LUC’s Landscape Planning and Management team is pleased to be nearing completion of the fieldwork for this year’s Rapid Survey on the Landscape Effects of Environmental Stewardship project, for Natural England and Defra.

The project aims to evaluate the landscape effects of features that fall under England’s main agri-environment scheme, Environmental Stewardship, which covers approximately 70% of farmed land.

The scheme provides funding for farmers and other land managers in England to deliver effective environmental management on their land. One of its primary objectives is the conservation and enhancement of landscape character.

We are using an innovative methodology to undertake the survey, utilising a bespoke tablet-based live database in the field to efficiently and accurately record results.

The findings of the project should enable Natural England and Defra to spatially target effective options in order to further improve their contribution to landscape character and quality across England.  Data from this study will also assist Defra in implementing their new Countryside Stewardship scheme, the successor to Environmental Stewardship, which also includes conservation of landscape character as one of its broad objectives.