114 - Thames Basin Lowlands : Analysis: Landscape Attributes & Opportunities

Analysis supporting Statements of Environmental Opportunity

The following analysis section focuses on the landscape attributes and opportunities for this NCA.

Further analysis on ecosytem services for this NCA is contained in the Analysis: Ecosytem Services section.

Landscape attributes

A generally flat but gently undulating landscape at the southern edge of the London Basin.

Justification for selection:

• The mean height of the NCA is only 49 m while the landform ranges from 9 to 179 m above sea level.
• The vast majority of the NCA lies on a bedrock of Thames Group (London Clay) with bands of sand (Bracklesham Group and Barton Group) around Esher and Cobham and chalk fringed with Lambeth Group and Thanet Formations sediments underlying Croydon and Sutton, with river terraces of sand and gravel along the river valleys.

A moderately wooded landscape.

Justification for selection:

• Tree cover is currently 13 per cent including woodlands, shaws, field boundary trees and parkland.
• It is predominantly broadleaved, with oak, and oak/ash on the more base-rich soils in the west and oak/birch more dominant on the less fertile acidic soils in the east.
• The largest blocks of woodland are found around Fetcham, Oxshott and East and West Horsley.
• The west of the area is more sparsely wooded with ancient semi-natural woodland an important habitat and feature of the landscape, including the veteran pollarded oaks of Ashtead Common.
• Towards the east and London, much of the woodland is mixed and the result of afforestation or natural woodland regeneration on heaths.
• Riparian/wet woodlands along river valleys of alder, oak, lime, willow and poplar.

Irregular small- to medium- sized fields commonly bounded by hedges.

Justification for selection:

• Fields are small to medium-sized, irregularly shaped and bounded by hedgerows.
• Fences replace hedges closer to urban areas.
• Field trees in straight lines can be an indicator of lost hedgerows.
• Field trees are mainly oak with some ash and field maple.

Mixed farmed landscape.

Justification for selection:

• Heavy clay soils support a predominantly pastoral landscape.
• 59 per cent of the farmed area is grass or uncropped land.
• Increasing area of poorly managed, weedy fields and grasslands fenced for horse pasture and pony paddocks, especially in urban fringe areas/edges of towns and villages.
• Farmland often interspersed with woodland and shaws, hedgerows and trees, remnant commons, villages and farmsteads.
• Scattered pockets of landscaped estates with remnant parkland features.

Rivers with broad, flat valley plains drain the area north- wards.

Justification for selection:

• The main rivers within the NCA have undergone considerable modification ranging from widening and straightening to confinement within concrete banks.
• Artificial modification has been undertaken for flood prevention but also historically to improving potential for providing water power to mills.
• River valleys in rural areas meander across undulating farmland plains marked by riparian woodlands, meadows and larger open fields.

Highly urban in character with less densely settled areas to the south-west.

Justification for selection:

• 60 per cent of the NCA is urban according to data from the Campaign to Protect Rural England.
• Dense urban settlement within the Greater London area and its fringes in north Surrey but more thinly settled and rural to the west and south-west between Esher and Guildford.
• Numerous major road and rail networks criss-cross the area.

Landscape opportunities

• Expand, link and enhance riparian habitats along river corridors through habitat creation of wet grassland and planting of wet woodland.
• Protect, manage and enhance the rivers Hogsmill, Mole, Wandle and Wey and their rich and diverse riparian habitats that support a wide range of flora and fauna.
• Plan for the anticipated higher frequency of flood events and higher levels of winter rainfall through the restoration of traditional flood meadows and expansion of riparian habitats such as wet grassland and wet woodland along river corridors.
• Discourage inappropriate development on the flood plains of the rivers Wey, Mole and Hogsmill and promote the restoration of the natural river geomorphology. Where possible reconnect the rivers with their flood plains.
• Restore and enhance the hedgerow network to improve ecological networks and enhance the landscape character.
• Improve management of local nature reserves and where possible extend and link the network so that they can act as stepping stones for wildlife and help overcome the fragmentation of the semi-natural habitats of the NCA.
• Restore and manage woodland, particularly semi-ancient woodland, parkland and wood pasture, by encouraging and reintroducing management practices such as pollarding and coppicing. Where possible link existing sites to avoid fragmentation.
• Encourage sensitive development within and around the edge of villages so that their character is preserved.
• Ensure new good quality recreational opportunities are provided for any new development including in areas experiencing a high degree of infill and construction on brownfield sites.