Landscape Character Supplementary Planning Document ...

City of Bradford Metropolitan District CouncilLocal Development Framework For Bradford10.0 APPROACH & METHODOLOGYGeneral Approach10.1 The general approach used for the landscape assessment draws upon the guidance ofthe Countryside Commission’s Landscape Assessment Guidance (CCP423), whichacknowledges the validity of both objective and subjective criteria in the evaluationprocess.10.2 The approach recommends the objective recording of a range of natural and culturalfeatures which influence landscape character followed by a more subjective analysis onthe way these features interrelate to form landscapes of different characters and quality.10.3 This general approach was refined by reference to further Countryside Commissionadvisory publications, and other landscape evaluation studies which used theCountryside Commission approach.Methodology10.4 The methodology we adopted follows a progression through a number of stages:-• Stage 1 - Desk Study• Stage 2 - Field Work• Stage 3 – Description / Analysis• Stage 4 – Strategy / GuidelinesStage 1: Desk Study10.5 The first task was to determine the scale of the study and the level of detail appropriatefor a District wide study. To help with this task, a review of existing literature was carriedout aimed at identifying best practice from previous studies, in particular those referredto, or guided by, the Countryside Commission. Appendix 1 lists the main sources ofreference.10.6 The Countryside Commission’s “The Character of England” provided the baselineinformation for the broad determination of landscape character. The countrysideCharacter Programme has divided England into 181 defined areas of landscape, eachwith a cohesive, individual and identifiable character. The following defined areas oflandscape character fall within the Bradford Metropolitan District. See Figure 7.• Southern Pennines• Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfield• Yorkshire Southern Pennine Fringe• Yorkshire Dales (small area only)Landscape Character Supplementary Planning DocumentOctober 2008 Page 64