A strategic landscape study examining the relative sensitivity of landscape areas around the edges of the settlement and reviewing the capacity these areas may have to accommodate development. Our client was promoting a site on the eastern edge of the settlement and needed to investigate the merits of this proposal compared with alternative directions for growth of the settlement. Prior to this we had also completed a site specific Landscape and Visual Appraisal. This provided early input to the development strategy as well as an appraisal of the final proposals.

Orsett is a settlement set within Green Belt. The findings of both studies were promoted as evidence concerning the relative merits of the site for Green Belt release.

The two studies demonstrated that the site provided the greatest opportunity for development in a location where sensitivities and constraints were lower than elsewhere and that the specifics of the site and context provided the highest level of accommodating characteristics.