LVIA Required Before Planning in Somerset?
We support Somerset developments by providing LVIAs that assess effects on countryside views, settlement edges and heritage settings. Supplying an LVIA early helps prevent planning delays and further information requests
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In simple terms, you’ll need a Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) for your Somerset site if your planning application could affect the character of the landscape or the views experienced by people nearby.
An LVIA is the document that explains how your development will look, how it fits into the surrounding landscape, whether it will change key views, and what can be done to reduce visual impacts. It helps the Local Planning Authority understand the real-world effects of your proposal and decide whether it is acceptable in landscape and visual terms.
Somerset planning authorities frequently require LVIAs where development may be visible from sensitive landscapes, including:
Settlement edges adjoining open countryside or lowland landscapes
River-valley and canal-side locations
Elevated sites with broader visual influence
Areas intervisible with historic buildings or parkland
Infrastructure corridors where cumulative landscape effects need assessment
LVIAs are often requested where visual impact has been highlighted.
We deliver expert Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment services across Somerset, supporting projects in towns, villages and rural landscapes.
In Somerset, an LVIA is often required where development may alter countryside views or affect heritage settings. Prepared in line with the Landscape Institute’s GLVIA3 guidance and relevant planning policy, an LVIA explains how your proposal will appear in the landscape and identifies the measures taken to minimise visual and landscape effects.
We deliver compliant, planning-ready LVIAs that meet Somerset policy standards and support your application with robust visual evidence.
Your Landscape Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) is structured to meet Somerset’s planning requirements and typically includes:
Baseline assessment – Landscape character review, policy context and on-site survey with key viewpoints captured.
Visual outputs – Accurate photography, wireframes and ZTV mapping to show potential visibility and change.
Impact and mitigation analysis – Clear GLVIA3-aligned assessment of landscape and visual effects with proportionate mitigation.
Submission-ready report – A concise, LPA-aligned LVIA formatted for smooth planning submission.
This ensures your LVIA in Somerset can be submitted confidently, supporting a smoother planning process and clear decision-making.
Site is assessed to capture potential viewpoints.Â
Desk research of the landscape study area
Collate assessments and evaluate the key componentsÂ
 We respond to any LVIA queries or amendments required.
Ready to secure approval and start on site? We’ll confirm what your Somerset site needs and help you move forward without unnecessary delay.Â
Somerset includes open countryside, hills and historic landscapes.
Somerset Council – https://www.somerset.gov.uk/
Residential developments and infrastructure schemes.
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It assesses visual change across rural landscapes.
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Yes, particularly in open terrain.
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Yes, to minimise visual impact.
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Yes, development near designated areas is scrutinised.
