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WF3 Horley toSwaynesland LowWeald Farmland

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Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2018 CB:XX EB:nunn_j LUC 10313_WasteDisposalLVIA_A4P_v1 30/05/2018

0 0.25 0.5kmE

Site 8: Land at Lambs Business Park,South Godstone

Surrey Waste Local Plan AllocationLandscape Character Area and Type

Map Scale @ A4: 1:7,500

Land at Lambs Business Park, South Godstone

Surrey Landscape and Visual Sensitivity Study of Potential

Waste Sites

66 May 2018

Site context

3.75 The site extends along Terra Cotta Road adjacent to Lambs Business Park and comprises a

partially restored quarry site with water-filled pits and woodland planting. The site measures

approximately 3.8 hectares and is situated to the west of South Godstone.

Landscape context

Landscape character

Landscape Character Assessment Relevant Areas / Types

National Character Area NCA 121: Low Weald

Landscape Character Assessment for Surrey LCA WF3 – Horley to Swaynesland Low

Weald Farmland

3.76 Key landscape characteristics (LCA WF3 – Horley to Swaynesland Low Weald Farmland):

- A low-lying, broadly undulating landscape falling towards winding water courses and

wooded gills such as Putney Gill and Hookstile Gully

- Landform rises to the north to meet the Greensand Hills and to the south to meet the High

Weald

- Predominantly medium to large arable fields with occasional pasture of a smaller scale

- An intact field pattern defined by hedgerows and interspersed with blocks of woodland

which are often ancient woodland

- A network of minor roads and rural lanes, often lined with hedgerows cross the character

area

- Open views across the landscape, with longer distance views interrupted only by woodland

- Sparsely settled landscape with scattered farmsteads and small inset villages

- A relatively peaceful landscape with limited settlement

3.77 Key positive landscape attributes:

- Unsettled, peaceful, gently undulating and open farmland landscape

- Rural views, often framed by tree cover, across the Wealden farmland and to wooded hills

to the north

- High density of hedgerows and small blocks of woodland

- Dispersed blocks of ancient woodland connected by hedgerows

- Small to medium sized fields, defined by an intact network of hedgerows

- Network of rural lanes lined by hedgerows

- Attractive scattered settlement, churchyards and mills

3.78 Landscape guidelines for built development:

- Conserve the rural, largely unsettled landscape

- Conserve and enhance the landscape setting to villages and edge of settlement

- Any new development should conserve the enclosure and vegetated character of the

surrounding landscape

- Built form to be integrated by woodland edges, shaws, hedgerows and open areas linked

to the existing network

- Ensure new development respects existing rural characteristics and conserves distinctive

open areas, greens and commons

Landscape designations

3.79 The Surrey Hills AONB is located 3.6km to the north of the site whilst the Surrey AGLV adjoins the

northern site boundary. The High Weald AONB is also located 8.5km to the south east.



Waste Sites

67 May 2018

Potential visual receptors

3.80 Figure 3.9.A shows the ZTV for a 30m building on the site whilst Figure 3.8.B shows the ZTV

for an 80m chimney in the centre of the site.

3.81 Within 5km

- Scattered properties

- Residential properties within Oxted to the north east

- Users of the public footpath (no. 293 Bletchingley) which passes some 300m to the west

- Users of the Greensand Way long distance footpath 1.3km to the north

- Users of the public footpath (no. 265 Godstone)

3.82 Over 5km

- Users of the Tandridge Border Path long distance footpath, 7km to the east and extending

from the High Weald

- Users of the Vanguard Way long distance footpath, 7km to the east and extending from

the High Weald

- Users of the Eden Valley Path long distance footpath, 7km to the east and following the

course of Eden Brook

Site photos

Photo taken from within the site looking south

towards the south western corner of the site.

Photo taken from within the site looking north

towards the railway running along the northern

boundary.

Photo taken from the eastern boundary looking east

across the Lambs Business Park.

Photo taken from the eastern boundary looking west

towards the south western corner of the site.



Waste Sites

68 May 2018

Landscape sensitivity to waste related infrastructure

Criterion Sensitivity Description

Landform The site is situated on relatively elevated and gently sloping landform

rising from 75m in the south up to 85m AOD in the north. The site’s

natural topography has also been manipulated through its former use as a

quarry resulting in large scale earthworks which are uncharacteristic.

