LANDSCAPE

The site comprises 54 Ha of arable land and ancient Woodford Wood in the north, which is designated as a County Wildlife. The site sits within the Plym Valley; a 20-mile corridor on top of Dartmoor at Plym Head. The landscape type is 3a – Upper farmed and wooded valley slopes.

The special qualities of this landscape are open landscape with important vantage points and uninterrupted vistas; narrow sunken lanes and species-rich hedge-banks; copses, woodlands and tree clumps.

We instructed environmental consultants to undertake a landscape assessment of the site which has informed the emerging illustrative plan shown under the next section 'Our Proposals'. Landscape impact issues have therefore been considered from the outset of the scheme’s development. 

One of the main findings of the assessment was that the lower part of the site (south-west) is visually self-contained and as such, it is proposed that enabling residential development is accommodated in this location. This also complies with the Council's policy that sets out that development must not ‘break the skyline’; therefore development will include single-storey development where necessary. 

Enhancement planting is proposed all around the northern edge of the site in the form of woodland which will mitigate the built development and will provide a buffer to the existing woodland planting to the north.