9 Cultural Heritage
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Gorpley Wind Farm Chapter 9 Environmental Statement Cultural Heritage 9 CULTURAL HERITAGE 9.1 INTRODUCTION This chapter of the Environmental Statement (ES) evaluates the effects of the Development on the cultural heritage and archaeological resource. Cultural heritage and archaeological resources include World Heritage Sites, Scheduled Monuments (SMs), Listed Buildings, Registered Historic Parks and Gardens, Registered Battlefields and Conservation Areas, as well as non-designated archaeological remains and other archaeological remains as indicated by the Local Authority Historic Environment Records (HERs) and the National Monuments Record (NMR). The assessment is intended to identify cultural heritage resources which may be affected, either directly (e.g., through physical disturbance during construction of the Development) or indirectly (e.g., through visual changes to the historical and archaeological setting) during construction or throughout the operation and decommissioning of the Development. This chapter contains the following sections: • Methodology – describing both the methods used in baseline surveys and in the assessment of the significance of effects; • Baseline Description – a description of the condition of the site and its archaeological potential, as well as a listing of features of historic environment interest beyond the immediate site, resulting from surveys, desk-based information and consultations carried out to inform this chapter; • Development Design Mitigation – a summary of the mitigation for potential historic environment effects that has been embedded in the Development design; • Assessment of Potential Effects – identifying the ways in which the historic environment resource of the site and its environs could be affected by the proposed wind farm, including an assessment of cumulative effects; • Mitigation Measures and Residual Effects – a description of measures recommended to off-set the identified potential effects and an assessment of the significance of the effects of the Development, after mitigation measures have been implemented; • Summary of Effects; and • Statement of Significance. This Chapter is supported by the following figures, provided in Volume II: Figures of this ES and the following technical appendices, provided in Volume III: Technical Appendices of this ES: • Figure 9.1 – Archaeological Features. • Figure 9.2 – Cultural Heritage Features within 5 km. • A9.1: Archaeological Desk Based Assessment. • A9.2: Grade II Listed Buildings between 2 kilometres (km) and 5 km. 9.2 METHODOLOGY This assessment has involved: • Consultation with statutory and non-statutory authorities to obtain data establishing the baseline conditions for the site and its surrounding area; • Desk-based studies to contribute to and validate data relevant to establishing the baseline conditions; • Assessment of the potential effects of the Development upon the baseline conditions; • Assessment of the significance of the effects taking into account the sensitivity of the site (and selected features beyond the site), the magnitude of potential effects (both direct and indirect) and the likelihood of such effects occurring; and Kelda Water Services Arcus Renewable Energy Consulting Ltd October 2012 Page 9-1 Chapter 9 Gorpley Wind Farm Cultural Heritage Environmental Statement • Identification of means to mitigate and avoid, where possible, any potential effects occurring, as well as the assessment of the residual effects which may exist after mitigation. 9.2.1 Legislation, Policy and Guidance The assessment has been undertaken taking into account the following relevant legislation, policy and guidance as outlined in the following sections. 9.2.1.1 Legislation • Statutory protection for archaeology is principally outlined in the Ancient Monument and Archaeological Areas Act (1979) as amended by the National Heritage Act (1983) and nationally important sites are listed in a Schedule of Monuments. Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC) is required before any work affecting the fabric of a Scheduled Monument can be carried out. • Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas receive protection under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Works that affect the character and appearance of such structures require an approval from the Local Planning Authority via a procedure set out in the act. 9.2.1.2 Policy The following policy has been taken into account in this assessment: • National Planning Policy Framework (March 2012) paragraphs 126-141 sets out planning policies for the protection and conservation of archaeological remains and features of the built heritage. • The National Planning Policy Framework replaces all of the Planning Policy Guidance (PPGs) and Planning Policy Statements (PPSs) including Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment (23 March 2010). The companion guides and practice guides associated with the former PPGs and PPSs are still extant. It is understood they are ‘under review’, but details of this review has yet to be published. As such, PPS5 Planning for the Historic Environment: Historic Environment Planning Practice Guide (PPS5 Practice Guide, March 2010) still provides guidance on the interpretation of cultural heritage and archaeology policies. In addition, consideration has been given to the relevant regional and local planning policies, as detailed in section 9.3.6 of Chapter 4: Planning Policy of this ES. 9.2.1.3 Guidance The following guidance and advice was also considered: • Standards and Guidance Historic Environment Desk Based Assessments (Institute for Archaeologists 13th April 2012) advises that the aim of a desk-based assessment is to gain information about the known and potential archaeological resource within the Development site boundary and that from this an appraisal can be made on the presence or absence of archaeology; • PPS5 Planning for the Historic Environment: Historic Environment Planning Practice Guide (PPS5 Practice Guide, March 2010) provides guidance on the interpretation of cultural heritage and archaeology policies; • English Heritage (2011) Seeing the History in the View: A Method for Assessing Heritage Significance in Views ; • English Heritage (2010) The Setting of Heritage Assets ; • English Heritage (2008) Conservation Principles, Policy and Guidance ; • English Heritage (2005) Wind Energy and the Historic Environment ; and • English Heritage (2008) Climate Change and the Historic Environment. 9.2.2 Consultation In June 2011, a scoping report detailing methodologies and preliminary baseline findings was issued to both statutory and non-statutory consultees. A summary of the consultee responses is given in Table 9.1. Arcus Renewable Energy Consulting Ltd Kelda Water Services Page 9-2 October 2012 Gorpley Wind Farm Chapter 9 Environmental Statement Cultural Heritage Table 9.1 Consultation Responses Consultee Response West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service Indicated that they are happy with the proposal within the scoping report to include a desk based assessment (DBA) alongside the Environmental Statement. English Heritage Did not wish to offer any detailed comments on this occasion. Recommended that the Lancashire HER and Conservation Officer was consulted in addition to the West Yorkshire HER and Conservation Officer. 9.2.3 Study area The following study areas are used for the purposes of this assessment: • Archaeological core study area; • Wider study area; and • 5 km study area of the turbine envelope. All study areas used for the purpose of the cultural heritage and archaeology assessment are shown in Figures 9.1 and 9.2, Volume II of this ES. A summary of each study area is given below. The archaeological core study area including all land within the Development boundary at the time of scoping was used to identify known cultural heritage features with the potential to receive a direct impact as a result of Development. The wider study area which includes all land within a 1 km radius of the archaeological core study area was used to assess the potential for unknown buried archaeological remains that may also receive a direct impact from the Development. To identify cultural heritage features the settings of which could potentially be affected by the Development, an initial search area was defined based on distance from the Development. For the purposes of this preliminary assessment, distance was used as the principal criterion in determining the likelihood of a significant visual effect on setting. Data was initially collected on all designated features within 15 km of the turbines. Following a review of this data and using professional judgement detailed consideration was given to such features lying within 5 km of the nearest turbine as these were judged to have the potential to receive a likely significant effect on their settings. Those designated assets within 5 km (i.e., the Scheduled Monuments shown in Table 9.6) were visited in April 2011 to inform the consideration of their settings. The individual assessments (presented in section 9.5) demonstrate that no significant effects were found upon any heritage assets within 5 km and therefore the search area for the assessment is considered appropriate. The final assessment is based on the Development layout shown in Figure 1.2, Volume II: Figures of this ES and distances to cultural heritage features are taken from the nearest turbine. 9.2.4 Survey Methods A DBA was undertaken, using readily available documentary, cartographic and photographic evidence,