Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment in Berkshire

Berkshire changes character from west to east. West Berkshire is dominated by the open chalk of the North Wessex Downs, while the east is the Thames valley, the Green Belt and the heaths around Bracknell and Wokingham, all under strong pressure for housing. Six unitary councils each have their own plans and evidence. We prepare LVIAs, Landscape and Visual Appraisals and Technical Notes across the county from our High Wycombe office.

The landscapes of Berkshire

The Berkshire and Marlborough Downs (NCA 116) cover the north and west of West Berkshire: high, open chalk downland with large arable fields, gallops, scattered woodland and long views, cut by the Lambourn and Pang valleys. The Kennet valley runs west to east through the centre, and the chalk rises again in the south towards the Hampshire Downs (NCA 130).

East of Reading, the Thames Valley (NCA 115) is a landscape of river meadows, parkland, gravel lakes and historic towns, including Windsor and its Great Park. The Thames Basin Heaths (NCA 129) cover the south-east around Bracknell, Crowthorne and Sandhurst, with heath, conifer plantation and woodland around settlements.

Each council has its own landscape character assessment, which is the starting point for officers, alongside the North Wessex Downs Management Plan in West Berkshire.

Designated landscapes

The North Wessex Downs National Landscape covers most of rural West Berkshire and extends into Wiltshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire. Its open downland, dark skies and tranquillity are among its special qualities, and many of the county’s solar, equestrian and housing proposals sit within it or in its setting.

Since December 2023, public bodies have been under a statutory duty to “seek to further” the purposes of National Landscapes. In east Berkshire, the setting of Windsor Great Park and the Thames are often the most sensitive considerations.

Planning policy and constraints

East Berkshire lies within the Metropolitan Green Belt. Since the revised NPPF of August 2026, more Green Belt sites can be put forward as grey belt. Whether a site qualifies depends on how strongly it contributes to the Green Belt purposes, which is as much a landscape and visual question as a planning one: how open the site looks, how it relates to the settlement edge, and whether it reads as countryside. Our Green Belt and grey belt appraisals set out that evidence.

In the south-east of the county, new homes within 400 metres to 5 kilometres of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area need Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and a contribution to access management. Along the Thames, flood risk can determine where buildings can go, and therefore which views are affected.

What this means for your application

• On the downs, test the wider views. Open chalk land means visibility from rights of way and the Ridgeway over several kilometres.
• In the Green Belt, show the edge. How a site relates to the settlement and to existing buildings is central to openness and grey belt arguments.
• Know your council. Each of the six councils has its own policies and landscape evidence.
• Plan mitigation that fits. Hedgerow and woodland belts in the vales, restraint on the open downs.

Our experience in Berkshire

• A landscape and visual assessment for new homes in the Green Belt near Maidenhead.
• An LVIA for the conversion of rural buildings in the countryside south of Wokingham.

See also our Buckinghamshire page and our projects.

Our Berkshire services

• Landscape Technical Notes: desktop assessment for pre-application or householder schemes, from £750 + VAT
• Landscape and Visual Appraisals for proportionate assessment of less sensitive schemes, from £1,950 + VAT
• Full Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIAs) to GLVIA3, from £2,950 + VAT
• Assessments in and around the North Wessex Downs National Landscape
• Green Belt and grey belt appraisals
• 3D wireframes and photomontages prepared in-house (see visualisations)
• Responses to landscape officer comments and appeal support
• Landscape mitigation and planting plans to accompany our assessments

Frequently asked questions

• Do I need an LVIA for a planning application in Berkshire?
  It depends on the scale of the scheme and how visible and sensitive the site is. Councils in Berkshire will usually expect landscape evidence for development in or near the North Wessex Downs National Landscape, in the Metropolitan Green Belt, in the setting of Windsor Great Park and the Thames, and for larger housing, solar and equestrian schemes. For smaller schemes a Landscape and Visual Appraisal or Technical Note is often proportionate. We can advise on the right level once we know your site.
• Which council decides my application?
  Berkshire has six unitary councils, each with its own local plan and landscape evidence. We check which policies and studies apply to your site at the start.
• Can a Green Belt site in Berkshire be grey belt?
  It can, depending on how strongly the site contributes to the Green Belt purposes. That turns on openness, containment and the relationship with the settlement edge, which we assess through site visits, photography and visualisations.
• Do you have an office near Berkshire?
  Yes. Our High Wycombe office covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the surrounding counties.
• How much does an LVIA cost in Berkshire?
  Our fees start at £750 + VAT for a desktop Landscape Technical Note, £1,950 + VAT for a Landscape and Visual Appraisal and £2,950 + VAT for a full LVIA. Wireframes and photomontages are quoted alongside the assessment. We give a fixed fee after reviewing your site. See our pricing page.

Sources and further reading: West Berkshire Local Plan Review, Wokingham Local Plan Update, North Wessex Downs National Landscape, Natural England National Character Area profiles. Information checked October 2026.