Research and analysis

Evidence requirement R095 - National Seascape Character assessment

Updated 5 October 2018

This research and analysis was withdrawn on 6 March 2020

Out of date evidence

1. Requirement overview

1.1 Requirement detail

The MMO requires a character description of the north east, south east, south west and north west marine plan areas to support marine planning. Evidence is required to characterise both the inshore and offshore areas.

This work will be split into the following parts:

1. characterisation of the above marine plan areas via desk study
2. stakeholder validation of the findings
3. visual amenity analysis to show where the sea is visible from the land
4. field work, which is not a priority to deliver as part of this requirement, but could potentially add value to the findings.

Parts 1 and 3 of the work are essential (and are underway), part 2 is a high priority and part 4 would add value to the work overall.

1.2 MMO use

Marine Planning: will use the characterisation work (stakeholder validation if available) to help inform marine plan development, particularly in relation to identifying seascape related issues and developing plan policies for seascape.

Marine Licensing: will use the visual amenity analysis to help determine the impacts of developments at sea from the land and vice versa, which will inform licensing decisions where relevant.

1.3 External interest

Natural England, Environment Agency, Cefas

2. Aims and objectives

2.1 Aim

To provide a character assessment, using an agreed approach developed by Natural England, and provide a map to demonstrate the visual amenity from land to sea for Marine Plan areas.

2.2 Objectives

The objectives are as follows:

1. use Natural England’s Approach to Seascape Characterisation to produce a character assessment at a strategic 1:250,000 scale for the named marine plan areas including collation of GIS files (ESRI format compatible with ArcGIS 9.3) and MEDIN compliant metadata. Including gathering the information required to complete a comprehensive desk study, using existing datasets to do so
2. use stakeholder engagement to validate the work undertaken in objective 1
3. evaluate the visual amenity from the coast looking out to sea. Prepare a visual amenity map of the marine plan areas including collation of GIS files (ESRI format compatible with ArcGIS 9.3) and MEDIN compliant metadata
4. complete field work, using the agreed methodology, to further validate the work from Objective 1 and 2

3. Existing evidence

3.1 MMO

MMO1037 is a seascape character assessment that was completed for the south inshore and offshore marine plan areas. Utilising the same methodology, this work is comparable to the work required here but for a different marine plan area.

3.2 Academic

There is a large volume of academic work that incorporates seascape. Some of it, such as Falconer et al (2013), looks at methods for bringing seascape into decision making for siting of specific sectors. Wolsink (2010) uses a Dutch case study to critique methods of design and stakeholder engagement by government and industry for offshore wind developments, suggesting ways to improve both.

3.3 Other

The National Trust has conducted a seascape assessment for the North Devon and Exmoor area, similar in methodology to MMO1037 but at a different scale. Scottish Natural Heritage have a commissioned report that looks into the capacity for aquaculture commensurate with the seascape and landscape of the Outer Hebrides, which is expected to be used by aquaculture developers to inform applications for authorisation of work.

4. Current activity

MMO project MMO1134 will complete this requirement (late 2018).

5. Further details

For more information or to add further research to the existing evidence list please email evidence@marinemanagement.org.uk