PROPOSED TELECOMMUNICATIONS MAST AT HIGHER LANGDON, NEAR BOLVENTOR, CORNWALL (ESN40001) LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL November 2020 Introduction OS Copyright Licence: Sightline Landscape 0100031673 Planning consent is sought for a fifteen metre high telecommunications mast, ground mounted satellite dish and control cabinets in the corner of a field by the entrance to Higher Langdon Farm, which is situated in the Fowey Valley south of Bolventor, Cornwall. The mast will be part of the Emergency Services Network which provides critical national infrastructure to enable communications and inter-operability for the police, fire and ambulance services in England, Scotland and Wales. The Site lies within the Bodmin Moor area of The Cornwall and Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This report assesses the likely landscape and visual impacts arising from the proposed development. The Site is located on Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1: Location Plan Figure 2: Aerial Plan Proposed Telecommunications Mast at Higher Langdon, near Bolventor, Cornwall (ESN40001). Page 2 Methodology This assessment has followed guidance set out in the ‘Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Determination of the study area Impact Assessment’, Third Edition (Landscape Institute and the Institute of Environmental Assessment, 2013) but as the guidance states, the depth of the assessment should be The extent of the study area has been determined by running software which calculates the proportional to the scale of the proposed development and its likely impacts. Landscape and potential visibility of the 15m high mast based on topography and tree cover (based on 3 D Visual Appraisals (LVA) aim to determine the key impacts in a clear and concise manner and the LIDAR topographical mapping). Publicly accessible areas where visibility is indicated were visited methodology is less prescriptive than a full Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment. to see if the mast is likely to be visible or whether views will be blocked by trees, hedges or buildings. This Theoretical Zone of Visibility (TZVI) is indicated on Figure 3. The level of impact is assessed by combining the sensitivity of the person looking at the view with the magnitude in the change in the view. For this a series of assessment tables are used to ascribe a value to the combination of magnitude and sensitivity and these are presented in Appendix A, which sets out the methodology used in more detail. People’s sensitivity to a change in a view can vary, for example workers within an industrial area are less sensitive than those people who chose to use the public right of way network for the enjoyment of the countryside. Viewers within an unattractive landscape are less sensitive than those in an acknowledged scenic landscape, such as Area of Outstanding Beauty (within which the Site lies). The magnitude and sensitivity are combined in the matrix (Appendix A) to determine the degree of significance of an impact (whether beneficial or adverse) ranging from Major to Negligible. The various levels of significance, what they mean and the weight that should be given to them in the decision-making process are also presented in Appendix A. Limitations to Survey Methods The assessment was undertaken on the 22 October when deciduous trees and hedges were partially out of leaf and the majority of the hedges had not been cut back for winter (an allowance has been made in the assessment for this). It was an overcast day with some periods of sun at the time of the survey. Visibility was good for short and medium views with some mist affecting long distance views. Photography and Imaging Photographs illustrating views from each viewpoint were taken using a Sony Alpha 7 full frame digital camera with a Sony SEL50F 1.8 lens which has a fixed focal length of 50 mm. For the annotated photographs in the report, the camera was set in portrait panoramic mode (at 50mm focal length) to show the scene in context. A second image is presented as a single frame at 50 mm focal length, which is a more realistic view as how the eye sees the view at that location. Photomontages have also been produced for the key viewpoints (see Appendix B). For these the view is presented as a single landscape frame, (50 mm focal length) presented in a format which if printed at A3 and held 540 mm from the eye, is an accurate representation of the view, (in accordance with Visual Representation of Development Proposals, Landscape Institute Technical Guidance Note 06/19,17 September 2019). The camera has a full frame sensor and an inbuilt spirit level and photographs were taken 1.5 m above ground level from publicly accessible locations. Proposed Telecommunications Mast at Higher Langdon, near Bolventor, Cornwall (ESN40001). Page 3 Figure 3: Theoretical Zone of Visibility (TZVI) OS Copyright Licence: Sightline Landscape 0100031673 Proposed Telecommunications Mast at Higher Langdon, near Bolventor, Cornwall (ESN40001). Page 4 Designations and Policy