Visual amenity
The term ‘visual amenity’ refers to the views and surroundings that create the backdrop to an area.
A Residential Visual Amenity Assessment (RVAA) assesses the potential visual impact of a development on the residential amenity of property.
Guidance on the preparation of Landscape and Visual Impact Assessments is available in GLVIA 3, Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, Third Edition, published by the Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment in 2013.
Additional guidance is available in Landscape Institute technical guidance note TGN 02/2019 at https://landscapewpstorage01.blob.core.windows.net/www-landscapeinstitute-org/2019/03/tgn-02-2019-rvaa.pdf
NB High Speed Rail (Crewe – Manchester) Environmental Statement, Glossary, abbreviations and references, published by the Department for Transport in 2022, defines visual amenity as: ‘The enjoyment or benefit that people derive from a particular view or area in terms of what is seen. When a landscape (or townscape) is changed in some way, the change will be seen by people - often by several different groups of people i.e. visual receptors - and this may affect their views and their visual amenity overall.’
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Ecological impact assessment.
- Ecological survey.
- Environmental impact assessment.
- Green belt.
- Historic Landscape Characterisation.
- Historic Land-use Assessment.
- In-combination effects.
- Landscape and Visual Appraisal.
- Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment.
- Landscape architect.
- Landscape character.
- Landscape Institute.
- Landscape officer.
- Legibility.
- Natural area.
- Strategic ecology framework SEF.
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
The heritage of nuclear and conventional power stations.
New measures to stop people being ripped off
Government to protect families from cowboy builders and aggressive bailiffs.
New Futurebuild showcase brings an innovation-first approach.
National Planning Policy Framework
Understanding the 2026 changes.
ECA's public affairs priorities
Member consultation opens to shape priorities for 2027 to 2030.
Dutyholder responsibilities from 1 July 2026.
Where performance meets practice
The Building Envelope Stage at UKCW Birmingham.
CIAT publishes briefing on planning reforms.
Leaders in Learning for Practice Network
Call for conservation leaders in learning to register interest in new network.
The importance of early engagement
Construction lessons from the Trillium HealthWorks Experience Centre.
Mayors are to be given planning call in powers
Mayors across England will be able to make the most important planning decisions.
The Master Builder: William Butterfield and his times. Book review.
Comments
[edit] To make a comment about this article, click 'Add a comment' above. Separate your comments from any existing comments by inserting a horizontal line.