Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)

SLR’s Environmental Planning and Landscape team has gained considerable knowledge and experience from advising clients on the capacity of landscape to accommodate new development, as well as a robust evidence base to identify the impacts that may arise from it.

Overview

The team has produced Seascape / Townscape / Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIAs) for a wide range of energy, residential and commercial developments. We are recognised specialists in this field. Our projects have taken us across the UK and Ireland, ranging from onshore and offshore wind farms, hydro and solar projects, to electricity transmission grid infrastructure and gas fired power stations. Our assessments support new residential development and leisure projects, including golf courses and stadia. In the urban environment we regularly prepare Townscape Assessments to support new urban development, including tall buildings.

SLR has developed in-house specialist GIS and visualisation skills to complement the written elements of our reporting.

Get in touch

The professionals who work in SLR have a vast depth of experience in the design, assessment and planning of the natural and built environment, having worked on all scales of projects. Our team is interested in projects that are challenging and significant in their own right, covering the widest range of scales, from tight urban situations to those dealing with regional landscape issues.

Working alongside colleagues in EIA, landscape design, masterplanning and construction, SLR’s Environmental Planning Team has gained considerable knowledge and experience in the production of Seascape / Townscape / Landscape Visual Impact Assessments (SLVIAs / TVIAs and LVIAs) for energy related, commercial, residential and leisure developments in urban, rural and offshore locations across the UK and Ireland. We have developed a high level of understanding of the issues and likely scope of work associated with impact assessment, including night-time effects from visible aviation lighting. We are also experienced in undertaking Residential Visual Amenity Assessments and routeing assessments.

SLR has undertaken numerous SLVIAs and LVIAs for on and offshore wind farms around the UK and Ireland as well as undertaking site search work and LVIAs in relation to their onshore transmission infrastructure, which includes convertor stations and large scale project and National Grid substations. Our experience also extends to large scale solar and BESS development. SLR is currently involved in undertaking peer reviews for SLVIA and LVIA work carried out for offshore wind farms by other consultants, including projects off the USA coastline.

Our Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment (TVIA) skills have evaluated the effects of a number of large-scale urban developments, including prominent new development in World Heritage Sites and Conservation Areas, as well as tall buildings.

SLR is widely recognised as having the capability to provide expert witness services in respect of landscape and visual matters across the UK. SLR’s experience at the appeal and / or inquiry stage ensures that its assessments are prepared robustly should they require to be defended during this process. SLR’s Directors have given evidence at over 150 appeals / public inquiries into a wide range of development proposals which include wind farm proposals and other energy related projects, as well as retail, housing, waste-water treatment and gas storage. In recent years our team has developed particular expertise in respect of wind farms, and is regularly called by senior counsel, advocates and planning consultants to prepare robust evidence to defend sustainable development through examination, hearing and inquiry processes.