DEV23 - Landscape character

The Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan has now been adopted! To find out more please visit the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan: Adoption page.

Visit the interactive Plymouth Plan to see other policies that affect decision making across Plymouth City including the Council and its partners.

Development will conserve and enhance landscape, townscape and seascape character and scenic and visual quality, avoiding significant and adverse landscape or visual impacts. Development proposals should:

  1. Be located and designed to respect scenic quality and maintain an area’s distinctive sense of place and reinforce local distinctiveness.
  2. Conserve and enhance the characteristics and views of the area along with valued attributes and existing site features such as trees, hedgerows and watercourses that contribute to the character and quality of the area.
  3. Be of high quality architectural and landscape design appropriate to its landscape context.
  4. Be located and designed to prevent erosion of relative tranquility and intrinsically dark landscapes, and where possible use opportunities to enhance areas in which tranquility has been eroded.
  5. Restore positive landscape characteristics and features that reinforce local landscape quality and distinctiveness.
  6. Where necessary, be supported by Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments and landscaping schemes that enhance that proposed development.
  7. Avoid, mitigate, and where appropriate compensate, for any residual adverse effects and take opportunities to secure landscape character and visual enhancements.