Landscape, Seascape and Visual Impact

Developments – for example anything that needs planning permission – change the landscape. The changes may cause “impacts” on the landscape.

Whatever the merits of the development itself, it’s important to make sure that the development is in the right place and designed to fit in with its landscape setting. That’s why we assess the “impacts” of developments.

This is very important where the development is large or where the location is sensitive. That’s why methods for assessing impacts on the landscape have been developed.  These are part of a wider process of assessing environmental impacts.

Changes to landscapes and views

We usually distinguish between impacts on the landscape (changes to the character of a place) and visual impacts (changes to the appearance of views). We also separate describing the changes from whether those changes should be welcomed or not.  

Development and change are essential to our livelihood. Our role is to help guide the right development into the right place. This is how landscapes evolve. The question is therefore, would the development help change that landscape in ways we would wish or not?