Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
The Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Management Plan 2011 - 2016
Landscape & Seascape
Visions
• A nationally special and uniquely
Cornish AONB landscape and seascape
that is celebrated and in which people
take pride and enjoyment, where
local distinctiveness and landscape
character are recognised as being
key to the AONB’s conservation
and enhancement.
• The individual characteristics that
combine to give the Cornwall AONB
its local distinctiveness and sense
of place are fully understood and
robust measures are in place for
protection and enhancement
from high level policy to
local community plans.
Background
There is consensus among locals and visitors
alike that Cornwall is special. It’s a key reason why
people visit in droves and why businesses and
students choose to locate here. The landscape of
Cornwall is unique and incredibly diverse. It also
retains a very strong sense of ‘Cornishness’ from
the wild and windswept moors to the network of
tiny fields bounded by Cornish hedges, narrow
sunken lanes, pretty coastal villages and estuary
valleys cloaked in oak woodlands.
The Cornwall and Tamar Valley AONBs represent
Cornwall’s finest landscapes – the best bits, but
the European Landscapes Convention stresses
that ‘all landscapes matter’. There should not be
a conflict between the protected landscapes and
the rest, rather the premise could be ‘what’s good
for the best is good for the rest’ with the protected
landscapes leading the way in achieving a better
deal for all of Cornwall’s landscapes.
Landscapes have always been subject to change
and cannot be expected to remain preserved in
aspic. However, we have the opportunity to gain
a greater understanding of Cornwall’s landscapes
and seascapes and plan for change in order to find
solutions to climate change and to meet the needs
and aspirations of local people whilst preserving
those essential qualities that everyone recognises
as so special, for future generations.
Management Framework
• Cornwall’s landscape is its greatest asset and the
key element upon which the Cornish economy relies
• The European Landscape Convention (ELC) is
dedicated exclusively to the protection, management
and planning of all landscapes in Europe
• The ‘Ecosystem Goods and Services’ approach
recognises and values the human benefits of
landscapes such as flood water management and
health benefits
• The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009
identifies Seascape Assessment as an evidence
base for the Marine Plans
• The new consultation draft Planning Policy
Statement on Natural and Healthy Environment
directs Local Authorities to produce Green
Infrastructure Strategies
• The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Landscape
Character Study 2005-2007 maps and describes the
landscapes of Cornwall
• The 1994 ‘Cornwall Historic Landscape Character
Assessment’ gives a guide on the historic value of
different parts of Cornwall
• ‘Seascapes Assessments’ performs the function
of a Landscape Character Assessment for the Marine
Environment
• The new Cornwall Local Development Framework
provides an opportunity to embed policy and
guidance on landscape and seascape conservation
and enhancement
• Cornwall Council has produced ‘The
Cornwall Landscape Best Practice Guidance’
incorporating a ’Development Management
Toolkit’ to provide advice to planners and
developers
• The ‘Cornwall, Tamar Valley and Isles of
Scilly AONB Landscape Monitoring Project’
developed indicators of landscape change
and a baseline of data to monitor landscape
change within the AONB.
Landscape & Seascape Policies
| LS1 | Develop a clear understanding of the social, environmental and economic benefits of landscape and seascape and ensure this is reflected in decision making at every level, consistent with the aims of the European Landscapes Convention |
| LS2 | Advocate an approach to the conservation and enhancement of the AONB based upon landscape and seascape character |
| LS3 | Promote a strategic landscape spatial policy framework that utilises the Landscape Character Assessment and Cornwall Green Infrastructure Strategy to inform development management. Ensure landscape and seascape character is embedded in the emerging Local Development Framework, including policies within the Core Strategy that support the purposes of the AONB designation |
| LS4 | Monitor the state of the Cornwall AONB landscape to identify where the erosion and enhancement of the quality of the AONB is taking place and develop feedback mechanisms for corrective management |
Landscape & Seascape Actions
| A/LS1 | Improve the existing Landscape Character Assessment and undertake a Seascape Assessment of Cornwall’s coast and marine environment, ensuring full integration between land and sea based assessments – Cornwall Council Planning and Regeneration, Cornwall Council Environment Service and English Heritage |
| A/LS2 | Undertake an audit of the ‘Ecosystem Goods and Services’ provided by the landscapes of the Cornwall AONB as part of the work on the Cornwall Green Infrastructure Strategy – Cornwall Council Environment Service |
| A/LS3 | Develop a Landscape Strategy for Cornwall’s landscape, as part of the Green Infrastructure Strategy, which addresses the needs of the protected landscape and develops a strong, collective vision for landscape within Cornwall – Cornwall Council Environment Service |
| A/LS4 | Produce landscape sensitivity and capacity studies for renewable energy and housing development; specifically a sensitivity study on wind and solar PV, including guidance on the siting and design of smaller scale wind turbines and PV panels within the protected landscape. Embed within the emerging Renewable and Low Carbon Energy Supplementary Planning Document – Cornwall Council Planning and Regeneration |
| A/LS5 | Further develop and finalise the ‘Cornwall Landscape Character Best Practice Guidance’ and ‘Development Management Toolkit’ and provide training for planners and planning committee members – Cornwall Council Environment Service, Cornwall AONB Unit and Cornwall Council Planning and Regeneration |
| A/LS6 | Monitor upon the set of indicators established
by the Cornwall AONB Monitoring Project and the
information gathered for the Cornwall AONB Atlas. Report
on change from the original baseline – Cornwall AONB
Unit and Cornwall Council Intelligence Unit |
Further Information
Further information on condition, predicted trends, management framework and monitoring can be found in the web based appendices to this chapter which will be available shortly on this website http://www.cornwall-aonb.gov.uk/management-plan/further-landscapes-and-seascape.html