Land cover pattern

and valued features

The site comprises a number of deep pools and earth mounds related to

the quarry restoration, although these are man-made. A small area of

woodland in the south of the site connects with a wider network of small

blocks of woodland, some of which is ancient woodland off-site.

Perceptual character The site is largely influenced by its former use as a quarry and the

proximity of Lambs Business Park adjacent. The woodland and tree

planting along the boundaries do however contribute to a rural setting

although the movement of heavy plant machinery within the site and the

railway along the northern edge erode any sense of tranquillity.

Openness / enclosure Despite its relatively elevated location, the site has a strong sense of

enclosure as a result of woodland and tree planting containing the site to

the north, south and west. Lambs Business Park also provides visual

containment in the east.

Sensitivity to waste

related

infrastructure L ML M MH H

Reasoning Overall, the site is considered to have a moderate landscape sensitivity to

waste related infrastructure due to its unremarkable character and the

local influences of the quarry restoration, railway line and adjacent

business park. Although the tree cover in and around the perimeter

provides some enclosure, the site occupies a relatively elevated position in

a predominantly rural landscape, which limits the degree to which larger

scale elements could be screened.

Visual sensitivity to waste related infrastructure


Residential receptors The surrounding area is sparsely settled and so there are limited viewing

opportunities from residential receptors. The high density of hedgerows and

woodland blocks in the landscape prevent clear views of the site from

nearby scattered residential properties whilst tree-lined roads and

shelterbelts in the wider area restrict views from the rising land in the south

and east.



Waste Sites

69 May 2018

Recreational receptors A number of public footpaths follow the boundaries of fields within close

proximity to the site. These are however typically lined by linear swathes of

woodland or hedgerows with hedgerows trees which shorten views. The

Tandridge Border Path, the Vanguard Way and the Eden Valley Walk are all

long distance footpaths connecting between the Surrey Hills and High Weald

over 7km to the east of the site. From here long distance views can be

achieved towards the site over low hedgerows defining roads and field

boundaries although obscured by mature trees in field margins.

Key vantage points The site is not visible from any key vantage points.

Visual sensitivity

waste related

infrastructure L ML M MH H

Reasoning Overall the site is considered to have a moderate-low visual sensitivity to

waste related infrastructure due to the limited viewing opportunities in the

surrounding area together with the abundance of tree cover in the

landscape considerably filtering and screening close and long distance

views.

Potential to affect landscape designations


Special qualities of

AONBs

The site is located some 3.5km from the Surrey Hills AONB however the

woodland occupying the railway embankment along the northern boundary

together with the intervening ridge beyond prevents much intervisibility

between the site (or a 30m building on the site) and the AONB, restricting

any potential impact on its special qualities. Figure XX demonstrates there

is also unlikely to be intervisibility between a 30m building on site and the

AONB.

The High Weald AONB lies to the south east on the rising land around

Dormansland over 8km from the site. At this distance any development is

unlikely to noticeably affect the special qualities of the AONB.

Qualities of the Area of

Great Landscape Value

(AGLV)

The Surrey AGLV is in close proximity to this site, adjoining the railway line

that forms the northern boundary of the site. A development that is higher

than the trees along the northern boundary of the site and railway line

would therefore have the potential to affect views from, and the perceptual

character of this part of the AGLV.

Potential for waste

related

infrastructure to

affect a designated

landscape

L ML M MH H

Reasoning The site is located a distance from the Surrey Hills AONB and High Weald

AONB so that it development on the site would be unlikely to noticeable

affect special qualities of these national level designations. Intervening tree



Waste Sites

70 May 2018

cover also limits the intervisibility between the site and AONBs. However,

the site’s location adjacent to the Surrey AGLV means that a development

that is higher than the trees along the northern boundary of the site/

railway line would have the potential to affect views from, and the

perceptual character of, this part of the AGLV.

Ability to accommodate development

Ability to accommodate development

Development on the site is likely to result in the complete restoration of a former quarry, extending

from the edge of the Lambs Business Park and transforming a bare landscape into a functional space.

Although the site is generally contained by trees, large scale development in the wider landscape is

sparse and so large scale waste related development has the potential to impact on wider rural

character.

