APPENDIX 7.3

LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT – RELEVANT PUBLISHED EXTRACTS National Character 68. Needwood & Claylands Area profile: Supporting documents

Key facts Landscape Analysis Introduction & Summary Description Opportunities and data change

www.naturalengland.org.uk

1 National Character 68. Needwood & South Derbyshire Claylands Area profile: Supporting documents

Key facts Landscape Analysis Introduction & Summary Description Opportunities and data change

Summary

Needwood and South Derbyshire Claylands National Character Area (NCA), though divided by the River Dove’s wide flood plain, is predominately a rolling plateau that slopes from the southern edge of the Peak District to the valley of the River Trent in the south-west. Also in the south are frequent plantations and ancient woodlands of the former Forest of Needwood. Elsewhere, the extensively hedged and pastoral landscape is dominated by mixed farming and features a dispersed pattern of villages and other National Character Area 68 settlements. Hedgerow trees also contribute to the wooded character of this Needwood & South 52 NCA. Internationally important wetland habitats that include Chartley Moss Derbyshire Claylands Peak White District Peak Note: In most instances, the NCA boundary is not and Pasturefields Saltmarsh nature reserves occur in the west of the area. Part precisely mapped and should be considered as a zone of transition between NCAs. 50 of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site and The National Forest are Derbyshire Peak Fringe & situated on the eastern side of the NCA. To the north and west respectively Lower Derwent 64 are found small parts of the Peak District National Park and Cannock Chase Potteries & Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Churnet Valley

Blithfield Reservoir and the River Dove provide important sources of public water supply for parts of Staffordshire and Leicestershire and also water for

agricultural purposes. Running west to east, the A50, A51 and A52 form the 69 Trent Valley main transport corridors through the area. They provide the main link to the Washlands 61 settlements of Ashbourne and . A good network of rights of way Shropshire, 70 Cheshire & Melbourne and other trails and paths, along with ease of access from the surrounding Staffordshire Parklands Plain NCA 68 boundary conurbations of and Burton-upon-Trent, means that the area is Other NCA boundary Cannock Area outside NCA 68 important for recreation. Future challenges for the area include management Chase National Park Area of Outstanding of flooding, maintaining the character of the farmed landscape and Natural Beauty 67 0 10km Cannock Chase settlements, safeguarding water quality, and expansion of woodlands and Click map to enlarge; Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. & Cank Wood c Crown copyright and database right 2011. All rights reserved. Natural OS licence number 100022021 the restoration of existing wood pasture and parkland. click again to reduce

3 National Character 68. Needwood & South Derbyshire Claylands Area profile: Supporting documents

Key facts Landscape Analysis Introduction & Summary Description Opportunities and data change

Statements of Environmental Opportunities:

■ SEO 1: Conserve and enhance the essential character of this mainly pastoral mixed farm landscape with its distinctive field and settlement patterns, hedgerow trees, varied hedgerow types and heritage assets, enhancing and expanding the network of farmland habitats and improving access opportunities while sustaining food provision.

■ SEO 2: Manage the area’s diverse range of woodlands, veteran trees, wood pasture and parklands to enhance landscape character and safeguard their biodiversity value, while seeking opportunities to enhance access. Plan, with emphasis on The National Forest, for new opportunities to plant woods and new areas of wood pasture to expand existing sites; and create short- rotation coppice to enhance timber and biomass provision, increase carbon storage, regulate water flow and quality, and reduce habitat fragmentation.

■ SEO 3: Protect the historic and cultural features of Needwood and the South Derbyshire Claylands, in particular the traditional settlement patterns of remaining villages, traditional farmsteads and the country estates that provide a strong sense of place.

