Land at Meadow Farm
Lower Wallop, Hampshire

Executive Summary

Key Findings

Section 1

Introduction

1.1 Purpose of this report

This LVIA has been prepared by Kevin Harrington CMLI MIEEM of Chalke & Bourne Landscape Consultancy in support of a full planning application for residential development at Meadow Farm, Lower Wallop, Hampshire. It has been prepared in accordance with the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, Third Edition (GLVIA3, Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment, 2013).

The assessment considers the potential effects of the proposed development on landscape character and on visual amenity, during both construction and operation, and proposes mitigation measures to avoid, reduce or offset any adverse effects identified.

1.2 The proposed development

The proposed development comprises 48 residential dwellings (mix of 2, 3 and 4-bedroom houses), associated vehicular access from the B3084, public open space, sustainable drainage infrastructure and landscaping. The application site extends to approximately 2.2 hectares.

1.3 Scope and limitations

This assessment is based on site visits carried out in May and November 2026 (to capture leaf-on and leaf-off conditions), desk-based study of published landscape character assessments, planning policy documents, aerial photography, Ordnance Survey mapping and photographic survey. A Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) was generated using OS Digital Terrain Model (DTM) data at 5m resolution to inform viewpoint selection.

Section 2

Planning Policy Context

2.1 National policy

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF, December 2024) sets out the Government's planning policies for England. Paragraph 180 states that planning decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by recognising the intrinsic character and beauty of the countryside and the wider benefits from natural capital and ecosystem services.

The NPPF affords the highest level of protection to the landscape and scenic beauty of National Parks and National Landscapes (formerly AONBs). The site is not located within or adjacent to any such nationally designated landscape.

2.2 Local policy

The relevant development plan comprises the Test Valley Borough Local Plan (adopted January 2016) and the Test Valley Borough Revised Local Plan (Publication Version, 2024). Policy E1 (Landscape Character) requires development to respect and, where possible, enhance landscape character. This LVIA addresses landscape character and visual effects in accordance with Policy E1.

2.3 Landscape designations

Section 3

Assessment Methodology

3.1 Assessment framework

This assessment follows the methodology set out in GLVIA3 and the guidance in Landscape Character Assessment: Guidance for England and Scotland (SNH/Countryside Agency, 2002). The assessment distinguishes between landscape effects (effects on landscape resources and character) and visual effects (effects on the views and visual amenity experienced by people).

Effects are assessed in terms of their magnitude, duration, reversibility and geographic extent, combined with the sensitivity of the landscape receptor or visual receptor to produce a judgement of significance.

3.2 Significance matrix

Sensitivity and magnitude are combined using the matrix below to arrive at a significance judgement. Only effects assessed as Moderate or above are considered significant in EIA terms.

Intermediate sensitivities (e.g. Low-Medium, Medium-High) are assessed by interpolation between the relevant rows, with professional judgement applied and explained at each viewpoint.

3.3 Viewpoints

Viewpoints were selected to represent the range of visual receptors likely to be affected by the proposed development, informed by the ZTV, site visits and local knowledge. Ten viewpoints were agreed informally with the LPA prior to survey. Viewpoint photography was captured at a fixed 50mm full-frame equivalent focal length, in accordance with Landscape Institute Technical Guidance Note 06/19, with both winter (leaf-off) and summer (leaf-on) records taken for VP2 and VP4 given their proximity to deciduous hedgerow screening.

Note on residential visual amenity: while VP4 receptors are assessed as High sensitivity for the purposes of this LVIA, it is noted that the protection of private views is not, in itself, a material planning consideration. The assessment is concerned with the effect on the wider visual amenity of the area, not the loss of a private view.

Section 4

Baseline Landscape Assessment

4.1 Site description

The site comprises a roughly rectangular parcel of improved grassland, previously managed as arable farmland and latterly as horse paddocks. The land is broadly level with a very gentle gradient falling approximately 1.8m from north to south. It is bounded by a post-and-rail fence with intermittent hedgerow to the north and east, a mature hedgerow with standard oak trees to the south (forming the boundary with Meadow Lane), and an open boundary adjoining the B3084 to the west.

There is a moderate degree of enclosure within the site. Views out from within the site are limited to the immediate field boundaries and to the roofline of residential properties on Meadow Lane to the south.

4.2 Landscape character

At the national level, the site falls within Natural England's National Character Area 130: Hampshire Downs. The NCA is characterised by open chalk downland with extensive arable farmland, distinct dry valley landforms, scattered woodland and intimate chalk stream valleys. The Wallop Brook valley provides a transition between the more open upland character to the north and the settled, intimate valley character to the south.

At the local level, the Test Valley Borough Landscape Character Assessment (LUC, 2018) identifies the site within LCA 12b: Wallop Brook Valley. Key characteristics of this LCA include a strong association with water meadows and chalk stream habitats, a well-treed enclosed character with frequent hedgerows and hedgerow trees, and a relatively low density of built development. The LCA is assessed as being of Medium-High sensitivity to development of the type proposed.

4.3 Condition and value

The site itself is assessed as being in Poor to Moderate condition. The grassland is improved and of limited ecological value. The bounding hedgerows, particularly the southern boundary hedgerow with oak standards, are in Good condition and contribute positively to local landscape character. The overall landscape character of the wider LCA is assessed as being in Good to Moderate condition.

There is no landscape designation directly affecting the site. The site is not assessed as making a significant contribution to the special qualities of any national landscape designation.

4.4 Seasonal variation

Visibility of the proposed development from VP2 and VP4 is materially affected by seasonal hedgerow cover. The leaf-off baseline survey (November 2026) recorded approximately 40% greater intervisibility at VP2 compared with the leaf-on (May 2026) record. This seasonal variation has been factored into the magnitude judgements at Section 5.2, with the leaf-off condition used as the reasonable worst case.

