Landscape, Townscape and
Visual Impact Assessments

Both an LVA (Landscape and Visual Appraisal) and an LVIA (Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment) aim to evaluate how a proposed development affects landscape character and visual amenity. The differences come down to scope, formality and use case.

Scope and formality — LVIA is the more comprehensive and formal of the two. It can be undertaken as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and in that context must assess the significance of landscape and visual effects, including types, duration and geographic extent. LVA is generally used for smaller or less complex projects, often as part of pre-application discussions. It is more informal and does not require a formal judgement of significance.

Typical use cases — LVIA is required for larger schemes with landscape and visual implications, especially those falling under EIA thresholds, and may accompany an Environmental Statement detailing effects across phases (construction, Year 1, Year 15) and cumulative scenarios. LVA is more suited to less sensitive contexts or preliminary stages, providing a baseline understanding of landscape sensitivity — useful at pre-application or plan-making stages when exploring locational or design considerations before a fixed scheme is developed.

Process and outputs — Both share common preparatory steps (desk studies, site visits, identification of receptors), but an LVIA — particularly for EIA — goes into far greater depth: assessments at specific stages, structured impact tables, cumulative and long-term analysis. The Landscape Institute's Technical Guidance Note (TGN 1/20) emphasises that "an LVIA must explicitly identify significant effects in compliance with EIA Regulation, whereas LVA does not require such a judgement."

In short — LVIA is the rigorous, structured assessment required especially for developments requiring EIA, explicitly evaluating significance and following detailed regulatory and methodological requirements. LVA is the lighter-touch equivalent, used in lower-impact or preliminary contexts, reporting on landscape and visual sensitivity without a formal significance judgement.

Our fees range — £750 for a desktop Landscape Technical Note to £3,950 for an EIA-level LVIA. The exact fee depends on site size, complexity, sensitivity of setting, the number of viewpoints required, and programme. We provide a fixed-fee quote after an initial review of your project. See our pricing page for a full breakdown.

We require a minimum of 15 working days from instruction to delivery of a draft report. If your programme is tighter than this, please let us know at enquiry stage and we will advise on what is achievable. We do not compromise on quality to meet unrealistic timescales.

Yes — all of our assessments are prepared in full accordance with the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (GLVIA3, Landscape Institute and IEMA, 3rd Edition, 2013), which is the recognised best-practice methodology for LVIA and TVIA work in England, Scotland and Wales.

We cover England, Scotland and Wales from our offices in Nottingham, High Wycombe, and Wells. We have particular experience in Somerset, Gloucestershire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire and the West Midlands, but regularly work across other regions. If in doubt, get in touch.