Landscape Character

Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) is a technique for looking at all the components of landscape, including the physical, perceptual, ecological, historic and visual, and understanding how these combine together. The way that they combine will be different in one place from another, leading to the classification of the landscape into generic ‘landscape types’ such as open downland or major scarps, and locally specific ‘landscape character areas’. It is a way of 'unpacking' the landscape and understanding how its distinctive elements came about, the forces for change that are affecting them and how they contribute to sense of place.

This information provides the essential baseline for making decisions about change, whether as a result of land management or development. It is recognised by Government as a valuable tool, and local authorities are encouraged in planning policy to base their land use decisions on a thorough understanding of the landscape. It is at its most effective when stakeholders and local communities are actively involved in its production.

Development in Landscape Character Assessment

LCA has been undertaken at a variety of levels and scales. The national Character of England maps and descriptions developed by Natural England provide a broad context for County, District, Parish and site level LCAs. The Countryside Agency in 2000 also published guidance for the preparation of LCAs, but as a technique it is always evolving and the Landscape Planning and Heritage Group has led on a number of new initiatives. Recent developments in LCA within the County have included piloting local community involvement in the Test Valley Borough LCA and new approaches to townscape and seascape assessment in Havant Borough to provide a seamless assessment across the rural, urban and marine environment.

Landscape Character in Hampshire

Hampshire County Council prepared its own LCA, in 2000, which is currently under review. 'The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the future' is a land management plan for Hampshire. It incorporates the County Landscape Character Assessment and sets out the issues affecting the landscape and guidelines for its protection and enhancement. The document also provides information on how the strategy might be implemented. View a summary of  The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the future.

The Districts and Boroughs within Hampshire have also written their LCA’s in partnership with the County Council.  Details of District and Borough LCA’s available on line.  Each of the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty have LCA’s:  For general information about LCA, contact the Landscape Character Network.

You can download the whole strategy or document sections.

• The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the future (Adobe Acrobat Document, 5.33mb)  download Acrobat Reader

Document sections

• The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the future Section 1 - introduction (Adobe Acrobat Document, 45kb)

• The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the future Section 2 - character-area (Adobe Acrobat Document, 1.1mb)

• The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the future Section 3 - issues (Adobe Acrobat Document, 534kb)

• The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the future Section 4 - guidelines (Adobe Acrobat Document, 749kb)

• The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the future Section 5 - implementation (Adobe Acrobat Document, 190kb)

• The Hampshire Landscape: a strategy for the future Section 6 - appendices (Adobe Acrobat Document, 232kb)