Landscape character is the distinct, recognisable and consistent pattern of elements that makes one area of landscape different from another. Variations in geology, soils, landform, land use, vegetation, field boundaries, settlement patterns and building styles all help give rise to different landscapes, each with its own distinctive character and ‘sense of place’. These differences are the product of both natural and human influences. Within the study area there is a great diversity of landscapes, from the coastal landscapes of the north-east, to the uplands of the North Pennines, to the rolling farmland of the central areas, and the developed south-east.
Landscape character assessment involves mapping, classifying and describing these variations in landscape character. The resulting classification of the landscape can be used as a basis for making judgements about the character and condition of the landscape, to identify how landscape character can be maintained.
The starting point for the defining landscape character in the County is National Character Area (NCA) profiling carried out by Natural England. Nine of the defined NCAs fall fully or partly in Northumberland. The Northumberland Landscape Character Assessment sub-divided the nine NCAs into 44 local Landscape Character Types (LCTs) and 108 Landscape Character Areas (LCAs). Each of the 108 LCAs has a detailed profile. In addition, each of the 44 LCTs has, defined for it, key qualities, forces for change and accompanying guidance on how to treat proposals which may impact on these positively or negatively. Each LCT has, assigned to it one of three overarching guiding principles, as follows:
- Protect - where conservation of landscape character is required in the face of
pressures for change; or
- Manage - where some change can be absorbed but changes arising from social,
economic and environmental processes need to be managed; or
- Plan - where important landscape character has been eroded and strong action is
needed to enhance or restore it.
Description taken from Northumberland Landscape Character Assessment and Northumberland Local Plan 2016 - 2036.
