Appendix D Launceston Housing Evidence Report: Landscape Character Assessment Results 1 Introduction This Appendix sets out the results for the Landscape Character Assessment stage (Step 6) of the Urban Extension Assessment. The methodology for this step of the process is set out in Appendix C of this report. The local Launceston Character Area Description is considered, followed by the more detailed assessment results, which are presented in tabular and diagrammatic formats. Launceston Character Area Description The historic town of Launceston sits in the strategically important location overlooking the Devon border and is centrally placed between the north and south coasts. The ‘old’ town is situated on a small plateau which had for long been an important cross roads for transport links for the counties of Devon and Cornwall. There are main road links to Callington, Saltash and Plymouth to the south. Bodmin to the west, Okehampton and Exeter to the east and Holsworthy and Bude to the north. These roads are all busy and congestion, particularly from the road leading to Bude and Holsworthy is normal for the residents of this otherwise attractive town which still retains an agricultural setting to the castle from a number of viewpoints. Prominent though the castle and surrounding ‘old’ townscape is, much of the town is only visible close by along access roads or public rights of way as it is well screened by the high ground surrounding it and by established tree cover. In general, the landscape is a mixture of rolling pasture to the north and south with a steeper sided green valley running through the town from east to west, where, in this more sheltered location, there are many fine mature trees and a diverse range of habitats and wildlife. The mix of a well-established, mature pastoral landscape, interspersed with significant areas of mixed woodland and the focal point of the historic castle and the surrounding diverse architecture of the old town has produced a unique quality to Launceston which is quite different to most other towns in the south west. It is still an attractive town set within a diverse but rural landscape with good road links to the surrounding towns in both Devon & Cornwall. Landscape Character Assessment Results The outputs of this assessment are presented in two formats – for each cell: the landscape characteristics are presented visually on maps (Figures 1-15); and, the results of the landscape character assessments are presented in tables (Tables 1-17). Please note that, in carrying out this assessment it was considered appropriate to split cells into a number of sub- cells where the landscape character had distinctly different features within one cell. Consequently, in the case of Launceston, Cells 2, 7 and 11 were split into smaller study sub-cells for this step of the process. Figure 16 illustrates the summary results for all Cells (and sub-cells) on a map of the town. 2 Figure 1: Landscape Character Assessment Map (Cell 1) 3 Table 1: Landscape Character Assessment Results (Cell 1) LAUNCESTON CELL REFERENCE NUMBER; 1 ASSESSOR; Peter Sainsbury DATE; 9th February 2011 Landscape Survey Information Landscape Value Landscape Overall Landscape Sensitivity Assessment Landscape Character Area: CA26 East Cornwall & Tamar Moorland Fringe Description LDU No: 312 Landscape Visual Final Cell Judgement Character Sensitivity Sensitivity Natural Landscape Features Topography/ landform Predominately flat to the west sloping toward the A30 but increasingly steeper Moderate Moderate High 7 (Amber) towards the east . Biodiversity value – . Agricultural Vegetation cover/ trees Predominately clipped hedgerows with many scattered mature trees. Some clumps wooded hedges landscape particularly along the A30 boundary framing fields of pasture . Agricultural land . Cornish Field pattern/ boundary Standard field patterns and sizes value (G3) hedges type . Impact of intrusion of . Hedgerow Land use Pasture adjacent road trees . Medieval Distinctive landscape/ N/A settlement of historic features Lower Tresmarrow Water bodies/ courses N/A . Medieval strip fields Settlement/ Built Features Settlement type Linear settlement feel on urban edge of town and A30 Distinctive manmade Power lines features Distinctive historic or N/A cultural features Vernacular (use of local Standard hedges materials) Landscape Sensitivity Transport Pattern A Road/ B Road/ other ‘Other’ road cuts through the east of the cell (NW-SE) Med/High Sensitivity (4) Railways None Farm/ Private tracks Farm/Private track cutting through the cell at Lower Tresmarrow (N-S) Cycleways None PROW None Informal paths None 4 Visual Prominence (tick appropriate) Open/ long distance Open views to the south (high) Intermittent (medium) From the A30 and the lane