Section 5

Assessment of Landscape and Visual Effects

5.1 Landscape effects

The proposed development would introduce a new area of residential development into an area of improved grassland. The principle of change involves the replacement of a grassland character with a built character. This represents a departure from the existing character of the LCA at the site level, though the development is proposed to incorporate substantial structural planting to the site boundaries and a central open space with a naturalistic grassland character.

5.2 Visual effects by viewpoint

Effects assessed as Moderate or above are considered significant in EIA terms. No viewpoints return a significant residual effect in year 15 with mitigation in place. The most significant effects are experienced from VP2 (public footpath east of site) and VP4 (residential receptors on Meadow Lane), both of which reduce from Moderate to Minor Adverse as landscape mitigation establishes over the 15-year assessment period.

Section 5.3

Viewpoint Photography and Visualisation

To support the magnitude judgements at Section 5.2, verified viewpoint photomontages were prepared for the two most affected receptors, VP2 and VP4, showing the baseline view alongside the proposed development at year 1 and year 15 of the mitigation planting strategy. Montages are produced in accordance with Landscape Institute Technical Guidance Note 06/19, using survey-accurate massing and a fixed 50mm focal length.

The full set of ten verified viewpoint montages, together with the underlying ZTV mapping and wireframe overlays, is provided as Appendix B to the complete LVIA report. This illustrative example is simplified for the purposes of demonstrating our reporting standard.

Section 5.4

Cumulative Landscape and Visual Effects

GLVIA3 requires consideration of the cumulative effect of the proposed development in combination with other reasonably foreseeable development in the surrounding landscape. A search of the Test Valley Borough planning register identified two relevant schemes within 3km of the site at the time of assessment.

No shared visual receptors experience a combined or sequential cumulative effect that would alter the significance conclusions reached at Section 5.2. The proposed development and the two schemes identified are not intervisible from any common viewpoint at a scale that would be perceptible to the same observer within a single view or sequence of views.

This cumulative search will be updated prior to submission to capture any further applications registered between the date of this assessment and the date of the planning application.

Section 6

Mitigation and Enhancement

6.1 Landscape mitigation hierarchy

The mitigation approach follows the hierarchy of avoid, reduce and mitigate, as set out in GLVIA3. The design has been developed iteratively with the LVIA findings in mind, with landscape considerations embedded from the outset rather than applied retrospectively.

6.2 Proposed mitigation measures

• Retention and strengthening of the existing southern boundary hedgerow with additional native species planting (hawthorn, blackthorn, field maple, dog rose) to create a robust 5m-wide buffer between the development and Meadow Lane. This directly addresses visual effects at VP4.
• New native species-rich hedgerow planting along the eastern boundary to screen the development from VP2 (public footpath). Species mix to include hawthorn, hazel, blackthorn, elder, crab apple and occasional standard oaks at 12m intervals.
• A 0.4ha central open space designed as a species-rich grassland meadow with informal native tree planting, providing an ecological and visual buffer within the development. Management to MG5 grassland target condition.
• Building heights limited to 2.5 storeys across the site, with a transition to 1.5 storeys on the southern and eastern boundaries to reduce the visual mass of the development from sensitive viewpoints.
• Avoidance of illumination on the eastern boundary to protect dark sky character and reduce impacts on biodiversity corridors along the Wallop Brook.
• Use of locally sympathetic materials (red brick and clay roof tile), consistent with the character of the Wallop villages, to ensure visual coherence with the local built environment.

6.3 Landscape enhancement

In addition to the mitigation measures described above, the proposed development includes the following landscape enhancement measures: a publicly accessible 0.6ha area of wildflower grassland to the north-west of the site, accessible from the B3084 and connecting to the existing public right of way network; a new 80m hedgerow link between existing hedgerow fragments to the north of the site, improving habitat connectivity; and retention and ecological management of all trees assessed as Category A and B under BS5837:2012.

6.4 Relationship to Biodiversity Net Gain

The landscape mitigation strategy set out above has been developed alongside, and cross-checked against, the accompanying Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) metric calculation for the site. The eastern and southern hedgerow planting identified for visual screening purposes also forms part of the habitat units claimed within the BNG metric, meaning the same planting delivers both a landscape and an ecological function rather than being specified twice under separate headings.

Where a conflict has arisen between the optimal visual screening location and the optimal habitat connectivity location for a given planting run, this has been resolved jointly with the project ecologist, and the resulting compromise position is recorded in both the LVIA and the BNG metric working notes, so the two documents remain consistent if either is queried at validation or by the LPA's ecology officer.

Delivery of all landscape mitigation, enhancement and BNG habitat creation identified in this section is proposed to be secured by planning condition and by reference to the accompanying outline Landscape and Ecology Management Plan (LEMP), which sets out 30-year management and monitoring obligations.

Section 7

Conclusions

This LVIA has assessed the potential landscape and visual effects of a proposed development of 48 residential dwellings at Meadow Farm, Lower Wallop, Hampshire, in accordance with GLVIA3.

The site is not within or immediately adjacent to any national landscape designation. The most relevant landscape character assessment identifies the site within LCA 12b: Wallop Brook Valley, which is assessed as being of Medium-High sensitivity to residential development.

The assessment has identified that, with the implementation of proposed landscape mitigation measures, no viewpoints experience a significant residual visual effect in the long term (year 15). The most affected receptors are users of the public footpath to the east (VP2) and residents on Meadow Lane (VP4), both of which reduce to Minor Adverse as planting matures. No significant cumulative effects are identified in combination with other known schemes in the surrounding area.