Design and Access Statement Carno III Access Modifications 15 October 2020 1236511 Amegni Renewables Document history Author Ffion Edwards, Principal Project 13.10.20 Manager Checked Sion Thomas 15.10.20 Approved John Woodruff 14.10.20 Client Details Contact Sion Thomas Client Name Amegni Renewables Address Bron Haul Carno Powys SY17 5JY Issue Date Revision Details A 15.10.20 First revision NATURAL POWER CONSULTANTS LIMITED, THE NATURAL POWER CONSULTANTS LIMITED, NATURAL POWER SARL, NATURAL POWER CONSULTANTS (IRELAND) LIMITED, NATURAL POWER LLC, NATURAL POWER S.A, NATURAL POWER SERVICES LIMITED AND NATURAL POWER OPERATIONS LIMITED (collectively referred to as “NATURAL POWER”) accept no responsibility or liability for any use which is made of this document other than by the Client for the purpose for which it was originally commissioned and prepared. The Client shall treat all information in the document as confidential. No representation is made regarding the completeness, methodology or current status of any material referred to in this document. All facts and figures are correct at time of print. All rights reserved. VENTOS® is a registered trademark of NATURAL POWER. Melogale™, WindCentre™, ControlCentre™, ForeSite™, vuWind™, WindManager™ and OceanPod™ are trademarks of NATURAL POWER. Copyright © 2020 NATURAL POWER. For full details on our ISO and other certifications, please visit: naturalpower.com/company Local Office: Registered Office: Harbour House The Natural Power Consultants Limited Y Lanfa The Green House Aberystwyth Forrest Estate, Dalry SY23 1AS Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire WALES DG7 3XS UK Tel: +44 (0) 1970 636 869 Reg No: SC177881 VAT No: GB 243 6926 48 Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................... 1 1.1. Carno III background ................................................................ 1 1.2. Legislative Context .................................................................... 2 1.3. Aims .......................................................................................... 2 1.4. The Applicant ............................................................................ 2 2. Site and Design Evolution .................................................................. 2 2.1. Existing Access Track to Carno Wind Farm Modifications ...... 2 2.2. Pontdolgoch Alternative Access Track ..................................... 3 3. Environmental Considerations ........................................................... 8 3.1. Public Access ............................................................................ 9 4. Policy Context .................................................................................. 10 5. Conclusions ...................................................................................... 11 Figure 14.5: Pontdolgoch Access Track and Public Rights of Way Figure 14.6: Access Modifications from Carno Village to Carno III Wind Farm and Public Rights of Way Design and Access Statement 1. Introduction 1.1.1. This Design and Access Statement has been prepared by Natural Power Consultants Ltd. (Natural Power) on behalf of Amegni Renewables Ltd. (Amegni Renewables) (the applicant), to accompany the planning application for an alternative access track to avoid Pontdolgoch railway bridge and modifications to the access road from Carno village to Carno Wind Farm (the proposed development) for the transportation of turbine components, near the village of Carno, Powys. 1.2. Carno III background 1.2.1. Carno Wind Farm Extension - Phase III (known hereafter as Carno III) currently has planning permission for the construction and operation of 13 turbines at up to 126.5 metres (m) in maximum height to blade tip, and associated wind farm infrastructure. The consent was granted in May 2017 under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (planning reference: P/2010/0762). 1.2.2. A Further Environmental Information (FEI) document has been prepared by Natural Power in support of a Section 73 application to amend the existing consent to increase the tip height for all 13 turbines from 126.5 m to tip to a maximum of 149.9 m to tip to maximise the wind farm’s efficiency. 1.2.3. Since submission of the original application in 2010 there has been considerable change in the onshore wind market. Due to the removal of subsidies (Renewable Obligation Certificates and Contracts for Difference), it is now vital that onshore wind farms maximise their efficiency. Therefore larger, more productive turbines that can maximise energy yields must be considered. Turbine availability has also changed considerably as a reaction to the new commercial market conditions, with fewer turbine manufacturers providing turbines in the lower height ranges. Turbines in the height range upwards of 150 m to tip are now considered typical in today’s market. 1.2.4. As a result of the increase in turbine height proposed, this has resulted in the need to bring larger components to site and therefore further modifications are required to the consented access route from Carno village to Carno III, which follows sections of private and public road. 1.2.5. In addition, investigations to the access route from port to site has identified a pinch point at Pontdolgoch, along the A470 between Carno and Caersws, where the public road goes under Pontdolgoch railway bridge, which has a height and width restriction. An alternative access route corridor within agricultural land has been identified so that abnormal indivisible loads (AIL) would (on route to site) pull off the A470 onto adjacent private land (utilising temporary track system). Once given the all clear, the loads would cross the A470 and enter Wig Lane unclassified road, over Wig railway crossing and river bridge, before entering private land and follows a new route (with some existing track to be utilised) until reaching an existing junction north of the Pontdolgoch railway bridge at the A470. Once constructed the main access track would remain in situ during the operational period, to provide access should there be a need for replacement component such as a new blade needed to be transported to site. All other maintenance traffic would use the main road and this route would only be used for AIL (i.e. the loads carrying the wind turbine components). 1.2.6. The access modifications from Carno village to Carno III and alternative access at Pontdolgoch is being applied for as a separate Town and County Planning Act 1990 application as it is outside the current planning application area for the consented wind farm. 1.2.7. The proposed modifications to the consented access route is required to enable construction and optimisation of Carno III that would contribute to Wales’ target to generate 70% of its electricity consumption from renewable energy by 2030. 1 1.3. Legislative Context 1.3.1. As the proposed development will be on a site greater than 1 ha, it is considered a major development, as defined in the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) Order 2012 (DMPWO), and therefore a Design and Access Statement must accompany the application. 1.4. Aims 1.4.1. The Design and Access Statement aims to illustrate the design principles and concepts of the proposed development, and how issues relating to access has been dealt with. 1.5. The Applicant 1.5.1. Amegni Renewables is a locally based renewable energy company and a local enterprise formed by farmers from Carno, Mid Wales, who teamed up with their neighbouring landowners to pursue the development, therefore supporting Welsh Government’s aspirations for local ownership of renewable energy projects in Wales. 1.5.2. Natural Power is acting as the main consultant in relation to this proposed development. Natural Power is an independent consultancy with expertise of the entire wind farm development and operations cycle spanning from site prospecting and resource assessment, through design and consent and on to construction an operational asset management. Natural Power’s Welsh team is based in Aberystwyth. 2. Site and Design Evolution 2.1.1. The planning application consists of access works at two areas: • modifications along consented access route from Carno village to Carno Wind Farm along sections of private and public road; and • creation of new access road through agricultural fields south of Pontdolgoch. 2.1.2. Section 13 of the FEI, including Section 13 figures and appendices provide detailed information relating the proposed work at both areas. 2.1.3. The following sections demonstrates how the proposed development aims to meet the five principles (where applicable) of good design listed in Planning Policy Wales. 2.2. Existing Access Track to Carno Wind Farm Modifications 2.2.1. The modifications to the existing access track from Carno village to Carno Wind Farm allows larger components to be delivered to Carno III safely. The modifications proposed are shown on the swept path analysis drawings included in Appendix 13A.9 of the FEI (pinch point 23 to 33) and are not repeated here. 2.2.2. Some of the works required to bring turbine components to Carno III were already covered by the existing consent, however due to the need to use larger turbine components some further modifications (greater widening etc.) is required which is outside the current consented planning application boundary. 2.2.3. Figure 2.1 below shows the current consented planning application boundary in blue and the proposed additional planning application area in red