Supporting Document 26 - Special Landscape Area (SLA)

1. The Map below shows the Eye SLA. The boundary of the Eye SLA is that part of the SLA designated by MSDC within the parish of Eye. It is shown on the Policies Map of the Plan. This document describes the character and special qualities associated with the Special Landscape Area designated by this Plan.

Map 1 – Special Landscape Area shown on MSDC Interactive Map

Source MSDC Interactive Map http://maps.midsuffolk.gov.uk/

Map 2 – Special Landscape Area within the Parish Boundary

Source – County Council

2. The Joint Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council Landscape Guidance (August 2015) divides the District into 12 landscape typologies for Mid Suffolk as identified in the Suffolk Landscape Character Assessment (). Each landscape character type has a brief description on the essential defining characteristics of the landscape and settlements i.e. what makes each landscape distinct from the surrounding landscapes and which elements are important.

3. The parish of Eye contains four different landscape character types; a) 3 Ancient plateau claylands b) 10 Plateau claylands c) 17 Rolling valley claylands d) 31 Wooded valley meadowlands & fens

Source - SLCA http://www.suffolklandscape.org.uk

4. The Eye SLA includes the Wooded valley meadowlands & fens landscape character type 31 and the Mid Suffolk DC Landscape Guidance (2015) states: “This landscape character is only found in two interlinked river valleys on the northern boundary of Suffolk including a thin section of Mid Suffolk; from outside the district boundary (Suffolk Coastal District) along the valley of the Waveney westwards into Mid Suffolk, including Mendham Marshes and part of Common and ending in Redgrave and Lopham Fen. Then southward along the River Dove to Eye and .”

5. The Guidance states the objectives for Wooded valley meadowlands & fens are to: • To maintain and enhance the landscape areas. • To reinforce and enhance the pattern of meadows and retain the existing field boundaries • To safeguard, restore and maintain the fens, marshes, pasture and plantation areas • To safeguard and enhance the woodland cover. • To protect and enhance the ecological environment • To minimise visual intrusion on the very sensitive landscape include impact on the skyline. • To safeguard the undisturbed tranquillity of the area

6. Its Key Design Principles for this landscape character type are: • Any changes or developments will have a significant effect on the landscape therefore all proposals should provide mitigation strategies to minimise the detrimental impact on both the visual amenity and the landscape character of the valley floor • All development must take into consideration the cultural and historic importance of this area and the impact on the ecological environment • Alder carrs and woodland plantations are to be protected and maintained within this landscape character. • Fens, marshes and pasture areas are to be protected and maintained within this landscape character. • Roofscapes are to be in keeping with existing development within this very sensitive landscape. • Retain the undisturbed scenic and tranquil quality of the hidden Wooded valley meadowlands landscape.

7. The special qualities indicators of the Eye SLA listed below are based on how the key features for Wooded valley meadowlands & fens are expressed within the parish: • Flat valley bottom (land within the floodplain of the River Dove and its tributaries) • Cattle grazed pasture (At Abbey Farm & Moor Hall, the pastures of the valley belong to farms that are situated on the higher and drier land surrounding the valley floors). • Network of drainage ditches (Dove valley) • Widespread plantation and carr woodland (Waterloo Plantation & Town Moors Woodland) • Localised settlement on the valley floor “islands” (The town of Eye sits on a large semi-island within the Dove valley) • Sense of quiet and rural isolation in many places (Dove valley & Lamsey Brook)