When Is an LVIA Required?

There is no single rule that says every planning application must include a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA). Whether you need one, and what form it should take, depends on the scale of the proposal, the sensitivity of the landscape and views around the site, and what the local planning authority expects. Getting this right at the outset avoids two costly outcomes: an application that is invalidated or refused for lack of landscape evidence, and a report that is far more extensive than the scheme needed.

This article sets out the main situations in which an LVIA is required or expected, and when a lighter-touch Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA) or Technical Note is the proportionate choice.

1. When the development is EIA development

The clearest case is development that requires an Environmental Impact Assessment under the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017. Schedule 1 projects, such as large power stations and major infrastructure, always require EIA. Schedule 2 projects, which include urban development, energy schemes and many industrial proposals, require EIA where they exceed the relevant thresholds or lie in a sensitive area and are likely to have significant effects on the environment.

Where EIA applies, the effects on landscape and views are almost always scoped in, and the LVIA forms a chapter of the Environmental Statement. It must follow the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, third edition (GLVIA3), and identify whether effects are significant in EIA terms. If you are unsure whether your scheme is EIA development, the local planning authority can issue a screening opinion.

2. When the council asks for one

Most LVIAs are prepared for schemes that are not EIA development. In these cases the requirement usually comes from the local planning authority, through:

• Local validation checklists, many of which list a landscape and visual assessment for major development, development in the countryside or development affecting designated landscapes.
• Pre-application advice, where officers identify landscape or visual effects as a key issue.
• Local plan policies that require development to demonstrate it will conserve or enhance landscape character, settlement edges or important views.
• Consultation responses during the application, when a landscape officer or parish council raises concerns that need a reasoned answer.

Even where an LVIA is not formally required, submitting proportionate landscape evidence often shortens the determination process, because it answers the questions an officer would otherwise raise.

3. When the site is in or near a designated landscape

Sites within or in the setting of a National Park or National Landscape (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty) almost always need landscape and visual evidence. National policy gives great weight to conserving and enhancing landscape and scenic beauty in these areas, and since the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 relevant authorities have a duty to seek to further the statutory purposes of these landscapes. Decision-makers therefore need a clear understanding of how a proposal affects the special qualities of the designated area, including views into and out of it.

Major development in these areas is subject to an additional test of exceptional circumstances and public interest. In those cases a full LVIA is usually expected, often supported by visualisations prepared in line with Landscape Institute Technical Guidance Note 06/19.

4. When the site is in the Green Belt

Openness is the essential characteristic of the Green Belt, and the courts have confirmed that openness has a visual as well as a spatial dimension. Applications for development in the Green Belt, including proposals on land promoted as grey belt, benefit from landscape and visual evidence that explains how the site is seen, how it contributes to the purposes of the Green Belt, and how the proposal would affect visual openness. This may be a full LVIA, or a focused Green Belt landscape appraisal.

5. When the site is on a sensitive edge or in a prominent location

Many refusals on landscape grounds involve sites that are not designated at all: open fields on a settlement edge, slopes and escarpments visible across a valley, sites in the setting of a historic town, or land that forms an important gap between villages. Local landscape character assessments and landscape sensitivity studies often identify these areas. A proportionate assessment that engages with that evidence is usually the most effective way to address the issue.

Choosing the right level of assessment

Not every scheme needs a full LVIA. GLVIA3 is clear that the assessment should be proportionate to the scale of the proposal and the likely effects. In practice there are three levels:

• Landscape Technical Note: a concise desktop note for householder schemes, pre-application discussions or where a short, reasoned statement is enough.
• Landscape and Visual Appraisal (LVA): a site-based appraisal of landscape character and views, with a note on potential landscape and visual effects. Suitable for smaller schemes and sites of moderate sensitivity.
• Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA): a full GLVIA3 assessment, including national and local character, a Zone of Theoretical Visibility, a formal assessment of landscape and visual effects and their significance, and mitigation. Expected for major development, designated landscapes and EIA.

Our article on the difference between an LVA and an LVIA explains the distinction in more detail.

LVIAs at appeal

Where an application has been refused on landscape grounds, an LVIA, or a review of the existing one, is often central to an appeal. Under the appeal reforms introduced in April 2026, many appeals now proceed largely on the evidence submitted with the application, so it is important to commission robust landscape evidence before the application is determined rather than after it is refused.

In summary

You will almost certainly need an LVIA if your proposal is EIA development, is major development in or near a National Park or National Landscape, or affects the Green Belt or a sensitive settlement edge. For smaller schemes, an LVA or Technical Note may be enough. The right answer depends on your site, and a short conversation early on can save time and cost later.