Cumnor Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan Landscape Character Assessment December 2018 Cumnor Parish Neighbourhood Development Plan Landscape Character Assessment LC-407 Document Control Box Client Cumnor Parish Council Report title Cumnor Neighbourhood Development Plan: Landscape Character Assessment Filename LC-407_Cumnor_LCA_10_101018CW.docx Date December 2018 Author CW Reviewed JE Approved ND Front cover: View across Cumnor Parish from Eynsham Road south, by Neil Davidson Cumnor NDP Landscape Character Assessment December 2018 LC-407_Cumnor_LCA_10_101018CW.docx Contents 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 3 1.1 Appointment and scope of work ........................................................................................................ 3 1.2 Purpose of this report ........................................................................................................................ 3 1.3 Geographic context of Cumnor ......................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Landscape Character Assessment hierarchy ....................................................................................... 4 1.5 National Landscape Context .............................................................................................................. 5 1.6 County Landscape Context................................................................................................................ 5 1.7 District Landscape Context .............................................................................................................. 11 1.8 25 Year Environment Plan ................................................................................................................ 12 2 Method for Undertaking the Landscape Character Assessment .......................................... 16 2.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 16 2.2 Step 1: Define purpose and scope of the project ............................................................................. 16 2.3 Step 2: Desk study .......................................................................................................................... 17 2.4 Step 3: Field study .......................................................................................................................... 18 2.5 Step 4: Classification and description of landscape types and character areas................................... 19 3 Desk Study ......................................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Policy Background ........................................................................................................................... 23 3.2 Natural factors................................................................................................................................. 26 3.3 Cultural and social factors ................................................................................................................ 34 3.4 Perceptual and aesthetic factors ...................................................................................................... 39 3.5 Green Infrastructure ........................................................................................................................ 40 4 Field Study ......................................................................................................................... 42 4.1 Introduction to field studies ............................................................................................................. 42 4.2 Planning the field survey .................................................................................................................. 42 4.3 Field survey results .......................................................................................................................... 43 4.4 Landscape character areas ............................................................................................................... 43 5 Farmoor Reservoir to Wytham River Floodplain (LCA 1) ..................................................... 45 5.1 Location and Boundaries ................................................................................................................. 46 5.2 Designations and Policy................................................................................................................... 46 5.3 Natural ............................................................................................................................................ 47 5.4 Cultural/Social ................................................................................................................................. 47 5.5 Perceptual and Aesthetic ................................................................................................................. 48 5.6 Recommendations to plan, manage and protect distinctiveness ....................................................... 48 6 Farmoor Reservoir (LCA 2) ................................................................................................. 49 6.1 Location and Boundaries ................................................................................................................. 51 6.2 Designations and Policy................................................................................................................... 51 6.3 Natural ............................................................................................................................................ 51 6.4 Cultural/Social ................................................................................................................................. 51 6.5 Perceptual and Aesthetic ................................................................................................................. 52 6.6 Recommendations to plan, manage and protect distinctiveness ....................................................... 53 7 Edge of Reservoir and Farmoor (LCA 3) ............................................................................. 54 7.1 Location and Boundaries ................................................................................................................. 56 7.2 Designations and Policy................................................................................................................... 56 7.3 Natural ............................................................................................................................................ 56 7.4 Cultural/Social ................................................................................................................................. 57 7.5 Perceptual and Aesthetic ................................................................................................................. 57 7.6 Recommendations to plan, manage and protect distinctiveness ....................................................... 58 © Lepus Consulting for Cumnor Parish Council i Cumnor NDP Landscape Character Assessment December 2018 LC-407_Cumnor_LCA_10_101018CW.docx 8 Beacon Hill (LCA 4) ............................................................................................................ 59 8.1 Location and Boundaries ................................................................................................................. 61 8.2 Designations and Policy................................................................................................................... 61 8.3 Natural ............................................................................................................................................ 61 8.4 Cultural/Social ................................................................................................................................. 62 8.5 Perceptual and Aesthetic ................................................................................................................. 62 8.6 Recommendations to plan, manage and protect distinctiveness ....................................................... 63 9 Wytham Woods (LCA 5) ..................................................................................................... 64 9.1 Location and Boundaries ................................................................................................................. 65 9.2 Designations and Policy................................................................................................................... 65 9.3 Natural ............................................................................................................................................ 65 9.4 Cultural/Social ................................................................................................................................. 66 9.5 Perceptual and Aesthetic ................................................................................................................. 66 9.6 Recommendations to plan, manage and protect distinctiveness ....................................................... 67 10 Land North of Dean Court (LCA 6) ..................................................................................... 68 10.1 Location and Boundaries ................................................................................................................