SECTION 3.0 - Durham County Council

habitat or species action plan, current or recent activity in relation to research or
actions undertaken, threats to the species
or habitat and objectives for action.
Given
the extent of information within the DBAP it is not possible to summarise
each habitat or species action plan in this review. The DBAP also includes a series
of definitions for the purposes of mapping priority habitats and measuring their
condition. The current version of the plan has yet to publish any maps relating to
the distribution of these habitats or species.
• County Durham Landscape Character Assessment, Durham County
Council, (2003).
The
County Durham Landscape Character Assessment is a detailed assessment
of the character of the county. It works within the framework of
Countryside Character Areas and Natural Areas, identifying variations in Link with
Landscape
landscape character at a sub-regional and local level. The assessment
Technical
is based on a detailed GIS (Geographical Information Systems)
Paper
(No.23)
database of landscape elements which was used to identify landscape
types and character areas at a number of levels from regional
landscapes, like the North Pennines or the West Durham Coalfield, to local
landscapes like parklands and wooded denes. The assessment has informed the
development of the County Durham Landscape Strategy.
• County Durham Landscape Strategy, Durham County Council, (2008).
The Landscape Strategy is a non-statutory plan which addresses issues that affect
the varied landscapes of County Durham and sets out objectives for their
conservation and enhancement. It is based on the County Council’s landscape
character assessment which was published by the County Council in 2003. The
strategy addresses many of the issues identified in other plans and strategies and
overlaps geographically with other area based plans including the North Pennines
AONB Management Plan and the Great North Forest Plan. It is intended that the
strategy should complement these plans. The strategy has three aims:
1.
To maintain and enhance the character and diversity of the Durham
Landscape;
2.
To make development and land management more sustainable by helping
to ensure that they respect the character of the landscape and contribute
towards wider environmental objectives; and
3.
To support and complement other environmental strategies to help promote
coordinated action on the environment.
The Strategy investigates a range of broad issues that affect the landscape
including overarching issues such as climate change and biodiversity, geo-diversity
and cultural heritage, and sets out objectives for addressing them. The strategy
considers land management issues in relation to agriculture, woodlands and
forestry, moors and heaths, field boundaries and river and wetlands and discusses
particular issues and includes objectives for addressing each issue. The strategy
considers developmental pressures including pressures relating to housing,
industry, transport, minerals, waste, renewable energy and recreation and tourism.
In
terms of minerals this part of the document includes objectives in relation to
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