Weddle Landscape Design
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Weddle Landscape Design LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING Mews Studio, Charnwood House 8 Kenwood Bank, Sheffield S7 1NU Tel (0114) 250 1181 Fax (0114) 250 1188 E-mail [email protected] Web site http://www.weddles.co.uk MIDDLEWeddle Landscape FARM, WHESTON Design Landscape and Visual Appraisal LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE SEPTEMBER 2020 Rev A ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING Mews Studio, Charnwood House 8 Kenwood Bank, Sheffield S7 1NU 1.1.1.1 Tel (0114) 250 1181 Fax (0114) 250 1188 E-mail [email protected] Web site http://www.weddles.co.uk wood House 8 Kenwood Bank, Sheffield S7 1NU 1.1.1.2 Tel (0114) 250 1181 Fax (0114) 250 1188 E-mail [email protected] Web site http://www.weddles.co.uk _______________________________________________________________________________________ WEDDLE LANDSCAPE DESIGN Page 1 of 43 Middle Farm, Weston Landscape and Visual Appraisal – Rev A, September 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 4 1.1 Landscape and Visual Appraisal .................................................................................. 5 2 SITE CONTEXT AND BASELINE ........................................................................................ 6 2.1 Landscape Setting ....................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Designations ................................................................................................................. 8 3 LEGISLATION AND POLICY ............................................................................................. 12 3.1 European and National Legislation and Planning Policy ........................................... 12 3.2 Local Planning Policy ................................................................................................. 13 4 LANDSCAPE CHARACTER .............................................................................................. 16 4.1 National Landscape Character .................................................................................. 16 4.2 County / Local Landscape Character ........................................................................ 17 5 SITE APPRAISAL............................................................................................................... 19 6 BASELINE LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL CONDITION ....................................................... 22 6.1 Landscape Receptors ................................................................................................ 22 6.2 Visual Appraisal .......................................................................................................... 22 7 DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS ......................................................................................... 26 8 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL EFFECTS .............................................................................. 27 8.1 Effects on Landscape Features ................................................................................. 27 8.2 Effects on Landscape Character ................................................................................ 28 8.3 Visual Effects .............................................................................................................. 29 8.4 Response to Policy .................................................................................................... 30 9 LIMITATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS ................................................................................. 31 10 RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................................................................. 32 10.1 Development and Mitigation Measures ..................................................................... 32 11 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 33 _______________________________________________________________________________________ WEDDLE LANDSCAPE DESIGN Page 2 of 43 Middle Farm, Weston Landscape and Visual Appraisal – Rev A, September 2020 APPENDICES Appendix 1: LVA Methodology Appendix 2: Zone of Theoretical Visibility and Principal Viewpoints Appendix 3: Published Landscape Character Extracts _______________________________________________________________________________________ WEDDLE LANDSCAPE DESIGN Page 3 of 43 Middle Farm, Weston Landscape and Visual Appraisal – Rev A, September 2020 1 INTRODUCTION Studio Gedye Ltd has asked Weddle Landscape Design to prepare a Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) for a site at Middle Farm, Wheston, Buxton, to support planning application for proposed change of use of a farm to business units, cafe and caravan accommodation with some stables and a holiday let. The objectives of the LVA are to assess the landscape character of the site and its surroundings and to consider the landscape and visual qualities of the site, its function in the landscape and its contribution to the wider landscape. The work undertaken includes an assessment of the existing landscape features, together with a visual appraisal of the site and its context. The LVA is used to inform the continued design development of the proposed development and to explain the likely landscape and visual effects that may arise as a result of the proposed development. Therefore, providing sufficient information for decision makers to determine the landscape and visual impact of the development. _______________________________________________________________________________________ WEDDLE LANDSCAPE DESIGN Page 4 of 43 Middle Farm, Weston Landscape and Visual Appraisal – Rev A, September 2020 1.1 Landscape and Visual Appraisal This document provides the landscape and visual baseline and identifies any potential issues arising from the proposed development. This report is split into the following sub-sections: • Site Context and Baseline • Legislation and Policy • Landscape Character • Site Appraisal • Impact Assessment of the development proposals • Baseline Landscape and Visual Condition • Development Proposals • Landscape and Visual Effects • Limitations and Assumptions • Conclusion The LVA is carried out in accordance with Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (“GLVIA3”), published by Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, which states that “Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) is a tool used to identify and assess the significance of and the effects of change resulting from development on both the landscape as an environmental resource in its own right and on people’s views and visual amenity”. An LVA is a more concise version of an LVIA, proportional to the level of potential impact. This report has been produced by Neil Northrop BA DipLD MCIHort CMLI of Weddle Landscape, A Chartered Landscape Architect with over 13 years’ experience of Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments. _______________________________________________________________________________________ WEDDLE LANDSCAPE DESIGN Page 5 of 43 Middle Farm, Weston Landscape and Visual Appraisal – Rev A, September 2020 2 SITE CONTEXT AND BASELINE The site is situated within the Peak District National Park, off Wheston Bank (Road) in the village of Wheston. The site is 2km north-west of Tideswell and approximately 8km north-east of Bakewell at OS Grid Reference SK 133 762. SITE Figure 1 - Site Location – OS Maps 2.1 Landscape Setting Topography The site lies near the centre of Wheston at 347 AOD, with moderately steep slopes falling to the south-west towards Peter Dale, a short dry crag-sided valley. This runs south-west and continues as Monk’s Dale, a larger steep sided dry gorge, before joining Millers Dale, which runs east to west. To the north-east of the site the landform rises above the site to 381 AOD. Figure 2 – Terrain Data _______________________________________________________________________________________ WEDDLE LANDSCAPE DESIGN Page 6 of 43 Middle Farm, Weston Landscape and Visual Appraisal – Rev A, September 2020 Hydrology The nearest significant local hydrological feature is the River Wye, approximately 3km to the south. Monk’s Dale to the south west of the site is dry during the summer months, but has a winterbourne stream that runs to the River Wye at Millers Dale. The River Wye runs west to east and eventually feeds into the River Derwent at Rowsley. Vegetation The main vegetation patterns in the surrounding landscape is pasture fields with intermittent individual trees or tree belts along their boundaries. Peter Dale and Monk’s Dale and have woodland slopes, as does the River Wye to the south. To the north of the site there is minimal tree coverage. Settlement and Land Use Local settlements are predominantly dispersed individual farmsteads to the north, south and west. Tideswell is the largest residential village to the south-east of Wheston. The predominant building material is stone with slate roofs. Local agricultural land is divided into long rectangular fields and used for pasture, with limestone walls as boundaries. Approximately 3.5km to the south-west of the site is Tunstead Quarry and 4.5km to the west is Dove Holes Quarry. Both are large open-air working quarries, covering approximately 238ha and 133ha respectively. The majority of roads in the surrounding area are small, narrow county lanes. Wheston Bank is the main road that connects Wheston to Tideswell. To the north is the A623, running north- west to south-east. To the south at Miller’s