■ SEO 4: Manage and enhance the network of rivers, flood plains and wetlands, increasing the landscape’s ability to naturally and sustainably manage flood and drought risk and provide other ecosystem services such as water supply and food provision, while recognising the needs of individual species and habitats. View across typical estate farmland near Mecaston

4 National Character 68. Needwood & South Derbyshire Claylands Area profile: Supporting documents

Key facts Landscape Analysis Introduction & Summary Description Opportunities and data change

Description

Physical and functional links to other National Character Areas From the higher ground of the Needwood area there are good views north to the fringes of the Peak District, and east over the Trent Valley. In addition to the historic road routes such as the A50, A51 and A52, the course of the Trent Needwood and the South Derbyshire Claylands are bounded by the wide and Mersey Canal provides an east–west link between the Trent Valley of the Trent Valley Washlands National Character Area (NCA) and and Cheshire. The Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, the 18th-century the rising ground of the Cannock Chase and Cank Wood NCA in the south- birthplace of the factory system, contains a series of historic mill complexes west. Much of the southern half of the area drains into the Trent. The higher of outstanding international importance. It stretches15 miles from Matlock ground of Cannock Chase is prominent in views to the south. Bath to Derby along the north-western margin of the NCA.

Chartley Moss to the west of Stone straddles the NCA boundary with the The Staffordshire Way passes through the area, crossing into it just north of Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Plain NCA and forms part of the West Uttoxeter and then running down to Rugeley and onwards south. In the south- Midlands Meres and Mosses Ramsar site and Special Area of Conservation east of the NCA is a portion amounting to a seventh of The National Forest, (SAC). The Potteries and Churnet Valley NCA adjoins the north-west of the connecting the area to Burton-upon-Trent and Ashby-de-la-Zouch beyond. area from where the Trent rises before flowing into the Claylands. The Blithe flows south-east across the NCA to join the Trent.

To the north and north-east the area grades into the rising ground of the White Peak and the Derbyshire Peak Fringe and Lower Derwent NCAs, north and north-east of Ashbourne. The River Dove drains much of the White Peak before flowing through the Claylands to the Trent. Flowing eastwards to join the Dove at Uttoxeter are the rivers Churnet and Tean. Water supplied from Blithfield Reservoir provides 20 per cent of the drinking water for South Staffordshire Water’s 1.25 million customers located across northern parts of

the West Midlands. The floodplain of the Dove allows space for the river to overflow when in flood

5 National Character 68. Needwood & South Derbyshire Claylands Area profile: Supporting documents

Key facts Landscape Analysis Introduction & Summary Description Opportunities and data change

Key characteristics

■ The area, which is dissected by the river systems of the Trent, the Blithe grassland. There are good surviving examples of watermeadows and the Dove, forms a rolling glacial till plateau that slopes south- featured along the three main river valleys. Areas of open water such eastwards from the southern edge of the Peak District to the valley of the as Blithfield Reservoir and the major rivers are important for birds. River Trent. There is a distinctive scarp to the south of the Dove, whose Chartley Moss (a basin mire) and Pasturefields (an inland salt marsh) are broad flood plain divides the Staffordshire and Derbyshire elements. internationally important examples of rare habitats.

