Countryside Objectives
1. To identify, protect and enhance landscapes of importance.
2. To identify and protect significant green spaces which prevent the coalescence of settlements.
3. To protect the countryside from inappropriate development.
4. To conserve or enhance trees, woodland areas and traditional field boundaries.
5. To protect, conserve and enhance the natural and semi-natural coastal fauna and flora and their habitats and the amenity and historical value of the coastal landscape.
11.1 INTRODUCTION
11.1.1 The conservation of flora, fauna, geological and topographical features is now taken to be the generally accepted definition of nature and landscape conservation and as such provides the remit for policy formulation both at national and local level. Nature and landscape conservation help to maintain an attractive, environmentally healthy countryside, and can also contribute to urban areas that can contain ‘liveable’ environments rich in wildlife. The policies in this chapter are intended to assist in protecting and improving this environment.
11.1.2 The protection of the physical environment and sustaining biodiversity are central concerns of planning policy and of the Monmouthshire UDP. Part 1 of the UDP therefore sets out the strategic framework within which the environmental effects of development may be evaluated, and proposals for environmental improvements put forward. This framework establishes the basic objectives for the more detailed policies in this chapter. The above strategic objectives and the following policies have been taken into account in the allocation or reaffirmation of development proposals throughout this UDP, in particular those within the housing and employment chapters.
11.1.3 A landscape character study of Monmouthshire based on the ‘LANDMAP’ methodology has been completed, as supplementary planning guidance in partnership with CCW and the WDA. The study informs landscape policy, management and design guidance in support of the UDP.
11.1.4 Tir Gofal was launched in 1999 as the new all Wales Agri-environment scheme on behalf of the Assembly Government by the Countryside Council for Wales. It combines existing schemes such as Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Tir Cymen to encourage farmers to maintain and enhance the countryside of Wales. Tir Gofal is a whole farm scheme which aims to adopt sympathetic land management policies through the maintenance and management of existing conservation habitats, the creation of new habitats; the creation of new permissive access routes and the provision of training for farmers. As Monmouthshire is largely a rural county, farmers and landowners will have significant impact on our rural landscape. Encouragement should therefore be given towards the adoption of the principles highlighted within this scheme for agricultural diversification. The scheme should however take account of the Monmouthshire Local Biodiversity Action Plan and the LANDMAP character assessment for Monmouthshire when drawing up agreements with farmers, where the structural fabric of the landscape is to be changed.
11.2 BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK
C1 Where development is permitted in the vicinity of the National Park a high standard of design will be expected to ensure that it is in harmony with the local environment. Development that would cause unacceptable harm to the qualities that justify the designation of the Brecon Beacons National Park or its setting will not be permitted.
11.2.1 Although there are some 12,000 hectares of the National Park within the County, its planning is controlled by the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority. The Park provides an important backdrop to the Abergavenny area in particular, and its setting should thus be protected from encroachment by detrimental development. Section 61 of the Environment Act 1995 defines National Park purposes. They are to: conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks, and; promote opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the parks by the public.
11.2.2 The Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal forms the boundary of the National Park between Llanfoist and Mamhilad and is the subject of its own Canal Plan, approved by the Park Authority in 1983. Because the Canal's capacity for boat traffic is limited, the Canal Plan proposed only modest improvements to recreational / tourist facilities at existing centres such as the recent improvements at Goytre Wharf. Attempts are underway by other authorities under the auspices of a Canal Working Group to reopen the canal in the Newport and Torfaen County Borough Council areas.
11.3 WYE VALLEY AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY
C2 Within the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, any development must be subservient to the over-riding necessity to conserve the natural beauty of the area. In considering an application for development the planning authority will have regard to:
(a) the long term effect of the proposal, and the degree to which its nature and intensity is compatible with the character, purpose and overall management of the AONB;
(b) the degree to which design, quality and use of appropriate materials harmonise with the surrounding landscape and its built heritage;
(c) the extent of landscaping proposed;
(d) the extent to which a proposed new building or use will generate additional traffic and the requirement for improvement of existing roads and lanes, including the surfacing of green lanes; and
(e) the impact of the proposed development upon nature conservation interests.
Further recreational, tourism or other development will be permitted only where consistent with the conservation objectives and to improve facilities for the benefit of people living within or adjoining the AONB.
Major development should take place in the Wye Valley AONB only when proven national interest and lack of suitable alternative sites can justify an exception.
Any construction or restoration should be carried out to high environmental standards.
Development proposals that are outside the AONB but would detract unacceptably from its setting will not be permitted.
11.3.1 The Wye Valley was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1971, the main purpose of its designation, as outlined in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949, being to conserve and enhance ‘natural beauty’, which includes protecting flora, fauna and geological as well as landscape features. Due to its national importance, it is essential that this area is protected from unsuitable development to maintain its character. National planning guidance relating to AONBs and National Parks now states that an equal level of landscape protection should be given to each designation.
