Question 1

When should we appoint you on our project?

Accepted Answer

As early as possible- ideally at RIBA Stage 0-1 (Strategic Definition / Preparation & Brief).

The earlier we're engaged, the more value we add. At inception stage, we can:
• Inform site selection and layout before costly design commitments
• Integrate landscape, heritage, and NBB into concept design from day one
• Identify constraints and opportunities through baseline assessment
• Shape building positioning, access routes, and Green Infrastructure strategy collaboratively
• Build LPA confidence through proactive pre-application engagement

Appointing us after design is fixed means we're documenting rather than shaping — and risks discovering issues that require costly redesign. Early engagement = lower risk, faster consent, better outcomes.

Question 2

How much does an LVIA, heritage setting assessment and NBB landscape strategy cost?

Accepted Answer

Fees are proportionate to project scale and complexity. Every project is different, so we provide bespoke quotes after understanding your specific requirements.

Typical fee ranges:
• Single dwelling (Para 79 / self-build): £4,000 - £8,000 for integrated LVIA, heritage, and NBB.
• Small residential (2-5 units): £6,000 - £12,000
• Medium residential (6-20 units): £12,000 - £25,000
• Tourism/commercial: £15,000 - £35,000+ depending on scale and viewpoint requirements
• Major/EIA projects: Bespoke quotes — typically £25,000 - £60,000+

What's included: All three frameworks (landscape, heritage, NBB), baseline surveys, integrated design support, pre-app engagement, full planning submission documentation, and post-submission support.

Question 3

What's the timeline from appointment to planning submission?

Accepted Answer

Typical timeline: 3-6 months from appointment to submission-ready evidence.

Phase 1 (Strategic Assessment): 4-6 weeks
Baseline surveys, desktop studies, site walkovers, constraints analysis, pre-app meeting preparation.

Phase 2 (Design Development): 8-12 weeks
Iterative design workshops, LVIA viewpoint work, heritage assessment, habitat creation on-site delivery appraisal (coordinated with ecologist), NBB Landscape Strategy

Phase 3 (Planning Submission): 4-6 weeks
Final reports, LEMP preparation, technical drawings, planning statement input, submission-ready evidence bundle.

Variables affecting timeline:
• Seasonal constraints (breeding bird surveys, botanical surveys)
• Design team coordination and iteration cycles
• LPA pre-application feedback timeframes
• Consultant input requirements (ecologist collaboration)

We always work to your programme and can accelerate timelines where needed, but quality integrated assessment needs adequate time for proper design development and stakeholder engagement.

Question 4

What's the difference between LVIA and heritage assessment?

Accepted Answer

LVIA (Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment) assesses how development affects:

• Landscape character: The physical attributes, perceptual qualities, and special landscape qualities of National Parks 
 • Visual amenity: What people see from specific viewpoints and how their views change

Heritage Setting Assessment assesses how development affects:

• Significance: The architectural, historic, artistic, or archaeological interest of heritage assets  
 • Setting: The surroundings in which a heritage asset is experienced and how that contributes to significance

Why both matter:

• LVIA satisfies landscape policy (National Park Section 62 duty, landscape character protection under PPW)  
 • Heritage assessment satisfies historic environment policy (preserving setting of heritage assets under PPW and Cadw guidance) 
 • Many sites require BOTH — a Cadw Listed Building in Eryri National Park needs coordinated assessment of landscape AND heritage setting impacts.

Our integrated approach ensures the two assessments inform each other, and mitigation addresses both landscape and heritage concerns simultaneously.

Question 5

Is NBB really mandatory for my project?

Accepted Answer

Yes- policy requirement under Planning Policy Wales (PPW Edition 12).

Since PPW Edition 12's publication, planning applications must demonstrate Net Benefit for Biodiversity (NBB) — a proportionate approach to biodiversity enhancement aligned with the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, Section 6 biodiversity duty.

Key differences from England's BNG:

• Wales uses NBB (Net Benefit for Biodiversity), not England's BNG system  
 • No fixed 10% numerical target — NBB is proportionate to scale and impact  
 • Uses DECCA framework principles, not DEFRA Metric 4.0  
 • Policy-based requirement under PPW, not statute-based like England's Environment Act 2021

Key requirements:

• NBB strategies showing baseline habitat assessment, post-development habitat creation, and long-term management 
 • DECCA framework assessment principles demonstrating proportionate net benefit  
 • Long-term management plans (typically 30 years) with monitoring protocols  
 • Enhancement, not just mitigation—maintaining existing biodiversity is not sufficient

The 2019 Chief Planner's letter clarifies that where biodiversity enhancement is not proposed, significant weight will be given to its absence and, unless other material considerations outweigh it, permission should be refused.

This is NOT optional. LPAs are required to refuse applications that don't demonstrate net benefit for biodiversity, unless other material considerations outweigh it.

Good news: When integrated from inception, NBB becomes a design opportunity rather than constraint—creating higher-quality developments with ecological enhancement built into the landscape strategy.

Question 6

Do you work on exceptional rural dwellings? (Wales equivalent to Para 79)

Accepted Answer

Yes- exceptional rural dwellings are a core specialism.