Limited (low) Landscape Condition Integrity and unity of Large agricultural but with increasingly residential development to the east landscape Aesthetic & Sensory Tranquillity (H/ M/ L) Strongly affected by the views and noise of the A30 and Pennygillam Industrial Estate How is the landscape Mundane, windswept, exposed, cut off due to position between the A30 and the lane experienced? Key sources / visual or A30, Pennygillam Industrial Estate noise (both within and Potentially smells coming from nearby tip/recycling centre but none experienced outside the cell) whilst at location Cell to Cell relationship What is the key Cell 2 has been considered as 3 sub-cells. Sub-cell 2C adjoins this cell and shares information relating to similar characteristics and topography adjacent cell? Photograph numbers Other Information 5 Figure 2: Landscape Character Assessment Map (Cell 2) 6 Table 2: Landscape Character Assessment Results (Cell 2, Sub-Cell 2a) LAUNCESTON CELL REFERENCE NUMBER; 2A ASSESSOR; Peter Sainsbury DATE; 9th February 2011 Landscape Survey Information Landscape Value Landscape Overall Landscape Sensitivity Assessment Landscape Description Record descriptive Landscape Visual Final Cell Judgement information for each Character Sensitivity survey sub heading listed Sensitivity Natural Landscape Features Topography/ landform Gently sloping towards the north from the lane. Moderate Moderate High 7 (Amber) . AGLV . Agricultural Vegetation cover/ trees Largely pasture with limited nature in hedgerows and in fields. landscapes . Agricultural land value G3 . Cornish Field pattern/ boundary Normal mix of field sizes, mix of clipped hedges with some mature trees scattered within hedges type them. Some intrusions . Mature Land use Pasture hedgerow trees Distinctive landscape/ N/A historic features Water bodies/ courses N/A Settlement/ Built Features Settlement type Hamlet at Trebursye Oak at western end and at the eastern end Chapel creates a predominantly suburban feel Distinctive manmade Power Lines features Distinctive historic or N/A cultural features Vernacular (use of local Nothing Distinctive materials) Landscape Sensitivity Transport Pattern Medium/High (4) A Road/ B Road/ other Railways Farm/ Private tracks Cycleways PROW Informal paths 7 Visual Prominence (tick appropriate) Open/ long distance (Check distant views again) (high) Intermittent (medium) Limited (low) Few view points from lane and scattered housing. Landscape Condition Integrity and unity of Scattered housing and large agricultural/industrial operations. Telegraph poles landscape reduce the agricultural /rural character. Aesthetic & Sensory Tranquillity (H/ M/ L) More strongly affected by A30 noise and (more) regular use of lane. how is the landscape Windswept, rather bland and uncared for. experienced? Key sources / visual or noise (both within and A30 and Lane outside the cell) Cell to Cell relationship What is the key information relating to adjacent cell? Photograph numbers Other Information 8 Table 3: Landscape Character Assessment Results (Cell 2, Sub-Cell 2b) LAUNCESTON CELL REFERENCE NUMBER; 2B ASSESSOR; Peter Sainsbury DATE; 9th February 2011 Landscape Survey Information Landscape Value Landscape Overall Landscape Sensitivity Assessment Landscape Character Area: CA31 Upper Tamar and Ottery Valleys Description LDU No: 316 Landscape Visual Final Cell Judgement Character Sensitivity Sensitivity Natural Landscape Features Topography/ landform Land drops sharply to Under Lane and is very steep in places High High Medium 9 (Red) . AGLV . Agricultural Vegetation cover/ trees Mixtures of woodland, pasture within hedgerows of predominantly mature trees landscape . TPO’s on lane . Cornish Field pattern/ boundary Fields predominantly small to the east but larger to the west with mature trees . Biodiversity value hedges type creating a greater sense of enclosure – BAP habitat . Intact landscape . Hedgerow Land use Pasture and woodland trees . Aesthetic and sensory value . Woodland Distinctive landscape/ Mature trees along Under Lane creating a very intimate and attractive feature /copse historic features . Historic Water bodies/ courses Springs character features- medieval Settlement/ Built Features settlement at Settlement type Farm and a few agricultural buildings – not dominant Landrends Distinctive manmade Timber telegraph poles – 2 lines of electricity features Distinctive historic or None cultural features Vernacular (use of local Standard local hedges/gates materials) Landscape Sensitivity Transport Pattern Medium/High (4) A Road/ B Road/ other None Railways None Farm/ Private tracks Farm/Private tracks to Landrends Cycleways None PROW None Informal paths None 9 Visual Prominence (tick appropriate) Open/ long distance Highly from across the