HALSBURY HOMES LTD GREEN LANE EAST, RACKHEATH Landscape and Visual Appraisal May 2020 7014.LVA.005 COPYRIGHT The copyright of this document remains with Aspect Landscape Planning Ltd. The contents of this document therefore must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part for any purpose without the written consent of Aspect Landscape Planning Ltd. Aspect Landscape Planning Ltd Hardwick Business Park Noral Way Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 2AF t 01295 276066 f 01295 265072 e [email protected] w www.aspect-landscape.com CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION 2 2 BASELINE ASSESSMENT 3 3 POTENTIAL LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL EFFECTS 14 4 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 18 PLANS PLAN ASP1 SITE LOCATION PLAN PLAN ASP2 SITE AND SETTING APPENDICES APPENDIX 1 THE GROWTH TRIANGLE AREA ACTION PLAN (GT AAP) POLICIES MAP APPENDIX 2 EXTRACT FROM LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT SPD – WOODLAND ESTATELANDS (E) LANDSCAPE CHARACTER TYPE (LCT) / E3 SPIXWORTH WOODED ESTATELANDS. APPENDIX 3 PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD APPENDIX 4 OPPORTUNTIES AND CONSTRAINTS PLAN - RAC OC-01 APPENDIX 5 ILLUSTRATIVE SITE LAYOUT PLAN - RAC S-01 Green Lane East, Rackheath May 2020 Landscape and Visual Appraisal 7014.LVA.005 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1. Aspect Landscape Planning is instructed by Halsbury Homes LTD to review the possible landscape and visual matters relating to the development of land at Green Lane East, Rackheath, Norfolk, hereafter referred to as the Site, for the provision of development of up to 165 Dwellings including 28% affordable housing and the provision of 16 supported living bungalows, with all Matters Reserved Except Access, hereafter referred to as the Proposed Development. The Site is illustrated on Plan ASP1. 1.2. The purpose of this Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) is to provide a landscape and visual overview for the Proposed Development. The LVA reviews the existing landscape character and visibility of the Site and its ability to accommodate residential development as set out above. This appraisal covers landscape and visual matters only and should be read alongside the other submissions that accompany the application. 1.3. This appraisal will take the following format: • Review of baseline conditions; • Identification of potential landscape and visual effects, with suggested approach to mitigation; and • Conclusions will be drawn 1.4. This appraisal does not represent a detailed Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) but has been prepared in line with guidance set out within GLVIA3, the industry best practice guidance. It is considered that if the Site is allocated a detailed LVIA would be prepared as part of any planning application for development on this site. 1 Green Lane East, Rackheath May 2020 Landscape and Visual Appraisal 7014.LVA.005 2. BASELINE ASSESSMENT 2.1. The Site is located to the south west of Broad Lane, adjacent to the southern edge of an area known as New Rackheath, Norfolk. It lies on flat landform adjacent to the existing settlement edge. The location of the Site is illustrated on Plan ASP1. 2.2. The Site itself consists of 6.46ha of a medium sized triangular arable field, there is no boundary vegetation of note to the north eastern and south eastern boundaries, with the north western boundary defined by a combination of a shelter belt and hedgerow. The south western boundary is undefined, with the A1270 - Northern Distributer Road (NDR) within close proximity. 2.3. The Site is located immediately adjacent to the built-up area along Broad Lane, to the north east, the existing development on the north eastern edge of Broad Lane consists of detached properties, which form the southern extent of a wider triangular shaped residential development known as New Rackheath. Further to the south east, ribbon development extends along Broad Lane, consisting of large individual detached dwellings, agricultural and commercial buildings. 2.4. To the north west of the Site, residential allocation GT19 – Land South of Green Lane East – a reserved matters application has been approved - App Reference 20191032 - for the development of 157 dwellings and associated new roads and infrastructure, areas of new public open space, footpaths, cycleways and green infrastructure. This development lies immediately adjacent to the north western Site boundary. Further to the north west, residential allocation GT18 – Land South of Green Lane West - a reserved matters application has been approved - App Reference 20191032 - for the development of 322 dwellings, vehicular access, provision of open space and other associated works. The Site is illustrated within its immediate landscape context on Plan ASP 1 & ASP2 2.5. There are some notable shelter belts / woodlands within the local landscape, which together with the flat landform provide visual containment. A shelter belt runs adjacent to the majority of the north western Site boundary, before heading north west. The vegetation belt defines the south eastern and south western boundaries to the adjacent residential allocation GT19. 