Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment in South Wales

South Wales ranges from dense city-centre townscape in Cardiff and Swansea to the uplands of Bannau Brycheiniog, the Gower coast and the Wye Valley. We prepare Townscape and Visual Impact Assessments for urban schemes, and LVIAs and Landscape and Visual Appraisals for sites on the urban edge and in the countryside, using Welsh evidence and Welsh policy.

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 South 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. In the south, Bannau Brycheiniog and the Pembrokeshire Coast National Parks, Gower and the Wye Valley, which crosses the border with England, are the main designations.

Below national designations, local plans protect Special Landscape Areas and green wedges between settlements. On the urban edge of Cardiff and Newport these are often the deciding landscape issue.

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 asks the regional Strategic Development Plan to establish a Green Belt to the north of Cardiff, Newport and the eastern part of the region. Until it does, local green wedge policies do much of that job, and landscape and visual evidence on openness and separation is often central to applications on the edge of the cities.

In the city centres, townscape is the issue. Conservation areas, listed and locally listed buildings and key views shape what is acceptable, and a TVIA is usually the right tool.

Our experience in South Wales

Recent work includes a Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment for the conversion and rooftop extension of a locally listed Art Deco building to a hotel in Cardiff city centre, within a conservation area (see the case study).

See also our North Wales page and our projects.

Our South 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
• Townscape and Visual Impact Assessments for city-centre schemes
• 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

• Do I need a TVIA or an LVIA in Cardiff?
  In the city centre and established urban areas, a Townscape and Visual Impact Assessment is usually right. On the urban edge and in the countryside, an LVIA or a Landscape and Visual Appraisal is more appropriate. Both follow GLVIA3.
• Is an LVIA in Wales different from one in England?
  The method is the same, but the evidence and policy are Welsh: LANDMAP and NRW guidance note GN46, Planning Policy Wales, Future Wales and the Local Development Plan.
• Is there Green Belt in South Wales?
  Future Wales requires a Green Belt around Cardiff, Newport and the east of the region, to be set by the regional Strategic Development Plan. In the meantime, councils protect green wedges between settlements through their Local Development Plans.
• How much does an LVIA cost in South 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 South Wales?
  Yes. Every LVA, LVIA and TVIA includes a site visit and viewpoint photography.

Sources and further reading: NRW GN46: Using LANDMAP in LVIA, NRW National Landscape Character Areas, Future Wales: the National Plan 2040. Information checked October 2026.