Local List Glossary

When is this required?

A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) will be required to be prepared by an appropriately qualified person where a proposal is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development and the development would be likely to have a significant impact on the surrounding landscape and/or townscape/seascape character of the site, including its context.  A LVIA will also be required for major development proposals for non-EIA development that could have a significant effect on the special qualities of the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

What information is required?

Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment - in most cases a full LVIA will be required to be prepared in accordance with the latest Landscape Institute guidance (currently GLVIA3: Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment)

Description of development:

this should include the identification of the main features of the proposed development and establish any parameters such as maximum extents of the development; sizes of the various elements; a description of any alternatives considered or design iterations.

Landscape Baseline Conditions:

this should include a description of the landscape character of the application site and its surroundings, including the landform, drainage, vegetation, land use, landscape condition, aesthetic and perceptual factors that contribute to landscape character. The North Devon and Torridge Landscape Character Assessment provides the framework landscape character information and should be supplemented by a study specific to the development.

It should include the relationship of the site to any designated areas of landscape at a national, regional or local level, and to areas of landscape value or scenic quality, reflecting key characteristics of relevant landscape character types.

The landscape baseline should be evaluated in relation to its sensitivity and importance. The sensitivity evaluation of each landscape element should reflect its quality value, contribution to landscape character and the degree to which the particular element or characteristic can be replaced or substituted.

Visual Assessment:

the area covered by the visual assessment should be provided with a justification. There should be a description of views from key receptors including residential properties, public rights of way, public amenity space and roads.

Predictions of Landscape and Visual Effects:

there should be an assessment of the scale or magnitude of change to the landscape and visual elements as a deviation from the baseline conditions for each phase of the proposal. Consideration should be given to visitor and resident populations, and seasonal variations. The methods used to establish the sensitivity and magnitude should be clearly described and be appropriate and reasonable in relation to the importance of the landscape and visual impact.

A Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) diagram to a distance appropriate to the nature of the development should be provided to support the assessment.

Where assumptions or unsupported data has been used in the predictions, these should be highlighted and accompanied by an indication of the reliability / confidence of those assumptions or data.

There should be an evaluation of the direct, indirect, secondary and cumulative, short medium- and long-term effects resulting from the existence of the development.

Significance of Effects:

this should clearly describe the judgements which underpin the attribution of significance. The assessment of significance should consider the impact's deviation from the established landscape baseline condition, the sensitivity of the landscape and receptors and the extent to which the impact will be mitigated or is reversible. The range of factors which are likely to influence the assessment of significance should be clearly identified. Details should be provided of how these variables will affect the significance of the impacts over the life of the development.

Mitigation:

this should describe the measures proposed to avoid, reduce and if possible, remedy significant adverse impacts on both landscape character and visual amenity. There should be an indication given of the effectiveness of the stated measures and a clear indication of how the mitigation measures will be implemented.

Presentation of the LVIA

The document should be clear and logical in its layout and presentation and be capable of being understood by a non-specialist. It should be a balanced document providing an unbiased account of the landscape and visual effects, with reasoned and justifiable arguments. A glossary of all technical terms should be provided. Plans, diagrams and visual representations should be provided to assist in the understanding of the development and its impact and should be clearly labelled with all locations reference in the text. This should include photographs and photomontages.

Relevant policy and reason for the document:

North Devon and Torridge Local Plan 2011-2031: http://consult.torridge.gov.uk/portal/planning/localplan/adoption/

North Devon and Torridge Local Plan Policy ST01: Principles of Sustainable Development

North Devon and Torridge Local Plan Policy ST09: Coast and Estuary Strategy

North Devon and Torridge Local Plan Policy ST14: Enhancing Environmental Assets

North Devon and Torridge Local Plan Policy DM04: Design Principles

North Devon and Torridge Local Plan Policy DM07: Historic Environment

North Devon and Torridge Local Plan Policy DM08A: Landscape and Seascape Character

National Planning Policy Framework paragraphs: 127, 170 - 173: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-planning-policy-framework--2

Further information sources
Undertaking a LVIA - Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 3rd edition: Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment: https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/technical/glvia3-panel/

Landscape Institute Technical Guidance Note: Visual Representation of  Development Proposals: https://landscapewpstorage01.blob.core.windows.net/www-landscapeinstitute-org/2019/09/LI_TGN-06-19_Visual_Representation.pdf  

North Devon and Torridge Landscape Character Assessment (2011): https://www.torridge.gov.uk/article/11273/Joint-Landscape-Character-Assessment-for-North-Devon-and-Torridge-Districts

North Devon Seascape Character Assessment (2016): https://www.torridge.gov.uk/seascapecharacter