East Dorset Landscape Character Assessment - Dorsetforyou.com

Regional guidanceThe draft Regional Spatial Strategy published June 2006 states that“The distinctive qualities and features of the South West’s landscapecharacter areas will be sustained and enhanced by Local PlanningAuthorities undertaking assessments of landscape character at astrategic level and in partnership with adjoining authorities (wherelandscape character areas cross administrative boundaries) in order toidentify priority areas for the maintenance, enhancement and/orrestoration of that character and provide an appropriate policy frameworkin Local Development Documents for each area.” This document shouldbe referred to alongside the policies set out in the emerging RSS andother Local Plans for the area.Local Development FrameworkThe district is in the process of preparing its core strategy, which willestablish a vision and headline policies. The draft policy frameworkstates that landscape character and local distinctiveness shall be takeninto account in development decisions, landscape character shall notconstrain development and design policy is a key way to achievelandscape character goals. Landscape policy may therefore appear inCore Strategy Policies, Development Control Policies, Area Action Plansand/or Supplementary Planning Documents.4. Previous Landscape Character AssessmentsThe following national, regional and local studies relating to landscapecharacter have been undertaken since the early 1990s and have beenused to inform the current study.The Character of EnglandAt a national level, the character of the English countryside has beendescribed and mapped into 159 character areas. These are commonlyreferred to as ‘Joint Character Areas’ through a joint project between theCountryside Agency and English Nature (now Natural England).Countryside Agency/Natural EnglandThe Character Map of England – South West (Dorset highlighted)East Dorset District Council District Landscape Character Assessment 20084