■ The south is dominated by heavy, seasonally waterlogged soils derived ■ Wood pasture and designed parklands, often with veteran trees, are from glacial till. In the north, red and pink soils underlain by Mercia found throughout the area. They are generally associated with landscape Mudstones and Sherwood Sandstone are more amenable to cultivation. parks and country houses, such as Sandon, Sudbury and Kedleston. Tutbury Castle and the internationally important Derwent Valley Mills, ■ A predominantly pastoral landscape of rolling countryside that is still together with a variety of features such as moated sites and medieval largely rural and relatively tranquil, featuring distinctive field boundary settlements and the , add to the historical patterns and characteristic hedgerows with hedgerow trees. Grassland richness of this landscape. Extensive earthworks relating to ridge and for livestock is the dominant land use although dairy and cereal farming furrow and watermeadow systems survive, particularly around the Dove. are also important. The majority of the farms are small- to medium-sized dairying and livestock holdings. Arable cultivation occurs on the better ■ A dispersed historical settlement pattern, particularly in the higher land north and south of the Dove and in the river flood plains. pastoral farmlands that fringe the Peak District to the north, with the older villages generally sited along the valleys or valley sides, and more ■ An overall wooded character derived from scattered ancient and semi- recent crossroad settlements on the higher ground. Buildings are usually natural woods, parkland and boundary trees. Some large woodland of red brick and clay tile roofs, and local sandstone. Timber frame blocks are prominent in Needwood Forest; however, much consists of buildings are rare with notable examples at Somersal Hall and the village smaller, fragmented remnants. There is new woodland creation within of Abbots Bromley. There are market towns at Ashbourne, Stone, Tutbury The National Forest. and Uttoxeter, and the more significant urban areas of Burton-upon-Trent ■ Predominantly hedgerow bounded, the field pattern varies from small- and the City of Derby extend into the eastern boundary of the NCA. to medium-sized fields to the north of the Dove; mostly large-scale ■ The Trent and Dove valleys are major transport corridors. The Trent Valley and rectilinear on the broad river flood plains; strongly rectilinear in includes the Trent and Mersey Canal, the West Coast Main Line railway Needwood Forest; and smaller and more irregular to the west. and the , while the Dove Valley features the Derby to Stoke ■ A wide range of habitats associated predominantly with pasture, railway line and the A50 road. The A52 links Derby and Ashbourne. varying from damp lowland grassland and marshland to drier neutral

6 Planning for Landscape Change: Supplementary Planning Guidance to the Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Structure Plan 1996 – 2011 Landscape Descriptions Settled plateau farmland slopes

This is a close relative of the settled plateau farmlands, occupying the slopes running down from the plateau top with a consequent increase in visibility.

Visual character

This is a landscape of irregular, hedged fields and numerous hedgerow trees on a sloping landform, often dissected by small steep sided wooded stream valleys draining the plateau tops. Where the land-cover pattern remains intact, the hedgerows and hedgerow trees to a large extent control and limit views across the landscape, with the rolling landform and steeper slopes often allowing longer views and showing up the pattern of fields and small woodlands. Hedgerow tree cover is predominantly oak, with some ash, whilst stream side willow and alder have a strong localised influence along the valleys. Large areas of ancient woodland dominate the upper scarp slopes, lending a very individual character to those areas. The predominantly low intensity pastoral farming, together with a network of narrow, often sunken lanes and clustered farmsteads, hamlets and villages of traditional Staffordshire red brick lend the landscape a peaceful, rural feel.

Where agricultural intensification is taking place, a more open landscape of medium to large scale fields is reducing the diversity as field boundaries are declining to wire fence lines, gappy hedges and grown up thorn. Locally, small woodlands, mostly broadleaved in nature but sometimes with some conifer element, have a localised influence. The rolling nature of the landform, varying from gentle to more pronounced undulations, together with lack of land cover, shows up the variations in the landscape scale, the different field patterns and water features such as ponds and small streams. The presence of a large water supply reservoir changes the local scale and character of its area.

Deterioration of landscape quality is greatest at the immediate urban fringe, with less impact being evident at greater distances from the built environment. There is evidence, however, of commuter pressure and the urbanising influence of inter-war ribbon development, and discrete areas of industrialisation and mining. The landscape character is being weakened, but there are still sufficient hedgerow oaks, hedgerows and woodland to give the majority of these intensively farmed areas a strong rural character despite the development pressures.

Characteristic landscape features

Hedgerow oak and ash trees; broadleaved and conifer woodlands; irregular hedged field pattern; narrow lanes and hedge-banks; old villages and hamlets; small streams and field ponds; manors and parkland; undulating, sloping landform.

Incongruous landscape features

Extensive fencing; busy roads; electricity pylons; agricultural intensification; large modern farm buildings; modernised dwellings and commuter properties; village expansion.