2.6. In terms of topography, the Site lies on flat landform at approximately 25m Above Ordnance Datum (AOD). The topography in the wider landscape rises to a local high 2 Green Lane East, Rackheath May 2020 Landscape and Visual Appraisal 7014.LVA.005 point along Salhouse Road of 31m AOD, approximately 865m to the west and to a low point of 18m AOD at the junction of Board Lane and Toad Lane, approximately 1.36km to the south east. 2.7. The Site is not subject to any qualitative landscape designations at a national or local level and is not publicly accessible. There are no Public Rights of Way (PRoW) within the immediate of local area, the PRoW network is illustrated on the OS plan that forms the base on Plan ASP1. 2.8. The north western boundary is defined by a mature shelter belt that screens views across the Site from future residents of GT19 and existing users and residents of Green Lane and associated pavement which runs adjacent to the north. The A1270 lies in close proximity to the south west of the Site and is located on elevated landform which limits further views from the south west. Screening of views is provided by the existing development to the north east along Broad Lane and existing vegetation that aligns the Bittern Line railway, this heavily restricts views from the south east. Overall, it is considered the views a limited to the immediate vicinity. Landscape Related Policy 2.9. The Site lies within Broadland District Council, the current local plan is made up of several documents: • Joint Core Strategy DPD (Broadland, Norwich and South Norfolk) adopted 2011, amendments adopted January 2014 • Development Management DPD adopted August 2015 • Site Allocations DPD adopted May 2016 • Growth Triangle Area Action Plan adopted July 2016 • Neighbourhood Plan 2.10. These documents set out planning policies that aim to help planning officers and applicants in achieving a high standard of development in the district and form the main guide to determining planning applications. Alongside these documents there are also a number of Supplementary Planning Documents (SPDs). 3 Green Lane East, Rackheath May 2020 Landscape and Visual Appraisal 7014.LVA.005 2.11. At present the local development documents that are relevant to this LVA are; Joint Core Strategy DPD (JCS DPD) 2.12. This sets out strategic policies in the Greater Norwich Area, which has been developed in partnership between Broadland, Norwich and South Norfolk Councils. These documents include the Changes to Local Plan Policies Map for Joint Core Strategy (Broadland part) 2014, which includes the settlement limits within the Growth Triangle area. Development Management DPD (DM DMP) 2.13. The Development Management DPD aims to further the objectives set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Joint Core Strategy (Broadland, Norwich and South Norfolk). The Growth Triangle Area Action Plan (GT AAP) 2.14. This plan specifically applies to the areas of Rackheath, Old Catton, Sprowston, Thorpe St Andrew and other parishes which are not covered by the Site Allocations DPD. 2.15. The Joint Core Strategy identified these areas for major urban development concentrating on growth that can support local services such as transport links, secondary education, healthcare, and green infrastructure. 2.16. Within the GT AAP, the land to the north west of the Site, beyond the shelter belt is allocated for residential development – GT18: Land South of Green Lane West and GT19: Land South of Green Lane East, see Appendix 1; Landscape Character 2.17. At a regional level, the Natural England Character Map of England illustrates that the Site is located within the Central North Norfolk NCA (78). At a more local level, the Broadland Landscape Character Assessment SPD – September 2013, undertaken by Chris Blandford Associates (May 2008), identifies the Site as being within the Woodland Estatelands (E) Landscape Character Type (LCT), this is sub divided into Landscape character Areas (LCAs), of which the Site lies within E3 4 Green Lane East, Rackheath May 2020 Landscape and Visual Appraisal 7014.LVA.005 Spixworth Wooded Estatelands. An extract from the assessment is included within Appendix 2. 2.18. The Key characteristics of the LCT, including: • “A pattern of small manor houses, isolated halls and larger estates, with associated parkland extending across much of the area: • These buildings impart a strongly ordered and human influence over the surrounding landscape; • Numerous copses, woodlands and small plantations associated with these estates, punctuating a landscape of underlying predominantly arable farmland; • Settlements have many historic buildings associated with them and a strong local vernacular; • Strong historic dimension throughout the landscape; • Woodland provides a sense of enclosure; • Underlain by a mixed geology of Till, with loams and pebbly soils.” 2.19. The assessment provides an overall description of the historic environment character as; “Today, the field pattern is predominantly 20th century agriculture with some 18th - 19th century enclosures, patches of woodland and some inland managed wetland following river corridors.