11.3.2 The special character of the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was re-appraised in a 1992 ‘Wye Valley Study’ and in 1996 in the ‘Wye Valley Landscape’ a joint CCW/Countryside Commission document. Both of these reports have been accepted by the AONB Joint Advisory Committee and commended for inclusion in the Wye Valley AONB Management Plan. These reports assessed the topographic, land use, ecological and historic components of the landscape to identify zones or components sensitive to change or deterioration. The essential landscape qualities which made the area distinct and ‘outstanding’ are identified so that the fine qualities can be safeguarded. This will necessitate higher than average design and control standards being applied to development proposals affecting the AONB, including alterations and extensions as well as new build. The major landscapes of the AONB include the Wye Gorge from Monmouth to Chepstow and the more open Trellech Plateau.
11.3.3 Applications for all such development must be subject to the most rigorous examination. Consideration of applications for major development should include an assessment of:
- the need for the development, in terms of national considerations, and the impact of permitting it or refusing it upon the local economy.
- the cost of, and scope for, developing elsewhere outside the area or meeting the need for it in some other way.
- any detrimental effect on the environment and the landscape, and the extent to which that could be moderated.
11.3.4 Reference should also be made to the draft Landscape Study Volumes 1-6 and the Draft Design Guide supplementary planning guidance which encompasses and offers guidance on the quality of landscape and design within the AONB and informs the Management Plan.
11.4 SPECIAL LANDSCAPE AREAS
C3 Special Landscape Areas are designated at:
(a) the Usk Valley between Abergavenny and the Newport County Borough Boundary together with adjoining uplands;
(b) the Grey Hill area of Wentwood together with the countryside between the Usk and Olway Valleys and the Wye Valley AONB and in the St. Brides Netherwent area;
(c) the countryside between the Brecon Beacons National Park and the County boundary north of Llantilio Crossenny and Dingestow, including the Monnow Valley, parts of the Trothy Valley and adjoining uplands; and
(b) the Caldicot coastal levels south on the railway line between St. Pierre Pill and the Newport County Boundary.
Within these areas development will not be permitted if, taking into account its scale and nature, it would have a serious harmful effect on those characteristics of the area that have lead to its designation, unless that harm is outweighed by benefits to the rural economy that could not be achieved by development on sites outside SLAs and statutorily designated areas. Where development is acceptable in principle it must respect the high quality of the landscape and be sensitively integrated into it.
11.4.1 Outside the AONB and the National Park the Gwent Structure Plan and Monmouth Borough Local Plan identified Special Landscape Areas of regional or County importance (SLA’s) where priority should be given to landscape conservation. The purpose of the Special Landscape Area designation (SLA) is to identify those landscapes which are of particularly high intrinsic value and which require special protection for their own sake as part of the County’s landscape resource.
11.4.2 Within the Special Landscape Areas it is important that the effect of proposals on the overall landscape character, the visibility of development and the integration of development into the landscape is assessed in order to minimise impact. Development should respect the character of its setting by being of an acceptable scale and siting, by the use of appropriate design, materials and landscape proposals. Reference should be made to the Draft Landscape Study Volumes 1-6 Supplementary Planning Guidance, which provide detailed advice on the characteristics of the SLAs and design guidelines. These documents are based on the Countryside Council for Wales LANDMAP methodology and recognise that landscape is not only a matter of scenic or visual quality, but that factors such as biodiversity, historical, cultural and earth science are important aspects in the way that landscape is perceived and valued.
11.5 GREEN WEDGES
C4 In order to prevent the coalescence of settlements and to protect open prospects of the Monmouthshire countryside from major transport routes and gateways, the following areas are identified as Green Wedges:
(a) Rogiet, Llanfihangel near Rogiet and Magor;
(b) Rogiet, Caldicot, and Mount Ballan area;
(c) Chepstow, Pwllmeyric and Mathern;
(d) Shirenewton and Mynyddbach; and
(e) Land to the north of the M48 and M4.
In Green Wedges, development will only be permitted which does not prejudice the open characteristics of the land, including justified agricultural and forestry needs, essential facilities for outdoor sport and outdoor recreation, cemeteries, limited extension, alteration or replacement of existing dwellings and small scale diversification within farm complexes run as part of the farm business.
11.5.1 In the south of the County where land is under increasing pressure for development, the Gwent Structure Plan identified the need for ‘green spaces’ to prevent the coalescence of towns and settlements. The Monmouth Borough Plan defined the boundaries of these areas within the guidelines of the Structure Plan. In order to safeguard the character and identity of the settlements in the south of the County, these areas were identified for long term protection to extend beyond the life of the Structure Plan and Local Plan. Nevertheless, they have been reviewed in the preparation of the UDP and, in accordance with national advice, will be reviewed again at the end of the plan period.
11.5.2 The Policy also seeks to protect the open rural character of the landscape along major transport corridors and at gateway locations. The area to the north of the major tourist route of the M4 and M48 motorways is protected from unsuitable development thus protecting the open prospect of the Monmouthshire countryside northwards. Development should take account of relevant landscape designations and draft supplementary planning guidance, particularly the Draft Landscape Study Volumes 1-6.