133 Factors critical to landscape character and quality

The critical factors which currently limit landscape quality are the loss of characteristic landscape features, the poor condition of those features that remain, and the relatively poor survival of characteristic semi-natural vegetation (e.g. ancient woodland and semi-natural grasslands). The area around Abbots Bromley has been identified as a ‘landscape at risk’ of sudden loss of quality (see Section 7.18 et seq. of the Supporting Documentation) and measures to meet the BAP targets listed below will be critically important in preventing such a loss.

This landscape character type is locally sensitive to the impacts of development and land use change.

Potential value of new woodland planting

Somewhat variable, from moderate to very high value, to restore some landscape structure to those areas now increasing in scale due to agricultural intensification, and to reinforce the parkland character of discrete areas.

Potential value of other habitat provision and management

The following Staffordshire Biodiversity Action Plan Targets are relevant at landscape scale:

Habitat type Objective or target Priority

Ancient/ semi-natural maintain and enhance high broadleaved woodland restore degraded sites medium recreate/ regenerate medium Ancient/ diverse hedgerows maintain and manage high maintain trees high Hedgerows plant species-rich hedges high Arable field margins maintain, improve and restore lower Canals, lakes and ponds maintain and enhance water bodies and high catchments increase the number of such features high Lowland calcareous safeguard remaining areas and adjoining medium grassland land restore semi-improved grasslands medium link fragmented sites through habitat lower creation Lowland wet grassland maintain and enhance existing areas medium restore degraded areas medium create new areas medium Peat bogs maintain and enhance high restore former raised bogs high Reedbeds maintain and create high

134 Habitat type Objective or target Priority

Rivers and streams maintain and improve the quality and very high quantity of water maintain the quality of all natural existing very high channel features Unimproved neutral maintain and safeguard existing areas high grassland restore high link adjacent sites through habitat medium creation create/ re-create new areas medium Wet woodland maintain, enhance and restore lower prevent further loss lower increase the number of such woodlands lower

Further details of these habitat targets can be found in the Staffordshire Biodiversity Action Plan.

Specific guidelines

Tree and woodland planting

The character of the sloping landform and increasing openness of some areas suggests a variety of appropriate scales of planting. In the more intact areas and along the valley bottoms no more than small scale planting of field corners or field size could be accommodated. This could then increase to medium to large scale further up the slopes and in the open landscapes, provided that views though are retained and there is interlock maintained between the planted and unplanted areas. The flow of fields around the interlocking woodlands is visually important. In most cases the design of plantations should build on or relate to existing hedgerows or woodlands. It should reflect the predominantly broadleaved character of the landscape, and any conifers that are used should not be allowed to dominate. In the more open areas and on steeper landform some design to slopes will become important, as will the internal design. This planting could usefully emphasise the varied landform, reinforce the parkland character where this is present, and reinforce the stream valleys by the use of wetland species.

It is becoming increasingly important to reintroduce or strengthen the land-cover pattern by hedgerow replanting and tree conservation tagging schemes etc. In areas with existing ancient woodland, special care is needed over species choice of new woodlands.

Design in villages

The village of Rolleston on Dove, which falls largely within this landscape character type, has produced its own Village Design Statement.

135 "This document has been prepared by Faber Maunsell ("FM") for the sole use of our client (the "Client") and in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of reference agreed between FM and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by FM, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior and express written agreement of FM"

East Staffordshire

Rivers & Waterbodies

Major Towns

Landscape Character Types Dissected sandstone cloughs and valleys Dissected sandstone uplands Gritstone highland fringe MayfieldMayfield Limestone highland fringe Riparian alluvial lowlands Settled farmlands Settled plateau farmland slopes Settled plateau farmlands Surveyor-enclosed plateau farmlands Terrace alluvial lowlands

