Baseline Landscape and Visual Appraisal
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Gib Lane, Blackburn Baseline Landscape and Visual Appraisal Report January 2014 Prepared for: Rule 5 Land Ltd UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND Gib Lane, Blackburn REVISION SCHEDULE Rev Date Details Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by 01 8th January Draft Report Jane Ash CMLI 2014 Senior Landscape Architect 02 10th January Draft Report Jane Ash CMLI 2014 Minor Senior amendments Landscape following client Architect comment 03 31st January Final Report Jane Ash CMLI Adam King 2014 Senior Associate Landscape Landscape Architect Architect 04 24th Final Report Jane Ash CMLI Adam King Samantha Leathers February Amendments Senior Associate Principal 2014 following Landscape Landscape Architect Blackburn with Architect Darwen Council comment URS Mayflower House 178 Armada Way Plymouth Devon PL1 1LD BASELINE LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL 47068789 January 2014 2 Gib Lane, Blackburn Limitations URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited (“URS”) has prepared this Report for the sole use of Rule 5 Land Ltd (“Client”) in accordance with the Agreement under which our services were performed 47068789. No other warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the professional advice included in this Report or any other services provided by URS. This Report is confidential and may not be disclosed by the Client nor relied upon by any other party without the prior and express written agreement of URS. The conclusions and recommendations contained in this Report are based upon information provided by others and upon the assumption that all relevant information has been provided by those parties from whom it has been requested and that such information is accurate. Information obtained by URS has not been independently verified by URS, unless otherwise stated in the Report. The methodology adopted and the sources of information used by URS in providing its services are outlined in this Report. The work described in this Report was undertaken in December 2013 and January 2014 and is based on the conditions encountered and the information available during the said period of time. The scope of this Report and the services are accordingly factually limited by these circumstances. Where assessments of works or costs identified in this Report are made, such assessments are based upon the information available at the time and where appropriate are subject to further investigations or information which may become available. URS disclaim any undertaking or obligation to advise any person of any change in any matter affecting the Report, which may come or be brought to URS’ attention after the date of the Report. Certain statements made in the Report that are not historical facts may constitute estimates, projections or other forward- looking statements and even though they are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of the Report, such forward-looking statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted. URS specifically does not guarantee or warrant any estimate or projections contained in this Report. Unless otherwise stated in this Report, the assessments made assume that the sites and facilities will continue to be used for their current purpose without significant changes. Copyright © This Report is the copyright of URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited. Any unauthorised reproduction or usage by any person other than the addressee is strictly prohibited. BASELINE LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL 47068789 January 2014 3 Gib Lane, Blackburn 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.1 Purpose of Report ........................................................................... 7 2 PLANNING POLICY ......................................................................... 8 2.1 Landscape Context ......................................................................... 8 2.2 Landscape Character...................................................................... 8 2.3 Landscape and Visual Designations ............................................. 9 2.4 Summary of Relevant Landscape and Visual Policy ................. 10 2.5 National Planning Policy Framework .......................................... 10 2.6 Blackburn With Darwen Core Strategy (January 2011) ............. 11 2.7 Summary and Conclusion ............................................................ 12 3 APPRAISAL METHODOLOGY ...................................................... 13 3.1 General Approach ......................................................................... 13 3.2 Terminology ................................................................................... 13 3.3 Assumptions and Limitations ...................................................... 14 3.4 Baseline Conditions ...................................................................... 15 3.5 Landscape Appraisal Methodology ............................................ 16 3.6 Visual Appraisal Methodology ..................................................... 16 1. Zone of Visual Influence ............................................................... 16 2. Photography .................................................................................. 17 4 LANDSCAPE BASELINE............................................................... 18 4.1 Topography and Drainage............................................................ 18 4.2 Vegetation and Land Use ............................................................. 18 4.3 Settlement ...................................................................................... 19 4.4 Landscape Character.................................................................... 20 1. National Countryside Character Assessment ............................ 20 2. County Countryside Character Assessment.............................. 22 3. Study Area Character ................................................................... 23 4. Character of the Site and Landscape Sensitivity ...................... 25 5 VISUAL APPRAISAL ..................................................................... 26 5.1 Primary Zone of Visual Influence ................................................ 26 5.2 Secondary Zones of Visual Influence ......................................... 26 5.3 Potential Sensitive Visual Receptors .......................................... 26 6 LANDSCAPE STRATEGY ............................................................. 30 6.1 Design Principles .......................................................................... 30 6.2 Mitigation ....................................................................................... 31 BASELINE LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL 47068789 January 2014 4 Gib Lane, Blackburn 7 SUMMARY ...................................................................................... 33 8 REFERENCES ................................................................................ 35 9 FIGURES ........................................................................................ 36 BASELINE LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL 47068789 January 2014 5 Gib Lane, Blackburn 1 INTRODUCTION URS has been commissioned by Rule 5 Land Ltd to undertake a Baseline Landscape and Visual Appraisal of an area adjacent to the town of Blackburn, at Gib Lane. Currently, this area is utilised for a number of uses of which the main function is farmland (open grazing and rough grassland), with some woodland. An existing residential property, Horden Farm, is located to the south of the site adjacent to Broken Stone Road, but is not within the site boundary. The site location is shown in Figure 1: Site Location, situated south-west of Blackburn. Ordnance Survey grid reference: 650250. The site covers approximately 50 hectares. The appraisal process has involved a desk study and a field survey review of the site, study area and its principal landscape features, and a visual appraisal. The appraisal identifies particular areas of sensitivity, which would need to be addressed by means of appropriate siting and landscape framework planting / earthworks to inform any future design decisions. The field and photographic survey was carried out in cold and dry weather conditions on the 11th and 17th of December 2013, however cloud and fog meant visibility was poor at times. Further photographs were taken on 22nd and 23rd February 2014. The study area has been taken to be at a radius of approximately 4km from the site as this includes the visible distant features of Billinge Hill to the north, and Jubilee Tower/Darwen Hill to the south-east. The site under consideration for potential future development has the following characteristics: . The Primary Zone of Visual Influence is constrained in the main by topography and the built up residential areas of Blackburn to the sites north and east. Mature vegetation within and surrounding the site, including Cockridge and Green Hills Woods, and to the boundary with Broken Stone Road to the south, also reduces available views; . The existence of areas of strong enclosing vegetative structure within the site that has the potential to integrate developments with the local landscape; . The site abuts the urban edge and its potential use for residential development would be compatible with adjacent housing to the north and also rising up the flanks of Bunker’s Hill ridge on the south side of Blackburn; BASELINE LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL 47068789 January 2014 6 Gib Lane, Blackburn . The presence