Barrow LandsCompany Limited

Landscape & Visual Impact report

prepared by david Lock associatesMembers, Institute of Environmental Management and AssessmentJanuary 2013

proposed deveLopment of Land to the westof whaLLey road, Barrow, LanCashire

report reQUested By riBBLe vaLLey BoroUGh CoUnCiLto aCCompany oUtLine pLanninG appLiCation:

The Barrow Lands Company Ltd

Proposed residential and associated development on land west of Whalley Road, Barrow, Lancashire

LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT REPORT

Prepared by

David Lock Associates

Members, Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

JANUARY 2013

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CONTENTS PAGE

1.0 INTRODUCTION 3 2.0 LANDSCAPE SETTING AND PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK 6 3.0 SITE FEATURES AND LANDSCAPE CHARACTER 10 4.0 CONCLUSIONS 14

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photograph No.1 – Relationship of site (on left of photograph behind hedgerow) with development at Whalley Road, Barrow Photograph No.2 – Northern edge of the application site (and existing allotments) Photograph No.3 – Relationship of Barrow Enterprise Park with Pendle Hill AONB

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Barrow Lands Company Ltd (BLCL) has prepared an outline planning

application for the development of some 8.4 hectares of land on the western

side of Whalley Road, to the south-west of Barrow, to accommodate up to

190 new homes and associated development, including means of access to

the site (‘the proposed development’). This report forms part of the outline

planning application submission and should be read in conjunction with the

other application documents.

1.2 This application follows the submission of an earlier outline planning

application (App. No. 3/2012/0630) by BLCL for up to 504 dwellings and

associated development on a larger 18.26 hectare site (incorporating this site)

to the west of Whalley Road, Barrow. BLCL lodged an appeal against the

non-determination of this application in December 2012. This earlier

application was accompanied by a Landscape and Visual Impact Report

prepared by David Lock Associates, on behalf of BLCL, at the request of the

Ribble Valley Borough Council (RVBC) Development Management team after

seeking and receiving pre-application advice on the earlier proposal. For

consistency, it has been assumed that RVBC will require an updated

Landscape and Visual Impact Report for the current application, even though

it is for a much smaller development (up to 190 dwellings) on a significantly

reduced site area (8.4 hectares). The development to which this smaller

application relates is located on the northern portion of BLCL’s total (20.6

hectare) land ownership at Barrow. This application site is located between

the footpath extension of Whiteacre Lane (Public footpath No.7) and the

existing settlement edge of Barrow at Catlow Terrace.

1.3 Given the planning policy background of the land owned by BLCL (it was part

of the formal ‘Alternative Option E’ - known colloquially as "The Barrow

Option" - that was considered as part of the Council’s Generation of

Alternative Development Strategy Options for the Draft Core Strategy

prepared for public consultation in June 2011); the fact that it is free from any

statutory designations; and in view of its features and context;' BLCL did not

submit an Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Statement

with the earlier outline planning application for up to 504 dwellings (App. No.

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3/2012/0630), now the subject of an appeal. BLCL submitted a detailed

formal Screening Request in November 2011, along with further information in

December 2011, but the Council failed to issue a Screening Opinion within

the relevant statutory time period.

1.4 However, in August 2012 following the submission of the application (App.

No. 3/2012/0630) the Council issued a Screening Opinion under the Town

and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011

(‘the EIA Regulations’) indicating that the proposal required an Environmental

Impact Assessment. Later in August 2012, BLCL asked the Secretary of

State to make a Screening Direction (under Regulation 10 of the EIA

Regulations) on whether or not the proposal was ‘EIA development’ within the

meaning of the EIA Regulations. In September 2012 the Secretary of State

decided that the proposal would be unlikely to have significant effects on the

environment by virtue of its nature, size or location and that the proposed

development was not ‘EIA development’ within the meaning of the EIA

Regulations. The Secretary of State went on to comment that ‘the visual

impact [of this larger proposal] would be unlikely to be significant as it would

be seen against the backdrop of existing housing and an industrial

development which is in the vicinity. The site also slopes away from the main

road through the village (Whalley Road) which will limit the visual impact for

existing houses’. Hence, no EIA has been submitted with this application on

a smaller site and proposing considerably less development.

1.5 The preparation of this report has been informed by the non-statutory

Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment prepared by the

Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and

Assessment endorsed by, among others, The Countryside Agency

(succeeded in 2006 by Natural England) and the Environment Agency but

specifically adapted to suit this particular outline planning application

submission.