Landscape Character Sub-types

Estatelands Farmland Forest RocesterRocester RocesterRocester Parkland

Land Description Unit Boundaries

UttoxeterUttoxeter

TutburyTutbury // HattonHatton

RollestonRolleston

AbbotsAbbots BromleyBromley BurtonBurton UponUpon TrentTrent

StapenhillStapenhill // WinshillWinshill

YoxallYoxall

Barton-under-NeedwoodBarton-under-Needwood cm

11 TheThe Forum,Forum, MinervaMinerva BusinessBusiness Park,Park, Tel: +44 (0) 1733 391 456 LynchLynch Wood,Wood, Fax: +44 (0) 1733 391 139 This map contains Staffordshire County Council DSD GIS data Peterborough,Peterborough, PE2PE2 6FT6FT www.fabermaunsell.com

Client: Title: Design: Betsabe Sanchez MapInfo: Betsabe Sanchez BOROUGH COUNCIL FIGURE 5.2 Chk'd: . App'd: . LAND DESCRIPTION UNITS AND Project: Date: April 2008 Scale: 1 : 25 000 EAST STAFFORDSHIRE LANDSCAPE CHARACTER TYPES Rev: GREEN STRATEGY No. 55511 / IPEE / 5.2 00

cm A3 the strategy

THE NATIONAL FOREST 2004> 2014 types of habitat creation suited to different parts oftheForest. creation parts suitedto different types ofhabitat inhelpingtoThe landscapecharacter guideother areas andtypesare alsoimportant includes plantingdesignguidancefor each landscapetype. Forest’s landscapetypesandtheindicative plantingareas (Map4,Chapter 2).Italso withtheircharacter. thelinkbetween Appendix3illustrates landscapes andfits the Forest. Thisisessentialto ensure thatnew plantingmatches thescaleofdifferent ofthe guide thetype,scaleanddesignofwoodland parts plantingsuitedto different inlandscapethatoccuracross theForestdifferences area. Thelandscape typesalso Tak the landscapecharacter areas andtypesare inAppendix3. ex orlesser to agreater andsixlandscapetypes,which are defined Forest boundary; ofwiderlandscapesthatextendindividually distinctive beyond parts andform the sixlandscapecharacter areas, which are The landscapeassessmentidentifies Forest landscape. w assessment in1994. (Map5)inresponse to Thisassessmentwasupdated in2004 and quality ofitslandscapes.Thiswasachieved alandscape through undertaking andthecharacter landuseinfluences ecologicalandcurrent its physical, historic, to creating theForest thearea’sFundamental isunderstanding landscapeevolution, N character Landscape 3.3 of theland. dependinguponlandscapecharacter andfuture uses density ofwoodland willvary new woodland landscapewillbecohesive across theForest area. However, the urbanareas wildlife andother land-uses.The framework habitats, for agriculture, The Forest aimsto create amosaicoflandscapeswithnewwoodlands providing the A cohesive landscape continually addsto thequality ofthelandscapeoverall. with theexisting character ofthelandscape,to ensure thattheForest’s creation enhance landscapecharacter. Theaimisto blendnewwoodlands andother habitats thatthe Forest’sIt willremain fundamental creation continuesto respect and Respecting landscapecharacter Principles Strategy Landscape 3.2 H OETSRTG 04>2014 > 2004 STRATEGY FOREST THE A to locallevel. guidelandusechange information atavery supplementary which provides oflandscapetypeshavewider range valuable beendefined, by landscape assessmentalsorelates well to thecounty-basedassessmentsundertaken Agency. produced TheForest’s by theCountryside MapofEngland Character The Forest’s landscapecharacter areas coincidewiththenationalCountryside N A oodland and other habitat creation havingoodland andother changed ofthe habitat dramatically parts to 1 TheNational Forestction landscapecharacter framework will L1: ction L2: The NFC will use its grant mechanisms TheNFC willuseitsgrant to develop Forest- ction L2: tent by woodland, agricultural, urban and industrial influences. Descriptions of Descriptions influences. urbanandindustrial tent by woodland, agricultural, ational andcountylandscapecharacter assessment ational Forest landscapecharacter Staffordshire, Derbyshire andLeicestershireStaffordshire, CountyCouncils.InDerbyshire a en together thesubtle thelandscapecharacter areas andtypesdescribe continue to Forest’s guidethe creation. Fo r elated schemes which add to character the andquality ofthe re st’s landscapes. landscape

