15. National Character Areas (NCAs); previously known as Joint Character Areas (JCAs) were originally identified by the Countryside Agency who mapped 159 areas of landscape character across England. This mapping, often referred to as ‘The Character of England’, and the associated descriptions have been revised and developed by Natural England into National Character Area Profiles and provide a picture of the differences in landscape character at the national scale. It is considered that whilst the NCAs provide a recognised, national, spatial framework the scale of the mapping and information makes it of limited use as a planning tool. It provides a useful overview of the landscape within the area and a context for more detailed Landscape Character Assessments.
16.
The study area for the onshore cable route is located within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths NCA (NCA 82) to the far east of the proposed project, and the South Suffolk and North Essex Clayland NCA (NCA 86) for the rest of the Development Area. This is shown in Figure x.
17.
‘The Suffolk Coast and Heaths NCA lies on the North Sea coast between Great Yarmouth in the north and the port town of Harwich in the south, forming a long, narrow band that extends between 10 and 20 km inland. Its inland western boundary is with the South Norfolk and High Suffolk Claylands and South Suffolk and North Essex Claylands NCAs, with projections up many small river valleys.’
18.
The Suffolk Coast and Heaths landform is described as ‘mainly flat or gently rolling, often open but with few commanding viewpoints’. The Suffolk Coast & Heaths AONB is contained within the NCA. The area is a combination of heathland and agricultural land - much of which has been reclaimed from the heathland. Woodland has also been planted on the former heathland. This forms a mosaic of natural and semi natural landscape features. The coast is interrupted by five estuaries; Stour, Orwell, Deben, Alde/Ore and Blyth, with extensive intertidal areas of mudflat and salt marsh, adding to the areas biodiversity and ecological value.
19. 20.
The South Suffolk and North Essex Clayland NCA covers the four counties of Suffolk, Essex, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The NCA Profile describes the area as:
‘… an ancient landscape of wooded arable countryside with a distinct sense of enclosure. The overall character is of a gently undulating, chalky boulder clay plateau, the undulations being caused by the numerous small-scale river valleys that dissect the plateau. There is a complex network of old species-rich hedgerows, ancient woods and parklands, meadows with streams and rivers that flow eastwards. Traditional irregular field patterns are still discernable over much of the area, despite field enlargements in the second half of the 20th century.
Preliminary Environmental Information May 2014
East Anglia THREE Offshore Windfarm
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