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BDL 6 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Randall’s Field & Land at Upshot Lane Pyrford, Woking Prepared on behalf of: Burhill Developments Ltd Date: August 2016 Gillespies LLP 05 18.08.16 KP RM FINAL Issued to client 04 24.02.16 KP RM FINAL Issued to client 03 19.02.16 KP RM DRAFT Issued to client 02 15.02.16 KP RM DRAFT Issued to client 01 29.01.16 KP RM DRAFT Issued to client 00 02.10.15 KD KP DRAFT REASONS FOR REV DATE BY CHKD STATUS REVISION/COMMENTS Gillespies File Reference: OX5363 Randall’s Field & Land at Upshot Lane LVIA ORIGINATOR ORIGINATOR REVISION REFERENCE GILLESPIES LLP P 00 Gillespies File Reference: OX5363 Randall’s Field & Land at Upshot Lane LVIA Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Randall’s Field & Land at Upshot Lane CONTENTS 1 Introduction 1 2 Legislation, Policy And Guidance 2 3 Landscape Baseline 8 4 Visual Baseline 19 5 Assessment of Landscape Effects 21 6 Assessment of Visual Effects 32 7 Mitigation and Enhancement Measures 36 8 Summary of Landscape and Visual Effects 37 GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATIONS REFERENCES APPENDICES Appendix 01 Figures Appendix 02 LVIA Methodology Appendix 03 Landscape Character Assessments Appendix 04 Arboricultural and TPO Information Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 1 Randall’s Field & Land at Upshot Lane 1 Introduction 1.1 The development 1.1.1 In August 2015, Gillespies was instructed by Burhill Developments Ltd (BDL), (the Landowner) to prepare a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) in respect of proposals for the release of two sites from the Green Belt for residential development on land at Pyrford, Surrey. 1.1.2 The sites comprise two agricultural fields, known as Randall’s Field and Land east of Upshot Lane respectively, and are located to the south of Pyrford, approximately 3.5km east of Woking town centre (with the centre of the site located at National Grid Reference TQ039589). The two sites are identified in Woking Borough’s Draft Site Allocations Development Plan Document (DPD) for release from the Green Belt in order to meet future development needs for housing in Woking. 1.1.3 This LVIA was commissioned by BDL to support representations that were submitted to Woking Borough Council (WBC) in respect of the DPD. For the purposes of this LVIA, BDL also commissioned an updated Phase 1 Habitat survey (ADAS), access assessment (White Young Green) a tree survey (Hayden’s) and a draft illustrative masterplan (Carter Jonas). 1.1.4 It is proposed to provide a wide range of house types in accordance with WBC’s policies, with the remainder of the sites to be used for open space and green infrastructure. This is shown on Carter Jonas’ illustrative masterplan. 1.1.5 The sites are bound by: Pyrford Common Road and Church Hill to the south; Sandy Lane, a public bridleway, to the east; Residential areas of Pyrford on the northern and western boundary, including Aviary Road, Tegg’s Lane and Lovelace Drive; and The two sites are separated by Upshot Lane. 1.1.6 The wider surrounding area is dominated by residential areas to the north and west, which forms part of the wider conurbation of Woking. Pyrford Common is located to the west of the sites. Areas of open farm land lie to the east, beyond which is Pyrford Golf Course which runs down to the river valley of the River Wey and the Wey Navigation. To the south is the historic house and gardens of Pyrford Court. Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 2 Randall’s Field & Land at Upshot Lane 1.1.7 The sites are shown on OX5363 Figure 01 Site Location. 1.1.8 The masterplan proposals are shown in Carter Jonas’s Figure 1013212.009.REV1, Concept Plan. 1.2 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Methodology 1.2.1 The methodology used by Gillespies in the preparation of this LVIA is based on principles set out by the Landscape Institute (LI) and Institute of Environmental Management Assessment (IEMA) in the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Assessment (GLVIA3) (Ref.i) and guidance from Natural England An Approach to Landscape Character Assessment (Ref ii). 1.2.2 An outline of the methodology used in this LVIA is attached at Appendix 02. 1.2.3 The scope of this LVIA was discussed and agreed with planning officers of WBC, in particular the extent of the study area and the proposed viewpoints. 2 Legislation, Policy And Guidance 2.1 Introduction 2.1.1 This section identifies and describes legislation, policy and guidance of relevance to the assessment of potential landscape and visual effects associated with the construction and occupation of the proposed housing. 