148 - Devon Redlands : 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: Protect and manage the value and integrity of the coastal and estuarine landscape with its diversity of cliffs, geology, geomorphology, historic features, habitats and associated wildlife, contributing to the livelihoods, enjoyment and education of people.

For example by:

• Restoring and enhancing estuarine habitats around the Exe Estuary Special Area of Conservation and Teign and Otter estuaries for the benefit of biodiversity, particularly shellfish, assemblages of flora, invertebrates, and passage and wintering waterbirds, such as avocet, Brent goose, teal, wigeon, shelduck and curlew, and further reinforcing coastal landscape character.
• Conserving and enhancing important geological exposures, notably the designated sandstone cliffs at Dawlish, Orcombe Point and Otterton Point; and fulfilling the aspirations and aims of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site (the Jurassic Coast), a geological site recognised by UNESCO for its outstanding universal value.
• Allowing natural processes to continue along the coast which promote the development of estuarine and intertidal elements such as mudflats, sandflats and spits, and resultant salt marsh, marshes and dunes, which contribute to flood risk management, coastal defence, landscape character, biodiversity and recreation, while maximising carbon sequestration and storage in intertidal sediments.
• Maintaining and managing riparian and estuarine natural and semi- natural habitats and natural channels, which currently serve to alleviate coastal flooding, divert nutrient and sedimentation sources and would aid resilience to future sea level rise.
• Identifying and creating areas of new coastal and estuary fringe habitats, particularly flood plain grazing marsh, rush pasture and fen on the lower reaches of the principal rivers – the Exe, Teign, Otter, Culm and Clyst – with the capacity to withstand or absorb coastal and/or riparian flooding and reduce sedimentation.
• Increasing opportunities for people to deepen their understanding of the natural and historic environment and to take action to improve it, particularly where fulfilling the aspirations and aims of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site.
• Managing and sensitively planning future development and land use to maintain a sense of ‘wildness’, tranquillity and a close association with the maritime environment, and in locations that do not impair or inhibit the landward migration of coastal and estuarine fringe habitats.
• Creating reedbeds and buffer strips in the upper reaches of the principal rivers and their tributaries, particularly in association with intensive agricultural and livestock activities to act as silt and nutrient traps.

SEO 2

SEO 2: Manage, enhance and where necessary protect the diversity of land use and activity which gives the Devon Redlands its distinctive character. Increase the connectivity of key habitats for the benefit of landscape, biodiversity and ecosystem services.

For example by:

• Managing and encouraging the creation of areas of low-input grassland to, for example, provide sustenance zones and strategic flyways for bats and to meet wider objectives, especially where located over sandstone aquifers and on steeper slopes in order to help to prevent soil erosion and nutrient leaching.
• Restoring and managing existing woodland and encouraging new woodland planting, particularly in the priority catchment areas of the rivers Exe and Otter, in order to prevent soil erosion, slow nutrient run- off, increase water infiltration and reduce the risk of flooding, and to act as a buffer to intensive agricultural activities.
• Supporting and re-introducing sustainable traditional woodland management techniques and the skills needed to maintain these practices, such as selective felling and coppicing, particularly on the steeper valley sides, providing a sustainable source of local wood fuel and biomass close to areas of demand.
• Restoring and managing existing wet and riparian habitats and encouraging new wetland habitat creation, which would serve to enhance biodiversity, improve water quality by reducing sedimentation and nutrient leaching, and reduce flooding.
• Restoring, managing and planting new ‘traditional’ orchards for the benefit of the landscape and sense of place, biodiversity and retention of genetic diversity found in old varieties.
• Managing and restoring existing hedgebanks and hedgerows and where appropriate creating new ones to reinforce landscape character and sense of place, to enhance wildlife networks, and to control soil erosion and encourage water infiltration, especially within the priority catchment areas of the rivers Exe and Otter, and across the main flood plains of the area.
• Preserving and managing ancient, veteran and hedgerow trees and encouraging a new generation through planting and selective management, benefiting landscape character, sense of place, history and biodiversity.
• Reinforcing field patterns by the creation of wide grass buffer strips adjacent to boundaries protecting wetlands and watercourses from nutrient enrichment and sedimentation.
• Supporting environmentally sound arable farming measures such as low- input winter stubbles and conservation headlands to benefit farmland birds, including the cirl bunting, and arable plants.
• Restructuring existing conifer plantations as they reach maturity, to allow for reversion to lowland heath and associated mire habitats, and
  enhancement of the setting of historic assets, while maintaining the wildlife interest of Haldon Forest and balancing recreational demand.
• Positively managing the lowland heath on the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths to ensure continuing contribution to landscape character, improved condition of historic assets, biodiversity, sense of place and tranquillity.
• Promoting best practice soil management and agriculture to maintain a healthy agricultural landscape and improve water quality.