Wales' approach (under PPW and TAN 6) allows exceptional dwellings in open countryside if they demonstrate outstanding design quality and enhance their immediate setting—similar in principle to England's Paragraph 79.

Our exceptional rural dwelling service includes:

• Landscape strategy demonstrating how the dwelling enhances the site and responds to landscape character  
 • LVIA showing the house is appropriate in its National Park context  
 • Heritage assessment if near Cadw Listed Buildings or in Conservation Areas  
 • NBB strategy showing substantial biodiversity enhancement through garden design, native planting, habitat creation 
 • Design integration working with architects to ensure landscape and architecture are conceived as one

Critical success factor: Exceptional rural dwelling applications succeed when landscape enhancement is foundational to the design concept, not an afterthought. We work with you and your architect from initial concept to demonstrate the dwelling genuinely enhances its setting.

Question 7

Do you work outside North Wales?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely- we work across all of Wales, principally North Wales.

Our geographic reach:

• Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park (core specialism)  
 • Llŷn National Landscape, Anglesey National Landscape, Clwydian Range & Dee Valley National Landscape  
 • Heritage estates and Conservation Areas across Wales  
 • Urban extensions requiring Development Frameworks and Masterplans, LVIA, heritage assessment and NBB strategy. 
 • Cross-border projects in English border counties where Welsh protected landscape expertise adds value

Our value across Wales:

We bring the same rigorous integrated approach—LVIA, heritage, and NBB coordinated from inception—to any protected landscape or heritage-sensitive context. Having worked extensively in National Parks, we understand the heightened scrutiny these locations demand and how to navigate statutory consultee objections.

For projects across Wales, we combine our protected landscape expertise with local LPA understanding to ensure your submission meets planning officer expectations first time.

Question 8

What's your role in relation to heritage specialists and ecologists?

Accepted Answer

We coordinate and integrate the work of specialist consultants, rather than replace them.

What we DO:

• Heritage setting assessment — We assess how development affects the setting and context of heritage assets (Cadw Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas, Cadw Registered Parks & Gardens), which is closely linked to landscape character and visual impact 
 • NBB landscape strategy — We develop the Net Benefit for Biodiversity landscape strategy, habitat creation plans, and Landscape & Ecological Management Plans (LEMPs), working alongside ecologists who conduct DECCA assessment  
 • Integration and coordination — We work alongside heritage specialists and ecologists to ensure their findings inform landscape design, and our landscape mitigation enhances both heritage context and biodiversity.

What we DON'T do (and why you need specialists):

• Heritage impact assessment of primary assets — Detailed assessment of significance, fabric, and direct impact on Listed Buildings requires a specialist conservation architect or heritage consultant  
 • Ecological surveys and NBB assessment — Baseline ecology surveys (protected species, Phase 1 habitat, bat/bird surveys) and DECCA framework assessment require a qualified ecologist

The integration challenge:

Most projects appoint three separate consultants who produce disconnected reports. Planning officers must then piece together how landscape mitigation, heritage impacts, and biodiversity strategies relate to each other.

Our role: Joining the dots.

Think of the planning submission as a jigsaw puzzle. The ecologist provides biodiversity baseline pieces and DECCA assessment. The heritage specialist provides significance assessment pieces. We provide the landscape and visual impact pieces—but critically, we also assemble the puzzle, showing planning officers how:

• Landscape screening enhances heritage setting while creating habitat corridors  
 • Native hedgerow planting respects historic field patterns while delivering net benefit for biodiversity  
 • Habitat creation design responds to landscape character, heritage context, AND ecological networks simultaneously

The result: Planning officers receive a coordinated, coherent submission where landscape, heritage, and biodiversity evidence reinforces each other—not three disconnected reports they must reconcile themselves.

This integrated approach is what Welsh planning officers expect. It's what makes complex protected landscape applications succeed.

Question 9

How do you handle arboricultural constraints?

Accepted Answer

Arboricultural constraints sit at the intersection of all three planning frameworks.

Trees in Registered Parks & Gardens have heritage protection. Mature trees contribute to landscape character (LVIA). Tree retention delivers biodiversity value (NBB).

We coordinate closely with arboricultural consultants to ensure:

• Tree surveys and constraints mapping inform site layout from inception  
 • Arboricultural Method Statements (AMS) align with landscape design proposals  
 • Tree protection measures respect heritage significance and deliver biodiversity outcomes  
 • Engineering solutions (e.g., micropile foundations, raised platforms, no-dig construction) protect root protection areas while enabling development

We don't prepare tree surveys or AMS ourselves—we coordinate with specialist arboricultural consultants to ensure tree retention strategies integrate with landscape, heritage, and biodiversity objectives.

Working alongside your arborist, we ensure:

✓ Root protection areas are shown on landscape masterplans  
✓ Planting strategies complement retained tree canopies 
✓ Hard landscape construction methods protect existing trees  
✓ NBB assessments properly value retained mature trees and ancient woodlands  
✓ Heritage tree retention (e.g., parkland specimens) is celebrated in design narrative.

