heritage 125 Open Space and public access 125 Quality of Life in towns and villages 126 Travel generation 126 Mode of travel 126 RECOMMENDATIONS ON LOCAL INDICATORS 126 - 127 LANDSCAPE PLANNING & MANAGEMENT IN RURAL AREAS 127 Collaboration and guidance 127 APPENDIX 1 - Glossary 128 APPENDIX 2 - Bibliography 129 Map 1 - Topography Map 2 - Simplified Geology Map 3 - Landscape History Map 4 - Designated Areas Map 5 - Landscape Character Areas Map 6 - Areas of High Sensitivity 6 Sedgemoor Landscape Assessment and Countryside Design Summary Preface National Context 1 Since 1996 the Countryside Commission (now the Countryside Agency) has been promoting the preparation of Countryside Design Summaries and Village Design Statements as tools which can help to improve the design of buildings in the countryside. In addition to publishing detailed advice on the preparation of such “supplementary planning guidance” the Countryside Commission also worked in collaboration with English Nature to produce a map and associated summary state- ments which attempt to define the diverse and distinctive characteristics of the English Countryside – published in 1996 as “The Character of England; landscape, wildlife and natural features” and also known as “The joint character map”. 2 At the heart of this national guidance is a concern for the quality of the whole of the English coun- tryside rather than a focus on designated areas of special quality. Areas of national importance for landscape or nature conservation reasons (National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest) cover substantial parts of the country but even the “ordinary” English countryside has a rich diver- sity and possesses a wealth of character and local distinctiveness. Concern that a range of land management changes and unsympathetic developments are eroding the quality and identity of our landscape heritage underlies the importance of adopting a “character approach” towards the landscape as a whole. 3 The “Joint Character Map” identifies 159 separate “character areas” as the basic building blocks for under- standing the diverse character of the English countryside and a further 22 coastal character areas. The area covered by Sedgemoor District encompasses 5 of these landscape character areas (Mendip Hills, Somerset Levels and Moors, Mid Somerset Hills, Quantock Hills,Vale of Taunton and Quantock Fringes) and
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