Landscape

Charnwood is an attractive and vibrant Borough with an impressive and diverse legacy of architecture, settlements and landscapes. The Council is concerned to protect, improve and add to this proud heritage and encourages high quality design in new development throughout Charnwood. Good design can make a difference in shaping our built environment, and the sustainability of development and our quality of life can be enhanced by more careful thought about the places we create. The Plans, Policies & Place Making Group is responsible for the preparation of guidance to help secure higher design standards.

The Group also has responsibility for securing the achievement of the Council’s standards in the design and provision of green space in new development and plays a role in the adoption of Public Open Space by the Borough and Parish/Town Councils.

Landscape in New Developments

Planning Permission granted for larger or prominent developments is often subject to landscape conditions to ensure that the spaces between buildings contribute to the landscape setting, provide screening or reinforce land uses. We offer initial landscape advice to applicants and we then oversee the process of planting conditions in the planning process.

On larger developments we evaluate the provision of green and open spaces required to comply with the needs for play and recreation, amenity, sustainable drainage, screening, wildlife and biodiversity, to make an attractive environment for living.

Within new developments we support the protection of existing landscape features such as trees, hedges, ditches, walls, footbridges, archeological and heritage features such as ridge and furrow, which can add to the sense of place, retaining and enhancing the character.

We provide the initial liaison in the transfer of land where the green space in new development is to be vested with the Borough or a Parish Council through a legal agreement.

We monitor and report on required planting schemes.

Landscape Character

The Borough can be subdivided into 6 distinctive landscape areas.

The Plans, Policies & Place Making Group is in the process of writing a character assessment of each of the six areas which will form a supplementary planning document (SPD) to guide people proposing development so that the new development may be in keeping with the character of the landscape.

The assessment of character will include topology and landform, underlying geology, natural vegetation, trees and woodland, agriculture, buildings and settlements, industry, leisure, communication networks, hydrology and biodiversity.

Using Native Trees and Shrubs

The Borough encourages landowners to create and restore woodland using locally native tree and shrub species. The section has produced guidelines as to which species are best suited for each area. Please contact landscape@charnwood.gov.uk for further information.