147 - Blackdowns : Detailed Statements of Environmental Opportunity

This section expands on the Headline Statements of Environmental Opportunity and provides further detail on each of the Statements of Environmental Opportunity.

SEO 1

SEO 1: Manage the coastal and estuarine landscape with its diversity of cliffs, geology, geomorphology, palaeontology, historic features, habitats and associated wildlife, contributing to livelihoods, enjoyment and education of people.

For example by:

• Providing space for natural coastal processes where identified by the Shoreline Management Plan and the Estuary Strategy, compensating for loss of habitats by creating new areas of coastal habitat.
• Working with local communities and stakeholders to raise awareness of the issues surrounding coastal erosion and flooding and assist them in planning for the future.
• Protecting and managing natural habitats (including nationally important reedbeds and salt and grazing marshes) backing the coast and estuaries, expanding and re-linking (including through managed realignment) to build resilience to future sea level rise and increased storminess, enhancing biodiversity, and maintaining the unsettled and unenclosed character.
• Managing the nationally and internationally important sea cliff and undercliff habitats within the National Character Area.
• Maintaining and improving the quality of recreational assets, including the South West Coast Path National Trail, and other recreational routes by supporting opportunities to connect and link with new multi-user routes, urban greenspaces extending from built-up areas and sustainable transport schemes, particularly in areas close to where people live.
• Considering water-based recreation and access to natural assets, both biodiversity and geodiversity, reducing the need for land-based infrastructure and vehicle movements, while balancing any increase in water-based leisure with any potential disturbance.
• Ensuring that coastal access opportunities remain while adapting to a dynamic coastline through the provision of roll-back land and information and advice to users.
• Working with the local fishing community to consider how to safeguard and sustainably manage the rivers and estuary.
• Increasing awareness and knowledge of coastal heritage sites, including bronze-age barrows, hill forts and Second World War artefacts, to enhance public enjoyment, understanding and appropriate management.
• Conserving and enhancing the open and largely undeveloped character of the cliffs, avoiding the siting of new development and vertical structures on prominent skylines immediately above or along the coastline which is otherwise pristine.
• Sensitively interpreting the coastline’s outstanding geological, palaeontological and geomorphic features and raising awareness of the dynamic nature of the coast.

SEO 2

SEO 2: Protect and manage the tranquil, enclosed valleys and the network of streams, springs and associated semi-natural habitats set within a farmed landscape, for the maintenance and enhancement of livelihoods, public enjoyment and ecosystem services.

For example by:

• Promoting management at catchment scale, encouraging good environmental management and the extension of semi-natural habitats to improve connectivity and benefit biodiversity, aid water retention, and increase water storage capacity.
• Managing and extending species-rich meadows, mires and rushy pastures to enhance biodiversity richness and connectivity, supporting the sense of tranquillity and assisting water and soil regulation.
• Encouraging the protection and traditional management of the medieval field pattern of small, irregular fields enclosed by species-rich hedgerows and the network of winding narrow lanes.
• Working with the local farming community to consider how to safeguard food provision while enhancing a range of key ecosystem services, regulating soil erosion and soil and water quality, conserving the historic environment, and benefitting biodiversity.
• Working with farmers and local communities to ensure that the necessary skills and knowledge are maintained, shared and enhanced to secure a future for farming and land management practices.
• Supporting and encouraging initiatives that add value to local food products and foster a strong brand, securing more viable farm businesses.
• Supporting community-based schemes that provide affordable food for local communities.
• Supporting initiatives that promote awareness and understanding of soil structure and management, including the consequences of mechanised activity and soil compaction, particularly in wet weather; and increasing the amount of farmland managed under principles established through the Catchment Sensitive Farming initiative.
• Following the principles described in the Catchment Flood Management Plans for the area: increase flood plain storage and create wetlands; ensure that development (particularly at Chard) does not increase run-off; reconnect estuaries with flood plains; and create habitat and wildlife corridors.
• Seeking opportunities to maximise the availability of water by reducing the rate at which water flows through the area by the reinstatement of natural, meandering drainage patterns and channels and restoring functional flood meadows adjacent to main watercourses.
• Providing wide grass buffer strips and reedbeds adjacent to river banks to act as silt traps, and preventing livestock access to the water’s edge.
• Planting areas of wet woodland and expanding and connecting existing valley woodlands to further minimise soil erosion.
• Supporting and promoting sustainable management and planting of traditional orchards, including the use of local varieties.
• Raising public awareness of the consequences of erosion caused by recreational pressure and encouraging sustainable use of the access areas.
• Managing and promoting access opportunities for quiet enjoyment of the area and encouraging sustainable transport options to reduce traffic levels.

SEO 3

SEO 3: Protect and manage the open, exposed character of the ridgetop plateaux and the associated rich cultural heritage. Plan for the restoration and extension of semi-natural habitats and promote and create opportunities to enhance public understanding and enjoyment.