1.6 The site is located on the western side of Whalley Road, at the south western

edge of Barrow, a former industrial (cotton printing) village situated between

Clitheroe and Whalley in the Ribble Valley in Lancashire. The site is adjacent

to the Whalley Road (former A59 until Barrow was bypassed by the new A59

to the east) with the Ribble Valley railway line to the west (where, as a

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separate consideration not connected with the outline planning application,

BLCL has made allowance for a new Barrow Station to be accommodated at

some time in the future to serve Barrow in its role as the leading strategic

employment site in the Borough). The southern boundary of the site is

effectively delineated by the footpath extension of Whiteacre Lane (Public

footpath no. 7); there is scrub woodland with Barrow Brook beyond enclosing

the northern boundary of the application site.

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2.0 LANDSCAPE SETTING AND PLANNING POLICY FRAMEWORK

2.1 Planning polices at national, regional and local level that bear upon BLCL’s

outline planning application for the proposed development of land at Whalley

Road, Barrow are summarised in the Planning Statement which forms part of

the submission, and which should be read in conjunction with this report. In

summary, under the National Planning Policy Framework published in March

2012, national statutory landscape designations - of which there are none

covering the site - remain in place despite recent planning policy reforms and

simplifications; and the statutory Regional Spatial Strategy (TheNorth West

Plan) published in September 2008 confirms the application of those policies

to strategic landscapes in the region - such as to the Forest of Bowland Area

of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) - none of which cover the site. The

Government has declared its intention to abolish the North West Plan

sometime soon.

2.2 At the local level, RVBC is producing a new Core Strategy, which is at Draft

Submission Version (Regulation 22) stage and presents RVBC’s chosen

spatial development strategy. However, the Examination of the Core Strategy

has been suspended for a minimum of six months after the Inspector

appointed to hold the Examination raised fundamental concerns about the

evidence base underpinning the Core Strategy and did not consider it would

stand up to scrutiny through the Examination hearings.

2.3 The Draft Core Strategy has been the subject of Strategic Environmental

Assessment and Sustainability Appraisal (March 2012), which includes a

summary of the findings on the "Barrow Option" (Option E). BLCL has made

representations on these documents and does not repeat its comments here.

However, it is important to note that the Council’s Sustainability Appraisal

recognises that the "Barrow Option" would avoid the most environmentally

sensitive areas of the Borough and would be likely to have similar landscape

and related effects as Option D or ‘Standen Strategic Site’, which is effectively

the preferred option set out in the Draft Submission Version (Regulation 22)

document. The Appraisal concludes that, as with Option D, new development

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at Barrow provides a number of opportunities to enhance the sustainability of

the community.

2.4 Public Examination of the Core Strategy was scheduled for December 2012

but has now been delayed for at least six months whilst the Council

undertakes work to address the problems with the evidence base highlighted

by the Inspector. Adoption of the Core Strategy is therefore still some way

off. In the meantime, the statutory development plan comprises (in addition to

the North West Plan) some ‘saved’ policies in the Ribble Valley District Wide

Local Plan (1998). These policies (variously G4, H15, H16, H17, H20, EMP9,

RT3, ENV2, ENV3, ENV13 and RT8) have the effect in summary of seeking

to protect the Forest of Bowland AONB and open countryside and

characteristic features of the Borough's landscape such as stone walls (none

on the site) and woodlands (scrub only on the site); and of bringing new life to

redundant farm buildings. Also, new open space is sought in new

developments.

2.5 These "saved" policies are to be weighed in the planning balance against

other planning pressures such as the need for new homes and economic

development, which are also relevant ‘other material considerations’ in the

determination of the outline planning application; the determination of that

planning balance is the focus of the present consultations on the Draft Core

Strategy.

2.6 There are no statutory designations within the site or within 1km of its

boundaries. The most significant designation is the Forest of Bowland AONB

located some 1.4 km to the east at Pendle Hill, which is separated from the

main part of the AONB by the Ribble Valley. The site is about 2.4 km away

from the south-eastern edge of the AONB.

2.7 There are no areas of Ancient Woodland on the site, or adjoining it, and no

Scheduled Ancient Monuments or Listed Buildings within 1km of the site.

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2.8 There is a surface water drainage lagoon to the south-west of the site, owned

by BLCL, which has been designated a Biological Heritage Site - a local non-

statutory wildlife site - but which is not affected by the proposed development.

