NETHER LANGWITH QUARRY NETHER LANGWITH, MANSFIELD NOTTINGHAMSHIRE PROPOSED CONTINUATION OF LIMESTONE EXTRACTION AND MODIFICATION OF THE CONSENTED SCHEME OF WORKING AND RESTORATION LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR TARMAC TRADING LIMITED FINAL DATE: 03.02.16 David Jarvis Associates Ltd 1 Tennyson Street Swindon Wiltshire SN1 5DT Tel: 01793 612173 Email: [email protected] February 2016 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 2374 Nether Langwith Quarry CONTENTS: 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 4 NAME AND QUALIFICATION ................................................................................................................................... 4 SCOPE ............................................................................................................................................................... 4 BACKGROUND .................................................................................................................................................... 4 2. METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 5 PUBLISHED GUIDANCE ......................................................................................................................................... 5 3. LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT OF THE EXISTING SITE AND CONTEXT ............................................................. 6 GENERAL ........................................................................................................................................................... 6 PUBLISHED CHARACTER ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................................................... 6 LOCAL CHARACTER ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................ 8 LANDSCAPE FEATURES.......................................................................................................................................... 9 LANDSCAPE ELEMENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 9 LOCAL LANDSCAPE VALUE ..................................................................................................................................... 9 LANDSCAPE RECEPTORS ...................................................................................................................................... 11 VISUAL RECEPTORS ............................................................................................................................................ 13 ZONES OF THEORETICAL AND SIGNIFICANT VISIBILITY (ZTV AND ZSV) ......................................................................... 13 4. PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AND MITIGATION MEASURES ..................................................................... 15 GENERAL ......................................................................................................................................................... 15 DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................................................... 15 RECOMMENDED MITIGATION MEASURES .............................................................................................................. 16 5. ASSESSMENT OF PREDICTED POTENTIAL EFFECTS .................................................................................. 18 GENERAL ......................................................................................................................................................... 18 PREDICTED POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON LANDSCAPE CHARACTERISTICS.............................................................................. 18 PREDICTED POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON LANDSCAPE FEATURES AND ELEMENTS .................................................................. 18 PREDICTED POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON LOCAL LANDSCAPE VALUE ................................................................................... 18 PREDICTED POTENTIAL EFFECTS ON VISUAL AMENITY ............................................................................................... 19 ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING .......................................................................................................................................... 22 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ........................................................................................................................................ 22 DURATION AND REVERSIBILITY ............................................................................................................................. 22 6. SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................. 23 7. CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................................... 25 February 2016 Page 2 of 40 David Jarvis Associates Limited Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 2374 Nether Langwith Quarry Figures: 1. Location Plan 2. Landscape Context 3. Landscape Elements 4. Local Landscape Value 5. Predicted Zones of Significant Visibility and Representative Viewpoint Locations 6. Visibility Cross-Section Appendices: 1. Assessment Methodology and Glossary of Terms 2. Published District Landscape Character Assessments Extract 3. Field Survey Photographic Record 4. Consented Development 5. Proposed Development 6. Consented Details – Condition Nºs 11, 12 and 15 7. Species List: Magnesian Limestone County Landscape Character Area 8. Sketch Section Through Western Face Restoration with Rollover Slope February 2016 Page 3 of 40 David Jarvis Associates Limited Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 2374 Nether Langwith Quarry 1. INTRODUCTION Name and Qualification 1.1 This report has been prepared by Jim Meadowcroft Dip LA CMLI of David Jarvis Associates Limited (DJA), a town planning and landscape consultancy. Scope 1.2 This assessment concerns the predicted potential landscape and visual effects of a proposal to continue limestone extraction and modify the consented scheme of extraction and restoration at Nether Langwith Quarry, Nether Langwith, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. 1.3 The application site is located approximately 0.75km south east of the village of Nether Langwith in the vicinity of National Grid Reference, SK 454226 369610, shown on Plan N° 2374/LV/1. Background 1.4 David Jarvis Associates Limited was commissioned in September 2015 by Tarmac Trading Limited to carry out a landscape and visual impact of the development scheme. February 2016 Page 4 of 40 David Jarvis Associates Limited Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 2374 Nether Langwith Quarry 2. METHODOLOGY Published Guidance 2.1 This assessment has been prepared in accordance with the published guidance provided by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment and the Landscape Institute (IEMA/LI)1 and the Countryside Agency2. Guidance emphasises the responsibility of the landscape professional carrying out the assessment to ensure that the approach and methodology adopted is appropriate for the particular development to be assessed. A description of the assessment methodology is provided at Appendix 1. 2.2 Preparation of this assessment included the following key stages: • desktop research and field survey; • identification of potential effects; • identification of landscape and visual receptors; • description and quantification of changes to the baseline; • identification of mitigation measures; • evaluation of predicted effects; and • landscape and visual assessment of the scheme design in the context of consented development. 1 Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment and the Landscape Institute – ‘Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment’ Third Edition 2013. 2 Countryside Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage – ‘Landscape Character Assessment’ 2002 and Topic Paper 6: Techniques and Criteria for Judging Capacity and Sensitivity (2004). February 2016 Page 5 of 40 David Jarvis Associates Limited Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 2374 Nether Langwith Quarry 3. LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT OF THE EXISTING SITE AND CONTEXT General 3.1 This section describes the prevailing landscape character of the application site and its setting. The systematic assessment of these elements provides the baseline against which potential effects of development can be assessed. Published Character Assessment 3.2 Landscape character assessment has been carried out at National, Regional, County and District levels by Natural England3, Nottinghamshire County Council and the Bassetlaw, Mansfield and Newark and Sherwood District Councils4. The National Character Area (NCA) profiles and their accompanying character descriptions provide the broad framework for the more in-depth county and district level studies. 3.3 The site falls within: • NCA 30 - ‘Magnesian Limestone’; • Regional Character Type 6d ‘Limestone Farmlands’; • Regional Character Type 10b ‘Sandstone Forests and Heaths’; • District Character Area (DCA) ‘Magnesian Limestone Ridge’ – Landscape Policy Zone ML14 ‘Nether Langwith’; and • District Character Area ‘Meden Vale and Church Warsop’ - Landscape Policy Zone ML29 3.4 The quarry site southern boundary adjoins the DCA ‘Warsop