PPS 21 Sustainable Development in the Countryside·Page 45·5.83
Settlement Identity and Landscape Role
A settlement's identity is shaped by both its buildings and its setting within surrounding countryside. Landscapes around settlements maintain the distinction between town and country and prevent coalescence between adjacent built-up areas.
A settlement's identity can be as much as a result of its setting within the surrounding countryside, as the quality of its buildings. Landscapes around settlements have a special role to play in maintaining the distinction between town and country, in preventing coalescence between adjacent built-up areas and in providing a rural setting to the built up area.
Source — /Users/richardhill/Documents/planning-arch-project/data/documents/regional/PPS 21 - Sustainable Development in the Countryside.pdf