Landscape Appraisal Land at Baltilly, Ceres, Fife Job No 0807 For: Savills
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Landscape Appraisal Land at Baltilly, Ceres, Fife Job No 0807 For: Savills Date: 08 th March 2013 Land at Baltilly, Ceres, Fife Landscape Appraisal Savills Job No 0807 CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION 2.0 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SITE 3.0 LEGISLATION POLICY AND GUIDANCE 4.0 SITE TOPOGRAPHY 5.0 SITE LANDUSE AND INTERNAL CHARACTER 6.0 SITE VISIBILITY PATTERNS 7.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 8.0 SUGGESTED DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS APPENDIX 1: TARVIT & CERES SLA DESIGNATION CRITERIA Brindley Associates Limited 1 08 th March 2013 Land at Baltilly, Ceres, Fife Landscape Appraisal Savills Job No 0807 FIGURES Figure 1 Location and Extent of the Site Figure 2 Landscape Designations Figure 3 Site Landscape and Visual Appraisal Figure 4 Site Panoramas A & B Figure 5 Site Panoramas C & D Figure 6 Site Panoramas E & H Figure 7 Site Panoramas I & J Figure 8 Site Photographs Figure 9 Viewpoint Photograph 1 Figure 10 Viewpoint Photograph 2 Figure 11 Suggested Development Proposals Figure 12 Suggested Development Proposals in Context Brindley Associates Limited 2 08 th March 2013 Land at Baltilly, Ceres, Fife Landscape Appraisal Savills Job No 0807 1.0 INTRODUCTION Brindley Associates Ltd, Landscape Architects and Environmental Planners were commissioned by Savills to carry out a Landscape Appraisal in order to identify landscape and visual constraints and opportunities for a proposed development site located on the western boundary of the village of Ceres in Fife. The site is being promoted as a residential development site. This report describes the key components, features and characteristics of the site, assesses its relationship with the adjacent agricultural landscapes and the contribution that it makes to the setting and context of Ceres. The report considers the extent to which an understanding of the existing landscape character and visibility patterns can be used to contribute to an emerging development strategy for appropriate residential development in this location. This report takes the form of a desk review supported by a site visit by a Chartered Landscape Architect to confirm and develop the findings of the review. The site visit and review were undertaken by Ross Wilkie BSc (Hons) Ecol Dip LRM MLA CMLI in February 2013. 2.0 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SITE The proposed development site comprises policy land associated with Baltilly House. The site comprises two paddocks, currently grazed by horses, an area of Juncus dominated grassland which appears to be currently unmanaged and a small area of regenerating scrub woodland and extends in total to approximately 4.3 hectares. It should be noted that the proposed development site does not include the immediate garden grounds associated with Baltilly House. The site also does not include the grounds and paddock associated with Little Baltilly which comprises two parcels of land adjacent to the access drive on the south western boundary of the site. The proposed development site falls into two discrete areas of different character and visibility; Area A lying to the south east of the secondary access drive to Baltilly House, which extends to approximately 2.0 hectares; and area B, comprising the land to the north west of the access drive. Area B extends to approximately 2.3 hectares. (See Figure 1). Figure 1: Location and Extent of the Site Brindley Associates Limited 3 08 th March 2013 Land at Baltilly, Ceres, Fife Landscape Appraisal Savills Job No 0807 3.0 LEGISLATION POLICY AND GUIDANCE The site and its surroundings are covered by the St Andrews and East Fife Local Plan (Adopted 2012). In summary the information of relevance to this landscape appraisal is as follows: • The site is currently identified as being within the Tarvit and Ceres Special Landscape Area (SLA); and • The site is adjacent to the boundary of the Ceres Conservation Area. Tarvit and Ceres Special Landscape Area The Tarvit and Ceres SLA extends south from the A914 at Cupar to the B940 at Pitscottie in the west, to Falfield, New Gilston and east to the A916. All countryside surrounding Ceres, including the proposed development site, is included in the SLA, although the urban area of Ceres itself is excluded. Due to existing development on the southern, eastern and northern boundaries of the site this appraisal has concentrated upon possible effects upon those parts of the SLA to the west of Ceres (See Figure 2 and Appendix 1). The proposed development site lies on the valley floor and the key defining characteristics of the Tarvit and Ceres SLA are considered to be: • The SLA is defined as the valley of the Ceres and Craigrothie Burns and the rolling hills which contain them; • Arable fields, enclosed by a mix of stone walls and hedge, cover much of the valley and lower hill slopes; and • Tightly clustered, historic villages of Ceres and Craigrothies sit within the