Local landscape designations identify and celebrate important landscapes at a local level, and Fife includes many areas of landscape value. The work provides a consistent and transparent methodology to support the identification of local landscapes for designation, giving a basis for replacing the existing Areas of Great Landscape Value.
LUC's approach to the work was based on the Historic Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage guidance on local landscape designations. Fife Council is one of the first local authorities to undertaken the review of local landscape designations and our work involved the detailed interpretation and application of this guidance. This included defining the evaluation criteria and developing the method for the identification of candidate areas. An online survey was part of the public consultation which included an interactive map where visitors could review and nominate their preferred landscape areas.
The project is an important part of the Local Plan review process and the development of the detailed methodology has provided a clear understanding of the application and interpretation of the process. This has been an exciting project which has highlighted key issues in the process of landscape review and assessment.
This study won a commendation in the 2008 Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning — read more here
