This user guide is designed for applicants and developers to follow when considering a development proposal outside of the main towns and villages, and for Development Managers within South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils reviewing applications, to ensure landscape character is considered.

Applicants should use the Landscape Character Assessment and other related guidance to inform the design process. They should follow the steps set out below before submitting a planning application, to ensure that key characteristics, valued landscape qualities and guidelines are considered at an early stage in the planning and design of the development.

Development proposals must demonstrate, as part of a planning application, how landscape character has influenced their siting, scale and design. Proposals that are likely to result in significant effects on the landscape and/or views and visual amenity will require a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) to be undertaken. For smaller scale proposals a full LVIA may not be required be in these instances a proportionate landscape appraisal (LVA) can be undertaken. The District Council should be consulted with respect to the type of assessment required. In all cases the assessments should follow the methodology set out in the current Guidelines of Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment.

Step 1: What type of change is proposed?

Step 2: Which landscape character area (LCA) is the proposal in (refer to the All LCAs interactive map)? If the proposal is close to the edge of two or more LCAs all relevant profiles will need to be consulted.

Step 3: Will any of the key characteristics in the LCA be affected by the proposal? If so, which ones and how?

Step 4: Will any of the LCA’s valued qualities be affected by the proposal? If so, which ones and how?

Step 5: Will the proposal conflict with the LCA’s landscape strategy and guidelines? If so, which ones and how?

Step 6: Can the proposal and mitigation help implement any of the landscape guidelines and contribute to landscape conservation, enhancement or restoration? If so, which ones and how?

Step 7: If the answer is yes to any of steps 3, 4 or 5, can the proposal be altered in any way to avoid or reduce adverse effects on key characteristics, valued qualities or guidelines? If so, how?

Checklist

Referring to the relevant landscape character area profiles, have you considered the following general prompts?

• Does the proposal reinforce and enhance local distinctiveness and local landscape and/or settlement character?
• Does the proposal enhance the sense of place through careful design (including consideration of siting, massing, scale and materials)?
• Do proposals for new buildings respond to the existing topography?
• Does the choice of materials and colours for new buildings and structures reflect the landscape around them, as well as traditional building styles?
• Does the proposal protect and enhance key views, including views to and from valued landscapes, views from public rights of way and open access land etc, and views into, out of, and across settlements?
• Does the proposal retain existing vegetation and enhance with new planting?
• Does the proposal use existing roads and tracks for site access? Do new roads and tracks fit in with the landscape character and complement the pattern of existing road networks?
• Does the proposal improve access to the public rights of way network and/or open access land?
• Does the proposal include aspects of Green Blue Infrastructure, integrated with biodiversity enhancement and high quality public open space where suitable?
• Does the proposal minimise effects on tranquillity, including light pollution/dark skies?
• Have cumulative effects (including in-combination effects) with other existing or planned developments been considered?