BASE HEADER

No

ID sylw: 108605

Derbyniwyd: 07/03/2025

Ymatebydd: Corbally Group (Harbury) Ltd

Asiant : Pegasus Group

Special Landscape Areas currently only exist within Stratford-on-Avon District and were introduced in the currently adopted Core Strategy (2016), as a result of information provided in the Special Landscape Area Study (2012). Evidence still needs to be prepared on which parts of South Warwickshire merit a Special Landscape Area designation.

It is important to emphasise that such a designation would be inconsistent with national guidance and policy, within which it has no basis. It is also noteworthy that Special Landscape Areas are not included in Natural England's approach.

Paragraph 187 of the NPPF and others seek to conserve and enhance the local environment, ensure that policies take into account landscape implications arising from development, consider landscape and visual impacts, and protect 'valued landscapes’. It is considered that the special landscape character across South Warwickshire can be suitably conserved and enhanced through a generic landscape policy, without the need to create an additional landscape designation, which would require yet another study to be undertaken to form part of the evidence base.

If the Councils do wish to proceed with Special Landscape Areas regardless of the above, it is imperative that these do not restrict development in what may be sustainable locations for growth. The policy direction currently recognises this; thus, this aspect is supported.