Land at Jealott's Hill, Berkshire: Landscape and Visual Appraisal & Green Belt Review Prepared on behalf of Syngenta UK Ltd Limited March 2018 Land at Jealott's Hill, Berkshire: Landscape and Visual Appraisal & Green Belt Review Prepared on behalf of Syngenta UK Ltd Limited Project Ref: 26386/A5 Status: Final Issue/ Rev: 001 Date: March 2018 Prepared by: RG Checked by: LT Authorised by: LT Barton Willmore LLP The Blade, Abbey Square Reading RG1 3BE Tel: 0118 945 0000 Ref: 26386/A5 Fax: 020 7446 6889 Date: March 2018 Email: [email protected] Status: FINAL COPYRIGHT The contents of this document must not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of Barton Willmore LLP. All Barton Willmore stationery is produced using recycled or FSC paper and vegetation oil based inks. Executive Summary A Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) and Green Belt Review has been undertaken to establish the opportunities and constraints to development from a landscape and visual perspective; the suitability of the Site to accommodate residential development; and to assess the contribution that the Site makes towards the purposes of the Green Belt as set out in Paragraph 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The LVA has included a review of published landscape character information, planning policy, and field work to determine the landscape characteristics of the Site, its function in the wider landscape, and its influence within views from the surrounding areas. The LVA has identified that the whilst the proposed development would consolidate the existing developed central core, the introduction of additional development and landscape enhancements within the currently undeveloped agricultural areas of the Site, would result in the loss of some farmland. The existing trees, hedges and woodland on the Site would be retained to form the basis of the landscape framework, which would be substantially enhanced, providing a setting within which to accommodate the proposed development and associated open space. In addition, the Site currently offers a Limited Contribution to the purposes of the Green Belt and as such, provides the opportunity to accommodate development without reducing the ability of the surrounding area of the Green Belt to meet its purposes. Although an area of undeveloped agricultural land would be lost to development, the comprehensive landscape framework would enable the creation of areas of landscape that are higher in value than the existing agricultural land that it currently comprises, while retaining and enhancing the landscape assets on the site and providing accessible green links through the site, enabling the wider PRoW network to be increased. It is considered within the capacity of the landscape to accommodate the type of development proposed at Jealott’s Hill. CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................. 2 2.0 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 4 3.0 Landscape Policy Context ............................................................................................... 9 4.0 Existing Lanscape and Visual Context ............................................................................ 20 5.0 Landscape and Visual Appraisal .................................................................................... 34 6.0 Green Belt Appraisal ................................................................................................... 44 7.0 Summary and Conclusion ............................................................................................... 1 ILLUSTRATIVE MATERIAL Figure 1a: Wider Context Plan Figure 1b: Site Context Plan Figure 2a: Wider Topographic Features Plan Figure 2b: Topographic Features Plan Figure 3: Site Appraisal Plan Figure 4: Landscape Character Plan Site Context Photographs Land at Jealott's Hill, Berkshire Introduction 1.0 INTRODUCTION Overview 1.1 This Landscape and Visual Appraisal and Green Belt Review provides a briefing to Syngenta UK Limited with regard to potential for at Land at Jealott’s Hill (the ‘Site') to accommodate an expansion of the existing research facilities and to provide new residential development set within a comprehensive landscape strategy. 1.2 The Landscape and Visual Appraisal of the Site has been undertaken to establish the visual sensitivity of the Site and to identify the suitability of the Site to ac commodate residential development. The report also provides an assessment of the contribution that the Site makes towards the five purposes of the Green Belt, as stated in Paragraph 80 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). 1.3 The objectives of this study are: • To appraise the landscape character and quality of the Site and its context and the function of the Site within the wider landscape, particularly in relation to existing landscape designations and policies; • To appraise the visibility of the Site and the nature and quality of existing views towards the Site; • To appraise the contribution of the Site in response to its Green Belt function and its potential to be released from the Green Belt; and • To appraise the likely effects upon landscape character and visual amenity that would arise as a result of the proposed development on the Site. 1.4 The Site is located in the Borough of Bracknell Forest, Berkshire, approximately 1.8km from the northern edge of Bracknell, with Maidenhead some 5km to the north, as illustrated on Figure 1a: Wider Site Context Plan, in a broad swathe of countryside scattered throughout with smaller settlements such as Binfield, Bray Wick and Dedworth; and numerous hamlets, farms, clusters of residential properties and individual dwellings; connected by a network of roads, lanes, railway, and public rights of way; comprising a highly settled landscape. 1.5 The Site comprises a developed central core that includes a research facility containing office buildings, farm buildings, large scale former private residences, substantial glass houses, car parking, internal roads network, recreational facilities including sports pitches and allotments for use by employees; surrounded by agricultural land. Land at Jealott's Hill, Berkshire Introduction 1.6 Adjoining the Site boundary, and in the immediate locality, reflecting the settled character of the landscape, there are numerous farms and farmsteads, individual large houses, and clusters of residential properties, such as those at Hawthorne Hill, Nuptown Moss End and Tickleback Row as illustrated on Figure 1b: Site Context Plan. 1.7 The A3095 Maidenhead Road and a section of the A330 Ascot Road pass through the Site, dividing it into four broad areas. The four areas include: land to the west of Maidenhead Road; land to the north of Ascot Road; land to the east of Weller’s Lane, and the central core at Jealott’s Hill which lies between Ascot Road, Maidenhead Road and Weller’s Lane. 1.8 Much of the land between Bracknell and Maidenhead is designated as Green Belt, as illustrated on Figure 1a: Wider Site Context Plan. The existing research facility development within central core of the Site is identified as a Major Developed Site within the Green Belt. Land at Jealott's Hill, Berkshire Methodology 2.0 METHODOLOGY Appraisal of Landscape and Visual Characteristics 2.1 The Landscape and Visual Appraisal has been prepared in accordance with the current best practice guidelines, as set out in the Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment’s ‘Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment’ Third Edition, 2013. 2.2 The purpose of LVAs is to identify the potential for, and assess the likely effects of, change resulting from development. Landscape and visual assessments are a separate, although linked, processes. A distinction is made between: • landscape - landscape character and the elements and features that contribute to it (landscape receptors); and • visual - people who experience views within the landscape (visual receptors). 2.3 Landscape encompasses the whole of the external environment, whether within villa ges, towns or in the countryside. It is not only the visual perception of a combination of landform, vegetation cover and buildings, but also embodies the history, land use, human culture, wildlife and seasonal changes of an area. The landscape can be considered as a resource in its own right (providing food, cultural heritage, clean air etc.) and as a visual amenity (views, walks or recreational pursuits). As a result, landscape and visual impacts are assessed separately. 2.4 A baseline study is undertaken to record the existing landscape features, characteristics, the way the landscape is experienced and existing views of visual receptors likely to be affected by the proposed development. This is done through the examination of Ordnance Survey Maps, aerial photography and various scales of landscape character assessment. The desk and field surveys (undertaken from within the Site and publicly accessible locations) enable a study area to be derived in order to focus the assessment on likely significant effects. The study area is determined though consideration of landform, vegetation and likely extent of visibility, beyond which the proposed development would be unlikely to give rise to any significant effects. Landscape Assessment 2.5 The capacity (or susceptibility) of a landscape relates to