JCA No. 132 - Salisbury Plain and West Wiltshire Downs
Overall comments (note 1)
Extensive open, rolling chalk plateau dominated by one of the largest remaining areas of chalk grassland in Northern Europe surrounded by a fringe of arable farming. A third of the area falls within the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Energy crops are not appropriate on the open rolling chalk downland. This area is also of international importance for it’s prehistoric ritual landscape (includes a World Heritage Site) and views must be protected. Limited potential for planting of biomass crops; however SRC in particular, may be accommodated on the valley floors. Miscanthus may be accommodated within the existing patterns of arable crops off the open plateau, on the lower slopes.
| Generic landscape characteristics (note 2) | Key landscape characteristics (note 3) | Potential effects (PA, N, PB) (note 4) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SRC | Miscanthus | ||
| Topography (note 5) | Steep scarp. | N – Impractical on steep slopes. |
N – Impractical on steep slopes. |
| Extensive, open rolling chalk plateau of Salisbury Plain. | PA - Would be very visible and alter the appearance of the un-vegetated landforms of the Salisbury Plain and the West Wiltshire Downs. |
PA - Would be very visible and alter the appearance of the un-vegetated landforms of the Salisbury Plain, West Wiltshire Downs and alter the character of the Avon Valley. |
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| Gently domed, broad hills separated by shallow dry valleys of the West Wiltshire Downs are eroded in the west to form dramatic hills and deep chalk combes. | |||
| River Avon cuts through the chalk uplands. | N – Scope for limited planting on the valley floor. |
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| Woodland (note 6) | Absence of woodland apart from small hilltop beech clumps and occasional stark conifer shelter belts on the Plain. | PA - Would be very visible and alter the appearance of the unwooded landscape. |
PA - Would be very visible and alter the appearance of this character area. |
Woodlands confined to valleys and steep slopes of the chalk uplands with extensive ridge top ancient oak woodlands at Grovely Wood and Great Ridge; Broad leaved copses and clumps are eye catching features on hill tops |
N – Impractical to plant on steep slopes but potential on gentler slopes where existing woodland occurs. |
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Hanging woodlands occur along the steep valley slopes of the River Avon and small beech plantations on rises in the ground and lines of willow and poplar occur along watercourses on the valley floor. |
N/PA - Impractical to plant on steep valley slopes but potential to plant small plantations on the valley floor. Care should be taken to follow pattern of existing woodland cover. |
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| Boundary features (note 7) | Large straight sided fields with few hedges and low post and wire fences maintain sense of openness. |
PA – Plantations would fragment the open landscape creating a patchwork effect. |
PA – Fields of miscanthus would fragment the extensive landscape creating a patchwork effect. |
| Agriculture (note 8) | Salisbury Plain also contains extensive core areas of unenclosed downland grazing. Areas also occur on the northern edge of the West Wilshire Downs.. |
PA – Would change the open character of unimproved chalk grassland with limited woodland.and open arable farmland |
N/PA - Accommodate into the arable landscape but potential to fragment the extensive landscape into a patchwork. |
| Large areas of cereal cropping on plateau margins and lower slopes | PA – Would change and fragment the character of the expansive unimproved chalk grassland landscape. |
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| Dry pastures occur on lower valley slopes of the River Avon with meadows and damp pasture on the valley floor. | |||
| Settlement and development (note 9) | Absence of settlement on open downs. Extensive military activity: buildings, airfields, tank training areas and military housing (e.g. Tidworth). |
PA – The MOD has already planted trees and scrub out of character with the open landscape. |
N/PA - Accommodate into the arable landscape but potential to fragment the extensive landscape into a patchwork. |
Traditional settlement pattern of nucleated villages on the edges of the valley floodplain and foot of scarp slopes. |
PA – Obscure views to and from attractive villages built from local materials. |
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Salisbury has a fine river and waterside setting. |
N/PA – Would alter the setting of the city. |
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| Semi-natural habitats (note 10) | One of the largest remaining areas of chalk grassland in north-west Europe. |
PA – Where it would result in the loss of semi-natural habitats. |
PA – where it would result in the loss semi-natural habitats. |
Watermeadows and water cress beds are a distinctive historic feature on the valley floor. |
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| Historic features (note 11) | Outstanding prehistoric ritual landscape with widespread earthworks and monuments including Stonehenge World Heritage Site. Neolithic and Bronze Age field monuments, Iron Age hillforts and subsequent layers of landscape history Long and round barrows on ridges. | PA – Avoid these and other known historic features and retain their setting in this internationally important prehistoric ritual landscape. |
PA - Avoid these and other known historic features and retain their setting in this internationally important prehistoric ritual landscape. |
| Chalk-cut figures: white horses.
Large park and estate landscapes within the valleys and along the Avon. Floated flood meadows. | PA – Avoid, and retain the setting of, these historic features; protect views into or from, parklands and views of the chalk-cut figures. |
PA – Avoid, and retain the setting of, these historic features; protect views into or from, parklands and views of the chalk-cut figures. |
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| Rivers and coasts (note 12) | Clear fast flowing chalk rivers and streams of the Avon, Wylye and Bourne possess characteristic aquatic species plus associated areas of damp pasture and wet woodland.
