| Landscape Character Assessment | HertsDirect | Environment | ||||
| ||||||
The meeting was chaired by Simon Odell, Head of Landscape, Hertfordshire County Council, (HCC), standing in for the Chairman of the Hertfordshire Rural Forum. Fifteen people attended (see Appendix 2). The first part of the meeting comprised a presentation of the work to date and included a review of the methodology, examples of near complete character areas and a 1:25,000 map of the study area showing draft character area boundaries.
Comments and questions were invited during the second half of the meeting as follows:-
| ^ |
Answer: The document will have a number of uses including:
- to guide decision making about the location of mineral
extraction.
- to form possible Supplementary Planning Guidance in the County Structure Plan
andLocal Plans.
- aiding Countryside Management 'Service'activities.
- informing the private sector in preparing planning applications.
- assisting government agencies involved in environmental land management schemes.
| ^ |
(Potters Bar Society)
Answer: It will not be a definitive record, like the Monuments Record. It could become an objective stand-alone tool.
Comment: HBRC
The Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) has great potential for integrating different strands of information and data. It can also be important in informing and making decisions. It could include links to other databases at a County and National level.
| ^ |
(Welwyn Hatfield D.C.)
Answer: Originally
the document was to be reported to October 2000 Aggregates Panel. This is now
likely to be November 2000, with changes in the HCC Committee structure. The
document could eventually become Supplementary Planning Guidance. The LCA work
marks a move away from Landscape Development Areas and Landscape Conservation
Areas and this may be reflected in policy in the future.
Comment: HCC Forward Planning Unit.
It is possible the LCA study could be referred to/included in the 'Issues Paper - c. Spring 2001'.
Answer: It was preferable for it to be available digitally.
Comment: East Herts D.C. Planning Dept.
Preference for the study to get approval from Planning Committee.
Comment: Countryside Management Services The document provides a useful framework. It is important to maintain its integrity as lots of people and groups are affected. There are possible strategic uses to attract resources from MAFF and Forest Enterprise who have a scoring system for funding. Bids for improvement could target the most suitable landscapes.
| ^ |
(W.I. representative)
Answer: No. These are less relevant to landscape
character. But they are in any case available from other studies.
| ^ |
(Watling Chase Community Forest (WCCF))
Answer: The agreed methodology has developed
boundaries and character areas. These have been tested against existing studies
and where compatible adjusted to follow existing lines. This has not always been
possible, to be consistent with the agreed methodology. As regards any
subsequent impact on policies for planting targets in areas under the WCCF
Forest Plan, the 'Guidelines' section of the report will take as given the
planting intentions of the Forest Plan, but provide further advice on locations
for planting.
| ^ |
(Welwyn Hatfield D.C.)
Answer: Yes. Within the Introduction.
| ^ |
Answer: A number of areas adjacent to Watford are now included as LCA's. Areas within the settlement boundary do not form part of the study. The inclusion or exclusion of areas should not be regarded as significant; subject to this continuing to appear a sensible process, HCC expects that all of the county's landscapes, both rural and urban will eventually be assessed.
| ^ |
Simon Odell invited people to put any further comments in writing. He hoped that it had been demonstrated that a rigorous approach had been taken to the LCA work and that there will be many benefits.
| ^ |