valley. A full description of the SLA characteristics is provided in Appendix 1. The proposed site lies within the area defined as being within the SLA however is not considered to be typical of the wider SLA inasmuch as it is: • Enclosed by existing settlement at Newtown on its northern boundary; • Partially enclosed by settlement along the B939 to the south; • Entirely enclosed to the east by existing settlement within Ceres; • Is partially enclosed to the south west by the shelterbelt and ornamental planting associated with Little Baltilly House; • Is adjacent to urban fringe elements including ornamental gardens, ponds, tennis courts, several infill residential properties including Hadron House; and • Is managed for urban fringe ‘horsiculture’ which is somewhat at odds with the intensive arable farmland character of the valley floor components of the SLA. Ceres Conservation Area The Ceres Conservation Area covers much of Ceres including residential areas at The Loch, Croftdyke, much of Mainstreet, Castlegate and Anstruther Road. The proposed development site lies outwith the Conservation Area but is near to its boundary where the designation encompasses The Loch and Croftdyke. (See Figure 2). It is considered that appropriately designed development would have a negligible effect upon the characteristics of the Conservation Area as the boundary tree belt/avenue along the B939 would provide screening, visual integration and visual continuity in the vicinity of The Loch and existing woodland will provide screening to much of the village. It is Brindley Associates Limited 4 08 th March 2013 Land at Baltilly, Ceres, Fife Landscape Appraisal Savills Job No 0807 considered that retained mature woodland and parkland vegetation will screen the development from any further parts of the Conservation Area. 4.0 SITE TOPOGRAPHY The site occupies a position on the Craigrothie valley floor, with the northern boundary being formed by the canalised Craigrothie Burn. The site lies between 70m and 80m AOD with Baltilly House located on the highest land. The site rises gradually from low-lying flat land adjacent to the burn via a sharp level change between the northern and southern parts of Area B. The southern part of Area B and all of Area A are relatively flat and fall gently towards the B939 on the southern boundary. To the west of the site the land remains relatively flat comprising the Craigrothie Burn valley floor although to the north and south landform rises up the valley sides towards hills of up to 150 - 210m AOD. To the east of the site the landform is low lying valley floor at the confluence of the Craigrothie and Ceres Burns but is dominated by the built form of Ceres. 5.0 SITE LANDUSE AND INTERNAL CHARACTER (see Figure 3) The site currently consists of the land associated with Baltilly House and comprises two main areas of pasture, an area of scrub woodland and one area of grassland adjacent to Craigrothie Burn. Site boundaries are complex and varied, comprising low stone walls to the southern and western boundaries, post & wire fencing, chestnut pale fencing and mature beech hedgerows on the eastern boundary and the Craigrothie Burn channel on the northern boundary. The southern boundary wall is reinforced by shelterbelt/avenue planting along the B939 with the south western boundary reinforced by the shelterbelt associated with Little Baltilly. The south eastern boundary is reinforced by ornamental woodland and parkland associated with the front elevation of Baltilly House and the eastern boundary near North Croftdyke is reinforced by mature broadleaved trees associated with the Ceres Burn. Recent residential development overlooking the Craigrothie Burn at Newtown is prominent on the northern boundary. 6.0 SITE VISIBILITY PATTERNS (see Figure 3) The site visibility patterns are best discussed with reference to the areas A and B as defined in Figure 1. Visibility within the site is illustrated on a series of Site Analysis Panoramas taken from within the site or its immediate boundaries (Figures 4A to 4H). Visibility of the site from outwith its boundaries are illustrated on two viewpoints (Figures 7A &7B). Both of the offsite viewpoints are located to the west of the site in order to present visibility from those parts of the SLA considered most likely to experience views to the site. Area A is enclosed by woodland and tree avenues and generally south facing, it is partly screened from the adjacent B939 to the south by an existing mature mixed species shelterbelt/avenue (See Site Panorama A on Figure 4 and Photograph G on Figure 8), through which filtered visibility to and from the site is available during winter months, although it is considered that there would be effectively no close visibility available through these trees during summer months. (See Site Panorama B on Figure 4 and Site Panorama C on Figure 5). Brindley Associates Limited 5 08 th March 2013 Land at Baltilly, Ceres, Fife Landscape Appraisal Savills Job No 0807 To the east the site contains some mixed species amenity woodland backed by mature woodland along the Ceres Burn.