This User Guide is designed for applicants and developers to follow when considering a development proposal within Cherwell District and for Development Managers within Cherwell District Council reviewing applications, to ensure landscape character is considered.

Applicants should follow the steps set out below before submitting a planning application in order to ensure that key characteristics, key landscape qualities and sensitivities and guidelines are considered at an early stage and taken into account in the planning and design of the proposed development.

Development proposals must demonstrate, as part of a planning application, how landscape character has influenced their siting, scale and design. Proposals which are likely to have a significant impact on the landscape and/or visual amenity will require a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) to be undertaken. For proposals which are not likely to result in significant effects on the landscape and/or visual amenity an informal landscape assessment can be undertaken.

Step 1a: What type of change is proposed? Review the general principles for landscape and development management in Chapter 5 of the Cherwell Landscape Character Assessment (LCA).

Step 1b: Is the proposal in, or close to the edge of, the Chilterns National Landscape? If yes, consult the National Landscape Management Plan.

Step 2: Which landscape character area (LCA) is the proposal in (refer to Figure 5.1)? If the proposal is close to the edge of two or more landscape character areas all relevant profiles need to be consulted.

Step 3: Will any of the key characteristics (in the LCA profiles, Appendix C) be affected by the proposal? If so, which ones and how?

Step 4: Will any of the key landscape qualities & sensitivities be affected by the proposal? If so, which ones and how?

Step 5: Will the proposal conflict with the management guidelines? Can the proposal and mitigation help implement the guidelines and contribute to objectives for conservation, enhancement or restoration? If so, which ones and how?

Step 6: If the answer is yes to any of steps 3, 4 and 5, can the proposal be altered in any way to avoid adverse effects on key characteristics, key landscape qualities & sensitivities, or guidelines? If not, can adverse effects be reduced or offset? How?