COUNTRYSIDE PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT

LANDSCAPE QUALITY

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  The landscape has an important public interest role in the cultural, ecological, environmental and social fields, constitutes a resource favourable to economic activity (European Landscape Convention p.2).
  
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  Landscape quality is an important part of the quality of life of people everywhere: in urban areas and in the countryside, in degraded areas as well as in areas of high quality, in areas recognised as being of outstanding beauty as well as everyday areas (European Landscape Convention p.2).
  
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  Development should aim to conserve or enhance the quality of landscape, whether or not is is part of protected land such as a national park. To achieve the key objective of good design it is essential to understand the individual character of the landscape (NW Best Practice Design Guide p.24)
  
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  The conservation of the natural beauty of the landscape and countryside should be given great weight in planning policies and development control decisions (PPS7 para.21)(PPS1, para 20)
  

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  Our vision is of rural areas evolving in ways which enhance landscape and biodiversity (Our Countryside, Pg 1)
  

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  When preparing policies for LDDs and determining planning applications for development in the countryside, local planning authorities should, amongst other factors, conserve specific features and sites of landscape, wildlife and historic or architectural value, in accordance with statutory designations. (PPS7, para.16)
  
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  The protection of important landscape features, and their replacement when they are lost, will assist in enhancing the attractiveness and image of the city (UDP Policy EN12 and RJ)
  
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  The Red Rose Community Forest will have a particularly important role in developing a diverse range of landscapes throughout Salford (UDP EN12 RJ)
  

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  Government accepts that there are areas of landscape that are highly valued locally, and believes that criteria-based policies, utilising tools such as landscape character assessments, should provide sufficient protection without the need for rigid designations that may be unduly restrictive (PPS7 para 25).
  
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  The identification and description of the character of the landscape does not seek to ‘freeze’ that character at this moment in time. We can take proper account of it in all decisions which will have a bearing on it. Greater awareness and understanding will engender greater respect and local pride. This will inform and shape change to make a positive contribution to strengthening countryside character (Countryside Character Volume 2: North West p11).
  
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  Landscape Character Areas in Salford include:
  

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  Character Area 54: Manchester Pennine Fringe (Clifton – to the north of the M60 motorway)
  
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  Character Area 55: Manchester Conurbation (M60 motorway western boundary to the ship canal and Central Salford boundary with Manchester to east)
  
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  Character Area 56: Lancashire Coal Measures (M60 eastern boundary, A580 southern boundary, city boundary with Wigan western boundary, M61 northern boundary)
  
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  Character Area 60: Mersey Valley (A580 northern boundary, M60 eastern boundary, city boundary with Wigan, Warrington and Trafford to south and west)