2018 (and indeed 2017) has seen me spending too much time drafting and steering (with a steering group of fellow Landscape Institute volunteers) a long-overdue revision to the LI's 2011 Guidance "Photography and Photomontage in Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment" (Link auto-downloads the 2011 guidance as a PDF).
We passed a milestone in the summer of 2018, when the draft consultation document was issued:
https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/news/photography-photomontage-guidance-update/
Image: the draft consultation document
A good consultation response sample
The LI received over fifty responses to the consultation, from practitioners large and small, as well as public authorities. There were many useful and detailed comments, but the most common concerns related to proportionality, with reference to LI Technical Guidance Note 02/17, Visual Representation of Development Proposals (Link auto-downloads the TGN as a PDF).
Image: taking test photos at a workshop in York
A considered and genuine response to consultee comments
Many respondents were concerned that the document implied that the ‘highest levels of sophistication’ were required for all levels of LVIA and LVA, contrary to the principles expressed in TGN 02/17 and indeed GLVIA3.
We decided that the best way to respond to the consultee concerns would be to update and embed TGN 02/17 into the photography/photomontage guidance and provide a specification for the lower levels of sophistication. This will remove any potential conflict between the documents. The new combined guidance note will consider the use, application and technical application of the range of approaches to visualisation and will provide one source of information for all "Visualisation Representation of Development Proposals" including "Photography and Photomontage for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment".
Image: Reviewing photos for scale at the workshop
The end is in sight...
We are genuinely excited that we are in the final stages of producing a comprehensive guide which will be applicable to the full range of planning-related visualisations in the UK.
It's been a long haul, but 2019 is the year!
By Bill Blackledge CMLI
Vice Chair of LI Technical Committee