25 the strategy 26 the strategy landscape

Greaves NEEDWOOD & SOUTH DERBYSHIRE CLAYLANDS

Handbury Needwood Burton West MELBOURNE PARKLANDS Hoar Cross Burton East H OETSRTG 04>2014 > 2004 STRATEGY FOREST THE Byrkley Bretby Types Landscape and Areas Character Landscape 5 Map Dunstall Calke

Smisby Yoxall Swadlincote

Blackbrook Shepshed

Barton under Needwood Ashby Coleorton Overseal de la Thringstone Zouch Coton in the Elms Trent Charley

TRENT VALLEY MEASE & SENCE WASHLANDS LOWLANDS Packington Coalville CHARNWOOD

Stanton Newton Linford under Ibstock Bardon Markfield Ellistown LEICESTERSHIRE & SOUTH Wooded Parklands DERBYSHIRE COALFIELD Enclosed Farmlands Floodplain Farmlands Thornton Groby Coalfield Village Farmlands Urban / Urban Fringe Historic Settlements & Enclosures 0 10km Countryside Character Areas National Forest Landscape Types Boundary to to particular landscapes. particular in creation habitats activitytoenable better linkfragmented ofhabitat targeting change picture Thiswill ofhabitat ingeneral. to buildageographic necessary capable ofabsorbingmore plantingthanothers (Map4,Chapter 2).Itwillalsobe av areas, inorder to achieve aspread ofwoodland cover across theForest andto across theForest’s landscapecharacter willbeespeciallyimportant Monitoring thisscaleoflandscapechangeAssessing andmonitoring presents abigchallenge. linked withclusters ofnewwoodlands. ParklandsMelbourne areas, where largeareas are ofrough andmeadow grassland we landscape changes are prominent intheTrent Valley of withitsconcentration Forest area andare linked to newwoodland schemes. However, more extensive by by Meadow, heath andwetland creation hasalsobeenextensive habitat (400ha)and Recording landscapechange to to to assessthecapacityofalready well-woodedimportant landscapesandtheirability landscapecharacterappear discordant itwillbe area. inaparticular Increasingly impact. Inother casestoo much woodland couldoverburden alandscapeand to achieveacceptable massofwoodland thathashighvisualandstrategic acritical to ofwoodlandThe effects creation are most noticeable whenseveral woods coalesce 4, Chapter 2). by creation. Theseincludeareas where unwooded landscapeshave beentransformed oftheForest areAlready becomingwell-wooded someparts asaresult ofForest st visible inthelandscapeandby 2014 22-25%ofthelandarea willbeundervarious over thenext 10significantly years. Young woodlands andestablished willbemore Whilst trees take timeto grow, andlookofthelandscapewillchange thegrain ofthe Forest’sThe effects creation change Landscape 3.4 H OETSRTG 04>2014 > 2004 STRATEGY FOREST THE to System (GIS). However Information approachGeographic along-term isneeded spread andextentThe NFCrecords ofForest thegeographic creation onits Acti to andby involvingvisitor surveys; localpeopleinthedesignofnewwoodlands close through specialprojects (eg.communityvisioning/planningfor real techniques); some areas ‘have enough trees’. Communityviewswillbesoughtby theNFC Their viewswillneedto betaken into account,especiallyifthere isafeeling that The changing landscapewillbemost noticeable to localresidents andvisitors. Community views onlandscapechange and monitor landscapechange. Thisneedsto address: ages ofwoodland cover. wa oid an over domination in certain areas.oid anover Thisaccepts thatsomelandscapesare dominationincertain where theylive. ta tlands; and in the Bagworth/Thornton, MeaseandSenceLowlandstlands; andintheBagworth/Thornton, and the Forest. are Most relatively sitessofar small(1-5ha),are spread across the new plantingandareas where newplantinglinkswithmature woodlands (Map 2014 willhave 600haofthesehabitats itisestimated beenadded thatafurther make a significant impact inalocalarea. Inmany thismay instances be make asignificant ke ke on L3: on rd s developing more sophisticated recording andimaging techniques to assess additional planting. optimum levels oftree planting. visitingpublicwillbeconsultedon Residents andthe landscape

