LA1 Protection for Areas of Special Landscape Value Policy
The Local Planning Authority will protect the character and appearance of areas designated as Areas of Special Landscape Value from the adverse effects of development and will not permit proposals which would:
(i) introduce new intrusive development within an otherwise open setting, especially along a prominent skyline or along the undeveloped coast; or
(ii) result in the loss or erosion of distinctive landscape features, such as woodlands, hedges or trees, without appropriate replacement provision; and
(iii) other proposals which, in terms of their siting, scale, form and external appearance, would detract from the appearance of the Area or intrude within important views into or out of the Area.
Proposals for public utilities, telecommunications apparatus, the working of minerals or landfilling of waste, may be permitted where they would not cause unacceptable impact.
Reasoned justification :
14.6 National planning policy guidance indicates that it is for local authorities to determine the more specific policies that reflect the different types of countryside found in their areas. Policy LA1, therefore, sets out the criteria that the Local Planning Authority will apply to proposals located within areas which are identified as Areas of Special Landscape Value (ASLVs).
14.7 ASLV's are primarily designated for their scenic importance within the Borough. They represent outstanding landmarks and other characteristic landscapes which make a prominent or positive contribution to the distinctive image and attractiveness of the peninsula. The impact of new development upon their visual quality, therefore, merits careful consideration.
14.8 The primary objective of Policy LA1 is to ensure that landscape considerations are given special priority when considering new proposals which may affect an ASLV. Policy LA1 does not, however, exclude new development altogether. Instead, it seeks to regulate new development to ensure that the landscape framework and distinctive character of the locality continue to be protected. Policy LA1, therefore, only restricts proposals which would be inappropriate, visually intrusive, or which would lead to the loss or destruction of characteristic elements of the landscape. These controls will also apply to agricultural permitted development, subject to Policy AG3.
14.9 Intrusive public utilities, such as electricity pylons and overhead power cables, insensitively located telecommunications apparatus and other activities, such as large scale excavation and the landfilling of waste, can be especially destructive to landscape character. They are, therefore, specifically identified within Policy LA1 as uses which require special control within an ASLV.
14.10 Where, for example, in exceptional circumstances, technical and operational considerations dictate that otherwise intrusive development must be located within an ASLV, the Local Planning Authority will be concerned to minimise the environmental impact of such development. This will involve careful consideration of the precise siting, design, and screening of the proposals and of other mitigating measures, in order to offset as much harm to the landscape as can be realistically achieved in each case.