LANDSCAPE & VISUAL ASSESSMENT THREE LOCKS GOLF COURSE GREAT BRICKHILL, MILTON KEYNES BUCKINGHAMSHIRE DECEMBER 2020 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Lodge Development at Three Locks Golf Course, Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire Development at Three Locks Golf Course, Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment December 2020 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Lodge Development at Three Locks Golf Course, Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire CONTENTS 1 Introduction 2 Methodology 3 Planning Policy Context 4 The Development Proposals 5 Landscape Baseline 6 Landscape Effects 7 Visual Baseline 8 Visual Effects 9 Landscape Strategy Recommendations 10 Summary and Conclusion LIST OF LVIA PLANS Plan 1 Location Plan 2 Aerial Photograph: Detailed Area Plan 3 Topography Plan 4 Landscape Character Plan 5 Landscape Designations: Detailed Area Plan 6 Zone of Theoretical Visibility: Detailed Area Plan 7 Zone of Theoretical Visibility, Visual Barriers and PROW’s: Detailed Area Plan 8 Viewpoints Plan: Wider Context Plan 9 Viewpoints Plan: Site Plan 10 Landscape Strategy Plan APPENDICES A Viewpoint Photographs B Site Photographs C Criteria for Sensitivity, Magnitude and Significance Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Lodge Development at Three Locks Golf Course, Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1. This Three Locks Golf Course Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (the LVIA) contributes to the 'appraisal' of development proposals for the change of use of land in the North central part of the golf course to accommodate the siting of 119 holiday use only luxury lodges and static caravans, together with ancillary landscape, access, drainage and engineering works. 1.2. The assessment is in accordance with the latest best practice guidance contained in the (non- prescriptive) Third Edition of Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (GLVIA 3): Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment 2013. 1.3. The emphasis on likely significant effects focusses on an approach that is proportional to the scale of the project being assessed and the nature of its likely effects. 1.4. We deal with and clearly distinguish between the assessment of landscape effects (dealing with changes to the landscape as a resource), and the assessment of visual effects, dealing with changes in views and visual amenity. 1.5. H2 Landscape Planning Partnership were commissioned in June 2020 to prepare an LVIA and develop a masterplan based on its findings. The Site and Proposals: Summary 1.6. The site forms part of the Three Locks Golf Course which occupies is amorphous shaped parcel of land covering 43.414Ha to the East of the Grand Union Canal, and extending Northeast to within 750m of the village of Great Brickhill. The course is divided into two unequal parts – a larger area of low-lying flat land in the floodplain of the River Ouzel to the West, and the rising, undulating land of the valley side to the East of the car park and clubhouse. 1.7. The Existing parkland golf course is set in a mature and well-established landscape surrounded, subdivided and dominated by (largely coniferous and evergreen) woodland plantations and tree belts with a high percentage of coniferous and evergreen species, ponds, grassed and planted earth bunds, and strong boundary hedgerows. 1.8. The area proposed for development (15.45Ha) is in the western (lower-lying) part of the course, at its northern edge, and it is surrounded by the course on three sides - to the West, South and East. The northern boundary faces open agricultural land. The course will be reduced from 18 holes to 9 Holes, with 3 additional holes for occasional use 1.9. The proposals include the replacement of 6 golf holes (Holes 9 – 14) in the North/central part of the site with 119 luxury holiday lodges and static caravans arranged along the former fairways), retaining all of the existing woodland plantations, all of the ponds, all of the existing boundary trees and hedgerows and almost all of the other trees as open space for recreation and amenity. 1.10. The structure of the existing woodland plantations is to be improved by a phased removal of alien species and by the introduction of native species trees, shrubs and ground plants for biodiversity, screening and amenity value. Additional ponds with marginal and aquatic planting, and wildflower meadows will be created. Additional landscape infrastructure Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Lodge Development at Three Locks Golf Course, Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire planting will further screen the development by reinforcing the existing cover provided by boundary vegetation and tree belts between the fairways, particularly to the northern and western boundaries of the development area. A sewage treatment plant will be incorporated. 1.11. Existing vegetation will be retained at every opportunity as the core of landscape infrastructure to provide amenity for the site, and to help assimilate the development into the landscape. 1.12. The lodges will be clad using muted, recessive, landscape-led colours under dark non reflective roofs, and the tracks will use low key natural surfacing materials with hidden kerbs. 1.13. An environmentally sensitive lighting strategy will be employed to minimize light spill and disturbance to wildlife and neighbouring properties. 1.14. The remainder of the golf course will be reconfigured as a 9 hole golf course, with three additional alternate holes. The clubhouse will be refurbished to act as a central -facilities building for both the holiday park and the golf course. 1.15. Access will be via the existing primary golf course access, and then via a new access track along the western side of the planted bund defining the western side of the car park. 1.16. The location of the proposed development and its relationship to the remainder of the golf course is shown on Plan 10: Landscape Strategy. 1.17. The site is described in more detail in Section 4. 1.18. The project is described as ‘change of use for the siting of 119no Holiday use only luxury lodges and static caravans together with ancillary landscaping, access, drainage and engineering works.’ Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Lodge Development at Three Locks Golf Course, Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire 2. METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH 2.1. The assessment is in accordance with the latest best practice guidance contained in the (non- prescriptive) Third Edition of Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (GLVIA): Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment 2013. 2.2. Our approach to the LVIA process, and the judgements reached, have been the subject to peer and professional scrutiny through the application and appeal processes and have been found by peers, Council Officers and Planning Inspectors to be robust and rigorous. 2.3. This LVIA has been prepared by a Director of the company – a Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute with over 40 years experience as a Landscape Architect and Landscape Planner, supported by a Chartered Landscape Architect with experience from working in private practice for a number of years. 2.4. The Study Area incorporates the Site and the wider area over which the proposals may have an influence, determined through the visual mapping exercise which is described below. This is pertinent in the analysis of visual effects, landscape value and landscape effects. 2.5. Some matters, such as the description of the landscape character, will address the wider area including that land outside of the Study Area. This illustrates the relevance of wider analysis, but the assessment will return to those matters which relate to the Site and the relevant context. The Issue of Significance 2.6. The assessment contained within this section identifies any potentially significant effects that the Proposed Development may have upon the landscape or visual resource. 2.7. Landscape is defined by the European Landscape Convention, 2000 (ELC) as: “…an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors” (Page 4, Article 1 – Definitions, paragraph a).” 2.8. This definition applies to all urban and urban fringe landscapes, towns, villages and rural areas. It applies to ordinary or degraded landscape as well as those that are outstanding or protected. 2.9. In this context, the appraisal process considers the landscape and visual effects in an objective and systematic manner, whilst recognising the perceptual and therefore subjective response to the landscape. 2.10. It is important to understand and acknowledge that GLVIA, at paragraph 3.33, recognises that it is not essential to establish a series of thresholds of different levels of significance. The simple point is about making clear judgements as to whether the effects are significant or not significant. Notably the word ‘harm’ is not contained in the GLVIA, any judgements on ‘harm’ are planning judgements made and would be addressed in the appropriate forum, in this instance the planning process. 2.11. The emphasis on likely significant effects focusses on an approach that is proportional to the scale of the project being assessed and the nature of its likely effects. Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Lodge Development at Three Locks Golf Course, Great Brickhill, Buckinghamshire 2.12. In relation to this point and using the levels of significance set out in Appendix C for the purposes of this report, a significant effect