Stisted Parish Council commissioned Liz Lake Associates to undertake a locally based Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) and Landscape Sensitivity Assessment of the Parish, forming the Neighbourhood Plan project area. Stisted is a Civil Parish situated in the Braintree district of Essex. It has a strongly undeveloped, rural character dominated by productive arable farmland contained into ancient field patterns by hedgerows and trees. Scattered woodland blocks of various sizes provide a contrast in the landscape.

A combination of desktop study, fieldwork and stakeholder consultation was used to identify ancient field patterns and parcels of land with common characteristics, known as Local Parish Landscape Character Areas (LPLCA). The study considers only criteria relating to landscape character and visual amenities. It considers the locations of ecological, heritage and recreational assets in the parishes but does not include detailed studies of these topics.

The landscape and visual character of Stisted has been assessed to have a High overall landscape sensitivity in most areas where a policy of enhancing and reinforcing the rural and undeveloped character of the landscape is required. LPLCAs 11 and 12, located south of the parish, should be taken to restore and replace the lost landscape features and field patterns to strengthen the contribution to local landscape character. Key views of the Church of All Saints should be maintained.