27 the strategy 28 the strategy landscape Landscape surveys Historical landscaperecording H OETSRTG 04>2014 > 2004 STRATEGY FOREST THE the making’. andto photography record theForestlandscape andaerial landscape‘10 years into (section 6.11, to Chapter draw together 6),presents aspecialopportunity historic of theForest’s changing landscape.TheNational project Forest LANDshapes recordsForest a‘timeline’ofphotographic willbekept stages to capture thevarious creating amajor newlayer oflandscapehistory. Given theunique nature ofthe dimension,astheForest is historical The changing landscapealsohasanimportant A design terms. togetherindividually well inbroader designedschemes landscape collectively fit to monitor,setting. Theissueofsitescoalescingwillbeimportant to ensure that c Complementing to GIStechnology landscapesurveys there isaneedfor periodic Acti management across theForest. ‘bigpicture’,This would change present anintegrated, ofthescalehabitat and mature woodlands andthecreation andmanagementofother wildlife habitats. landscapeimpact Integrated Forest to stakeholdersthe ‘virtual’ andthe public. landscapes;aswell asprovidingcertain apowerful promotional tool to demonstrate ofnewplantingschemes andacceptability in This would helpto judgethe‘fit’ across theForest over ofnewplanting. time;andto assessthelocallandscapeeffects Landscape visualisation heck that new woodlands and other habitats are fitting well intoheck theirlandscape thatnewwoodlands are fitting andother habitats to 5 TheNFCwillcommissionresearch to landscape assessthe ction L5: on L4: on demonstrate the landscape effects of the Forest’s ofthe landscapeeffects demonstrate the creation. GIS systems willbedeveloped to assess,monitor and Fo ofnew creationeffects plantingandhabitat across the re st’s landscapes. - To show how woodlands andlandscapeswillmature - To linksbetween show thegeographic newand 108 the strategy appendices ■ ■ ■ ■ H OETSRTG 04>2014 > 2004 STRATEGY FOREST THE ■ Mease andSenceLowlands ■ ■ ■ ■ Tr ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Needwood &South Derbyshire Claylands CharacterAreas -Keyi) National characteristics Countryside descriptions Character Landscape 1) GUIDELINES DESIGN PLANTING AND AREAS PLANTING INDICATIVE CHARACTER, LANDSCAPE 3 Appendix areas isalsoavailable ontheNational Forest website (www.nationalforest.org). andCharnwood. reference Asanhistorical pointthevisionfor thesesix Coalfield Lowlands, Parklands, Melbourne theLeicestershire andSouthDerbyshire c thisvisionto theForest’s Forest alsotailored Strategy sixlandscape The original Landscape Zones st e high. TheForest isarousing localenvironmental Itisraising awareness andpride. Local enthusiasmamongresident communitiesandtheirpoliticalrepresentatives is participation intheForest’sparticipation creation. haracter areas -Needwood,haracter theTrent Valley Washlands, theMeaseandSence xpectations for abetterxpectations The economicfuture invastly enhancedsurroundings. ra ent Valley Washlands tegy envisages the harnessing of this enthusiasm into practical involvement ofthisenthusiasmintotegy envisages practical theharnessing and An area with strong rural character.An area withstrong rural verges. Settlements withwidegrass are lanes,often linked by rural villages. Spire churches are prominent inthelandscape, pinpointing several small Scattered hedgerow trees, woodlands andfeature estates. trees linked to country f by largecropped landscape,characterised A rolling, well-managed agricultural g wetland,Diverse mosaicofgrassland, areas