Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) for SA26 Land south of Hammerwood Road, Ashurst Wood, West Sussex RH19 3RX Date: February 2020 Report Number: 2020/SA26/LSHWR/AW/010 Prepared by: Landvision South East Ltd. Balfron Cockmount Lane Wadhurst East Sussex TN5 6UG SA 26 Land south of Hammerwood road, Ashurst Wood, LVIA i Landvision; Landscape Design & Management (01892) 782200 | www.landvision.co.uk SA 26 Land South of Hammerwood Road, Ashurst Wood LVIA TABLE OF CONTENTS ii TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 1. INTRODUCTION 3 1.2 Statement of authority ....................................................................................................... 3 1.3 The proposals ....................................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Scope of The Assessment .................................................................................................. 6 2. METHOD STATEMENT 8 2.1 Guidance ............................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Approach to the LVIA .......................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Distinction between Landscape and Visual Effects ....................................................... 9 2.4 Structure of the report ........................................................................................................ 9 2.5 Baseline Information ....................................................................................................... 10 2.6 Sensitivity of Receptors, Magnitude of Change and Significance of Effects .......... 11 2.7 Landscape Assessment terminology ............................................................................ 11 2.8 Landscape terms .............................................................................................................. 11 2.9 Landscape Quality ............................................................................................................ 11 2.10 Landscape sensitivity....................................................................................................... 12 2.11 Significance of landscape effects .................................................................................. 12 2.12 Visual assessment terminology ..................................................................................... 12 2.13 Visual assessment definitions ........................................................................................ 12 2.14 Viewer sensitivity .............................................................................................................. 13 2.15 Visual Magnitude of Change ........................................................................................... 13 2.16 Significance of visual impact ......................................................................................... 14 2.17 Theoretical zone of visual influence or ZVI ................................................................... 14 2.18 Photographs ...................................................................................................................... 14 2.19 Study Area ......................................................................................................................... 14 2.20 Visual Envelope ................................................................................................................. 15 Landvision; Landscape Design & Management (01892) 782200 | www.landvision.co.uk SA 26 Land South of Hammerwood Road, Ashurst Wood LVIA TABLE OF CONTENTS iii 2.21 Representative Viewpoints ............................................................................................. 15 2.22 Temporal Scope ................................................................................................................ 15 2.23 Legislation and Guidelines.............................................................................................. 16 2.24 Consultations .................................................................................................................... 17 3. BASELINE ASSESSMENT 17 3.1 Relevant landscape planning context ........................................................................... 17 3.2 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 17 3.3 European Landscape Convention, Council of Europe, 2000 ..................................... 17 3.4 National Planning Policy ................................................................................................. 17 3.5 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment ................................................................. 18 3.6 Local Landscape Policy ................................................................................................... 21 3.7 LVIA Assessment .............................................................................................................. 29 3.8 Land Management guidelines, sheet HW1, the West Sussex Landscape .............. 31 3.9 Landscape and visual sensitivities ................................................................................ 32 3.10 Landscape Baseline. ........................................................................................................ 33 3.11 National Landscape Character Area; High Weald, NCA 122. .................................... 34 3.12 Local Landscape Character Area; HW1 High Weald. ................................................. 38 3.13 Landscape Designations. ................................................................................................ 42 3.14 West Sussex Landscape Strategy (2005). ................................................................... 42 3.15 High Weald Management Plan 2014-2019. ............................................................... 46 4. THE DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS AND MITIGATION 49 4.1 The proposals .................................................................................................................... 49 4.2 Development/landscape strategy ................................................................................. 51 4.3 Site and Study Area description. .................................................................................... 52 4.4 Settlement Pattern and Local Landscape Character. ................................................ 53 4.5 Key landscape features of Landscape Character Area. ............................................. 54 4.6 Mitigation and Enhancements. ...................................................................................... 56 4.7 Land Management Guidelines for The High Weald, HW1. ........................................ 58 4.8 Mitigation- plant species. ................................................................................................ 60 4.9 Landscape Design and Management Proposals for the site. ................................... 60 Landvision; Landscape Design & Management (01892) 782200 | www.landvision.co.uk SA 26 Land South of Hammerwood Road, Ashurst Wood LVIA TABLE OF CONTENTS iv 5. ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS 62 5.1 Landscape effects and Visual impacts ......................................................................... 62 5.2 Overall profile .................................................................................................................... 62 5.3 Landscape Quality. ........................................................................................................... 64 5.4 Sensitivity of Landscape ................................................................................................. 66 5.5 Visual Assessment methodology ................................................................................... 72 5.6 Visual Assessment ........................................................................................................... 73 5.7 Visual Sensitivity ............................................................................................................... 73 5.8 Magnitude of Visual change and Landscape Capacity............................................... 74 5.9 Construction Impacts ....................................................................................................... 75 5.10 Landscape effects ............................................................................................................ 75 6. CONCLUSIONS 76 6.1 Landscape Effects and Visual impacts ......................................................................... 76 APPENDIX 1 Representative Viewpoints and Photographs 79 APPENDIX 3 Maps 95 APPENDIX 4 Summary of Landscape Effects 105 APPENDIX 5 Summary of Visual Impacts 111 Landvision; Landscape Design & Management (01892) 782200 | www.landvision.co.uk SA 26 Land South of Hammerwood Road, Ashurst Wood LVIA. 1. INTRODUCTION 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ➢ This LVIA is to assist with the Regulation 19 Submission for Site SA26, Land south of Hammerwood Road, Ashurst Wood. ➢ The Methodology follows the Guidelines for Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment, Third Edition, 2013, by The Landscape Institute &The Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment. The findings of High Weald AONB Management Plan 2019-2024 Assessment Template are used in this LVIA. They demonstrate how the proposals meet the objectives of the High Weald Management Plan. Local landscape character and the wider High Weald