The site does occupy a relatively elevated position in the landscape and so tall structures that

protrude above the wooded boundaries are likely to impact on long and short distance views from the

High Weald and the Surrey AGLV respectively. Lower buildings and infrastructure are likely to

assimilate into the existing landscape framework in the same way as the existing Business Park,

although the retention of small woods in the south of the site and trees lining the boundary would be

important in achieving this integration.

The ability to accommodate different development types is summarised below:

Development Scenario Ability to accommodate development

Mass burn incinerator

H MH M ML L

Composting (open

windrow) H MH M ML L

Composting (in-vessel)

H MH M ML L

Anaerobic digestion

H MH M ML L

Processing of recyclables

(Materials Recycling

Facilities) H MH M ML L

Mixed waste processing

H MH M ML L



Waste Sites

71 May 2018

Pyrolysis and gasification

H MH M ML L

Cumulative issues

3.83 In the latter part of 2017, Tandridge Council went to consultation on the principle of a new

Garden Village with South Godstone as a potential location. If this option is pursued, this would

see the development of approximately 4000 residential dwellings, primary and secondary schools,

community services plus commercial and employment provision, to the east of Terra Cotta Road.

The scale of the development is likely to considerably alter the landscape character introducing

development in an otherwise rural landscape and so the introduction of a tall chimney stack as

part of some waste related development adjacent to Lambs Business Park is likely to be viewed in

a more urban context particularly from more sensitive receptors such as the High Weald AONB

and the Tandridge Border Path. It would also introduce more sensitive receptors into the local

area within 1km of the site boundary.

Compliance with Policy 14

3.84 The development of most types of waste facilities on the site is likely to comply with Policy 14 of

the Surrey Waste Local Plan (i.e. development is unlikely to result in an unacceptable impact on

the appearance, quality and character of the landscape and any features that contribute to its

distinctiveness). This is because of the urbanising influence of the adjacent business park on the

local landscape character and the presence of trees and woodland around the boundary would

screen lower lying buildings. However, the introduction of a mass burn incinerator or a pyrolysis/

gasification plant on this site could potentially result in unacceptable effects on the landscape due

to the introduction of relatively large buildings and chimney stack in a predominantly rural and

intact landscape and so any proposal will require detailed assessment to examine the extent of

impact and compliance with policy.

8

EastSussexCounty

Kent County

WestSussexCounty

GreaterLondon

Authority

© Crown copyright and database rights 2018 Ordnance Survey 0100031673 CB:XX EB:nunn_j LUC 10313_WasteDisposalLVIA_ZTV_30m 30/05/2018

Map Scale @A3: 1:75,000

E

Surrey Waste Local Plan AllocationSurrey County10km study areaBuildingForestry (NFI 2016)Visibilty of 30m building

Surrey Waste Local PlanLVIA

Figure 3.8.A: ZTV of 30m BuildingSite 8. Land at Lambs BusinessPark, South Godstone

0 1 2 3 4 5km

NotesThe ZTV is calculated to a height of 30m from aviewing height of 2m above ground level.

The terrain model is derived from OS Terrain 5height data (obtained from Ordnance Survey inApril 2018). Building height data is obtained fromEMU Analytic and Forestry height is based onForestry Commission National Forestry Inventorydata, with an assumed height of 15m.

Earth curvature and atmospheric refraction havebeen taken into account. The ZTV was calculatedusing ArcMap 10.4.1 software.

8

EastSussexCounty

Kent County

WestSussexCounty

GreaterLondon

Authority

© Crown copyright and database rights 2018 Ordnance Survey 0100031673 CB:JN EB:nunn_j LUC 10313_WasteDisposalLVIA_ZTV_80m 30/05/2018

Map Scale @A3: 1:75,000

E

Surrey Waste Local Plan AllocationSurrey County10km study areaBuildingForestry (NFI 2016)

Surrey Waste Local PlanLVIA

Figure 3.8.B: ZTV of 80m ChimneySite 8. Land at Lambs BusinessPark, South Godstone

0 1 2 3 4 5km

NotesThe ZTV is calculated to a height of 80m from aviewing height of 2m above ground level.

The terrain model is derived from OS Terrain 5height data (obtained from Ordnance Survey inApril 2018). Building height data is obtained fromEMU Analytic and Forestry height is based onForestry Commission National Forestry Inventorydata, with an assumed height of 15m.

Earth curvature and atmospheric refraction havebeen taken into account. The ZTV was calculatedusing ArcMap 10.4.1 software.

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