2.1.2 It should be noted that although the southern boundary of the study area includes land within the administration boundary of Guildford Borough and full regard has been had to its planning designations affecting this land, the approach to the LVIA has not been discussed with that authority as this was not required. 2.2 International 2.2.1 The European Landscape Convention (ELC), which was signed by the UK in February 2006 and became binding in 2007, is the first international convention to focus specifically on landscape issues and aims to protect, manage and plan landscapes in Europe. 2.2.2 The ELC defines landscape as: Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 3 Randall’s Field & Land at Upshot Lane ‘An area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.’ 2.3 National Legislation, Planning Policy and Guidance 2.3.1 National Planning Policy is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), March 2012 (Ref 1.0). Paragraph 17 of the NPPF includes 12 principles of plan making and decision-taking. These include the principles that planning should: • ‘take account of the different roles and character of different areas, ….recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside and supporting thriving rural communities within it.’ • ‘contribute to conserving and enhancing the natural environment and reduce pollution. Allocations of land for development should prefer land of lesser environmental value, where consistent with other policies in this Framework.’ 2.3.2 Paragraph 61 states that ‘Although visual appearance and the architecture of individual buildings are very important factors, securing high quality and inclusive design goes beyond aesthetic considerations. Therefore, planning policies and decisions should address the connections between people and places and the integration of new development into the natural, built and historic environment.’ 2.3.3 Section 11 of the NPPF, Conserving and enhancing the natural environment, states that the planning system should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by, amongst others, ‘protecting and enhancing valued landscapes, geological conservation interests and soils;’ (Paragraph 109). 2.3.4 The sites are currently located within the Green Belt, although as explained above in paragraph 1.1.2, the two sites are identified for release from the Green Belt in WBC’s Draft Site Allocations DPD. Section 09 of the NPPF, Protecting Green Belt Land, states that the Government attaches great importance to the Green Belt. The fundamental aim of the Green Belt is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open; and the essential characteristics of the Green Belt is its openness and permanence. The extent of the Green Belt is shown on OX5363 Figure 02 National Designations. 2.4 Local Policy 2.4.1 The sites are located within Woking Borough and the development is subject to the saved policies within the Woking Borough Council Local Plan (1999) and the Policies from the Core Strategy (2012) that have superseded those Local Plan Policies as listed in Appendix Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 4 Randall’s Field & Land at Upshot Lane 6: List of Saved (and Superseded) Polices of Woking Local Plan (1999) (Ref. iii). The local policies which apply to the sites are shown on OX5363 Figure 03 Local Plan Designations. 2.4.2 The sites are currently located in the Green Belt. Core Strategy CS6 Green Belt relates to strategies for the protection of the Green Belt as defined by Government policy outlined in the NPPF. However, the Core Strategy also states that the Green Belt has been identified as a potential future direction of growth to meet housing need between 2022 and 2027. 2.4.3 WBC carried out a Green Belt boundary review (The Woking Green Belt Review July 2014) to identify sufficient land to meet development needs. The review was informed by the Woking Green Belt review - Final Report (January 2014) prepared by Peter Brett Associates (PBA) for WBC and we have had regard to this in the preparation of this LVIA. Both sites are assessed by PBA as part of a much larger site and this and surrounding parcels are indicated on OX5363 Figure 07. We provide below an extract from PBA’s report which identifies that both sites form part of a much wider area that incorporates around 91 hectares (both sites have a total of about 23 hectares) and extends some 900metres south of the land east of Upshot Lane, and thus is close to the edge of the study area. 2.4.4 Given the fine grain of the analysis that we have undertaken, in particular the analysis around the alignment of the defined Escarpment and Rising Ground of Landscape Importance, we contend that this aspect of PBA’s analysis is flawed because it is not appropriate to have considered this as a single plot. The area is so varied in character, land use and topography that assessment of this in a single area is almost impossible.