City of Salisbury has a fine river and waterside setting. | N – Planting on the valley floor although care will need to be taken not to increase the sense of enclosure or to change the character of the waterside setting of Salisbury. |
PA – Would be out of character with the pastoral/flood meadows on the valley floor. |
| Dry valleys devoid of water occur in the chalk uplands. | |||
| Views and inter-visibity (note 13) | The prehistoric ritual landscape with widespread earthworks and monuments prominent in the open landscape including Stonehenge is of international importance. Highly visible Neolithic and Bronze Age field monuments, Iron Age hill forts and subsequent layers of landscape history. Long and round barrows occur on ridges. | PA - Planting that changes the open exposed character of the area – a rolling landscape of large regular arable and unimproved chalk grassland that provides a back-clothe to an internationally important historic landscape. |
PA - Planting that changes the open exposed character of the area – a rolling landscape of large regular arable and unimproved chalk grassland that provides a back-clothe to an internationally important historic landscape. |
Vast, rolling open landscape on chalk with spacious far horizons. Chalk-cut figures: white horses.
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The information contained in the above table and accompanying footnotes has been produced by Natural England, on behalf of Defra, to assess opportunities and optimum sitings of energy crops
1. Overall comments
This section summarises the key characteristics of the JCA and the potential impacts and issues concerned with energy crop planting. It aims to provide an overall indication of the suitability for biomass crop establishment. In JCAs where the physical characteristics are so extreme that it is unlikely that land managers will want to plant biomass crops this is generally noted.
2. Generic landscape characteristics
The headings are based on those used in Natural England’s Countryside Quality Counts (CQC) project, with the addition of ‘topography’ and ‘views and inter-visibility’. They provide a way of breaking down the physical and visual qualities that help to make up the landscape. The potential impacts of energy crops have been assessed against this common framework.
3. Key landscape characteristics
This section aims to highlight for each of the generic categories, the specific landscape features and characteristics within each JCA that may be relevant to the growing of energy crops
4. Potential effects
This section summarises the main potential effects of SRC and miscanthus on each of the key landscape characteristics and features. In making the assessment we considered both the presence or absence of crops, and the the effects of scale and pattern in the landscape. Where the impacts are likely to differ between SRC and miscanthus this has been noted. Although it is very difficult to estimate impacts at such a general level we have attempted to assess whether the landscape impact could b10 May, 2007ass="listnobullet">
5. Topography
Topography, or landform, is often one of the main influences on landscape character, particularly in hilly or upland areas. We have summarised the overall topography of each area, together with an explanation of any specific or exceptional areas or major landform types. Topography will influence how obtrusive energy crops might be in some areas, or how they might fit in well in others.
6. Woodland
This covers all types of woodland, from ancient and semi-natural woodlands to commercial plantations, and includes broadleaved, conifer and mixed woodlands. As well as woodland type, we are interested in the pattern and scale of woodlands and how woodland cover varies across the JCA. In some areas there are close associations between specific types of woodland and particular landforms. Issues of concern include how biomass crops might contribute to or impact on local patterns of woodland cover, and what layouts or scale might be appropriate.
7. Boundary features
These include all forms of traditional boundaries, including hedgerows, stone walls and ditches. We are also interested in field patterns, particularly where these are of historic importance or are distinctive to the area. Issues considered included whether the establishment, growth or harvesting of energy crops could have an impact on traditional and valuable boundaries, either through direct damage (eg to allow access for farm machinery) or by obscuring or affecting the integrity of existing field patterns.
8. Agriculture
Agriculture includes arable, pasture (livestock), horticulture and mixed farming. In areas that are already intensively cropped, energy crops are likely to be less of an issue, and the impacts could be beneficial or neutral depending on scale. Adverse impacts are more likely in pastoral areas, particularly in low intensity, unimproved grassland areas. In areas where there is an existing underlying trend from grass to arable, the assessment has taken account of any existing landscape and land management priorities that may exist.
9. Settlement and development.
This covers population centres, roads, other infrastructure and mineral workings. In most cases energy crops are unlikely to have a significant impacts. However, in some cases there may be issues concerning the scale or pattern of planting where this would impact on the character of the local road network, or significantly affect the setting of towns or villages.
10. Semi-natural habitats
In this section we are concerned with the presence or absence, scale, and pattern of semi-natural habitats, other than woodland which is covered under 6. In general, many impacts will only be apparent at the detailed site level, which is outside the scope of this exercise. We have only commented where it is likely that biomass crops would impact on semi-natural habitats that are an integral part of the landscape.
11. Historic features.
Historic features refer not just to visible monuments and remains, but also historic areas such as parks and battlefields. As well as the presence or absence of features, we are interested in their density and pattern of distribution, and whether they are above or below ground. Specific, extensive archaeological or historic landscapes are noted. Issues considered included whether planting would obscure or damage historic sites, or whether it would affect the setting or integrity of a historic site. It is important to note that historic remains are extremely widespread and many have not been fully recorded. At this scale we have only referred to obvious sites and concentrations of sites. More detailed site assessment will normally be necessary.
12. Rivers and coasts
Water plays a key role in determining landform and defining landscape character. Issues of concern include whether energy crops could obscure watercourses or disrupt drainage patterns, and any hydrological and coastal management issues.
13. Views and inter-visibility
In some JCAs, views in, out or across an area are a key characteristic of the landscape. These may be broad, sweeping views or local, intimate ones. A key concern will be whether biomass crops would obscure or otherwise have an impact on the nature of these views.
Page last modified:
15 March, 2007
Page published: 10 December, 2002