News

ESSEX 'HIGHLY COMMENDED' BY THE LANDSCAPE INSTITUTE

23rd February 2007

The Chairman of Essex County Council, Cllr Gerard McEwen was presented with a national award from the Landscape Institute by Cllr Peter Martin, Cabinet Member for Planning and the Environment, at Full Council today (13th February).

The Landscape Institute gave a 'Highly Commended' to Essex County Council for Strategic Landscape Planning. This follows the development of a new interactive CD Rom called 'Landscape Character Assessment of the Essex Coast', which charts and collates information to help inform future planning decisions.

Since the Countryside Agency and English Nature produced the Character Map of England in 1997, government policy has supported the use of landscape character analysis as a tool to understand the intrinsic character of the landscape and direct appropriate sustainable development.

This landscape assessment forms a basis for a countywide landscape strategy, to guide development control, regeneration and future landscape management and conservation.

Cllr Martin commented: "Protection of the Essex landscape is one of Essex County Council's key priorities. This initiative is an excellent example of how working with partners and other organisations can help to protect the Essex coastline for future generations. I am pleased that the project has received the recognition it deserves."

Funding for this project was through the SAIL (Schéma d'Aménagement Intègre du Littoral) project through Colchester Borough Council.

Source: Essex County Council