The landscape does not stop at borough boundaries and nor should planning policies. The Thames landscape has evolved over millennia and the elements of landscape structure take centuries to mature. In drawing up a strategy it was important to look at least a hundred years ahead. Redesigning bank structures or the removal of intrusive buildings may seem impossibly expensive or impractical in the short term. In a decade or two however, the situation may be very different.
Buildings become obsolete and banks require major repair work.
In the past, local authorities have even taken the decision to acquire land and demolish obstructions to reveal significant views. The landscape is constantly evolving through the incremental changes of growth and decay as well as major investments by private landowners and public bodies. What is critical is the long-term vision for the city, planning for a time when the apparently impossible can be achieved. The Approach Our study operated at both sub-regional and detailed reach levels, analysing how the area functions as an integral part of the city, while at the same time trying to grasp some of the more fleeting and indefinable qualities of the landscape. The Strategy was aiming to produce a set of environmental policies, as well as specific project proposals to reinstate and enhance the landscape, which could be adopted by local authorities and private landowners.