Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment in North Wales

North Wales has some of the most protected landscape in Britain: Eryri National Park, the Llŷn and Ynys Môn National Landscapes, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, and long stretches of coast. Landscape assessment here follows GLVIA3 like anywhere else, but it uses Welsh evidence and Welsh policy. We prepare LVIAs and Landscape and Visual Appraisals for tourism, commercial, residential and rural schemes across the region.

Landscape evidence in Wales

In Wales, landscape assessment starts with LANDMAP, Natural Resources Wales's all-Wales landscape baseline. It maps and evaluates five aspects of the landscape: geology, habitats, visual and sensory qualities, historic landscape and cultural landscape. NRW's guidance note GN46 explains how LANDMAP should be used in an LVIA: it informs the baseline and the study area, but the judgements still follow GLVIA3. At a broader scale, NRW's 48 National Landscape Character Areas give the regional context.

Designated landscapes in North Wales

Wales has three National Parks (Eryri, Bannau Brycheiniog and the Pembrokeshire Coast) and five National Landscapes, formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Ynys Môn (Anglesey), Llŷn, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, Gower and the Wye Valley. Four of these, Eryri, Llŷn, Ynys Môn and the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley, are in North Wales.

In January 2026 Natural Resources Wales made a designation order for a new Glyndŵr National Park based on the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley. At the time of writing it is with the Welsh Government for a decision. Sites in and around the Clwydian Range should be assessed with that in mind.

Cadw's register of historic landscapes also matters here. Much of the Llŷn west of the A499 lies within the Llŷn and Ynys Enlli Registered Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest, so assessments there need to engage with the historic field pattern and settlement as well as scenic quality.

Planning policy and constraints

National policy is set by Planning Policy Wales (Edition 12, 2024) and Future Wales: the National Plan 2040, with local policy in each council's Local Development Plan. Many LDPs also designate Special Landscape Areas, which carry local weight in decisions.

Future Wales also calls for a Green Belt in the north-east, around Wrexham and Deeside, to be set through the regional Strategic Development Plan. Until then, local green wedge and green barrier policies apply.

Our experience in North Wales

Recent work in North Wales includes:

• An LVIA and landscape design for a coastal holiday lodge development on the Llŷn, within a Registered Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest (see the case study).
• An LVIA for a scheme on Anglesey.
• Landscape evidence for a rural site in Gwynedd.
• An LVIA for a site on a former airfield in Denbighshire.

See our projects and our South Wales page.

Our North Wales 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 (see LVA consultants)
• Full Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments (LVIAs) to GLVIA3, from £2,950 + VAT, including EIA chapters
• Assessments using LANDMAP and Natural Resources Wales guidance
• 3D wireframes and photomontages prepared in-house (see visualisations)
• Landscape plans at every scale: a concept strategy for an outline application, a landscape plan for a full application, and a detailed hard and soft landscape plan to discharge conditions
• Landscape and ecological management plans
• Responses to landscape officer comments and appeal support

Frequently asked questions

• Is an LVIA in Wales different from one in England?
  The method is the same: GLVIA3. The difference is the evidence and policy. In Wales the baseline uses LANDMAP and NRW guidance note GN46, and the assessment is tested against Planning Policy Wales, Future Wales and the Local Development Plan.
• What is LANDMAP?
  LANDMAP is Natural Resources Wales's all-Wales landscape baseline. It maps and evaluates five aspects: geology, habitats, visual and sensory qualities, historic landscape and cultural landscape. It is the starting point for landscape assessment in Wales.
• Which designations apply in North Wales?
  Eryri National Park; the Llŷn, Ynys Môn and Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscapes; local Special Landscape Areas; and Registered Landscapes of Historic Interest. A Glyndŵr National Park is also proposed.
• How much does an LVIA cost in North Wales?
  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.
• Do you visit sites in North Wales?
  Yes. Every LVA and LVIA includes a site visit and viewpoint photography, wherever the site is.

Sources and further reading: NRW GN46: Using LANDMAP in LVIA, NRW National Landscape Character Areas, NRW: Glyndŵr National Park Designation Order. Information checked October 2026.