Gain was appointed by Natural England to produce joint guidance for the production of Management Plans for National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and The Broads. The guidance takes forward the government commitment made in its response to the Glover Review of Protected Landscapes.
The guidance is comprehensive, covering context and background of protected landscapes, policy and legislative frameworks, processes of production, creating content and plan delivery. The guidance covers the role of Protected Landscapes Management Plans and Partnerships in several key initiatives, including their critical role in delivering 30 by 30 and tackling climate change.
Gain liaised with a steering group of Protected Landscapes managers and several working groups from both National Parks and AONBs. The guidance is now in text format, awaiting further consultation across the Protected Landscapes family and the intention is for the final guidance to be a web based resource for use by Protected Landscapes across the country.
Bodmin Open Spaces Strategy
Gain has completed a comprehensive Open Spaces Strategy on behalf of Bodmin Town Council. The Bodmin Open Spaces Strategy is in two parts.
Part I is the strategic assessment which establishes if Bodmin has enough of the right types of open spaces and whether the are close enough to the communities that they serve. It reinforces the size of new open space to be delivered via new strategic developments in Bodmin. The strategy also establishes key management principles for Bodmin Town Council’s Open Spaces and outlines future strategic open space projects. The strategy was informed by the results of a comprehensive community consultation.
Part II examines 19 parks and open spaces under the management of Bodmin Town Council. It sets out a detailed profile, describing the open space and identifies pressures and condition issues, making recommendations for future management.
The Cornwall Landscape Character Assessment Review
Gain supported Land Use Consultants in the production of a new Landscape Character Assessment for Cornwall, using our in-depth knowledge of Cornwall’s unique landscapes. The revision of Cornwall’s LCA involved creating a character types map for Cornwall, reviewing and remapping of Character Area boundaries, revision of the Landscape Character Area descriptions and, importantly, a review of the local planning designation of Areas of Great Landscape Value (AGLV).
Portreath Parish Village Character Assessment
Gain worked to map and described individual character areas for the settlements of Portreath and Bridge on behalf of the Portreath Neighbourhood Development Plan, producing a comprehensive Village Character Assessment. This involved developing a settlement edge assessment and planning guidelines for each area along with training volunteers to assist with field survey.
Gweek Parish Landscape Character Assessment
Gain worked with the Gweek Neighbourhood Plan group to develop a comprehensive landscape evidence base to support the Gweek Parish Neighbourhood Plan. The work involved landscape characterisation and descriptions, a settlement edge assessment, and the production of planning guidelines.
St Hilary Neighbourhood Plan Policy
Gain is working to support St Hilary Parish Council in the production of its Neighbourhood Development Plan, producing social, economic and environmental policy, based on evidence gathered by the NDP group.
The Landscape Institute - Competency Framework
Gain was commissioned by the Landscape Institute to author seven aspects of the LI’s new Competency Framework, aimed at making their Pathway to Chartership more inclusive for a wider range of landscape professionals.
Colette Beckham authored the following competencies on behalf of the Institute, reflecting her broad experiences across many spheres of landscape practice.
