The Hampshire Landscape - a Strategy for the Future
A Strategy for the Future
We need a clear understanding of what contributes to the character
of the landscape and what changes are influencing and eroding it. At the same
time we need to establish how to conserve and enhance it. We also need to
promote sustainable management and ensure that development will respect it. If
we are to ensure that future generations can enjoy the landscape as we do
today, then we need a long-term strategy to guide its evolution and to harness
and direct all those actions that will continue for as long as human needs
change. That is the purpose of The Hampshire Landscape: a Strategy for the
Future.
The importance of recognising and conserving the characteristics of all landscapes is promoted by the government advisor on the countryside - the Countryside Agency. In developing its Countryside Character Initiative, the Agency aims to guide policy development and inform national decision-making, giving a context to local planning, action and development. At the same time it encourages strategic management plans to influence the overall approach to land management.
This is the first strategic land management
plan for Hampshire, complementing the strategic land-use plan for the county,
the County Structure Plan. It seeks to engage and guide all those who can
influence management and change in the landscape. It informs and provides a
framework for all agencies which are producing management plans and strategies.
Ultimately it guides environmental action on the ground in Hampshire.
The strategy recognises the need to provide for the economic and social requirements of those living and working in the countryside, while guiding the protection and conservation of landscape character through sustainable management.
Like the countywide landscape
assessment (1), the strategy covers all countryside areas throughout
Hampshire. Urban areas are outside its scope, but the important and seamless
inter-relationships between urban areas, urban fringe and rural areas are
recognised. A high-quality urban environment with good facilities and
attractive residential and job opportunities helps to revitalise towns and
cities and helps to reduce pressure on rural areas. The strategy also sets
the framework for urban design and community planning in rural areas through
Village Design Statements and Local Agenda 21 initiatives.
(1) The County Council published its landscape assessment for Hampshire in 1993, 'The Hampshire Landscape'.
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This page is part of the Hampshire Landscape Strategy (summary) - for specific enquiries about the strategy or to request your own copy, please contact landscape@hants.gov.uk |
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