Landscape Character Supplementary Planning Document ...

City of Bradford Metropolitan District CouncilLocal Development Framework For BradfordThree smaller character areas lie immediately next to Bradford’s urban core. Theseareas are ESHOLT, TONG VALLEY and SOUTH BRADFORD. They all show morecommon links to the Coal Measurers character area in the complexity of their elementsand more urbanised influences, with low lying, rolling landform and fragmented woodlandcover.The four remaining character areas are all pasture dominated landscapes with typicalstone wall boundaries overlooked by bleak windswept moorland on higher exposed land,affording long views and intersected by small intimate wooded valleys or cloughs. THEWORTH and NORTH BECK VALLEYS character area has a stepped profile with valleybottoms crowded with settlement and a patchwork of pastures on the upper slopes. It issurrounded to the NW and SW by the PENNINE UPLAND character area of highunenclosed moorland, isolated farmsteads, a treeless landscape with high natureconservation value where resources exploitation such as mineral extraction wind andwater power generation and recreation have left their mark on the landscape. TheWILSDEN and THORNTON/QUEENSBURY character areas, although similar in thatthey contain small/medium villages within a farmed landscape sloping to the east, aredominated by urban/sub-urban influences. Differences in landform, altitude and layouthowever do occur to make them distinct. The Wilsden character area is moredomesticated, with improved enclosed pastures, smaller villages and more woodlandcover.11.3 As explained in the methodology section, each Character Area contains a number oflandscape types as described in section 6 of the study. When these are described andassessed within the context of a Character Area they are referred to as Local LandscapeTypes.Layout of Each Character Area Chapter11.4 Each chapter is divided into two parts. The first part deals with the overall CharacterArea and has the following standard format.i. Description of the overall qualities and components of the Character Area.ii. Analysis – of sensitivity to change; important features, and detractors within theCharacter Area.iii. General Conclusions – based upon the above analysis, and also drawing uponthe relevant policy guidelines from each of the Local Landscape Types.Landscape Character Supplementary Planning DocumentOctober 2008 Page 73