Loch Treig Hydro Schemes
ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
for Green Highland Renewables Ltd
August 2014 Eden Environment Ltd www.edenenvironment.com
Document name: Loch Treig Hydro Schemes/ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
Quality Control Name Signature Date
Prepared by Oliver Moffatt 13th August 2014
Reviewed by Alison Moffatt 13th August 2014
Revision History Reason Date 00 Original 13th August 2014
Contents
1 Introduction ...... 1
2 EIA Method ...... 3
3 Development Description ...... 4
4 Consideration of Alternatives ...... 17
5 Planning and Policy Context ...... 18
6 Cultural Heritage ...... 22
7 Landscape Character ...... 23
8 Visual amenity ...... 25
9 Ecology ...... 26
10 Noise, vibration and air quality ...... 29
11 Summary and Conclusions...... 31
List of Appendices
Appendix 6.1 Cultural Heritage - Abhainn Rath
Appendix 6.2 Cultural Heritage - Allt na Lairige
Appendix 7.1 Landscape Character and Visual Amenity
Appendix 9.1 Ecology - Abhainn Rath
Appendix 9.2 Ecology - Allt na Lairige
Loch Treig Hydro Schemes Green Highland Renewables Ltd ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
1 Introduction
1.1 Background Green Highland Renewables (GHR) proposes to develop two small hydro-electric generating stations on rivers near the south end of Loch Treig. Loch Treig is a dammed reservoir about 20 km east of Fort William, Highland. Between Fort William and Loch Treig are some of the highest mountains in the British Isles, including Ben Nevis, and it is two rivers which drain this massif which are the subjects of this project.
The two schemes would be built on the Allt na Lairige, which drains into the south-west corner of Loch Treig from the north-west; and the Abhainn Rath, which drains into the same point on the loch from the south-west.
Figure 1 The wider context. Both schemes would be built within the red circle.
1 Eden Environment Ltd August 2014 www.edenenvironment.com
Loch Treig Hydro Schemes Green Highland Renewables Ltd ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
Figure 2 The scheme areas in more detail.
The two proposals will be the subjects of two separate planning applications. This Environmental Statement (ES) reports on the Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for both schemes. Wherever possible duplication is avoided by dealing with the two schemes together. Where separate text is required for each scheme, the Abhainn Rath scheme is presented first, and then the Allt na Lairige scheme.
Detailed scheme drawings, complete with grid references, are provided in the planning application paperwork. Drawings in this report are intended to illustrate specific environmental aspects of the proposals.
2 Eden Environment Ltd August 2014 www.edenenvironment.com
Loch Treig Hydro Schemes Green Highland Renewables Ltd ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT
6 Cultural Heritage
6.1 Introduction In scoping, THC requested a “brief desk-based study and rapid walkover survey”, to be carried out by a competent qualified archaeologist. Accordingly, GHR commissioned Highland Archaeology Services Ltd (HAS) to carry out an assessment. HAS’s reports are attached to this ES at Appendix 6.1 and 6.2.
6.2 Potential impacts HAS carried out a desk-based survey of both scheme areas before going on site. The survey included heritage environmental records and also studies of historical maps and modern air photos. HAS reviewed the historical occupation of the area and the background to more recent developments such as the aluminium smelting works at Fort William, which resulted in the raising of the water level of Loch Treig. However, they did not identify any archaeological features that are likely to be affected by the development. They did note the presence of a set of stepping stones at Staoineag, about 930m downstream of the Abhainn Rath powerhouse, and field enclosure dykes just north of the Allt na Lairige powerhouse.
The desktop studies were followed by fieldwork which inspected all the development area. The area south of the Abhainn Rath, along the line of the proposed new link to the existing track to Kinlochmore, was not accessible because the river was too high; it was examined using binoculars and modern air photos. The fieldwork did not reveal any previously unrecorded features, and confirmed that all of the features identified during the desktop study would be unaffected by the scheme. HAS recommend that if drystone walls north of the Allt na Lairige powerhouse are cut to install the penstock or access track, they should first be recorded by an archaeologist. GHR confirms that these walls would not be affected by the scheme.
6.3 Agreed mitigation No mitigation is proposed, since no likely significant impact has been identified.
6.4 Residual impacts The two schemes are not expected to cause any significant impact on any feature of cultural heritage interest.
22 Eden Environment Ltd August 2014 www.edenenvironment.com