11.6 WOODLAND PLANTING AND MANAGEMENT
C5 The Council will oppose proposals that involve clear-felling, replanting or afforestation, which:
(a) would have a significant adverse impact on the appearance and character of the landscape, particularly in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Special Landscape Areas,
(b) do not incorporate an appropriate management plan to mitigate the impact of the scheme;
(c) restrict public access; and
(d) result in the damage or destruction of ancient, semi natural or replanted woodland or other habitats of acknowledged importance.
The positive management of woodland and the planting of broad-leaved trees will be encouraged.
11.6.1 Woodlands are protected to some extent by legislation under the Forestry Act 1967 which limits the amount of felling permitted without a licence to a maximum of five cubic metres per calendar quarter. The legitimate operational needs of all commercial foresters are recognised, with felling licences administered directly by the Forestry Authority who consult the Council before granting a licence. Tree Preservation Orders can protect woodlands but this does not necessarily promote good management. The preparation of a management plan containing proposals for the replanting, management or future use of the land is of considerable importance in broadleaved woodlands. Reference should be made to the draft Landscape Study supplementary planning guidance Volumes 1-6.
11.7 COASTAL PROTECTION ZONE
11.7.1 The County's coastal region is part of a larger area known as the Gwent Levels, flat low lying land, which borders the Severn Estuary. Historically, the land has been reclaimed from the sea through the erection of sea walls and the excavation of drainage ditches. Archaeological evidence indicates that reclamation of the land occurred during the Romano-British period: and, as an historic wetland, the landscape is now rich in flora and fauna. The drainage reens contain species of plants and animals that are not only of local significance but are of national importance.
11.7.2 In February 1998 the Welsh Office endorsed the development of a strategy by the Countryside Council for Wales, which underlines the need to protect and conserve the remaining undeveloped area of the levels. The Gwent Levels are identified as a contiguous series of Sites of Special Scientific Interest and a Landscape of Outstanding or Special Historic Interest in the Register of Landscapes of Outstanding Historic Interest. The Gwent Levels Historic Landscape study by Stephen Rippon, University of Reading, for Cadw and CCW in 1996 provides further details on the character and history of the Gwent Levels and advice on how future development can be evaluated. The Severn Estuary is a designated Special Protection Area, Ramsar site and possible Special Area of Conservation.
C6 In order to protect and enhance the coastal landscape the following areas are designated as Coastal Protection Zone (CPZ):
(a) between the western County boundary and Caldicot Pill, south of the railway line; and
(b) the area between Caldicot and Chepstow south of the M48 motorway, Crick Road and Chepstow Road.
Development proposals that do not destroy or detrimentally affect the qualities that justify the designation of the CPZ, either directly or indirectly will be permitted.
Where development requires work outside the application site in order to minimise its impact on the Coastal Protection Zone, the implementation of a Section 106 Obligation may be sought to ensure the implementation of necessary measures.
11.7.3 Development that requires a coastal location will be directed towards the developed area of coastline. The undeveloped coast will not normally accommodate new development that may be located in existing developed areas, particularly further inland.
11.7.4 The Strategy for the Severn Estuary was published in September 2001. This is a non statutory document produced by a consortium of members known as the Severn Estuary Partnership. A broad cross section of users and interests are members, including all the local authorities and Environment Agency regions on the Estuary as well as the nature conservation agencies and others. This helps to ensure an integrated and co-operative approach to future management.
11.7.5 The Strategy covers the whole of the Severn Estuary and its coastal areas (including the Coastal Protection Zone in Monmouthshire).
11.7.6 The Severn Estuary Strategy addresses the need for an estuary wide perspective of development and management, looking ahead to the year 2011. It follows the principles of sustainable development with due consideration for the social, economic and nature conservation interests of the estuary and the surrounding coastal lands. The Strategy will guide important management decisions, promoting a series of policies that will lead to more sustainable management practice on the estuary and addresses the challenge of meeting competing demands.
11.7.7 The Council is mindful of the need to consider the wider and cumulative impact of development on the estuary. The Strategy has been approved by the Council and will be taken into account in both development control decisions and preparation of the UDP. Similar future consideration will be given to the possibility of cross-referencing to Local Environment Agency Plans, albeit as part of the wider Estuary Strategy, and Shoreline Management Plans for the possible Special Area of Conservation.
11.7.8 The Coastal Zone has been drawn more narrowly than the Severn Estuary Strategy area to follow distinct road and railway features. South of these features, the countryside has a predominantly open and largely flat coastal character which would be adversely affected by significant development proposals. Planning applications for any development within the Coastal Protection Zone that are likely to have a significant effect on the coastal environment must be accompanied by an assessment of the environmental impact of the proposal. (Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999. A formal assessment will be required in the circumstances set out in the Regulations.
11.7.9 In certain cases mitigation measures to reduce the impact of a development within the Coastal Protection Zone may be required outside the application site, and in these circumstances the use of a Section 106 Obligation may be appropriate to ensure the necessary works are carried out. Measures which may be necessary include coast protection and sea defence works, restoration/enhancement of nature conservation or assistance towards site management, provision of landscaping, provision or replacement of access arrangements and the retention, restoration or enhancement of site features or artefacts.
