151 - South Devon : 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 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 such as Plymouth Sound and Estuaries Special Area for Conservation (SAC) and the Tamar Estuary, for the benefit of biodiversity, particularly the bass nursery areas and shell fish, assemblages of flora, invertebrates, and passage and wintering waterbirds, such as avocet and little egret, teal, widgeon, shelduck and curlew and further reinforcing coastal landscape character.
• Maintaining and enhancing important geological exposures notably, the metamorphic rocks of the Start Peninsula, the sandstone, slate and
  limestone cliffs that support important assemblages of species (including nesting birds) and the caves of the South Hams SAC which support internationally important populations of greater horseshoe bats.
• Maintaining and managing geomorphological processes along the coast, that promote the development of estuarine and intertidal elements such as, mudflats, sandflats and shingle bars, and resultant saltmarsh, freshwater lagoons and marshes, for example, Slapton Ley, 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 natural and semi-natural habitats and features backing the coast and estuaries which currently serve to alleviate coastal flooding and which would aid resilience to future sea- level rise.
• Incorporating coastal heritage sites into adaptation plans and realignment measures through recording, promoting, understanding and recognising their historic significance and contribution to coastal landscape character.
• Identifying and creating areas inland of existing habitats that would accommodate new coastal fringe habitats, particularly marshes, lagoons and wetland, with the capacity to withstand or absorb coastal and/or riparian flooding.
• Increasing opportunities for people to deepen their understanding of the natural and historic environment and to take action to improve it.

SEO 2

SEO 2: Protect and extend the mosaic of semi-natural habitats within a mixed-farm, productive and versatile landscape of high scenic quality, rich in biodiversity. Increase the connectivity of habitats by expanding and enhancing the network of traditional, floristically diverse hedgebanks and river valley woodlands.

For example by:

• Extending and reconnecting fragments of calcareous grassland on steep inland slopes and maritime grassland on cliff-tops, benefitting water quality and infiltration, reducing soil erosion and enhancing biodiversity and landscape character.
• Restoring, repairing and enhancing wildflower-rich Devon hedgebanks and repair and replacement of locally distinctive stone walls in the southern coastal plateau area of the NCA, particularly to support and reinstate extensive grazing regimes and restrict livestock access to river and streams in the Catchment Sensitive Farming priority catchments.
• Encouraging uptake of environmental stewardship options to build on recent increases in the cirl bunting population and for the benefit of farmland birds generally and the conservation of the historic environment.
• Maintaining the balance between pasture and arable use, utilising permanent grassland buffer strips and grass margins in arable fields, encouraging cultivation across slopes to reduce soil erosion, especially within the Catchment Sensitive Farming priority catchments, and catchments in the east of the NCA including the Bovey.
• Realising the opportunities to make further connections between arable and pastoral land use through the expansion of semi-natural linear features including hedgebanks, streams, sunken lanes and woodlands particularly on and across steeper slopes of valleys containing rivers and streams, reducing soil and nutrient run-off into watercourses.
• Restoring and extending areas of lowland heath, notably on the northern boundary of the area, in the Bovey Basin and adjacent to the coast where appropriate, improving water infiltration and quality, and supporting associated species.
• Supporting and reintroducing sustainable, traditional woodland management techniques, such as selective felling and coppicing, particularly on steeper valley and ria sides in areas where soil erosion is not a risk, providing a sustainable source of woodfuel and biomass.
• Re-planting or planting woodlands on former woodland sites or adjacent to existing semi-natural ancient woodland sites where this results in enhanced ecological connectivity and function.

SEO 3

SEO 3: Protect and manage the nationally recognised and distinctive character of the landscape, the natural beauty, scenic quality, archaeological resources and historic features, such as maritime military sites, geological features and mining heritage. Enhance recreational resources, access to nature and heritage assets, particularly along the coast, to ensure public benefit and enjoyment.

For example by:

• Restoring, enhancing and creating landscape features, informed by the special qualities of the South Devon AONB and Tamar Valley AONB.
• Maintaining open views, tranquillity, a sense of ‘wildness’ and connection to the maritime environment by sensitive, responsive planning of future land use and off-shore developments, such as off- shore wind farms.
• Ensuring the character and network of existing sunken lanes remains intact and promote their use for non-motorised transport and quiet recreation.
• Maintenance and enhancement of the distinctive settlement pattern and vernacular building by encouraging design that draws on historic precedent and uses traditional building materials such as cob, stone, thatch, and slate.
• Managing and interpreting of mining sites and features of the Tamar Valley in support of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining World Heritage Site objectives, and maintaining and enhancing ponds and lakes created by ball-clay extraction in the Bovey Basin.
• Encouraging practices that conserve, restore and manage historic parklands and ancient traditional orchards, introducing new trees and reinstating traditional management techniques.
• Sympathetically managing standing ancient and veteran trees for biodiversity and heritage value, enhancing landscape character and a strong sense of place and history.
• Managing the integrity of important earthworks and remains, for example iron-age hillforts at Slapton and Blackdown Rings, by extensive grazing and scrub removal where current land cover and use threatens them.
• Improving access along, and connecting with, the South West Coast Path National Trail, promoted routes throughout the rights of way network.
• Improving the number, quality and accessibility of greenspaces and recreation opportunities near to where people live and stay.
• Promoting enjoyment, awareness and understanding of the NCA, 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.
• Recognising, managing and promoting military sites around the naval dockyard at Plymouth dating from the medieval period to the Cold War, of international importance for their range and survival and contributing to a strong sense of history and identity.

Additional opportunity 1

Additional opportunity 1: Use and enhance the existing strong landscape framework that forms the context to the major settlements of Plymouth, Torbay and Newton Abbot in planning high quality growth within a green infrastructure network delivering multiple benefits.

For example by:

• Creating new accessible, natural greenspace and links to help integrate new areas of development around Torbay, Plymouth and Newton Abbot, providing a range of natural and cultural benefits through the implementation of the Plymouth area, and Torbay Green Infrastructure Delivery Plans.
• Significantly extending woodland north of Plymouth and replanting areas affected by phytophthora, helping to contain and integrate built development in close proximity to Dartmoor National Park.
• Using the traditional character of the nationally recognised natural beauty of the South Devon AONB and Tamar Valley AONB as a foundation for new development.
• Promoting the use of sustainable and locally sourced materials and the integration of renewable energy technologies as part of new low-carbon developments.
• Ensuring contact and access to nature and open spaces providing local opportunities for education, play, exercise and quiet enjoyment.
• Supporting sustainable transport connections to major existing visitor attractions, notably around Torbay (the ‘English Riviera’) and Plymouth (Saltram House) as well as along the distinctive rias and salmon and trout fishing rivers.
• 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.

Additional opportunity 2

Additional opportunity 2: Maintaining the existing landscape character framework.

For example by:

• Maintaining and enhancing the distinctive pattern of settlement and vernacular building by encouraging design that draws on historic precedent and uses traditional building materials such as cob, stone, thatch, and slate.
• Ensuring the character and network of existing sunken lanes remains intact and promote their use for non-motorised transport and quiet recreation.
• Sensitively planning future land use to help maintain open views, tranquillity, a sense of ‘wildness’ and connection to the maritime environment.
• Identifying suitable and sustainable locations for new development including recreation and tourism sites.