Preserving the natural beauty of a popular tourist destination
The application site for Bracelands is located in a dense, woodland area at the heart of the Forest of Dean in the Wye Valley, Gloucestershire – a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It’s also one of the southwest’s most popular destinations for camping and recreational holidays, thanks to its scenic rural location between the Rivers Wye and Severn.
The Camping and Caravanning Club selected Influence to complete a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) to support a planning application for 16 modern camping pods and 100 hard standings for caravans. We assessed the potential effects of a development located within a sensitive landscape that is growing in popularity as a tourist destination. Our robust assessment employed a combination of ZTV (Zone of Theoretical Visibility) information and site visits to identify key visual receptors. We also assessed a variety of views experienced by local residents and walkers on the Wysis Way, local forest tracks and other public rights of way.