For example by:

• Protecting the distinctive, unspoilt and exposed skylines and open plateaux from development of an inappropriate scale and character, including vertical structures and intrusion of light affecting the dark night skies.
• Encouraging management and re-creation of the heathland commons and restoration of more prominent conifer plantations to semi-natural habitats, particularly plantations on ancient woodland sites.
• Strengthening the strong, square Parliamentary enclosure field pattern and long, straight ridge roads, including the distinctive beech hedgerows and avenues.
• Protecting and appropriately managing the rich cultural heritage of the area, including bronze- age barrows, hill forts and earthwork castles, through clearance of scrub, maintaining livestock grazing at appropriate levels and recreation management.
• Considering the historic setting and associations, notably with the Second World War airfields, when planning new development.
• Protecting the high scenic value of the NCA, the tranquillity and outstanding views by giving careful consideration to the scale and siting of new development and infrastructure.
• Supporting opportunities to enhance understanding of the historic environment resource through research and conservation, and its rich potential for new discoveries.
• Promoting and supporting initiatives that provide educational and awareness opportunities for visitors and local communities.
• Managing and promoting access opportunities and supporting initiatives that link open access areas.

SEO 4

SEO 4: Protect the relatively unsettled, rural character of this nationally important landscape, maintaining open skylines and historic settlement form. Reflect the local vernacular and geodiversity in new development and encourage provision of high-quality green infrastructure.

For example by:

• Promoting the use of landscape character guidance and other landscape tools to ensure that the key characteristics are protected and reinforced through land management and development.
• Promoting and supporting the significance of historic landscape character in development management. Encourage the management and sustainable development of the dispersed historic settlement pattern of farmsteads, hamlets and larger village settlements.
• Protecting the network of enclosed, narrow winding lanes and long, straight ridge roads by resisting unsympathetic highway improvements or signage, and supporting audits of roadside signage, encouraging ‘decluttering’ where possible.
• Conserving and enhancing the open and largely undeveloped character of the cliffs, avoiding the siting of new development and vertical structures on prominent skylines immediately above or along the coastline which is otherwise pristine.
• Protecting locally distinctive building styles and the use of local materials, where appropriate and sustainable, and encouraging their integration into new development as well as sustainable technologies.
• Encouraging and supporting initiatives that develop and enhance the traditional skills and understanding required to maintain and manage historic features and building styles.
• Softening the edges of urban areas to incorporate development into the landscape setting and minimising the impact of lighting and noise to maintain and enhance tranquillity and dark skies.
• Supporting and encouraging the integration of high-quality green infrastructure into development, ensuring provision of accessible greenspace and sustainable access to existing areas.
• Developing and improving the network of public rights of way and promoting open access land that provides more opportunities for informal recreation, access to nature and public enjoyment while ensuring that experiential qualities are maintained.
• Protecting the distinctive, unspoilt and exposed skylines and open plateaux from development of an inappropriate scale and character, including vertical structures and intrusion of light affecting the dark night skies.
• Supporting opportunities to put cables underground where this will not cause damage to the historic environment.

Additional opportunity 1

Additional opportunity 1: Maintain and strengthen the wooded character of the area; manage the network of species-rich hedgerows; manage and extend semi-natural woodland, particularly on steep scarp slopes; and promote multifunctional coniferous plantations where appropriate.

For example by:

• Encouraging and supporting the maintenance of and an increase in semi- natural broadleaved woodland through natural regeneration along river valleys.
• Encouraging initiatives that promote the use of local timber and wood products and facilitate communication/greater understanding and co-operation between wood producers (large and small), processors and users.
• Working with the local forestry industry and timber processors to ensure that the necessary skills and knowledge are maintained, shared and enhanced to enable sustainable woodland management.
• Encouraging management practices that ensure well-structured woodland with quality timber and where appropriate achieve multipurpose objectives. Balance the need for timber production and replanting against the opportunity for regeneration of semi-natural habitats.
• Supporting community schemes that promote positive woodland management and the use of wood products.
• Supporting and encouraging local initiatives that promote the sustainable management of woodlands and hedgerows for wood fuel production.
• Encouraging contact between landowners and local communities including skills sharing and knowledge transfer.
• Identifying and considering opportunities for planting of short rotation coppice and miscanthus, appropriately sited within the existing pattern of woodland, hedgebanks and semi-natural habitats.
• Expanding areas of semi-natural woodland on steep slopes and extending the network of hedgerows to reduce overland flows and enhance the wooded character of the area.
• Managing and enhancing the network of hedgerows and hedgerow trees, strengthening field patterns and the sense of tranquillity and isolation. Promote traditional management techniques, such as hedge laying, coppicing of grown-out trees and styles of construction including stone facing on banks.
• Supporting and promoting sustainable management and planting of traditional orchards, including the use of local varieties.
• Promoting traditional management techniques including coppicing of semi-natural woodlands, multifunctional management of conifer plantations and restoration of traditional orchards.