How do we assess landscapes for designation?

To designate an area we need to answer the questions below:

  • Does this landscape have natural beauty?
  • Does this landscape offer opportunities for open-air recreation?
  • Is it desirable to designate this landscape as a National Park (or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) for its conservation and management?
  • Where should the boundary be drawn?

To assess an area, we describe its character and then we evaluate the area by making judgments about its natural beauty and opportunities for open-air recreation.

Describing the character of an area

“Landscape is an area, as perceived by people, whose character is the result of the action and interaction of natural and/or human factors.”1

The first step in understanding what makes any landscape special is to describe it in a relatively neutral way. To do this we use a technique called Landscape Character Assessment to identify distinctive areas of landscape.

Landscape character is defined as “a distinct, recognisable and consistent pattern of elements in the landscape that makes one landscape different from another, rather than better or worse” 2. Put simply, landscape character is what makes one area different from another.

Making judgements

Once we have described the character of an area, we then evaluate whether it has sufficient natural beauty and opportunities for open-air recreation for it to be designated.

Natural beauty

We look at the many different factors that influence whether people are likely to perceive a landscape as having natural beauty. The factors that we look at are:

  • landscape quality – the physical state or condition of the landscape;
  • scenic quality – the extent to which the landscape appeals to our senses (primarily, but not only, the visual senses);
  • relative wildness – the degree to which relatively wild character can be perceived in the landscape and contributes to its sense of place (NB: all of England’s landscapes have been influenced by human activity throughout history, which is why we use the term “relative wildness”);
  • relative tranquillity – the degree to which tranquillity is perceived in the landscape (ie. whether it is deemed to be quiet, remote and relatively free from human influence);
  • natural heritage features – the influence of natural heritage on people’s perception of natural beauty in the landscape (ie. features formed by natural processes, such as wildlife, habitats and geological features);
  • cultural heritage features – the influence of cultural heritage on people’s perception of natural beauty in the landscape (ie. features created by humans, including the buildings, settlements, archaeology and designed landscapes such as parks and gardens);
  • cultural associations – the degree to which associations with particular people (such as artists and writers) or events in history contribute to people’s perception of natural beauty in the landscape.

Open-air recreation

We look at opportunities for recreation that are compatible with the conservation and enhancement of the area’s special qualities (ie. recreation that allows people to enjoy and understand the special qualities of the landscape, without damaging it or spoiling other people’s enjoyment of it). This is generally quiet outdoor recreation pursuits, such as walking, cycling, horse riding, fishing, canoeing, rock climbing, paragliding.

We look for different factors that show whether an area offers, or is capable of offering, a high quality recreation experience. In each area, we look for the following factors:

  • Access to high quality landscapes – the presence of outstanding natural beauty and in particular tranquillity and relative wildness. Priority is also given to accessibility from centres of population, such as neighbouring towns and cities.
  • Features of interest – access to a wide range of natural or cultural heritage features or cultural associations. This includes landmarks and features of recognised value, appropriate to the enjoyment of quiet outdoor recreation.
  • Good recreation provision – the area should provide, or be capable of providing, a high quantity of recreation activities; a diversity of experiences; and the oppportunity for high quality open-air recreation which is consistent with the special qualities of the area and does not detract from the enjoyment of the area by others.

Great Asby Scar © Robert Petley-JonesGreat Asby Scar © Robert Petley-Jones

Not every factor listed above needs to be present in a landscape in order for it to have sufficient natural beauty or opportunities for open-air recreation. By weighing all these factors together we are able to make a judgement as to whether an area meets the criteria for designation.

Applying this analysis we are able to narrow down from broad areas of search to identify more specific geographical areas that we consider worthy of designation, via a series of stages. These stages are set out in the Supporting Documents and include broad Evaluation Areas, followed by Candidate Areas, (which are considered to meet the designation criteria). These Candidate Areas are then merged to form the proposed boundary extensions. This Consultation Document presents only the final stage of this process, namely the proposed four boundary extension areas and the proposal to include the Orton Fells in one or other of the National Parks. Please refer to the Supporting Documents if you would like further detailed information of the individual Evaluation and Candidate Areas (the Supporting Documents are available from the Downloads page on this website).

References:

1 European Landscape Convention, Council of Europe, 2000
2 Landscape Character Assessment Guidance, Countryside Agency & Scottish Natural Heritage, 2002