Landscape Constraints Surveys: avoid design rework before concept stage

A Landscape Constraints Survey is designed to identify and flag landscape features early on, before you start drawing. That way, you can design around them from the outset and avoid costly delays or redesign work later down the line.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through what a Landscape Constraints Survey is, what it involves, when to book one and how to prepare for your survey, so you get the most value from yours.

A Landscape Constraints Survey is an early-stage site assessment that’s typically carried out before any design work begins. The primary goal of the survey is to establish the physical, ecological and planning constraints that are likely to influence your development. Your surveyor will identify which features must be retained, protected or mitigated during design, and which ones may need further specialist investigation.

A Landscape Constraints Survey consists of two parts: desk-based research and a site walkover. The findings from each are recorded against your site boundary to produce the final constraints plan.

The desk-based research involves:

• Planning history, including any previous applications, refusals or extant permissions that affect the site
• Statutory designations, such as Green Belt, Conservation Area status, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) or Sites of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI)
• Utility and drainage records to identify existing services and easements that cross the site
• Flood risk and topographical data drawn from Environmental Agency and Ordnance Survey (OS) maps

The site walkover will then verify these desk-based findings against the ground conditions on your site, recording features like:

• Trees, hedgerows and habitats that may be subject to protection or retention requirements
• Topography, drainage patterns and watercourses that will influence developable areas
• Visual receptors and key views both into and out of the site
• Access arrangements, boundary treatments and highway features that influence how the site can be entered, serviced and laid out
• Visible indicators of ground contamination or made ground that may require further investigation

Your surveyor will issue you with two documents. The first is a written report that sets out each landscape constraint and its implications for your development. The second is a constraints plan, which is an annotated site plan that maps every finding against your boundary.

Together, these two documents give your design team a clear reference to work from. It shows them:

• Where constraints are fixed, meaning the layout needs to work around them
• Where constraints need specific mitigation measures, such as a buffer zone or extra drainage, before the design can go ahead
• Where they have genuine freedom to design without any restrictions

If any finding from the survey needs further investigation, for example a detailed Arboricultural or Ecological Survey, then your surveyor will recommend this in your report. That way, you can commission the relevant surveys early on, rather than trying to schedule them in partway through the design stage.

We recommend completing your survey as early as possible before concept design begins, ideally alongside or ahead of feasibility work. If you commission a survey after your architect has already drawn up a layout, then it might be too late to make any changes. But if you commission it beforehand, then the results can shape your design and make your development more cost-effective to deliver.

The time of year also has an impact on Landscape Constraints Surveys. Site visits are often more successful in the winter, as dormant vegetation will improve the visibility of trees, hedgerows and watercourses on-site. This isn’t the only viable window, however, so speak to your surveyor about when the visit can take place. 

If protected species are present on your site and you need further surveys, such as Badger Surveys or Bat Surveys, then these can only be completed during specific seasons.

Before your surveyor visits your site, we recommend preparing the following. This will make for a more efficient survey and ensure you get the best possible results:

1) Collate existing site information such as title documents, a red line plan, prior survey reports, utility searches and any existing topographical survey. This will enable your surveyor to get started quicker.

2) Confirm site access, including any gate codes, tenancy agreements, livestock or restricted areas. This will ensure the site visit goes smoothly without any access delays.

3) Share your early development ideas, including the type of scheme and where on the site you’d like to build. Even if it’s not set in stone, this information will allow your surveyor to assess the findings against what you actually intend to build.

4) Flag any known issues, such as historic flooding, boundary disputes or public rights of way. Your surveyor can look into each issue properly and make sure they’re reflected in your report.

5) Decide who needs to see the report, whether it be your architect, planning consultant or funder. You can then make sure the constraints plan reaches them before any design work begins.

At Encon Associates, our expert team of Landscape Consultants are well-versed in carrying our Landscape Constraints Surveys for developments of all scales. Rather than just giving you a generic list of restrictions, we’ll produce a comprehensive report that sets out what each constraint means for your specific scheme and where your design may need to be altered to accommodate the landscape features already on-site.

Want a better understanding of the landscape features on your site before you start designing? Get in touch with our team to schedule your Landscape Constraints Survey.