Landscape and visual

Context

Chapter 14 of Volume 2 of the PEIR presents the preliminary landscape and visual assessment, considering likely effects of the Proposed Development on the elements that make up the landscape, the specific aesthetic or perceptual qualities of the landscape, character of the landscape and changes in views or visual amenity.

The airport is located to the south east of Luton on an elevated plateau. The surrounding landscape is recognised for its local landscape value, has an extensive network of Public Rights of Way and has several features valued for their amenity, heritage or ecological value. The Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) is located approximately 3km north and 5km west of the airport. The existing airport is a prominent feature in views from much of the surrounding area and is also visible from long distance views from the Chilterns AONB. Further context of the existing airport in views from the surrounding area can be gained from panoramic photographs included in Appendix 14.6 in Volume 3 of this PEIR. These have been taken from representative viewpoints in the surrounding area, agreed with the landscape officers of the local authorities.

Mitigation measures

A range of measures relating to the management of landscape and visual effects are proposed as part of the Proposed Development. These include (but are not limited to):

Construction

• good practice measures to protect the landscape and visual amenity as set out and explained in the Draft CoCP (refer to Appendix 4.2 of Volume 3 of this PEIR);
• works to trees to be carried out in accordance with the draft Arboricultural Impact Assessment contained in Appendix 14.3 in Volume 3 of this PEIR;
• the functionality of the Public Rights of Way network would be protected throughout construction, to enable users to continue to exercise their rights whilst also protecting them from construction traffic; and
• an area at least as large as may be affected by the proposed works would be made available for use by the public ahead of any site clearance activities that would impact existing public open space and construction operations.

Operation

• the design of the Proposed Development has evolved to avoid impacting on ancient woodland at Winchhill Wood, to retain mature woodland/hedgerow vegetation and coniferous plantation woodland along the ridgeline of Winch Hill, to retain an area of mature woodland to the north of Dairyborn Escarpment, and to retain (in part) hedgerow vegetation on the retained northern part of Wigmore Valley Park;
• the design of the Proposed Development has evolved to avoid excavation on the ridgeline of Winch Hill or in land occupied by a potential Roman building, located within the field immediately to the south east of Wigmore Valley Park;
• the replacement open space is an integral part of the Proposed Development, which has been designed to avoid, minimise, replicate and/or replace landscape and visual effects by restoring boundary treatments, providing new screening planting and creating areas of meadow and mown grassland;
• hedgerow and tree planting is proposed to restore historic field boundaries and provide visual screening;
• an earth bund would be formed on the south west boundary of the retained part of Wigmore Valley Park using fill material considered unsuitable for constructing the airfield platform;
• extensive planting of new trees, shrubs and seeding of meadow grassland are proposed to mitigate for the loss of existing vegetation and to provide new habitats and green corridors for wildlife;
• the visual impact of new buildings and, where feasible, airfield equipment would be reduced through muted surface finishes;
• a draft Landscape and Biodiversity Management Plan has been prepared (refer to Appendix 8.2 in Volume 3 of this PEIR) that sets out measures for the management of existing and proposed vegetation; and
• improvements to Public Rights of Way within the surrounding landscape are proposed, including upgrades of sections and improved signage.

Likely significant effects

The Proposed Development would impact on the existing landscape character and on peoples’ visual amenity during both construction and operation.

The removal of elements of the existing landscape and proposed alterations to landform are likely to result in significant adverse effects on several landscape receptors during construction, impacting elements that make up the existing landscape and defined character areas. It is assessed that there would be a residual significant adverse effect on the landform east of the airport, on the townscape of Hitchin (largely due to the potential to impact on trees as a result of highway interventions) and on several landscape character areas (Luton Borough Landscape Character Area 13 – Wigmore Rural and Hertfordshire Landscape Character Area 200 – Peters Green Plateau). The increase in air transit movements is also assessed to result in a significant adverse effect on the aesthetic and perceptual characteristics of the landscape within the Chilterns AONB.

However, the mitigation measures to be delivered by the Proposed Development would result in a significant beneficial effect on the network of Public Rights of Way east of Luton.

Photomontages of the Proposed Development from representative viewpoints in the surrounding area are provided in Appendix 14.7 in Volume 3 of this PEIR.

It is assessed that the Proposed Development would result in people experiencing a significant adverse effect to their visual amenity during construction when visiting Wigmore Valley Park, Wigmore Hall Conference Centre, Raynham Way Recreation Ground and Community Centre, the car park east of Vauxhall Way, the area of greenspace next to Polzeath Close, South Wigmore, Darleyhall, the Lea Valley Cycle Route near Park Street, and when moving along Eaton Green Road, Winch Hill Road, Kimpton Road and Airport Way, New Airport and several nearby Public Rights of Way.

It is assessed that people would continue to experience significant adverse effects at the year of maximum passenger capacity in 2043, when using Wigmore Valley Park, Raynham Way Recreation Ground and Community Centre, the car park east of Vauxhall Way, the Lea Valley Cycle Route near Park Street, and when moving along several nearby Public Rights of Way to the south east of Wigmore Valley Park and to the east of the existing airfield.

Once the landscape mitigation delivered by the Proposed Development has matured, the effects experienced by the users of Wigmore Hall Conference Centre, the car park east of Vauxhall Way and users of Public Rights of Way to the south east of Wigmore Valley Park and to the east of the existing would be reduced to not significant. All other significant adverse effects on visual amenity are considered to remain.

Completing the assessment

Further assessment of the likely landscape and visual effects will be undertaken, including the preparation of further photomontages of the Proposed Development.

Documents

PEIR Chapter 14 : Click Here

Figures

14.1 The Site and Study Area : Click Here
14.2 Zone of Theoretical Visibility : Click Here
14.3 Local Landscape Character Areas : Click Here
14.4 Topography Plan : Click Here
14.5 Aerial Photograph and Veteran Tree Plan : Click Here
14.6 Public Rights of Way : Click Here
14.7 LVIA Constraints : Click Here
14.8 Assessment Viewpoint Locations : Click Here
14.9 Embedded Landscape Mitigation : Click Here
14.10 Additional Landscape Mitigation : Click Here
14.11 Phase 1 Landscape Mitigation : Click Here
14.12 Phase 2a Landscape Mitigation : Click Here
14.13 Phase 2b Landscape Mitigation : Click Here

Appendices

14.1 LVIA Methodology : Click Here
14.2 Tree Survey : Click Here
14.3 Arboricultural Impact Assessment : Click Here
14.4 and 14.5 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Tables : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 1-4 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 5-8 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoint 9-10 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 11-14 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 15-18 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 19-22 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 23-25 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 26-30 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 31-35 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 36-40 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoint 41-44 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 45-48 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 49-52 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoint 53-56 : Click Here
14.6 Winter and Summer Viewpoint Photographs and Viewpoint Location Plan - Viewpoints 57-60 : Click Here
14.7 Illustrative Visual Representations - Locations and Viewpoints 1 to 10B : Click Here
14.7 Illustrative Visual Representations - Viewpoints 13 to 19 : Click Here
14.7 Illustrative Visual Representations - Viewpoints 23 to 30 : Click Here
14.7 Illustrative Visual Representations - Viewpoints 31 to 50 : Click Here
14.8 Residential Visual Amenity Appraisal : Click Here
14.9 Chilterns AONB Sensitivity Test : Click Here