Wealden District Council

Land Use Consultants are in the process of producing a new and comprehensive landscape evidence base on behalf of the Council, which will consist of the following reports:

Wealden Landscape Character Assessment;
Wealden Landscape Sensitivity Assessment to residential and commercial development;
Wealden Landscape and Visual Appraisal of Large Strategic Sites submitted to the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA);
Wealden Landscape Sensitivity Assessment to renewable energy development; and
Wealden Landscape and Visual Appraisal of Sites submitted to the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA) located within the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)

The assessments will help to inform policies within the new Local Plan as well as provide information and landscape guidance for applicants, Development Management, our Towns and Parishes undertaking a Neighbourhood Plan and other partners.

Wealden Landscape Character Assessment (2022)

LUC was commissioned in 2021 to prepare a Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) for Wealden District covering the area outside the South Downs National Park. The LCA provides a comprehensive and up to date strategic district scale assessment of the landscape within Wealden. The LCA will provide the framework for the more detailed landscape studies and sensitivity assessments listed above.

The LCA will inform work on policy development and development management, guiding development and landscape change that is appropriate to local character and the qualities of the landscape.

Wealden Landscape Character Assessment.

The remaining assessment reports (as listed above) will be published when completed and alongside the Draft Local Plan consultation.

Previous landscape evidence base

The following landscape evidence base reports were prepared to inform the previous local plan, however they do still remain relevant to the district. They will be superseded once the assessments listed above are published.

Landscape and Ecological Assessment Study – July 2017

This study details ecological and landscape information for specific sites and areas within the district. It was used to assist in the identification of potential sites for future development ion the now withdrawn local plan, as well as to inform the development of site-specific ecological and landscape policies. . Please note that the south of the district is dealt with in a separate report below. The report presents a desk top survey and field surveys for each site considered, together with overall summaries of the settlements identified. The study also identifies habitats and landscape features of value and sensitivity and makes recommendations for their creation, protection, maintenance, enhancement and restoration where appropriate as part of their development. The sites which were included in this study can be found in the Contents, Introduction and Settlement Assessment

The documents below provide the remaining part of the report and include a landscape assessment methodology, an ecological assessment methodology, along with individual areas where the sites were assessed. These documents can be downloaded below (please note that some documents have large file sizes):

Part One – Landscape Assessment

Part Two – Ecological Assessment

South Wealden – Landscape and Ecological Assessment Study – April 2017

This study details ecological and landscape information for specific sites and areas within the south of the district. It was used to assist in the identification of potential sites for future development in the now withdrawn local plan as well as to inform the development of site-specific ecological and landscape policies. The assessment covers the settlements of Hailsham, Polegate and Willingdon, Lower Horsebridge, Hellingly, Magham Down, Lower Dicker and Upper Dicker. The scope of the study comprises landscape and ecological assessments of a number of sites that were previously submitted to the SHELAA process as available for potential development. The sites that were assessed in this study are listed in the Contents and Index of Sites

The study provides detailed assessments of these sites suitability, from a landscape and ecology perspective, for development. The report and supporting appendices can be downloaded below.

Appendix 1 – Ecological Site Assessments

Appendix 2 – Landscape Site Assessments

Wealden Landscape and Settlement Character Assessment – 2014

Chris Blandford Associates carried out a Landscape and Settlement Character Assessment on behalf of the Council in 2014. The main purpose of the study was to contribute to the Councils planning policy evidence base and help underpin decisions on how best development could be accommodated, having regard to the landscapes within the District, for the study period. This assessment forms the basis and context for the two Landscape and Ecological Assessment Studies above.

The study assesses the landscape in the three distinct character areas of the District; the High Weald, Low Weald and Pevensey Levels as well as at the more local scale of specific settlements, including those identified under Policy WCS6 of the Core Strategy, this can be found in the Title, Contents & Contact Pages.

Landscape Studies

Landscape and Settlement Character Assessment Supplementary Report 2016

In November 2016, the Council commissioned Chris Blandford Associates to undertake supplementary study to the Landscape and Settlement Character Study (2014) above for Durgates and Sparrows Green in Wadhurst. The supplementary study provides the same level of assessment as that of the 2014 study but in relation to Durgates and Sparrows Green only in order to help underpin decisions on how best development can be accommodated, having regard to the landscapes in those specific areas. The report can be downloaded below:

Landscape and Settlement Character Assessment Supplementary Report (November 2016)