National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Cornwall AONB Partnership The National Planning Policy Framework (June 2019) sets out core national policy which must The Cornwall AONB Partnership provides advice to Cornwall Council on AONB planning matters. be taken into account by the Council when creating regional and local planning policies and in Guidance is set out within The Cornwall AONB Management Plan 2016-2021 - ‘Place and People’. determining applications. The Partnership objected to the location of a similar mast nearby which occupied a more elevated location, but stated in their objection that the “effects of the mast could be reduced by locating it Relevant chapters include: away from a visually exposed skyline location” and with improved screening to the cabinets and compound. This new application seeks to address these concerns with a new location lower in the 10. Supporting high quality communications valley. “Advanced, high quality and reliable communications infrastructure is essential Public Rights of Way (PRoW) and Open Access Land for economic growth and social well-being. Planning policies and decisions should support the expansion of electronic communications networks, including next PRoW are absent in the area but there are extensive areas of Open Access Land near the generation mobile technology (such as 5G) and full fibre broadband connections”. Site, although many are difficult to access due to the paucity of crossing points over the River Fowey. Views from key areas of Open Access Land are assessed, especially in the vicinity of the 15. Conserving and enhancing the natural environment Scheduled Monuments within these areas. “Great weight should be given to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic Historical and Cultural assets beauty in National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which have the highest status of protection in relation to these issues”. There are signs of historic human activity over large areas of the valley with a wealth of prehistoric features such as burial chambers, stone circles, settlements and field systems, medieval 16. Conserving and enhancing the historic environment. farmsteads, chapels, wells, crosses and stream works. The key assets have been designated Scheduled Monuments (SM) and are: The Statutory Development Plan 1) Prehistoric field systems, enclosure, hut circles and rounds, with adjacent medieval The Statutory Development Plan is the Cornwall Local Plan Strategic Policies 2010 – 2030. settlement, longhouse and field system on Higher Langdon Farm (the Site lies Relevant policies are as follows: outside of this SM). The closest edge lies 328 m west of the Site. The features of the monument have survived well. The three separate prehistoric field systems The Policy 23: Natural environment with their groups of hut circles show clearly the nature of settlement and farming activity and their relationship to the topography during the Bronze Age. The Iron 2(a). The Cornwall and Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Age to Roman rounds and the medieval settlement sites and field system similarly demonstrate those aspects for these later periods. List UID: 1007475. Great weight will be given to conserving the landscape and scenic beauty within or affecting the setting of the AONB. Proposals must conserve and enhance the landscape 2) A Scheduled Monument lies immediately to the west of Higher Langdon Farm character and natural beauty of the AONB and provide only for an identified local need and which also includes prehistoric settlements and field system with adjacent medieval be appropriately located to address the AONB’s sensitivity and capacity. settlement, field systems, boundaries and tin streamworks on the Brown Gelly Downs. List UID: 1007770. Policy 24: Historic environment 3) A group of six Scheduled Monuments lie 1.1 km southeast of the Site near Carkeet Development proposals will be permitted where they would sustain the cultural Farm. They comprise a collection of stone huts within a prehistoric irregular distinctiveness and significance of Cornwall’s historic rural, urban and coastal aggregate field system. List UID: 1011324, 1011326, 1011325, 1011322, 1011323 environment by protecting, conserving and where appropriate enhancing the significance and 1011318. of designated and non-designated assets and their settings. 4) A group of three prehistoric cairns lie north of Furswain Farm, 1.97 km to the southeast. List UID: 1008121, 1008116 and 1008180. Proposed Telecommunications Mast at Higher Langdon, near Bolventor, Cornwall (ESN40001). Page 5 Designations and Policy 5) Prehistoric regular aggregate field system with incorporated enclosure and stone hut circles 550m NNW of Lamelgate Farm, 2.1 km to the south. List UID: 1007474. There are three listed structures near the Site: A) A brick kiln and chimney south west of Carkeet Farmhouse, Grade: II, 682 m to the southeast of the Site. List UID: 1311074. B) Carkeet Farmhouse, Grade: II, 790 m to the east. List UID: 1159315. C) Barn about 20 metres north of Carkeet Farmhouse, 790 m to the east, Grade: II.