SNH Commissioned Report 29: Overview of Scotland's National
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Overview of Scotland’s National Programme of Landscape Character Assessment Report No. F03 AA307 For further information on this report please contact: Richard Ferguson Scottish Natural Heritage Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW [email protected] This report should be quoted as: Julie Martin Associates and Carys Swanwick (2003) ‘Overview of Scotland’s National Programme of Landscape Character Assessment’. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report F03 AA307. This report or any part of it should not be reproduced without the permission of Scottish Natural Heritage which will not be unreasonably withheld. The views expressed by the authors of this report should not be taken as the views and policies of Scottish Natural Heritage. Scottish Natural Heritage 2003. i COMMISSIONED REPORT Summary OVERVIEW OF SCOTLAND’S NATIONAL PROGRAMME OF LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT (LCA) Report No: F03 AA307 Contractor : Julie Martin Associates and Carys Swanwick BACKGROUND This report provides a critical review of the Scotland-wide programme of Landscape Character Assessment (LCA), which includes 30 LCA reports and a GIS database. The consultants’ brief was to assess the main strengths and weaknesses of these outputs, review the ways they are being used, and make recommendations for future work. MAIN FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The LCA programme is regarded as visionary and innovative. Key strengths include: it provides a key tool for use by SNH staff; has achieved formal recognition in central government policy and advice; was the first full-coverage, detailed LCA programme completed in Europe; provides a clear, systematic coverage of landscape issues; has raised awareness of landscape concerns; involved all Scotland’s local authorities and several other partners; well-used by planners in development planning and development control; provides a strong platform from which to implement the European Landscape Convention. However, shortcomings and weaknesses of the programme include: variations between different LCAs; blurring of characterisation and judgement stages in the assessment process; limited stakeholder input; limited range of LCA applications; need to extend awareness of outputs and how they can be used; lack of external web access to LCA outputs; limited influence on national landscape policy issues; lack of a national ‘top-down’ perspective. The consultants conclude that there is no immediate need to update the existing LCA report series. However, they make several recommendations for future work, including: • Promote the programme more widely, providing web access and a network for LCA users. (Journal articles have also been drafted as a by-product of this contract.) • Resolve inconsistencies in the GIS database and refine coastal classifications. • Prepare a national framework of regional character areas. • Involve stakeholders in a review of the national database. • Identify suitable indicators to monitor landscape change. • Produce guidance on landscape capacity studies. • Reinforce links between LCA and designated areas. • Seek more recognition for landscape issues in the Rural Stewardship Scheme. • Encourage new champions for landscape issues in other organisations. For further information on this project contact : Richard Ferguson, SNH Battleby, Redgorton, Perth PH1 3EW. Tel.no. 01738-444-177 For further information on the SNH Research & Technical Support Programme contact [email protected] ii Contents Executive summary……………………………………………………………………… iii Preface……………………………………………………………………………………… v Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………….…vi 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Background.................................................................................................. 1 1.2 SNH’s landscape duties and remit............................................................... 1 1.3 The Scottish LCA programme...................................................................... 3 1.4 Similar LCA programmes elsewhere............................................................ 5 1.5 The European landscape policy context ...................................................... 7 1.6 Key achievements of the Scottish LCA programme to date......................... 8 2 SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE PROGRAMME ........................................... 11 2.1 The LCA reports......................................................................................... 11 2.2 The GIS and database............................................................................... 18 2.3 Dissemination of programme outputs ........................................................ 23 2.4 Key points of relevance to the review ........................................................ 23 3 PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN APPLYING THE LCA PROGRAMME ............ 25 3.1 Potential applications of the LCA programme............................................ 25 3.2 Applications to planning ............................................................................. 26 3.3 Applications to landscape conservation and management ........................ 31 3.4 Key points of relevance to the review ........................................................ 35 4 PERCEPTIONS OF THE LCA PROGRAMME................................................. 37 4.1 Introduction to the critical review................................................................ 37 4.2 Views of LCA users and practitioners ........................................................ 37 4.3 Questions Put to Consultees...................................................................... 37 4.4 Key points of relevance to the review ........................................................ 44 5 ISSUES ARISING FROM THE REVIEW .......................................................... 47 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 47 5.2 Strengths of the programme ...................................................................... 47 5.3 Weaknesses of the programme ................................................................. 48 5.4 Characterisation......................................................................................... 49 5.5 Forces for change ...................................................................................... 52 5.6 Guidelines.................................................................................................. 54 5.7 Applications of landscape character assessment ...................................... 56 6 RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................................................... 60 6.1 Promoting understanding and awareness.................................................. 60 6.2 Characterising the landscape..................................................................... 60 6.3 Understanding and guiding landscape change .......................................... 61 6.4 Applying the LCA programme outputs ....................................................... 62 6.5 Priorities and resource implications ........................................................... 63 References.............................................................................................................. 66 iii Annex 1: The Brief.................................................................................................. 70 Annex 2: List of Consultees .................................................................................. 76 Annex 3: Typical Landscape Character Assessment Brief ................................ 78 Annex 4: GIS Data Revision by SNH’s Geographic Information Group ............ 85 Annex 5: Levels 1, 2 and 3 Within the Scottish Landscape Classification ....... 97 Annex 6: Questions Put at Consultation Meetings ........................................... 107 iv Executive summary Background This report examines and reviews the National Programme of Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) that was initiated by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) in 1994. The principal programme outputs, prepared between 1994 and 1999, were 30 LCA reports providing complete coverage of Scotland. Data from the studies are also recorded in a national database as part of SNH’s computerised Geographical Information System (GIS). The study reports, GIS mapping and database are intended as tools to assist in appropriate decision-making for managing landscape change. The purposes of the overview were to: enable maximum benefit to be gained from SNH’s investment; promote the outcomes of the LCA programme; provide pointers for future development of the programme; and help inform SNH’s emerging landscape policy. The overview was undertaken through desk study and consultations with a wide range of users and practitioners to assess different experiences and perspectives on LCA in Scotland. Main findings The programme is visionary and innovative. It provides a key tool for SNH staff to use in fulfilling SNH’s landscape duties and remit; has achieved formal recognition in policy and advice from central government; has been widely used for a host of different applications; was the first full-coverage, detailed LCA programme to be completed in Europe; involved all local authorities and a range of other partners across Scotland; and provides an excellent platform from which to implement the European Landscape Convention. A special strength is the degree to which the LCA programme outputs are recognised