Easton Farm, Easton Royal, Pewsey, Wiltshire, Sn9 5Lz
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
EASTON FARM, EASTON ROYAL, PEWSEY, WILTSHIRE, SN9 5LZ LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL REPORT FOR PROPOSED GRAIN STORE On behalf of ACORN BUILDERS (PEWSEY) LTD February 2018 REF: 18.708 REV: WH Landscape Consultancy Ltd Sandcliffe House Northgate Street Devizes Wilts SN10 1JT t: 01380 727539 e: [email protected] APPOINTMENT WHLandscape Consultancy Ltd has been appointed by Fowler Architecture and Planning working on behalf of Acorn Builders (Pewsey) Ltd to undertake a Landscape and Visual Report for a proposed new grain store at Easton Farm, Easton Royal, Wiltshire. WHLandscape Consultancy Ltd has an established track record of appraising development proposals. The Practice has considerable experience in the field of landscape and visual assessment and uses tried and tested techniques developed and recognised by the Landscape Institute, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, and Natural England. This appraisal has been undertaken by: Will Harley BSc (Hons) CMLI CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 2. LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL 3. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 4. REFERENCES ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIAL FIG. 1 VISUAL APPRAISAL FIG. 2 LANDSCAPE STRATEGY APPENDICES APPENDIX 1: DEVELOPMENT PLANS Landscape and Visual Report Proposed Grain Store at February 2018 Easton Farm, Easton Royal, Pewsey, Wiltshire 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 This report provides an appraisal of the landscape and visual effects associated with a proposed grain store at Easton Farm, Easton Royal, to the east of Pewsey, in the county of Wiltshire. 1.2 DEVELOPMENT AREA AND SURROUNDINGS 1.2.1 The development site is located on a grazing paddock adjacent to the southern edge of the existing farm buildings and silos. The remainder of the paddock will continue to be grazed once construction has been completed. There are numerous Public Rights of Way (PRoW) crossing the fields in the vicinity of Eaton Farm, some of which extend south up the scarp slope to the distinct ridgeline which demarks the northern edge of Salisbury Plain. The development area is contained to the north by the existing farm and at a short distance to the west by the village school and residential development. The agricultural paddock, in which the site is located, is bordered on its eastern side by a mature mixed native hedge and PRoW. To the south a former field boundary, with PRoW running east/west along it, is open. Generally, fields in the area are well hedged, but these are retained at a relatively low height, making intervisibility an important consideration of the lowland PRoW viewpoints. There is also limited hedgerow tree cover in the lowland areas. Rising up the scarp slope views from PRoWs are restricted by dense vegetation along their routes. The open fields on the scarp slopes and ridgeline immediately south of the site do not have public access, although to the south- west there are areas of open access land. 1.2.2 The site and study area are located within the countryside on the interface between the historic development of the farm and Easton Royal conservation area with the countryside beyond. The village is a linear ‘working settlement’ running in a north/south orientation, and which continues to support several working farms, a school and numerous residential properties. The North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) covers the entire site and study area. 1.2.4 Within the study area public access is a mixture of PRoWs and roads. The B3087 is the main road through the north-east corner of the study area and connects Pewsey with Easton Royal. The village street runs north to south from the B3087. The closest PRoWs to the site are the footpath that runs along the field boundary to the east of the development area, and that along the former southern boundary of the paddock into which it is proposed to locate the store. 1.2.5 Apart from the over-arching AONB designation and the Easton Royal Conservation Area boundary along the northern edge of the site, there are no statutory or local, non-statutory natural WHLandscape 1 Landscape and Visual Report Proposed Grain Store at February 2018 Easton Farm, Easton Royal, Pewsey, Wiltshire environment or historic heritage designations covering, or lying directly adjacent to the site. Within the wider area there are numerous listed buildings within Easton Royal, and a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) at Easton Clump approximately 1km to the south. There are no statutory natural environment designations within the immediate area, although part of the scarp slope near Easton Clump is a designated County Wildlife Site, and further south across Salisbury Plain is an extensive Special Protection Area for birds (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Although there is intervisibility with Easton Clump and the ridgeline, the landscape setting of these, or any designated assets, will not be significantly affected by the proposed development, as it is a building of modest size and is a common agricultural feature across the arable land around the periphery of the Vale of Pewsey and on the downland of the AONB. 1.3 DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS 1.3.1 The main objective of this development is to provide a new and up-to-date grain storage facility for Easton Farm, which farms much of the arable land to the south of Easton Royal and on the cultivated parts of the scarp slope and ridge to the south. 