Understanding and conserving the diversity of the County Durham Landscape

Tees Lowlands Strategy

Strategy

The strategy proposed for the Tees Lowlands is broadly to conserve the existing rural character of the landscape while enhancing those areas affected most by urban and industrial development and agricultural intensification.

Objectives

  • TL1 To maintain and strengthen the rural character of the landscape between towns and villages.
  • TL2 To conserve the character of historic villages, older village cores and town centres.
  • TL3 To conserve, enhance and restore characteristic features of the landscape – carr woodland, old  hedges and mature hedgerow trees, natural watercourses, field ponds, ditches and wetlands, old neutral and wet grasslands, domestic orchards, rigg and furrow
  • TL4 To conserve relic landscapes and landscape features – particularly historic parklands, and relics of the medieval landscape such as rigg and furrow and deserted villages.
  • TL5 To encourage integrated farm management and the uptake of Environmental Stewardship.
  • TL6 To enhance the management of arable land by creating buffers to hedgerows, trees, wetlands and watercourses, and particularly in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones.
  • TL7 To improve the management of hedgerows by reducing the frequency of trimming.
  • TL8 To restore connectivity in open arable landscapes by planting new hedgerows in strategic locations.
  • TL9 To restore wetness to carr landscapes to increase flood storage and recreate wetlands and wet grasslands
  • TL10 To restore more natural conditions to watercourses – restoring the natural channels of engineered watercourses where possible and re-establishing bank-side vegetation.
  • TL11 To conserve historic parks and gardens
  • TL12 To increase woodland cover, particularly in the urban fringe and major transport corridors.
  • TL13 To create new native oak and alder carr woodlands and particularly where they would contribute to wildlife goals – for example by extending or linking existing woods.
  • TL14 To encourage good practice in woodland management to improve the landscape, wildlife and amenity benefit of existing woods.
  • TL15 To maintain the stock of hedgerow and parkland trees by conserving veteran trees and planting or tagging new hedgerow trees.
  • TL16 To encourage the creation of new wetland habitats and particularly ponds.
  • TL17 To maintain and increase access to the countryside around towns and villages, and particularly circular neighbourhood walks and long distance paths.
  • TL18 To create accessible natural green space close to towns and villages.
  • TL19 To reduce traffic on country lanes and create new safe routes or ‘greenways’ for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders between towns and villages.
  • TL20 To ensure that new development is in keeping with the character of its surroundings and contributes positively to the strategy for the area.
  • TL21 To encourage sustainable forms of farm diversification that respect and enhance character of local landscape and bring benefits to local communities.
  • TL22 To encourage improvements to the environment of industrial sites and positive management of vacant industrial land.
  • TL23 To ensure that the scale and form of wind energy development is compatible with the character of the local landscape.
  • TL24 To encourage and promote greater involvement of local communities in decision making about neighbourhood landscapes.

Spatial Strategy

The spatial strategy for the North Pennines has been derived from an analysis of Local Landscapes Types, and informed by the objectives and strategy options identified for the Tees Lowland 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. For further information on the how the spatial strategy was devived visit the methodology page.

The spatial strategy for the Tees Lowlands can be downloaded as a table in pdf format.

Tees Lowland Local Landscape Types Spatial Strategy (PDF, 21kb)

Alternatively view an interactive map of the Spatial Strategy 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