FPCR were appointed to carry out a Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) for the Charnwood Forest by the Charnwood Forest Regional Park Partnership (part of the National Forest Company) as part of the development of a Landscape Partnership Scheme (LPS). The LCA was to be carried out to support the second round Landscape Partnership Scheme application to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).
An original Landscape Character Assessment was completed some 11 years prior, however this needed to be refreshed and updated and carried out at a finer grain of detail as requested by the HLF. The 19 settlement character descriptions within the original document also needed to be updated to reflect new developments and changes that had come about in the last decade.
We produced a comprehensive LCA document for the Charnwood Forest Regional Park in a style and format which would help the Regional Park’s partners to enhance and protect the area’s distinctive landscapes. The document was designed and authored in a manner that would make it accessible to the public for planning, reference and education purposes, while providing enough detail to ensure that the decisions that it would inform are based on a solid evidence base.
FPCR have developed a comprehensive methodology which was used to review the area and define the character areas and key characteristics. As part of the appointment, FPCR led a consultation event which was attended by key stakeholders including members of the local authorities and local interest groups.
The resulting document is clear and easy to read, in a plain English format and will contribute to increasing awareness of the Charnwood Forest area for both professionals and local communities.
This project is a finalist in the 2019 Landscape Institute Awards.
