Planning

Landscape Character Assessment

The Landscape Character Assessment is a study of the Broads developed to aid decision-making that could affect its condition or visual quality.

It is intended to promote management and changes that seek to conserve and enhance the area's natural beauty.

The study has concentrated on identifying a series of areas each with a unique set of characteristics, which combine to give them their own distinct sense of place. The work has been subject to consultation with a variety of organisations and has been reviewed by the individual parish councils. It sits with the Landscape Sensitivity Study.

We have broken down the documents into the main report sections and appendices, then the local character assessment areas are split into 4 groups.

Landscape character areas

Areas 1 to 8 (pdf 7570kb)

Area 1 Waveney Valley - Outney Common and Bath Hills
Area 2 Waveney Valley - Bungay/Ditchingham to Shipmeadow/Geldeston
Area 3 Waveney Valley - Barsham, Gillingham and Beccles Marshes
Area 4 Waveney Valley - Aldeby to Burgh St Peter
Area 5 Waveney Valley - Worlingham Wall to Boundary Dyke Barnby
Area 6 Waveney Valley - Boundary Dyke Barnby to the Fleet, Oulton
Area 7 Waveney Valley - Burgh St Peter to Haddiscoe Marshes
Area 8 Waveney Valley - Flixton to Herringfleet Marshes

Areas 9 to 15 (pdf 6268kb)

Area 9 Waveney Valley - St Olaves to Burgh Castle
Area 10 Yare Valley - Whitlingham Lane and Country Park
Area 11 Yare Valley - Thorpe to Cary's Meadow, Thorpe Island and marshes, Postwick Grove and Whitlingham Marshes
Area 12 Yare Valley - Kirby/Postwick to Rockland/Strumpshaw
Area 13 Yare Valley - Claxton to Hardley Marshes
Area 14 Yare Valley - Buckenham and Cantley Marshes and Carrs
Area 15 Yare Valley - Cantley to Reedham

Areas 16 to 23 (pdf 8206kb)

Area 16 Yare/Waveney Norton Marshes to Haddiscoe dismantled railway
Area 17 Chet Valley
Area 18 Haddiscoe Island
Area 19 Halvergate Marshes (ex Bure Loop and west of Tunstall Dyke)
Area 20 Breydon Water
Area 21 Breydon/Waveney Valley
Area 22 Bure Valley - Upstream Wroxham to Horstead
Area 23 Bure Valley - Wroxham to Fleet Dyke, South Walsham

Areas 24 to 31 (pdf 9135kb)

Area 24 Bure Valley - South Walsham to Acle Marshes and Fens
Area 25 Bure Valley - Lower Bure Arable Marshlands
Area 26 Muck Fleet Valley and the Trinity Broads
Area 27 Ant Valley - Upstream of Wayford Bridge
Area 28 Ant Valley - Downstream of Wayford Bridge
Area 29 Ant/Bure Valley - Ludham, Horning and Neatishead Grazing Marshes
Area 30 Thurne Valley - Upper Thurne Open Marshes, Broads and Fen
Area 31 Thurne/ Bure Valley - Martham Ferry to Oby

Areas which exist within the Broads boundary but have more in common with a neighbouring district's areas have been identified in our assessments and the neighbouring district's work has been referenced.

Landscape Character Videos

To help bring the content of the Landscape Character Assessment alive for planners and other stakeholders, we have commissioned a series of five short videos that give an overview of the unique characteristics of the Broads landscape. The topics are; Introduction to the Broads, Open Water, Fen, Drained Marshes and Settlements.

You can view the first one below and visit our YouTube playlist to watch the other videos.

Useful links

More can be found on these areas on the relevant district councils' websites:

Contact

If you have information relevant to the local character areas please email Broads Authority Head of Strategy and Projects Simon Hooton.