Seascape, like landscape, reflects the relationship between people and place and the part it plays in forming the setting to our everyday lives. It is a product of the interaction of the natural and cultural components of our environment, and how they are understood and experienced by people.
This work was commissioned to test and refine the emerging methodology for assessing the character of seascapes and to:
1 Contribute to the aims of the European Landscape Convention to promote landscape protection, management and planning, and to support European co-operation on landscape issues.
2 Provide practical tools and evidence to assist in responding to the increasing demands being placed upon the related marine and terrestrial environments, building upon the increased awareness of the high profile of the connections between land and sea reflected in the Marine and Coastal Access Act (2009) and the resultant marine spatial planning system.
3 Undertake a Seascape Character Assessment at a strategic scale for a defined area of the English coastline, so that a baseline of Seascape Character Areas is available to:
- provide the context for more detailed Seascape Character Assessment work;
- inform Marine Spatial Planning, and the planning, design and management of developments – and a range of other projects – on and around our coastline.
Any comments on this pilot study should be forwarded to Christine Tudor Christine.tudor@naturalengland.org.uk