Prepared fur West Oxfordshire District Council Adantic: Consultan& Hems Court Longbrook Street Exeter Devon EX4 6AP May 1398 PART ONE PART THREE The Study Key Settlements 80 Background 1 Introduction 81 Structure of the document 1 Bampton Burford 84 86 Approach and Rationale Carterton Charlbury 88 Chipping Norton 91 Landscape character assessment 2 Ducklington 94 Guidelines for landscape ~ Eynskam 95 enhancement 3 Milton-under-Wychwood 97 Guidelines for built development 5 Witney 99 Woodstock 103 A Landscape Overview Introduction 8 Physical influences 8 Appendices Human influences 9 Variations in landscape and 1 Checklist of key characteristics visual character 11 2 Matrix of tree and shrub species Variations in landscape 3 Glossary of terms quality and condition 15 PART Two Bibl i ogcap hy Character Areas Figures . 1 Northern Valleys and Ridges 17 2 Ironstone Valleys and Ridges 22 1 Geology 3 Enstone Uplands 27 2 Topography 4 Eastern Parks and Valleys 32 3 Natisnal/Regional Landscape Context 5 Upper Evenlode Valley 37 4 Character Areas 6 Lower Evenlode Valley 42 5 Landscape Types 7 Wychwood Uplands 47 6 Enhancement Strategy 8 Upper Windrush Valley 52 9 Shilton Downs 57 10 Bampton Vale 62 1 I Eynsham Vale 67 12 Lower Windrush Valley and Eastern Thames Fringes 72 13 Western Thames Fringes 77 . ,-- STUDY CONTEXT Background Whilst the assessment is primarily intended to assist the District Council, it is also considered to Over recent years, there has been growing be of relevance to a wide range of organisations recognition of the role of landscape assessment and individuals whose activities may have an as a basis for countryside planning and effect upon the landscape of West Oxfordshire. management. In particular, the use of landscape These will include landowners, farmers, private assessment as a tool for describing the character developers, community organisations and other of our landscapes is increasingly recognised as an local interest groups. important first step in conserving and enhancing them, and for planning for sustainable The brief outlined the following main development in rural areas. requirements of the study: The impetus for preparing landscape assessments 0 to identify and describe the attributes of the at a district level has come from two main landscape (both natural and man-made) that directions: contribute to local distinctiveness; to provide a breakdown of the district into the Countryside Commission actively areas of distinctive landscape character; encourages local planning authorities to to examine the relationship between the undertake district-wide assessments to landscape and patterns of settlement and provide an ,informed background for policy buildings; and development control decisions and for to identify simple enhancement strategies countryside management. It has published and priorities for each landscape type; detailed guidance on landscape assessment 0 and to identify variations in landscape and has recently produced a ‘New Map of sensitivity across the District and its ability to England’ which provides a broad context for accommodate change. defining landscape character at a local level. It also promotes the concept of local distinctiveness through its ‘Design in the Structure of the document Countryside’ initiative. This document is divided into three main parts: Government advice contained within the revised PPG7 (February 1997) takes forward Part One provides the overall background these approaches and encourages planning and context to the study, including an authorities to undertake comprehensive explanation of the approach and landscape assessments as part of the local methodology employed and a brief overview plan review process. The extent and of the District landscape, its formative effectiveness of local landscape designations is influences and overall character; to be given particular consideration in such reviews. Part Two deals with the individual Character Areas, describing in detail their landscape and In response to this background, West Oxfordshire settlement character together with District commissioned Atlantic Consultants to appropriate guidelines for landscape prepare a district-wide landscape assessment Its enhancement and built development; main objective is to increase understanding of the landscape resources of tL e dAistrict, to assist Part Three provides more detailed with policy formulation and development control assessment of the fringes of a number of key and to assist with the targeting of resources for settlements (mainly local service centres) enhancement and management. wiiin the district. - -. landscape character assess ment of pressures on the landscape and key management or enhancement needs, were Over recent years, there has been a general trend also noted during the field survey. away from quantitative systems of landscape evaluation towards an approach based upon Analysis - this stage involved combining the understanding the intrinsic character of a results of the desk and field studies to locality and its distinctive features, allowing produce a breakdown of the district into areas land use planning and management to respond of distinctive character. to the local ‘landscape vernacular‘. This approach is explained within the landscape The assessment examines landscape character at assessment guidance published by the two levels. Firstly, it looks at the way in which Countryside Commission (CCP4231, which forms particular landform and landcover elements the basis for this study. combine to produce distinctive landscape types. These are generic descriptions and the types can The approach recognises that the character of the repeat across the district without necessarily landscape is not simply a scenic or visual being related to geographical location. phenomenon but is the product of its physiography, history and land management It Landscape types are particularly useful as a tool recognises that factors such as ecology, history for understanding the detailed pattern of and culture, have a bearing upon the way landscape variation that occurs across the district landscape is experienced and valued and that as a whole and to assist in day to day these factors should also to be taken into account development control decisions. However, in within the assessment process. Overall, the planning policy and management terms, it is as approach relies upon a mix of objective important to understand the landscape character recording and subjective judgement, used in a and qualities of particular places or areas, so that systematic and iterative way. appropriate policies and action can be applied at a local level. Therefore, it is common practice to The assessment process has involved the define landscape character areas. These are following main stages of work: units of landscape which may embrace a number of different landscape types but which in some Desk study - this stage involved the collation way have a coherent and recognisable ‘sense of of a wide range of existing information on the place’ or local identity. physical and human influences that have shaped the landscape of the district. The It is important to stress that the boundaries process involved ‘overlay mapping‘ of key between landscape types or between character factors (eg. geology, topography, drainage, areas are rarely distind Instead, the boundaries woodland cover, and sites of tend to be best approximations of a gradual but ecologicaVhistorical importance etc.) as well discernible change in character. It is also as detailed examination of other important to stress that landscape character rarely documentary, map-based or photographic stops at the district boundary and will usually evidence. Other landscape assessments (eg. extend beyond into neighbouring districts. the New Map of England and Cotswolds AONB assessment) were also consulted to The basis for the division of West Oxfordshire provide context and consistency. District into distinctive landscape types and character areas, is explained in the ‘landscape Field survey - this part of the study involved overview’ section. travelling extensively throughout the district, recording detailed variations in landscape character and key features onto 1:25,000 base maps. Other factors, such as evidence Guidelines for landscape enhancement 0 Strengthen - this strategy applies to those landscapes which have a positive rural Approach to evaluation character, attractive qualities and where character, landscape structure and sense of place are still comparatively strong, but which The second part of the study involves identifying are not ‘special’ or distinctive to quite the variations in landscape quality and condition same degree as those in the above category. across the district, primarily to allow appropriate These landscapes are also important to guidelines for landscape conservation, conserve but would benefit from some management and enhancement to be defined. enhancement through appropriate land management, to strengthen weakened The aim is, therefore, not to identify the ‘best’ or landscape structure and quality and to ’worst’ quality landscapes within the district but reinforce local distinctiveness. to examine the intrinsic quality and condition of individual landscape types so that intervention The degree to which landscape structure and can be targeted to the most needy areas. This character require strengthening differs across approach has therefore been applied across the the District. A distinction is therefore drawn whole of the