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| Landscape |
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| 13.1 |
North Worcestershire has some of the finest
and most varied landscape in the region. Bromsgrove District has outstanding
landscape features formed by the ridges of high land in the north
incorporating the Clent, Windmill, Waseley and Lickey Hills. In addition
there are extensive areas of water, trees and woodland. Some of the
latter are of ancient origin and lie woven in a patchwork quilt of
open landscape possessing an older small-scale pattern of fields reflecting
the agricultural traditions of past centuries. |
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| Designation of Landscape Protection
Areas |
| C1 |
Landscape Protection Areas are
designated by the District Council and are indicated on the
Proposals Map. |
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| 13.2 |
The District Council has designated a
number of Landscape Protections Areas to identify those places where
the landscape forms an important element of local or even regional
importance (these are listed in Appendix 8). Landscape Protection
Areas are local designations of areas where it is considered that
the character of the countryside and the quality of the landscape
merits special protection. Even though schemes may be compatible with
Green Belt policy, proposals which ignore the character and quality
of the area through ill-considered size, siting, colour, finish or
form of development will be resisted. The cumulative impact of potential
development will also be taken into account. |
| 13.3 |
The areas indicated by the District Council
as Landscape Protection Areas are based upon the Areas of Great Landscape
Value originally defined in the County Development Plan for Worcestershire. |
| 13.4 |
Structure Plan Policy CTC.2 states that
"Development which would adversely affect the landscape quality of
Areas of Great Landscape Value (as defined on the key diagram) will
not normally be allowed." The areas to which Policy CTC.2 applies
are identified on the Proposals Map. |
| 13.5 |
The most significant area and one of regional
landscape importance is formed by the uplands of the Clent, Waseley,
Beacon, Lickey and Weatheroak Hills. This area of upland separates
the north and south Midlands, and was identified in part in the former
County Development Plan, in the Landscape of Hereford and Worcester
County - Issues Report 1990 and in the 1993 Hereford and Worcester
County Structure Plan as an Area of Great Landscape Value. The boundary
has been amended where feasible to link the main high points of this
ridge by their saddles. |
| 13.6 |
Other areas which are included comprise
the most significant landscape features outside the Clent/Lickey Hills
uplands. They are of local importance and include remnants of Feckenham
Forest and historic lowland as well as the higher points, steeper
slopes and important ridgelines in the Plan area. |
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| Criteria for Assessing Development
Proposals |
| C4 |
Development will not be permitted
where it would have a materially detrimental effect on the landscape,
in particular within Landscape Protection Areas. When assessing
the effect on the landscape, special attention will be given
to the following: |
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a) |
prominent slopes or major ridge
lines; |
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b) |
woodland and hedgerows including
ancient areas of the same; |
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c) |
water features where these are
an important component in the landscape. |
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| 13.7 |
The District has a variety of landscapes
which vary from intimate, contained valleys to extensive lowland plateaux.
The District Council will have due regard to the features which contribute
to the landscape. Prospective schemes will need to be accompanied
by sufficient information to prove to the satisfaction of the Council
that the proposal would not compromise important landscape elements. |
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| Submission of Landscaping
Schemes |
| C5 |
Applications for development should
be accompanied by satisfactory landscaping schemes where these
are judged appropriate by the District Council to complement
the proposals at the time of submission of a detailed planning
application. |
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| 13.8 |
The impact of development can be reduced
by good design and landscaping which takes account of the topography
of the land and the layout of the buildings. This is particularly
important for industrial and commercial/office development which,
by its nature, may have a greater environmental impact than other
developments. |
| 13.9 |
Ad hoc planting rarely provides an adequate
long term solution on larger sites; therefore a co-ordinated structure
for the whole of a site should be agreed in principle before the details
of an application are discussed. This could form part of a development
brief but should be agreed in writing before individual plots are
marketed. |
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| Sites for Environmental Improvements |
| C6 |
The District Council will identify
sites and implement schemes for environmental improvements at
'gateway' locations into the District and along main transport
routes and waterways, particularly within urban areas. The Council
will liaise with land owners and other relevant agencies when
implementing and maintaining schemes. |
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| 13.10 |
The Council has targeted entry points
into the District, major roundabouts and road corridors for landscape
works, particularly in urban areas to enhance the local appearance
of these areas. |
| 13.11 |
The North Worcestershire Countryside Action
Project was a joint venture supported by Hereford and Worcester County
Council, the Countryside Commission, Bromsgrove District Council and
Wyre Forest District Council. It aimed to resolve problems of conflict
involving land uses in the urban fringe, south west of the West Midlands
conurbation and guide the implementation of environmental improvement
projects in the countryside. This included landscape improvements
to a number of areas identified as suitable for treatment through
the replacement of trees lost from disease or neglect, the planting
of hedgerows and the creation and restoration of pools and wetlands
with the aim of landscape rehabilitation. |
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