A Landscape Strategy for Lancashire - Landscape Strategy

1.Introduction

In October 1999, Environmental Resources Management (ERM) were commissioned by Lancashire County Council, in partnership with the Countryside Agency, District Councils, Blackburn with Darwen Unitary Authority, North Yorkshire County Council and Craven District Council, to undertake a comprehensive integrated landscape assessment of Lancashire including the urban areas and to produce a landscape strategy informed by the landscape character assessment process.

The overall study consists of two separate reports, a Landscape Character Assessment and a Landscape Strategy. This report, the landscape strategy, builds upon the landscape character assessment, but does not deal with the urban landscape character types. It provides an overview of forces for change affecting the landscape of the study area as a whole; a landscape evaluation, strategies and recommendations for each individual landscape character type; and broad guidance on priorities and actions for implementing the landscape strategy as a whole.

The timescale of the Landscape Strategy is to be concurrent with and reviewed during the review period of the next Joint Lancashire Structure Plan 2001 2016.

1.1 Scope and Purpose of the Strategy

The study area (Figure 1) includes all of the administrative county of Lancashire and Blackpool and Darwen unitary authorities, and part of the Craven District of North Yorkshire up to the boundary of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. For the purpose of the report, the study is referred to as a Landscape Strategy for Lancashire. The landscape character assessment, on which the strategy is based, describes the evolution of the landscape (highlighting distinctive features) and describes the specific character of each of the twenty one landscape character types (and three urban landscape character types) that occur.

The purpose of the landscape strategy is to inform the new Structure Plan and local plan policies on landscape, inform supplementary planning guidance, to guide and inform the development control process, to guide and inform project planning and landscape management by the Lancashire Countryside Service and others, and to promote public awareness of landscape character and the importance of conservation and enhancement of landscape.

Recommendations made in this Strategy should not be construed as necessarily representing present or future planning or other policy of the local authorities concerned.

The strategy report has three main objectives:

     to review the forces for change that are affecting the landscape, highlighting key issues and implications of different forms of development and land use change for landscape character and quality;

     for each landscape character type, to identify key environmental features and the specific implications of change, as well as appropriate strategies and actions to manage and guide landscape change in a positive way;

      to produce an overview of strategic issues for Lancashire, identifying the key actions that need to be taken to bring about positive landscape change, including the development of landscape indicators and targets for change.

1.2 Approach and Methodology

Preparation of the landscape strategy has involved extensive research, analysis, evaluation and consultations, as well as workshops with representatives of the partnership authorities. In particular, the partnership authorities have given guidance on the format for the strategy, to ensure that it is as useful and accessible as possible for a wide range of different applications, from planning and environmental assessment through to day to day land management. The methodology used is in accordance with the new Interim Landscape Character Assessment Guidance ^([1]) The principal stages in the process of preparing the strategy have been:

      to identify changes in the landscape that have taken place this century and that are anticipated to occur in the foreseeable future, through a combination of field observations (from the landscape character assessment), desk study and consultations with a wide range of local authority and government agency staff;

      to evaluate the key environmental features of each landscape character type, encompassing not just visual and aesthetic features, but the full range of environmental capital associated with each type - that is habitat, historic, built environment and recreational features; and cultural and perceptual qualities such as wilderness and tranquillity;

      to explore the implications for each landscape character type of development, land use change and other factors, assessing the specific effects on landscape character, quality and key environmental features; and developing strategies and recommendations to counter adverse landscape change and optimise beneficial landscape change;

      to formulate a general vision for the landscapes of the County in discussion with the partnership authorities, focusing on themes of local distinctiveness, accommodating landscape change, an integrated approach, and monitoring landscape change - providing broad guidance on priorities, actions and responsibilities.

1.3 Structure of the Report

Following this Introduction:

Section 2 presents an analysis of the ongoing forces for change to the Countys landscape. Each sub-section summarises the key issues rising from each force for change.

Section 3 introduces the key environmental features, forces for change and implications, strategies and recommendations for each landscape character type, and presents potential local indicators of landscape change based on key characteristics.

Section 4 the final section, describes how and by whom the strategy should be used. It gives an overview of strategic issues and priorities for Lancashire, indicating the main actions and responsibilities of the partner organisations, community groups and individuals who may be involved in the implementation of the Strategy. It concludes by presenting a proposed programme for monitoring the implementation of the landscape strategy.

^{([1]) Countryside Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage (1999) Interim Landscape Character Assessment Guidance.}