Devon’s landscape is subject to constant pressures for change, whether as a result of population increase, the need to strengthen our economy, changes in land management, visitor pressure, or the effects of climate change.
Devon Landscape Policy Group advice notes
Devon Landscape Policy Group Advice Note 1: A Guide to Devon’s landscape character assessments
Devon Landscape Policy Group Advice Note 2: Accommodating wind and solar pv developments in Devon’s landscape.
Devon Landscape Policy Group Advice Note 3: Principles of defining and maintaining the character of Devon’s undeveloped coast.
Devon Landscape Policy Group Advice Note 4: Using Landscape Character assessments in Neighbourhood Planning
DLPG Advice Note 4 is being used by neighbourhood planners and was commended by the Royal Town Planning Institute in its South West Awards for Planning Excellence in 2017.
Devon Landscape Policy Group: Landscape Character Assessment Protocol
This protocol, published in December 2017, is about helping Devon planning authorities ensure that existing landscape character assessment evidence base is up to date and consistent with neighbouring Devon authorities. It is aimed at planners and landscape officers involved in updating Local Plan evidence base, and landscape professionals undertaking the work. Part 2 includes a useful checklist to ensure updated LCAs meet minimum requirements.
Devon’s Tranquil Areas: Towards an approach to understanding and accounting for tranquility in planning and decision-making
This report records the opinions and ideas on this subject expressed by local authority officers at two workshops held in 2016 and 2017. The attendees from across Devon spanned health, economy, landscape, planning and noise specialisms. The need to identify and protect tranquil areas was established in the National Planning Policy Framework 2012 (sections 123 and 77) and remains in the updated NPPF 2018 (100 and 180) . A multi-disciplinary team of officers, known as the Devon Tranquillity Working Group, organised the workshops and commissioned LUC to write the report. It is hoped that its findings will help inform a Tranquillity Advice Note, to inform planning and other decisions related to tranquillity in the absence of any specific Government guidance on the subject.
Highway management in Devon’s Protected Landscapes
Devon County Council has adopted a protocol and accompanying guidance for highway design and management in Devon’s nationally and internationally protected landscapes. The principles of the guidance may be applied in all rural areas of Devon. Both documents were produced in 2011 in association with our two National Parks, five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) and two Unesco World Heritage Sites.
How do we protect and enhance what we value in our landscapes whilst planning for sustainable development and managing change?
We protect and enhance what we value in our landscapes in the following ways:
- Landscape designations such as National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty aim to protect the beauty of our very best and and nationally valued landscapes. The protection of these is covered by legislation and is reflected in national and local planning policies. Devon’s protected landscapes are each accompanied by a Management Plan that seeks to safeguard its special qualities and manage change.
- The National Planning Policy Framework requires local planning authorities to work across administrative boundaries to deliver strategic planning priorities including the conservation and enhancement of the landscape. This includes maintaining the character of Devon’s undeveloped coast, and identifying and protecting areas of tranquillity. It also encourages sustainable development to be well sited and of a good design quality that responds to local character, protects and enhances valued landscapes, and mitigate adverse effects through good design, ensuring development addresses the connection between people and place and is integrated into the environment.
- The distinctive character and special qualities of all Devon landscapes is described and articulated through Devon’s landscape character assessments. Landscape policies in local development documents should refer to these evidence bases in order to encourage sensitive siting and design of development that minimises harm to the character and valued qualities of Devon’s landscape. Guidelines set down within Devon’s landscape character assessments encourage landowners to maintain and enhance local landscapes in a way that sustains landscape character and quality for future generations.
- Specific guidance on landscape related issues can encourage best practice and a high standard of siting and design of development. Guidance may be National or Devon-specific.
Useful links
- Devon’s landscape character assessments
- Devon landscape policy group
- Landscape institute technical guidance
- DCC landscape – advice for highways
- An assessment of the landscape sensitivity to onshore wind energy and field scale photovoltaic development in Torridge district
- Blackdown Hills AONB design guide
- Hartland Peninsula design guide
- New farm buildings in Devon – a design guide
- Training initiatives