The Scottish Trunk Road Network

1.1 SODD NRD is responsible for the development and management of the Trunk Road Network. The Network currently comprises over 3200km of road and associated verges, covering a total area of over 6000Ha or 60km². This represents a major land holding which must be managed and maintained in the long term.

1.2 Much of the estate is rural, although a significant proportion lies within the urban and peri-urban area. The land holding is enormously varied in its composition, ranging from the semi-natural to the formal and the ornate. The landscape of the estate represents a major investment; an ongoing maintenance commitment; and a major opportunity to contribute positively to the quality of the Scottish environment.

Landscape Objectives

1.3 In creating and maintaining the landscape of a road, a number of objectives must be satisfied:

• The road must remain safe and the verges must not present a hazard to road users.
• It must give good value for money in whole life terms.
• Visual amenity must be provided to both road users and those living close by.
• There must be a demonstrable endeavour to make a positive contribution to the landscape character, natural vegetation and wildlife habitats.

1.4 These objectives integrate directly with the wider commitments of the government to enhance biodiversity and to promote the wise and sustainable use of resources.

CEL: LFN and Existing Policy

1.5 SODD NRD endorse the procedures, guidance and good practice described in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) and require all professionals concerned with trunk road assessment, planning, design and management to comply with them. The policy complements Volume 10 of the DMRB and provides further guidance and the procedure to be adopted in Scotland. Where the advice or procedure differs from that in Volume 10 of DMRB, that given in CEL:LFN shall prevail in Scotland. Where, within a design and construct contract (contractors design) there are conflicts between this procedure and the Employer's Requirements, the Employer's Requirements shall take precedence.

1.6 Volume 10 of the DMRB is entitled "Environmental Design", and includes guidance on:

• Landform and alignment
• Planting, vegetation and soils
• Integration with rural/urban landscape
• Nature conservation
• Heritage
• Contract and maintenance implications of motorway widening
• Improving existing roads
• Horticulture and wildflowers
• Environmental barriers
• Archaeology
• Lighting

1.7 Volume 11 is entitled, "Environmental Assessment" and describes the approach and procedures of environmental assessment under the following headings:

• General Principles of Environmental Assessment
• Environmental Assessment Techniques
• Reporting the Environmental Assessment

1.8 This policy sets out the procedure for Scottish road landscape design and management. It does not give guidance on environmental assessment or route planning.

The Aim of the Policy

1.9 The primary aim of the policy is to improve the quality and efficiency of road landscape design and management through the application of natural characteristics.

1.10 This policy will apply to all tasks undertaken by landscape designers operating on trunk roads.

1.11 The successful application of this approach will:

• Promote landscape objectives which are balanced, properly set and can be met in a cost-effective way.
• Result in minimum intervention in the development of the landscape, through design for self-reliance or the 'Bottom Dead Centre' approach.
• Encourage innovative techniques or methods.
• Encourage identification of opportunities to enhance the distinctiveness of local landscape character.
• Provide benefits for wildlife within the designed landscape.

1.12 The application of the policy will be subjected to procedural inspections arranged by the client.

'Bottom Dead Centre' Design

Landscape can be natural, artificial and all shades between. The time money and resources required to maintain landscape increases the further the design is from its natural state. This can be likened to a pendulum. Bottom dead centre is the state of rest that represents the natural self-reliant landscape and the displacement from this position represents the degree of artificiality. Both the pendulum and the landscape will begin to revert to their natural state or 'bottom dead centre' if the energy input declines. The aim shall be to achieve design objectives as close to the natural state as is possible.

Working With Nature

1.13 At the heart of the policy is the belief that landscapes which are relatively self-sustaining, requiring minimal long-term intervention, can only be developed if the design works with nature rather than fights against it. To apply the policy, the designer shall therefore:

• Understand ecological processes and how they interact over time to produce habitats of character and value.
• Understand the site and its capacity to support a range of habitats with minimal maintenance intervention.
• Study the context of the site to identify those natural processes which can be best harnessed to achieve the desired landscape objectives.
• Be aware of both short term costs (capital/ construction) and long term costs (revenue/ maintenance) and the need to balance both types of expenditure.
• Search for benefits, in terms of biodiversity and sustainability, which can be delivered as part of the design.

Cost Effective Landscape

1.14 Cost-effectiveness and quality can be complimentary. The challenge facing landscape designers is to demonstrate that:

Landscape Design & Management Cost Effective Landscapes + = + Learning From Nature Environmental Benefits

1.15 The policy enables landscape designers to deliver a significant contribution to the government's objectives of controlling public expenditure while enhancing biodiversity and sustainability.

Opportunities & Benefits

1.16 By encouraging and requiring landscape designers to explore alternatives in the search for the most appropriate solution, a number of significant benefits are expected:

• To the road user - a more interesting and varied visual experience.
• To the quality of life - a more sensitive response to local needs arising from the integrated process of design and careful consideration of alternative options.
• To the landscape - a more sensitive approach and greater attention to detail which will contribute to the particularity of the area.
• To nature conservation - provision of greater diversity of habitats, flora and fauna along the road corridor, and greater integration with adjacent habitats.
• To the wider environment - a significant contribution to the government's commitments to enhance biodiversity and promote the wise and sustainable use of resources
• To the exchequer - a more cost effective use of public expenditure.