Landscape in the planning application process

Oxfordshire County Council is the Local Planning Authority for Mineral and Waste, highways and schools. The County Council produces strategies and policy documents which include policies on landscape.  The Council will assess developments against national and local planning policy as well as Council strategies and guidelines when determining applications.

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF 2024) provides guidance for planning authorities and developers on the development of plans and making planning decisions.  Section 15 of the NPPF deals with Conserving and Enhancing the Natural Environment.

Further information on how the natural environment and landscape are considered within the planning system can be found in Planning Practice Guidance, which can be accessed alongside the NPPF.

Planning applications

Landscape and visual impact assessments (LVIA) / Landscape and visual appraisals (LVA)

A LVIA will be required for major developments that are considered to be EIA developments (ie developments that are subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment) or which have the potential to cause significant landscape and visual impacts.

As a general rule a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) will be required for developments that are within a National Landscape or its setting, or within any other protected or sensitive landscape area designated in a County Council assessment, District Council strategy, Local Plan or Neighbourhood Plan. Major developments outside a designated area might also require a LVIA depending on their scale, nature, location and envisaged impacts.

The LVIA should be produced in accordance with the Landscape Institute (LI) and the Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment (IEMA) Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (third edition) and subsequent guidance notes and updates. 

Smaller developments that are less likely to have a significant effect on landscape character and/or visual amenity might not require a full LVIA but still have need of some form of Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA). The format of such an appraisal may not need to satisfy the formal requirements of an EIA, however, it should as a minimum set out any effects on the landscape and views, and proposed mitigation in a rational way so that this can be fully considered through the planning process. 

The council’s requirements on LVIAs and LVAs are outlined in more detail in the Councils’ Validation checklist.

Landscaping scheme

The impact a proposal has on the locality is an important consideration for the County Council when determining planning applications. Unless otherwise indicated by the County Council, applications are to be accompanied by landscaping details and include proposals for long-term maintenance and landscape management. Further details outlined in more detail in the Councils Validation checklist.

Useful information and further guidance

Relevant planning policy

• National Planning Policy Framework (2024)
• National Planning Practice Guidance on the Natural Environment (last updated 2025).

Landscape character assessments guidance

• Natural England (2014): An Approach to Landscape Character Assessment.
• The Countryside Agency / Scottish Natural Heritage Topic Paper 6 (2002): Techniques and Criteria for Judging Capacity and Sensitivity
• Natural England (2019): An approach to Landscape sensitivity assessment – to inform spatial planning and land management

Landscape character information for Oxfordshire

• National landscape character profiles
• Oxfordshire County assessment
• District assessments: please check the website of your District Council.
• Neighbourhood landscape character assessments: please check the Parish Council or District Council Website.
• North Wessex Downs AONB: Landscape Character Assessment 2025 
• Landscape Character Assessment - Cotswolds National Landscape
• The Chilterns AONB: There is no single Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) for the Chilterns AONB. The whole of the AONB is covered by a number of county and district-based LCAs that have been undertaken using similar (but not identical) specifications; https://www.chilterns.org.uk/our-landscape/landscape-character/

Other landscape guidance

• The Landscape Institute (LI) and Institute for Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) (2013): Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, 3rd Edition (GLVIA3).
• Notes and Clarifications on Aspects of Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Third Edition (GLVIA3); LITGN-2024-01-GLVIA3-NC_Aug-2024.pdf
• The Landscape Institute (2019): TGN 06/19 Visual Representation of development proposals
• The Landscape Institute (2021) TGN02-21 : Assessing landscape value outside national designations; https://landscapeinstitute.org/news/new-guidance-assessing-landscape-value-outside-national-designations/.