ofwet woodland and andscrub meadows. withsomeremnant pastures andwet Predominantly large,open-cropped fields, Drakelow power builtdevelopment station, andmajor routes. road andrail withsandandgravel workings, andurbaninfluences Strong industrial rivers. withslow meandering floodplain, Marked by anextensive flat ofvillagesandhamlets. pattern roadsWide, straight andnarrow, twisting laneslinkascattered settlement Ver withstrong ofhedgedfields. Mixed pastoral character andapattern farmland Many ancientwoodlands, parklands andhedgerow trees. Forest. wellAn historic, wooded oftheAncientNeedwood landscapecovering part ields and intact hedgerowields andintact patterns. appy, overgrown landscapepattern. soft-edged anatural, hedgesforms nacular timber-framed housesandred farmsteads. brick ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Charnwood ■ ■ ■ ■ Melbourne Parklands ■ ■ ■ Leicestershire andSouth Derbyshire Coalfield H OETSRTG 04>2014 > 2004 STRATEGY FOREST THE ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Enclosed farmlands -Keyii) LandscapeTypes characteristics ■ ■ Brick andsandstoneBrick buildingsare vernacular afeature ofthevillages. transition. new housingandwoodland plantinggives theimpression ofalandscapein characterMuch as ofthislandscapehasadistinctive disorientating butrather heaps. Ne Settlement is characterised by scattered farmsteads andvillages. Settlement by scattered ischaracterised farmsteads g landscapeisopenandrolling withsmallwoodlands andmany The agricultural opencast coalandclay workings. Mining activityisafeature, withpockets ofderelict landaswell asareas of housing estates. to U w Wa Po hedgerows,cut gappy scattered hedgerow trees andsomewoodlands. low Most widespread are withmediumto areas largefields, ofmixed farming, hedges. occasional, poorly defined and are largeinscalewithan'open'pattern In areas ofintensive cropping fields Charnwood). walls(in by hedgerows orstone field defined isgenerally Field pattern character withfewStrong urbanintrusions. rural Predominantly open,sparselywooded mixed farmland. occurinthearea well-screened butare generally by trees.Stone quarries Ver f a wallsare distinctive intheuplandlandscape,withhedgedfields Stone field hedgerow trees. AncientForest withmanyFormer ancientwoodlands, parklands andscattered Heathland isafeature oftheopensummits. Rugged, uplandcharacter withmany exposed androcky crags knolls. wooded. andissparsely pattern field afragmented fields, The plateau-top haslargearable scattered hedgerow trees. and ofhedgedfields theparks withapattern surrounds Mixed farmland Par views across theTrent Valley. plateau-top character withanundulating,uplandfeel offering Strong rural hedgerow trees. withthick hedgesandmany characterwith atraditional ofsmallfields eature ofthelower slopes. appy hedgedfields. ooded feel inplaces. wns andvillages,withrows brick-built oftraditional andnew miners'cottages rban influences are strongly evident. Settlement is typified by straggling are evident.Settlement strongly istypified rban influences cke w woodlands are increasingly visible, particularly on former derelict spoil w woodlands onformer visible,particularly are increasingly klands, wooded andtwo are afeature estates largereservoirs ofthevalleys. tercourse trees woodlands andclusters ofsmallestate give aquite well nacular stone buildings give the area a unified buildingstyle. nacular stone buildingsgive thearea a unified ts of permanent pasture remain alongwatercoursests ofpermanent andaround villages, appendices 109 the strategy