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ID sylw: 107370

Derbyniwyd: 06/03/2025

Ymatebydd: National Trust

Protecting and enhancing landscape character – As set out above, the National Trust cares for places which are located within extraordinary landscapes, which contribute significantly to the setting of the heritage assets and the historic parks and gardens. The combination of the places within these landscapes delivers enormous public benefit in terms of visual amenity and health and wellbeing for our visitors. It is therefore essential that the landscape character is sought to be protected and enhanced. The National Trust are supportive of the establishment of Landscape Description Units (LDUs) which represent the landscape type in a specific location, for example soil, tree cover character, geology, topography, land use and settlement pattern. The LDUs refine the identification of special qualities of a landscape character area, and it is considered that these would be useful in considering development at National Trust properties, or development which may impact these places.
Whilst we are supportive of draft policy direction 48, which sets out that development will avoid detrimental effects on the landscape setting and on features which make a significant contribution to the character and setting of an asset, settlement or area, we do express some concern in respect of the criteria whereby development that could cause harm to landscape setting could be considered appropriate where there are over-riding benefits of the development, for instance to meet an evidenced local housing need. We note the requirement for major development to require a full Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) to be undertaken to assess the impact of the development however we consider that due regard must be given to heritage impact assessment, and where minor development is proposed within close proximity of significant heritage assets, it may be appropriate that an LVIA would also be required to demonstrate that there would be no impact on the landscape character, or that the impact would be acceptable when appropriately mitigated.

We would request that the South Warwickshire Local Plan incorporates this amendment to ensure that nuance is applied to the assessment of developments within close proximity to highly designated place.