2.9 Existing allotments on the site are excluded from the planning application

boundary and are unaffected by the proposed development.

2.10 The site is identified on the Agricultural Land Use Classification as Grade 3.

However, the Phase 1 Geo-Environmental Desk Study (prepared by Capita

Symonds) submitted with the application indicates that from a ‘Soils Site

Report’ the land does not appear to be of particularly high quality.

2.11 The route of the existing public footpath (No.7) across the southern boundary

of the site is not proposed to be altered.

2.12 There are no specific planning policy constraints on the site in the "saved"

aspects of the Local Plan, though as may be expected the site is outside the

present settlement boundary for Barrow (it immediately abuts it to the rear of

Catlow Terrace and across Whalley Road), which was set before the need for

more housing somewhere in the Borough was acknowledged.

2.13 The Landscape Character Assessments of the area are a snapshot

description of the present transient condition, without explanation of how it

has occurred or what might happen in the future. Such assessments, where

they apply to a particular site or its setting, enable a discussion to occur of the

nature of the change that a proposed development may bring about, but they

do not of themselves prevent, inhibit or shape that change. Sustainable

development requires a balanced consideration of social, economic and

environmental considerations: the snapshot landscape character - the

"receptor" landscape - is useful information, but not a determinant by itself.

2.14 At the national strategic level of importance, the site is within Natural

England's Area 33 "Bowland Fringe and Pendle Hill" and close to Area 35

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"Lancashire Valleys". The change within these areas that would be brought

about by the proposed development would be undetectable and, being a

change only to the size of an existing village, would be benign.

2.15 At the County level the site is described as being within Area 5E "Lower

Ribblesdale" in the Lancashire County Council report A Landscape Strategy

for Lancashire: Landscape Character Assessment commissioned in 1999.

Again, the change that would be brought about by the proposed development

would be practically undetectable and benign, being a change only to the size

of an existing village. It should also be noted that Barrow has experienced

significant growth and expansion in recent years, including new homes and

commercial and industrial development at the Barrow Enterprise Park

immediately across Whalley Road.

2.16 The Ribble Valley District Wide Local Plan (1998) included a Landscape

Character Assessment in Appendix 2. The planning application site appears

to be in the character area of "Lowland Fringe Farmland", but when

developed as a modest extension to the existing village, it would have no

discernible impact on the character area as a whole.

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3.0 SITE FEATURES AND LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT

3.1 The site itself slopes westerly/south westerly from Whalley Road (77m AOD)

towards Barrow Brook (66m AOD) in the west. New development will

therefore have very little impact visually for properties on Whalley Road, the

views from which will largely oversail the site. The existing hedgerows and

trees on the site will soften the views into the site from the north-west and

west, setting the proposed village extension in the context of a village that is

an established urban, prominent feature in the landscape with a strategic

employment site (Barrow Enterprise Park) on the higher ground to the north-

east of the application site. The relationship of the site with existing

development on the eastern side of Whalley Road, Barrow is shown on

Photograph No.1 below.

Photograph No.1 – Relationship of site (on left of photograph behind high hedgerow) with development at Whalley Road, Barrow

3.2 The application site is currently grazing land. There is an area of allotments

surrounded by a hedge to the north of the site (but excluded from it as the

allotments are to be retained as existing). To the north-west of the site is a

disused drainage works surrounded by conifers: otherwise the site is pasture

with some deciduous trees.

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3.3 The northern edge of the site is marked by a belt of young trees; other

boundaries are characterised by native hedgerows with some trees. These

create a marked strong sense of enclosure and have been incorporated into

the proposed development wherever possible although the group to the north

were originally scrub that grew on this area of previously developed land. The

strong sense of enclosure of the site is shown on Photograph No.2 below,

which is taken from the application site facing due north, with the allotments

on the left hand side of the image.

Photograph No.2 – Northern edge of the application site (and existing allotments)

3.4 Overall the application site is enclosed. Its inherited landscape features, in

terms of hedgerows and trees, provide the opportunity to soften the visual

impact of the proposed development when viewed from afar where it would

be seen as part of the much wider landscape and would appear as the

foreground of an already expanded established industrial village and strategic

employment centre in the heart of the Ribble Valley. Locally the visual

impacts will be very few and limited to the immediate locality along Whalley

Road, although this will only be in the short-term until the new planting and

landscaping becomes established. The current experience of walking the

retained public footpath to the south of the site would of course be changed

but not to such an extent as to cause harm in the context of the Borough's

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need to accommodate new development and the inevitable urbanisation that

this involves on the edge of affected settlements.

