Mynydd Lluest Y Graig Wind Farm
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Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm, Near Ponterwyd, Ceredigion, mid Wales - Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Ltd - Scoping Report February 2019 Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Scoping Report Contact Details Client: Dulas Contact: Dafydd Williams Michael Phillips, Principal Consultant Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Ltd Dulas Ltd c/o Eco2, Vision House Unit 1, Dyfi Eco Park Oak Tree Court Machynlleth Cardiff Gate Business Park Powys Cardiff CF23 8RS SY20 8AX Email: E-mail: Document Control File Name: E05450-DOC-Scoping Report_Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm-Final.doc Version: V1 V2 V3 Authors: Michael Phillips Michael Phillips Michael Phillips Reviewed By: Rachel Kennedy Rachel Kennedy Rachel Kennedy Approved By: Ruth Chapman Michael Phillips Michael Phillips Date: 11 June 2019 02 October 2019 27 January 2020 Status: Draft for Client Review Final draft for legal Final for submission review Disclaimer and Limitations Dulas Ltd has endeavoured to ensure that the information contained in this report is accurate. However, Dulas Ltd. accepts no liability for the use of this information by third parties. Copywrite on the whole and every part of this document belongs to Dulas Ltd and may not be used, sold, transferred, copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner or form or in or on any media to any person other than by agreement with Dulas Ltd. This document is produced solely for the benefit and use of the client in accordance with the terms of engagement. Dulas Ltd does not assume any responsibility or liability whatsoever to any third party arising out of any use of reliance of the context of this document Dulas Ltd for Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Ltd i Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Scoping Report Table of Contents 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 4 1.1 GENERAL SITE DESCRIPTION....................................................................................................... 4 1.2 SITE BOUNDARY AND SCALE OF DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................. 4 1.3 PREVIOUS HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 5 1.4 THE DEVELOPER ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.5 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................... 6 1.6 EIA SCOPING EXERCISE ............................................................................................................. 6 1.7 SCOPING REPORT: CONTENT AND STRUCTURE ............................................................................... 8 1.8 EIA COMPETENCY .................................................................................................................... 9 1.9 FURTHER PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS ...................................................................................... 10 2 LEGISLATIVE AND POLICY CONTEXT ......................................................................................... 11 2.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 11 2.2 GLOBAL DRIVERS FOR RENEWABLE POWER GENERATION .............................................................. 11 2.3 UK ENERGY POLICY ON RENEWABLES ........................................................................................ 14 2.4 WELSH LEGISLATION ON SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE .................................................... 16 2.5 DEVOLVED PLANNING POLICY IN WALES .................................................................................... 17 2.6 LOCAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN .................................................................................................... 23 3 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY....................................................... 26 3.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 26 3.2 OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ...................................................... 26 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT.................................................................... 33 4.1 NATURE AND PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ............................................................. 33 4.2 SITE IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT STAGE ......................................................................... 34 4.3 CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES ........................................................................................... 34 4.4 CONSULTATIONS CONDUCTED TO DATE ..................................................................................... 34 4.5 TRANSPORT ACCESS ............................................................................................................... 35 4.6 WIND FARM INFRASTRUCTURE ................................................................................................. 35 4.7 DESIGN APPROACH ................................................................................................................ 38 4.8 CUMULATIVE ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................................... 39 4.9 INDICATIVE MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT MEASURES ............................................................. 41 5 ENVIRONMENTAL TOPIC AREAS AND POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANCE ............................................. 43 5.1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 43 5.2 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT, INCLUDING RESIDENTIAL AMENITY ............................. 43 5.3 ECOLOGY AND NATURE CONSERVATION ...................................................................................... 56 5.4 ORNITHOLOGY ...................................................................................................................... 73 5.5 ARCHAEOLOGY AND CULTURAL HERITAGE .................................................................................. 79 5.6 NOISE ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................... 87 5.7 TRANSPORT AND TRAFFIC ........................................................................................................ 98 5.8 HYDROLOGY, HYDROGEOLOGY AND GEOLOGY ........................................................................... 105 5.9 PEAT ................................................................................................................................. 114 5.10 AVIATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS .................................................................................... 117 5.11 HEALTH AND PUBLIC SAFETY .................................................................................................. 119 5.12 SOCIO-ECONOMICS, RECREATION AND TOURISM ....................................................................... 120 5.13 RECOMMENDED PLANNING ISSUES TO BE SCOPED OUT ............................................................... 128 6 OUTLINE STRUCTURE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT................................................ 130 6.1 ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT ................................................................................................ 130 6.2 OTHER PLANNING DOCUMENTATION....................................................................................... 131 APPENDICES ................................................................................................................................... 132 Dulas Ltd for Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Ltd ii Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Scoping Report PRINCIPAL PLANS AND FIGURES Figure 1: Location of Proposed Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Figure 2: Proposed Development Boundary for the Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Figure 3: Proposed Development Boundary in relation to Designated Sites Boundaries Figure 4: Cumulative Wind Farms within 35km of the Proposed Development Boundary Figure 5 Hub Height Zone of Theoretical Visibiliity Figure 6 Tip Height Zone of Theoretical Visibility SUPPORTING MAPS AND TABLES Map 2.1: Relative Locations of SSA D and Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Map 5.4: Viewshed Analysis and Vantage Points Map 5.5.1 Designated Cultural Heritage Assets within 10km Radius Map 5.5.2: Undesigned Cultural Heritage Assets within the Development Boundary Map 5.6: Potential Background Noise Monitoring Residences Map 5.7.1: Proposed Transport Overall Study Area Map 5.7.2: Proposed Transport Route Assessment Study Area Map 5.8.1: River Catchment Areas Map 5.8.2: NRW Flood Risk Mapping Map 5.8.3: Surface Water Flood Risk Map Map 5.8.4: Soil Types across the Site Map 5.8.5: Pumlumon SSSI Table 4.8: Wind Farm Schemes within a 35km radius of Lluest y Gwynt Table 5.2: Provisional LVIA Viewpoint Locations Table 5.5.1: Scheduled Monuments wihtin the Site Boundary Table 5.5: Wind Farms within Ceredigion Registered Historic Landscape Table 5.7: Assessing Sensitivity of Highway Receptors Table 5.8.1: Sources of Information for Transport Baseline Environment Table 5.12: Socio-economic Significance Criteria APPENDICES Appendix 5.1: Draft Detailed LVIA Methodology Appendix 5.2: Draft Detailed Visualisation Methodology Dulas Ltd for Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Ltd iii Lluest y Gwynt Wind Farm Scoping Report 1 Introduction 1.1 General Site Description 1.1.1 The Lluest y Gwynt