SEO 3

SEO 3: Protect and manage the distinctive character of the landscape, the natural beauty, scenic quality, historic environment and geological features. Enhance recreational resources, access to nature and heritage assets, particularly along the coast, to ensure public benefit and enjoyment.

For example by:

• Encouraging landscape restoration, creation and enhancement activities informed by the special qualities of the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Blackdown Hills AONB.
• Maintaining landscape character, ‘iconic’ views, tranquillity, a sense of ‘wildness’ and connection to the maritime environment by sensitive, responsive planning of future land use and offshore developments, for example large-scale photovoltaic farms and offshore wind farms.
• Improving access along and connecting with the South West Coast Path National Trail, the National Cycle Network, promoted routes including the East Devon Way and Exe Valley Way, and throughout the rights of way network. Promoting enjoyment, awareness and understanding of the National Character Area, particularly less well-known sites and features, to relieve pressure on busier destinations in order to maintain existing levels of tranquillity, remoteness and landscape character.
• Improving the number, quality and accessibility of green spaces and recreational opportunities near to where people live and stay, and around areas of planned development. Protecting and managing the use of fragile habitats, particularly those in close proximity to areas of significant development.
• Ensuring that the network of existing sunken lanes and their character remain intact and promoting their use for non-motorised transport and quiet recreation.
• Managing, by extensive grazing and scrub removal where current land cover and use threatens, and protecting, by planning the location of new development, the integrity of sites of heritage significance and value, particularly in areas of high sensitivity, for example iron-age hill forts at Stoke Hill and Woodbury Castle, and providing opportunities for understanding and awareness of these assets.
• Conserving and managing historic parklands, including the planting of trees that are sensitive to historic character. Encouraging appropriate management of ancient and veteran trees and the retention of deadwood.
• Encouraging practices that conserve, manage and replant traditional orchards, particularly where they include local varieties that may be of genetic interest.

SEO 4

SEO 4: Plan and manage for a strong landscape framework to support and integrate the expansion of Exeter, Exmouth, Teignmouth, Tiverton, Crediton and Cullompton, and the road and rail network throughout the area. Conserve and enhance the existing character, form and pattern of the area’s historic settlement, from single farmsteads to larger villages.

For example by:

• Maintaining and managing the dispersed settlement pattern and form, in particular the relationship between farmsteads, hamlets and ‘parish’ villages linked by a network of winding sunken lanes that lack modern engineered features.
• Planning and managing the introduction of new vertical elements and renewable energy technologies in the landscape to maintain character and setting.
• Using understanding of the area’s traditional and historic architecture, including materials (cob, stone, thatch and pebble) and the distinct patterns of settlement, to inform appropriate conservation and use of historic buildings and the integration of renewable energy technologies, and to plan for and inspire new development which makes a positive contribution to local character.
• Seeking and realising opportunities, such as woodland planting, to mitigate the impacts and effects of existing and new development and infrastructure at the edges of settlements and along main transport routes, as on the fringes of Exeter and along the M5 corridor.
• Creating new accessible and natural green spaces and links to help to integrate new areas of development with exisiting ones, particularly around the significant development east of Exeter, and providing a range of natural and cultural benefits through the implementation of the various green infrastructure delivery plans.
• Supporting sustainable transport options to major existing visitor destinations, notably along the coast.
• 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.