LAND AT PATTERSON ROAD, WELLINGBOROUGH, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE Planning Application for Proposed Multi- Silo Development Landscape and Visual Appraisal July 2020 Land at Patterson Road, Wellingborough, N’shire Planning Application for Proposed Multi-Silo Development Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) Notice This report was produced by DB Landscape Consultancy Ltd. (DBLC) for Veka (referred to as the ‘applicant’ hereafter) for the specific purpose of accompanying a Planning Application for the construction of loading silos and related infrastructure at an existing site on Patterson Road, Wellingborough Industrial Estate, Wellingborough. This report may not be used by any person other than the applicant without express permission. In any event, DBLC accepts no liability for any costs, liabilities or losses arising as a result of the use of or reliance upon the contents of this report by any person other than the applicant. Document Control Version Date Author Checked by Change Description Draft ver. 1 27/04/20 D. Brittain (DBLC Ltd) T. Slater (3D Planning Draft version issued for Ltd) comment Issue 07/07/20 D. Brittain (DBLC Ltd) T. Slater (3D Planning Final version issued Version Ltd) Contact Details: David Brittain DB Landscape Consultancy Ltd. tel: 01344 624 709 mob: 07736 083 383 email: [email protected] web: www.dblc.co.uk DB/Issue version 07/07/2020 Land at Patterson Road, Wellingborough, N’shire Planning Application for Proposed Multi-Silo Development Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) Contents 1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Methodology ......................................................................................................................................... 4 2 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL BASELINE ......................................................................................................... 6 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Description of the Site and Immediate Surrounds ................................................................................. 6 Description of the Wider Surrounding Area ........................................................................................... 7 Existing Landscape Character Assessments ........................................................................................... 9 VISUAL BASELINE ................................................................................................................................. 13 3 PLANNING CONTEXT .............................................................................................................................. 16 Landscape Designations and Policies ................................................................................................... 16 National Level Landscape Policies and Guidance ................................................................................. 17 Local Level Landscape Policies and Guidance ...................................................................................... 18 4 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT AND MITIGATION ............................................................ 20 Summary of Proposed Development ................................................................................................... 20 5 SUMMARY OF KEY LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL EFFECTS ........................................................................... 22 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 22 6 ACCORDANCE WITH LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENTS, PLANNING POLICY AND GUIDELINES ..... 31 APPENDICES Appendix A Figures…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……………33 DB/Issue version 07/07/2020 Land at Patterson Road, Wellingborough, N’shire Planning Application for Proposed Multi-Silo Development Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) 1 INTRODUCTION AND METHODOLOGY Introduction 1.1. DB Landscape Consultancy Ltd. (DBLC) was appointed by the applicant to undertake a Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) report relating to proposals (hereafter referred to as the Proposed Development) to construct eight new loading silos (30m high), four new pellet silos (20m high) and a new 4.6m high (highest ridge), 588m2 storage building at the Veka Waste Recycling facility along Patterson Road, Wellingborough Industrial Estate, Wellingborough. 1.2 The Veka controlled land within which the silo construction works would be located is referred to as the ‘Site’. The application boundary of the Site extends over an area of approximately 2.6 hectares (ha) as indicated on Figure 1: Zone of Theoretical Visibility and Viewpoint Location Plan. The approximate six figure grid reference for the centre of the Site is E: 490017, N: 270074. Methodology 1.3 Whilst this is not a full Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) this LVA examines the Level of Key Effects likely to arise from the Proposed Development on local landscape and visual receptors in a manner similar to a full LVIA. 1.4 Where necessary, the appraisal has been prepared with reference to relevant professional standards, published guidance and methodology provided by the following; Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment’, 3rd Edition 2013 (Landscape Institute and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment); National Character Area 89: Northamptonshire Vales. (Natural England); and Local Landscape Character Types (LCT): ‘Urban’ (Site itself) and LCT 17: River Valley Floodplain (in close proximity), as defined within the ‘Current Landscape Character Assessment’ (Northamptonshire County Council, 2003) 1.5 The LVA considers the landscape character of the Site and wider surrounds together with the location of the Site in terms of existing visibility from surrounding visual receptors including residential properties, Public Rights of Way (PRoW) and roads. 1.6 The structure of this LVA report has been split into the following sections: Introduction and Methodology DB/Issue Version 4 07/07/2020 Land at Patterson Road, Wellingborough, N’shire Planning Application for Proposed Multi-Silo Development Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) Landscape and Visual Baseline, including existing Landscape Character Assessments (Section 2); Planning Context: Landscape Policies and Designations (Section 3); Description of Proposed Development and Mitigation (Section 4); Appraisal of the Level of Key Landscape and Visual Effects (Section 5); Accordance with Landscape Character Assessments, Planning Policy and Guidelines (Section 6); and Appendix A: Figures (Figures 1 to 18). 1.7 The following definitions are used for the description of the Level of Key Effects on the baseline landscape and visual conditions arising from the Proposed Development. Table 7.1: Landscape and Visual Significance of Effects Definitions Level of Key Effects Key Landscape Effects Key Visual Effects Major Beneficial Alterations that result in a Alteration to the composition of the considerable and distinct view which is considered to result in improvement of the existing a considerable improvement in the landscape character and existing view features Moderate Beneficial Alterations that result in an Alteration to the composition of the evident improvement of the view which is considered to result in existing landscape character an evident improvement in the and features existing view Minor Beneficial Alterations that result in a Alteration to the composition of the slight improvement of the view which is considered to result in existing landscape character a slight improvement in the existing and features view Negligible Beneficial Alterations that result in a Alteration to the composition of the very slight improvement to view which is considered to result in the existing landscape a very slight improvement in the character and features existing view Neutral No alteration to the existing No alteration to the existing view landscape baseline Negligible Adverse Alterations that result in a Alteration to the composition of the very slight deterioration to view which is considered to result in the existing landscape a very slight deterioration in the character and features existing view Minor Adverse Alterations that result in a Alteration to the composition of the slight deterioration of the view which is considered to result in existing landscape character a slight deterioration in the existing and features view Moderate Adverse Alterations that result in an Alteration to the composition of the evident deterioration of the view which is considered to result in existing landscape character an evident deterioration in the and features existing view Major Adverse Alterations that result in a Alteration to the composition of the considerable and distinct view which is considered to result in deterioration of the existing a considerable deterioration in the landscape character and existing view features DB/Issue Version 5 07/07/2020 Land at Patterson Road, Wellingborough, N’shire Planning Application for Proposed Multi-Silo Development Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) 2 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL BASELINE Introduction 2.1 The landscape and visual baseline represents a study of the