ALCL02397: Detailed Agricultural Land Classification Survey for Cramlington, 1989-1999

Agricultural Land Classification (ALC) survey data for the Cramlington, SE area, part of the Blyth Valley Local Plan. The dataset includes scanned original paper maps and survey reports from detailed site surveys conducted between 1989 and 1999 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It uses the grading methodology from the 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' report and may include unedited soil sample point data and pit descriptions for some surveys.

Use Cases

• Classifying agricultural land capability based on the official ALC grading methodology described in the survey reports.
• Analyzing soil quality and subgrade variations for Grade 3 land using the available soil point data and pit descriptions.
• Supporting local planning decisions by integrating historical land classification maps at scales from 1:5,000 to 1:50,000.
• Studying temporal changes in land quality by comparing this post-1988 survey data with other classification periods.

Strengths

• Based on the official 'Agricultural Land Classification of England and Wales' methodology, ensuring standardized grading.
• Includes subdivision of Grade 3 into subgrades 3a and 3b, providing finer detail for moderate quality land.
• Contains original scanned maps and reports, preserving the primary survey documentation.
• Some surveys include unedited sample point soils data and soil pit descriptions for ground-truth analysis.

Limitations

• Row count, column names, and file formats are unknown, which limits suitability assessment.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to the specific survey period and location.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (survey), Natural England and Ordnance Survey (copyright).

Collection Method

Detailed site surveys with soil analysis, resulting in paper maps and reports which were subsequently scanned.

Time Range

1989 to 1999

Freshness

Survey data is from 1989-1999; last update date for the digital record is unknown.

Geography

Cramlington, South East area (Blyth Valley Local Plan), England.