How do we decide whether a site is a ‘valued landscape’?
Public inquiries into development proposals in rural areas are often required to decide if the proposed site is a ‘valued landscape’ or not, and the debate is often a key part of the landscape case on both sides.
The phrase ‘valued landscape’ was introduced in March 2012 with the publication of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which refers to “protecting and enhancing valued landscapes”. As landscape professionals, we therefore often have to judge whether a site and its surrounds is a ‘valued landscape’.
Our Director of Landscape Planning Rebecca Knight has researched the case law context, as there have been a number of Appeals to test the meaning of ‘valued landscape’ under Paragraph 109 of the NPPF.
If you’d like help with this issue or are interested in discussing it further, please get in touch with Rebecca Knight