1.3.2 The application includes the construction of a 24m x 30m grain store with a ridge height of a little over 8m, immediately to the south of the existing farm buildings and silos. The northern side will be an open lean-to and to the west a concrete apron which will facilitate the handling and transporting of the grain. The elevations of the grain store will be of concrete panels and Plastisol coated galvanised box profile side sheets. The roof will be of Natural Grey fibre cement roof sheets, although a darker merlin grey (or similar) can be used if necessary to reduce the visual impact. Access will be taken through the existing farm yard. Two of the existing, sub-standard, silos will be removed when the new grain-store is complete. 1.3.3 The development will include not necessitate the removal of any trees or hedging, but considerable landscape enhancement is proposed as part of the proposals. WHLandscape 2 Landscape and Visual Report Proposed Grain Store at February 2018 Easton Farm, Easton Royal, Pewsey, Wiltshire 2. LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL 2.1 LANDSCAPE APPRAISAL 2.1.1 The nature of the development means the proposals will be in keeping with the area’s established agricultural landuse. Due to its location adjacent to an existing farmstead, the development will form part of the existing farmyard and built form. While there will be an increase in built-form at the farmstead, and thus within Easton Royal, the proposed building is sited in such a way, that the farm complex, as a whole, does not become unduly prominent nor detract from the wider landscape character. There are no other possible locations for the building without: a) locating it within the farmyard itself, within the conservation area, close to listed and important unlisted buildings, and also close to residential properties or; b) moving it further into the open countryside where it will create an incongruous feature in an otherwise undeveloped landscape. Moreover, the location of agricultural developments in association with existing buildings is one of the Implementation Principles for the Vale of Pewsey, identified in the Kennet District (East Wiltshire) Landscape Conservation Strategy (2005). 2.1.2 There will be a small loss of agricultural land as a result of the development. There is currently a distinct lack of significant vegetation within the development area, with no tree or hedgerow removal being required to accommodate the development or allow for its construction. 2.1.3 The proposed development, although bordering the conservation area, is not considered to significantly adversely affect the landscape setting of the conservation area, being an agricultural building in an agricultural setting. There will be some intervisibility with other heritage assets within the study area but due to distance from the site, and the nature and location of the development, the landscape effects of the development will be limited. 2.1.4 The development proposals will not conflict with the relevant key issues, strategies, objectives and policies identified across the relevant Character Assessments. Additionally, the proposals are not considered inappropriate in respect of the key issues identified in the North Wessex Downs AONB Management Plan 2014–19, in particular the potential for new farm buildings to be “unjustified, poorly designed and or located in exposed locations”. The proposed building is of a standard, modern, agricultural design and although clearly visible is not exposed in that, apart from close by, it does not break the skyline and is always seen as part of the existing farm development. Therefore, it is in keeping with other agricultural buildings in the area and is within the built-form context of the established farmstead. WHLandscape 3 Landscape and Visual Report Proposed Grain Store at February 2018 Easton Farm, Easton Royal, Pewsey, Wiltshire 2.1.5 Although the Landscape Value of the study area as a whole is High, taking into account its inclusion within the North Wessex Downs AONB, as well as the various natural environment and heritage assets within the area, the Susceptibility to Change of the site to the type of development proposed is Slight, as the development area is well located close to the established built-form context of the Easton Farm farmstead and is an area of land already in agricultural use. 2.1.6 The proposals will see the construction of a form of development that pre-exists within the area and will represent a landuse that is already established at the site.