Cornwall National Landscape (Copy)
By Jim Wood. Planning officer. Cornwall National Landscape Team. https://cornwall-landscape.org/
Pendower Beach is located within the Cornwall National Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). National Landscapes enjoy the very highest level of landscape protection equal to that of National Parks.
The statutory purpose of the designation is to “conserve and enhance” the natural beauty. Section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 requires that relevant authorities must “seek to further the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty of the area of outstanding natural beauty”.
National Landscapes are designated on account of their “outstanding natural beauty”. This includes a combination of factors such as landscape quality, scenic quality, relative wildness, relative tranquillity, natural heritage features and cultural heritage. Pendower Beach exemplifies the combination of these attributes and this gives rise to its uniquely sensitive character.
Pendower Beach occupies a pivotal location in the landscape at the convergence of the beach, wooded valley and Rocky Lane. It has only modest vehicular access and limited presence of contemporary built form. Such locations within the designated landscape and particularly the coastal sections where the landscape, seascape and their tranquillity are predominant in the spirit of the place are few and far between. This scarcity and combination of attributes of natural beauty elevates the sensitivity of this location above that which might otherwise be associated with many of the coastal locations within this section of the Cornwall National Landscape. The Cornwall Landscape Assessment of 2022 reflects this sensitivity in its Guidance for this area to “Conserve the overall high levels of tranquillity and experience of dark night skies in the landscape”.
The approach to the beach, whether by car or along the many public rights of way, and its modest and substantially undeveloped character provides an important part of the perceptual experience of visiting the beach and one which is cherished by all who visit.
Many of the landscapes within the Cornwall National Landscape are under pressure from development. Few, such as Pendower Beach, so retain their essential characteristics where a sense of timelessness still dominates the perception of the landscape. This is as a result of the combination of the relationship between coast, woodland and beach and the relative lack of intrusive modern development or access.
This is an iconic location and one which exemplifies the irreplaceable attributes of the designated landscape and which the designation and the protection it confers seeks to retain.