Call 01766 513162 to discuss your project

INTEGRATED LVIA FOR WALES

Navigate Welsh Protected Landscapes with Confidence

Expert LVIA, heritage setting assessment and Net Benefit for Biodiversity (NBB) strategies for developers working in Eryri National Park, historic estates, and heritage-sensitive contexts across Wales... delivered by Ian D. Robinson CMLI with 25+ years' protected landscape planning expertise.

• Chartered Landscape Architect (CMLI)

• 25+ years protected landscape planning experience

• North Wales-based practice with regional expertise

The Challenges for Developers Working in Welsh Protected Landscapes

Landscape Architect

Heritage Consultant

Ecologist

Arboricultural Consultant

Coordination Risk

X

The Pitfall of Separated Consultancy

One Practice. Four Frameworks. One Coordinated Evidence Bundle.

BEFORE: Disconnected

Landscape

Heritage

Ecology

Arborist

AFTER: Landscape-Led Integration

Landscape

Heritage

Ecology

Arborist

Eryri LA

Coordinating the Orchestra

WHAT WE PROVIDE DIRECTLY

WHAT WE COORDINATE WITH SPECIALISTS

Wales Uses NBB, Not BNG ... Why the Difference Matters

The Welsh Biodiversity Mandate

A Four-Phase Integrated Approach to Welsh Planning Consent

Our Integrated Planning Process

Phase 1: Strategic Assessment (RIBA Stage 0-1)

Baseline character, DECCA baseline, opportunities & constraints analysis

Phase 2: Integrated Design

Iterative design, spatial planning, native planting/ habitat creation

Phase 3: Planning Submission

Officer-ready LVIA, Heritage Setting chapter, GI Statement, 20-30yr LEMP

Phase 4: Condition Discharge

Discharge of landscape conditions including management plans, implementation & monitoring

Appointed at inception. Coordinated throughout. Officer-ready at submission.

Why Developers Appoint Eryri Landscape Architecture

The Specialist Edge: Ian D. Robinson CMLI

25+ Years Experience

​​​Decades of UK-wide protected landscape planning expertise.​​

Chartered Status

Chartered Member of The Landscape Institute (CMLI), providing credibility to LPA officers.

Welsh Framework Mastery

Deep understanding of Eryri special qualities, PPW Edition 12, TAN 6 and DECCA.

Dedicated Welsh Practice

A focus on North Wales protected landscapes & heritage settings

RIBA 0-1 Specialists

Helping shape site design from project inception, not retrofitting reports.

Officer-Ready Submissions

Coordinated evidence bundles that statutory consultees can confidently recommend for approval.

Proven Planning Consent in Protected Landscapes and Heritage Contexts

Howardian Hills AONB

Constraints: Grade I Castle setting & Registered Park Outcome: Consent secured for 14 later-living dwellings; Heritage Setting LVIA chapter demonstrated beneficial effects

Church Warsop

Constraints: Conservation Area, Floodplain, Grade I/II settings. Outcome: Consent for para 79/ TAN 6 equivalent dwelling. LVS proved 'lowest end of less than substantial harm'

Steepleton Manor

Constraints: AONB, Grade II Walled Garden Outcome: Consent for 7 apartments. Visual containment proven; historic path network restored.

Ian D. Robinson CMLI — North Wales Landscape Architect

Ian D. Robinson CMLI has 25+ years navigating National Park, AONB, heritage estate, and EIA planning environments across the UK. Raised in North Wales. ​ Returning to practice here.

Frequently asked questions

When should we appoint you on our project?

How much does an LVIA, heritage setting assessment and NBB landscape strategy cost?

What's the timeline from appointment to planning submission?

What's the difference between LVIA and heritage assessment?

Is NBB really mandatory for my project?

Do you work on exceptional rural dwellings? (Wales equivalent to Para 79)

Do you work outside North Wales?

What's your role in relation to heritage specialists and ecologists?

How do you handle arboricultural constraints?

Ready to De-Risk Your Welsh Planning Application?

ERYRI

Landscape Architecture

... your trusted partner in landscape consultancy.

Arboricultural
Consultant

One Practice. Four Frameworks.
One Coordinated Evidence Bundle.

Eryri
LA

Wales Uses NBB, Not BNG
... Why the Difference Matters

Appointed at inception.
Coordinated throughout.
Officer-ready at submission.

Decades of UK-wide protected landscape planning expertise.

Deep understanding of Eryri special qualities, PPW Edition 12,
TAN 6 and DECCA.

Constraints: Grade I Castle setting & Registered Park

Outcome: Consent secured for 14 later-living dwellings; Heritage Setting LVIA chapter demonstrated beneficial effects

Constraints: Conservation Area, Floodplain, Grade I/II settings.

Outcome: Consent for para 79/ TAN 6 equivalent dwelling. LVS proved 'lowest end of less than substantial harm'

Constraints: AONB, Grade II Walled Garden

Outcome: Consent for 7 apartments. Visual containment proven; historic path network restored.

Ian D. Robinson CMLI
— North Wales Landscape Architect

Ian D. Robinson CMLI has 25+ years navigating National Park, AONB, heritage estate, and EIA planning environments across the UK.

Raised in North Wales.

Returning to practice here.