Public consultation on the Local Views Supplementary Planning Document (SPD)

Overview

Local views form an intrinsic part of the borough’s landscape and townscape context, from the well-known views from Richmond Hill and King Henry VIII's Mound to St Paul's Cathedral, to those around our rivers, greens, and landscape settings, as well as around more local landmarks defining points of townscape interest.

This is a new Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), setting out those existing protected views that have already been adopted through the Local Plan, as well as additional ‘new’ locally important views. This has arisen from the Urban Design Study, a comprehensive boroughwide townscape character assessment. The Council’s consultants undertook a detailed exercise, based on site visits as well as through desktop research, such as reviewing Conservation Area Appraisals, Registered Park & Gardens etc. to recommend whether existing views are intact and/or should be amended, and whether there are any new views that merit designation. The Council is taking this forward in the draft SPD.

The draft SPD identifies each view with a photo and map locating the view, and includes a detailed description of the view. This SPD is intended to be helpful to guide development proposals that would impact on these views, so a planning applicant can address it in their Townscape and Visual Appraisal analysis as part of the planning application process. The SPD provides further detailed guidance to support Local Plan policies.

Consulting on this draft SPD is the first step in developing the Local Views SPD. The Council intends there will be further work and we are keen to hear feedback as part of the consultation, particularly around view management, and whether there is scope to include in the SPD more detailed guidance on assessing the impact of development on views. We are keen to work with a number of key stakeholders as well as hear the comments of anyone that is interested.

Have your say:

We would welcome your feedback.

Please ensure you read the draft SPD here before giving us your views by clicking on the online survey link below.

Alternatively you can respond:

• By email to LocalPlan@richmond.gov.uk or 
• By post to Spatial Planning and Design, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Civic Centre, 44 York Street, Twickenham, TW1 3BZ

Please note that your response will not be treated as confidential and any anonymous responses will not be accepted.