Proposals for development in the rural area must seek to conserve and enhance the special features and diversity of the different landscape character areas. Such proposals should not harm the integrity of the biodiversity resource as judged by key nature conservation principles, and proposals should seek to conserve and enhance the biodiversity value of areas which they affect.
3.1 Some of Carlisle’s countryside is covered by AONB or County Landscape designations. However, the majority of the rural area is not covered by any designation. This policy applies to those areas. The Rural White Paper in 1995 set out the Government’s objectives for enhancing the wider countryside by conserving its natural assets and maintaining its diversity of character. The Countryside Agency’s Countryside Character Programme built on this theme and provided a comprehensive and consistent analysis of the character of the English Countryside.
3.2 Throughout the district there are many sites which support important habitats for a variety of species of plants and animals. Landscape features of major importance for supporting biodiversity are estuary, sand-dune, lowland raised mires, basin mires, unimproved wet grasslands and flushes, upland calcereous grassland, blanket bog, heathland, species rich hay meadows, woodlands, tarns, river corridors, hedgerows, walls and green lanes. Whilst many of these will already be covered by specific designations, there will be others that are not. The features will be retained, managed and enhanced wherever possible through planning conditions and obligations, and management agreements as appropriate.
3.3 Key nature conservation principles that will be applied in site protection planning policies will include:
3.4 Additionally consideration will be given to the impact of proposals on a set of targets and indicators for biodiversity/sustainability objectives as prepared by the North West Biodiversity Forum. This forum comprises a partnership of statutory authorities, agencies and the voluntary sector, whose recommendations are set within national biodiversity policies that have the status of Government Policy.
3.5 The landscape of Carlisle District is predominantly rural in character and the Carlisle Urban Fringe Landscape Study sets out the quality and diversity of the different landscape types in the urban fringe. For the remainder of the rural area, detailed descriptions of the different landscape types within the County Landscapes (ridge and valley, main valleys and open moorlands) are contained within Technical Paper 5 of the Structure Plan - Landscape Character. Detrimental change to the landscape can occur progressively through new development. To avoid this, opportunities should be taken through the development process to conserve and enhance landscape character. The overall aim should be to conserve or enrich the different characteristic features which give each landscape type its identity. The local planning authority is committed to carrying out detailed, local landscape character assessment work to inform both policy and decision making.
3.6 The countryside is a valuable resource which should be protected for its own sake. Some development will inevitably take place in the countryside where it is essential for agriculture, forestry tourism or other needs of the rural economy. Therefore the Council will seek to ensure that development does not unacceptably damage local character and where possible enhances the distinctive character of the local area.
3.7 The North West Biodiversity Forum are a partnership of statutory authorities, agencies and the voluntary sector, whose recommendations are set within national biodiversity policies that have the status of Government Policy. The forum has compiled a set of targets and indicators for biodiversity/ sustainability objectives for the North West.
