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Landscape and Visual Sensitivity Assessment

    We created a detailed brief and tender process for the Landscape and Visual Sensitivity Assessment for Shropshire Council. We also provided advice and support at each stage of the Assessment, both to the Council and to the winning tender consultant, Gillespies. The Assessment was the winner of the 2019 Landscape Institute Awards, as one of the first county-wide sensitivity studies to undertake separate landscape and visual assessments, and the criteria used in the study, as defined by ESP Ltd, was one of the examples referenced in the latest Natural England Guidance – An approach to landscape sensitivity assessment – to inform spatial planning and land management, published in June 2019.  “Thank you so much for your help with the Landscape and Visual Sensitivity Study. It’s been invaluable and I really appreciate the excellent support you’ve given us throughout the whole process. It’s been a pleasure working with you.” Joy Tetshill, Senior Planning Officer, Shropshire Council.

    Zones of Theoretical Visibility

      We used ‘Zones of Theoretical Visibility’ and sight-line sections to prove the need for a low, sympathetic screening bund to within the grounds of a Georgian Listed Building in Staffordshire. We provided a simple Heritage Statement based on the history of the grounds, and detailed planting proposals were designed with an ecologist. Planning consent was granted in January 2023.

      Dry Rigg Quarry

        Helping Tarmac achieve planning consent for an extension at Dry Rigg Quarry within the Yorkshire Dales National Park in April 2023. This quarry produces stone with exceptional wearing and skid-resistant properties, so met stringent tests to grant consent. We carefully considered the landscape and visual impacts of the proposal and provided detailed mitigation proposals including a biodiversity-led restoration scheme and long-term habitat management plan.

        Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment work

          As part of our Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment work we carefully select the appropriate visualisation techniques. These can be anything from a simple marked-up photograph or a sight-line section, to a more complex photomontage such as this one for Dry Rigg Quarry in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. This shows what people walking on the quarry’s perimeter footpath can expect to see once the quarry is restored to its final wetland habitats.

          Expert Witness

            We act as Expert Witness for our clients, both for developers and more recently on behalf of Shropshire Council. Our expert knowledge has been required at five Public Inquiries and one Written Representations in the last 4 years, all of which helped to secure a successful outcome for Shropshire.

            Shropshire Council

              We are the retained Landscape Consultants for Shropshire Council, providing advice and consultee comments on any planning applications which may have a landscape and visual impact within the County. Projects can range from residential developments, pig or poultry units, solar farms to wind turbines.