Understanding and conserving the diversity of the County Durham Landscape

Dales Fringe Strategy

Strategy

The strategy proposed for the Dales Fringe is to conserve the character of the landscape and restore it where it has been weakened.

Objectives

  • DF1 To maintain and strengthen the rural character of the landscape between towns and villages.
  • DF2 To conserve the vernacular character of historic villages, town centres and farmsteads.
  • DF3 To conserve, enhance and restore characteristic features of the landscape: semi-natural oak and ash woodlands in denes and on riverbanks; species rich pastures; old hedges and dry stonewalls; narrow winding lanes and straight enclosure roads.
  • DF4 To enhance the management of arable land by creating buffers to hedgerows, trees, wetlands and watercourses.
  • DF5 To encourage integrated farm management and uptake of Environmental Stewardship.
  • DF6 To maintain the stock of hedgerow and parkland trees by conserving veteran trees and planting or tagging new hedgerow trees
  • DF7 To restore ancient semi-natural woods where they have been affected by restocking.
  • DF8 To create new native woodlands, and particularly where they would extend or link isolated ancient semi-natural woods in denes and the corridors of rivers and streams.
  • DF9 To conserve and restore historic parks and gardens.
  • DF10 To encourage good practice in woodland management to improve landscape, wildlife and amenity benefit of existing woodland.
  • DF11 To promote the restoration of river and stream bank vegetation and particularly wet woodland
  • DF12 To conserve archaeological remains and relic landscape features, including rigg and furrow
  • DF13 To improve the appearance of quarries and restore them in a way that complements and enhances the character of the local landscape – for example by creating new native woodlands, wetlands and species rich grasslands.
  • DF14 To improve the appearance of disused army camps.
  • DF15 To maintain and increase access to the countryside around towns and villages, and particularly circular neighbourhood walks and long distance paths.
  • DF16 To promote the development of quiet lanes and to ensure that highway improvement works respect the rural and historic character of minor roads and lanes.
  • DF17 To manage traffic on quiet country lanes and create new safe routes for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders between towns and villages.
  • DF18 To ensure that new development is in keeping with the character of its surroundings and contributes to the strategy for the area.
  • DF19 To encourage sustainable forms of farm diversification that respect the character of the local landscape and bring benefits to local communities
  • DF20 To encourage and promote greater involvement of local communities in decision making about neighbourhood landscapes.

Spatial Strategy

The spatial strategy for the Wear Lowlands has been derived from an analysis of Local Landscape Types, and informed by the objectives and strategy options identified for the Wear Lowlands County Character Area.

Each Landscape Description Unit (LDU) has been assigned with one of six strategies: Conserve, Conserve and enhance, Conserve and restore, Restore, Restore or enhance, or Enhance. The spatial strategy for individual local landscape types with in the Wear Lowlands can be downloaded as a table below:

Wear Lowlands Spatial Strategy by Local Landscape Types (PDF, 21kb)

Alternatively view an interactive map of the Spatial Strategy Map for County Durham.

Landscape Conservation and Improvement Priority Areas

Spatial Strategies can also be used to identify broader Landscape Conservation Priority Areas and Landscape Improvement Priority Areas. Those landscapes with strategies of conserve, conserve and restore and conserve and enhance are identified as Landscape Improvement Areas.

View interactive map of Conservation and Improvement Priority Areas.

Further Information