3.5 To put this into context and in relation to Barrow, Photograph (No.3) below

shows the relationship of recent commercial development at the Barrow

Enterprise Park, the Borough’s principal strategic location for employment,

with the Pendle Hill AONB; the AONB can be seen in the distance in the

background of the image. Further industrial and commercial development is

committed and planned for the area in the foreground of the photograph.

Photograph No.3 – Relationship of Barrow Enterprise Park with Pendle Hill AONB

3.6 All of these considerations were taken into account by the Secretary of State

when deciding whether the earlier outline planning application (App. No.

3/2012/0630) for a much larger development of up to 504 dwellings on a

18.26 hectare site required an Environmental Statement. As indicated at

Paragraph 1.4 of this report, the Secretary of State concluded that the

proposal would not be likely to have significant effects on the environment

due to its scale, size or location, either alone or in combination with other

development. The Secretary of State did not see any significant effect on the

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setting of the Forest of Bowland AONB, considered that the visual impact

would be unlikely to be significant as it would be seen against the backdrop of

existing housing and an industrial development [Barrow Enterprise Park] and

felt that the topography of the site would limit the visual impact for existing

houses.

3.7 In essence, the Secretary of State concurs with our assessment, albeit in

relation to a larger proposal on a larger site.

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4.0 CONCLUSION

4.1 The proposed development forms part of the "Barrow Option" put forward for

public consultation by RVBC in June 2011 (officially referred to as ‘Alternative

Option E’), which was considered as part of the Council’s Generation of

Alternative Development Strategy Options for the emerging Core Strategy.

This tested eight development strategy options, and the "Barrow Option"

included the application site. This option was derived from RVBC's evidence-

based work and supported by a Sustainability Appraisal; if there was any

major environmental, landscape or other reason why Barrow was not

considered suitable, in principle, for further major development as shown by

RVBC (which, it is emphasised, was significantly more extensive than

proposed as part of either of the current BLCL proposals) this option would

not have been proposed or tested. Furthermore, the Sustainability Appraisal

has not identified any significant or demonstrably harmful landscape impacts

for the "Barrow Option".

4.2 Our report confirms that the south-west part of the "Barrow Option", part of

which is now brought forward in outline for development by BLCL, was well

chosen by RVBC: it is land that is not subject to any national, regional or local

statutory landscape or environmental designations; it is within two areas of

present identified landscape character each of which is extensive enough for

the impact of the proposed development to be undetectable from afar and

when viewed locally, as an extension to an established village and strategic

employment location, is benign; the topography of the site, which slopes away

from Whalley Road, will limit the visual impact of the development when

viewed by existing residents and neighbours; and the hedgerows and trees to

be retained on site further soften the impact of any landscape and visual

changes that development would bring about.

4.3 Importantly, these conclusions have been agreed and accepted by the

Secretary of State in his EIA Screening Direction on the earlier outline

proposal.

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4.4 To be set against these relatively minor changes, even at the local level, are

the wider questions in the planning balance with which RVBC must wrestle in

its Draft Core Strategy: providing the homes and jobs that people need in the

most sustainable manner, with least possible harm and greatest possible

benefit to the Borough.

4.5 The proposed development of the application site would be in accordance

with the landscape principles of the statutory development plan but also

compliant with the National Planning Policy Framework as the benefits would

outweigh any limited impacts and would be consistent with principles of

sustainable development (as set out in the NPPF) for reasons stated in this

and other application documents, including the Planning Statement

accompanying the BLCL application. There is the real opportunity (in keeping

with Paragraph 55 of the NPPF) by locating development in Barrow to

enhance the vitality of the settlement, which accommodates the Borough’s

principal strategic employment site (Barrow Enterprise Park). The proposal

would be consistent in scale, character and setting with existing development

in the village and would have an indiscernible impact.

4.5 For these reasons it is confirmed that there is no landscape or visual impact

reason why the proposed development of the application site should not be

viewed as acceptable in planning or environmental terms.

daVId LoCK assoCIaTEs LIMITEd50 NORTH THIRTEENTH STREET, CENTRAL MILTON KEYNES, MK9 3BPTEL: 01908 666276 FAX: 01908 605747 EMAIL: mail@davidlock.comwww.davidlock.com