Planting of energy crops, although outside planning control, can have a major impact on our landscape, especially if grown on a large scale.  However, landscape architects can influence the siting of energy crops to minimise adverse impact on the landscape. 

In Devon, the Centre for Sustainable Energy (on behalf of a funding consortium led by Devon Wildlife Trust and the former Countryside Agency and English Nature, now Natural England) was commissioned to undertake a study to identify potential opportunities for biomass – a ‘Biomass Opportunity Statement’.  LUC played a critical role in the study, providing specialist expertise on landscape and visual issues.

Different biomass crops may have different effects on landscape, e.g.:
• Miscanthus (Elephant Grass) is a monoculture of a non-native crop - landscape change results from rapid growth rates and large scale harvesting operations.
• New Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) of willow or poplar is also a monoculture crop and, although the species are likely to appear more appropriate in the UK than Miscanthus, SRC does not look like natural woodland.  Landscape change results from rapid uniform growth and large scale harvesting operations.
• New native woodland planting may affect perceptual aspects, such as sense of enclosure.
• Woodfuel arising from existing commercial crops or arising from management of smaller hardwood plantations is likely to result in positive landscape impacts as a result of improved woodland management

LUC identified the sensitivity of the different landscape types to biofuel crops, to feed into the statement for opportunities for establishment and management of Miscanthus, SRC and woodfuels in Devon. Our landscape sensitivity assessment results showed that, if we are to preserve the existing character of the Devon landscape, there are relatively limited opportunities for growth of bioenergy crops on a large scale without changing existing landscape character. 

One of the most useful outputs of the assessment was the provision of guidance for each landscape type suggesting how energy crops could best be integrated into the landscape.  This included advice such as focusing crops in areas already affected by cropping systems rather than conversion of pastoral areas to cropping; ensuring crop growth is dispersed rather than occupying large areas of adjacent fields; and setting planting away from the sensitive coastal edge.  This information fed into the overall biofuels opportunities statement for Devon.