Details
Question
At what stage should non-designated landscapes be dealt with?
Date posted
19th March 2009
Answer
PAN 45 Annex 2 indicates that non-designated landscapes should not be treated as a significant constraint and should be considered in Stage 3 in the refinement of areas of no significant constraints. The process of preparing a spatial framework is not a linear process. In order to make informed judgements regarding capacity of the landscape and the identification of cumulative impacts it is necessary to consider the potential effects of development on all landscapes within the local authority area at an early stage. PAN 45 therefore does not preclude the analysis of non-designated landscapes at Stage 1 in order to arrive at judgements about areas where the limits of cumulative impact have been reached. However, it would be inappropriate to identify non-designated landscapes as areas to be afforded significant protection on the basis of high sensitivity to individual developments.