WHAT
THIS GUIDANCE IS ABOUT
This guidance provides updated advice on Landscape Character
Assessment, an important tool for all those involved in influencing the
landscape. The guidance reflects how methods and techniques for
Landscape Character Assessment have developed in recent years and builds
upon interim guidance which was the subject of consultation in 1999 [1].
This new guidance has been prepared for England and Scotland, although
aspects may have relevance to other parts of the British Isles.
This
document sets out the full scope of activity
potentially involved in a Landscape Character
Assessment, but it may well be possible to
undertake a more modest exercise that will still inform decision-making.
WHO
THE GUIDANCE IS AIMED AT
The guidance is aimed at all those individuals and organisations whose
activities affect the landscape. Its main audience includes those
involved in commissioning, carrying out, and using results from a
Landscape Character Assessment, including practitioners in local
authorities, government departments and agencies, development companies,
utilities and private practice.
Other
people and organisations may find the
guidance of value, but are likely to focus on
the principles rather than the details, and
the separate summary may be useful for this purpose. We envisage this
audience including those people:
 who need
to consider how Landscape Character Assessment can inform
 decision-making at central,
regional, and local government level, and in the
private and voluntary sectors;
who influence the character of the landscape
and need to know what such
assessments mean for them, for
example farmers, foresters, highway
engineers and those responsible
for development activity;
who may become involved in Landscape Character
Assessment because they
are a stakeholder - that is, with
a particular interest in the landscape which
they
wish to express.
The guidance has been organised to meet the
needs of these different audiences. It has two
parts:
a basic
guide to the approach and methods of Landscape Character
Assessment (this guidance);
a separate series of topic papers, which offer more detail on
particular uses
and policy contexts for Landscape
Character Assessment. These topic papers
will continue to be issued to
respond to the evolving needs of practitioners.
Look
at the 'Finding your way
around' section at the end of this
introduction to see which parts of the guidance
meet your needs and to find out more about the contents
of different sections.
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