Landscape Character Assessment

Back to Ranger index

Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) is a relatively new way of looking at the landscape with a lot of potential for countryside managers. This article explains what the process is and how it may be able to help in day-to-day management.

Homogenous landscape
People have been making landscape assessments for a long time, but until recently they were typically either on a local scale, or if county-wide, rather general and lacking in objective content. The current spread of landscape character assessments are finer-grained, more thorough and are concerned with providing an objective basis for the any subjective judgements and decisions that may follow.

The spur for this new wave of assessment came from the former Countryside Commission during the nineties. Firstly it promoted a pilot landscape project in Warwickshire, and then, with English Nature, developed a Joint Character Area map of England which was published in 1997. This map shows the whole country divided into regions (Countryside/Joint Character Areas). Each of these regions has a more or less homogenous landscape and ecological character, differing from neighbouring regions. General descriptions of each region were also produced which can be viewed on the Countryside Agency website. The national work led to a guidance document for local landscape character assessment published in draft in 1999 and revised in 2002. Since then local authorities have seized on the potential of landscape character assessment and considerable resources have been spent across the UK to cascade the approach to the local level.

One of the attractive elements in using the new guidance for landscape character assessment is its logical, holistic and spatially comprehensive approach. In a way which is sensible both historically and geographically, it starts by looking at geology, soils and topography, then ecological potential, historical development and cultural influences, then visual and perceptual factors. The community is included in this process, and from this emerge landscape character areas, carefully mapped, often with a fascinating description. Where further evaluations have been undertaken, guidance is also produced indicating the value of each area and measures that can be taken to manage landscape change.

Historic Landscape Characterisations (HLCs)
Where landscape character assessment is sometimes weak is in its approach to the historic landscape. The better assessments have been informed by the (confusingly similarly-named) Historic Landscape Characterisations (HLCs) being promoted by English Heritage. HLCs are desk-analyses of historical maps and records that with professional interpretation are revealing new information about the history of landscape elements. Further explanation of HLCs is beyond the scope of this article, but may be found on the English Heritage website. Suffice it to say that HLCs are another potentially useful resource but may require some defogging for the non-historian.

A collation of most of the latest local landscape character assessments can be found online at http://www.landscapecharacter.org.uk/db/index.html. Although they have mostly been prepared in accordance with the national methodology, it is fair to note that there is some variation in style. Nor are all parts of the country yet covered at the same scale.

Landscape character assessments are teasing out the pattern that underlies our increasingly fragmented, denuded and homogenised countryside, and providing a tool to help manage this change, whether that change is to foster character or to replace it. While they have typically set the scene for managing change as a result of development, there are some other important applications within the countryside and ecology sector which should be exploited:

- a lot of research goes into landscape assessments which can speed up the preparation of interpretative material;
- they can help everyone understand their local areas better, e.g. as part of lifelong learning;
- some assessments include information which can be translated into guidance for Entry & Higher Level Scheme components;
- the assessments can provide a source of inspiration and guidance for the practical work of local groups;
- the process of maintaining assessments up-to-date may provide an opportunity for volunteers to get involved;
- the thoroughness of examination of the landscape can help arguments in favour of designating areas - or the reverse (e.g. the New Forest.);
- if the methodology has included the optional Living Landscapes approach the areas are likely to be recognised by ecologists as well as landscape planners, and may form the basis for landscape scale ecology projects;
- they can be a starting point for other strategies for woodlands, hedgerows, community forestry and green infrastructure. (Warwickshire and the Community Forests have shown a lead here).

Whatever your level of knowledge and application of landscape character assessment I would encourage you to find out more using the links provided in this article. Central Government has confirmed its interest in LCAs as a tool within the current round of Planning Policy Statements, and more will be heard of them as a result of the Regional Spatial Strategies. The maintenance of Landscape Character Assessments as an up-to-date resource could also conceivably form a service offered by countryside staff.

Simon Odell
Former Countryside Manager with the Herts/Barnet Countryside Management Service and is currently Head of Landscape for Hertfordshire County Council. He is also a CMA Mentor.

Back to Ranger index