Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement
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Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement March 2021 Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Site Location and Description 3 3. Background to the Proposed Development 5 4. The Proposed Development 8 5. Planning and Energy Policy Framework 13 6. Planning Appraisal 25 7. Planning Balance and Conclusions 36 Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement 1. Introduction 1.1 This Planning Statement has been prepared to support a full planning application by Energiekontor UK Ltd for the installation of two wind turbines to the north of Rhydcymerau, Carmarthenshire. The scheme, known as Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines, comprises two turbines, together with associated infrastructure and a new site access from the B4337. 1.2 This Statement describes the proposed development for which planning permission is sought and objectively assesses the degree to which the scheme is compliant with the relevant national and local planning and energy policies. It is set out under the following sections: • Section 2 - describes the application site and the surrounding area; • Section 3 - describes the relevant planning history and community engagement undertaken; • Section 4 - describes the proposed development; • Section 5 - provides a summary of planning policy as is relevant to the proposed development; • Section 6 - provides a planning appraisal of the scheme; and • Section 7 - sets out the planning balance and overall conclusions. Accompanying Documents 1.3 An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening Request was submitted to the Local Planning Authority, Carmarthenshire County Council (CCC), in November 2020. CCC subsequently confirmed that, due to the scale of the turbines and location of the application site relative to designated and protected areas and landscapes, the development is not considered EIA development and thus an EIA is not required. 1.4 The application is, however, supported by a full suite of environmental surveys and assessments. To aid the Council’s determination of the application, the methodology and results of the various assessments are set out in a separate Environmental Report. Detailed application drawings and visualisations and a Design and Access Statement are also submitted to enable the effects of the development to be fully considered. 1.5 Multiple rounds of consultation have been held with the Local Planning Authority and other statutory agencies to confirm the scope of the application and nature of the detailed proposals. The Applicant – Energiekontor UK Ltd 1.6 Energiekontor UK Ltd (EK) is a renewable energy development company with offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Leeds. The company was formed in 1999 and develops small Energiekontor UK Ltd | March 2021 1 Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement to medium-sized onshore wind and solar farms throughout the United Kingdom. The company operates eight existing wind farms in the UK with a number of other wind and solar projects at various stages of the development process throughout the UK. 1.7 Energiekontor UK Ltd is part of the Energiekontor Group. The parent company, Energiekontor AG, was established in 1990 in Bremerhaven in Northern Germany. It has since grown to become one of the leading wind energy companies in Europe and is active in Germany, France, The Netherlands, Portugal, the USA and the UK. The company has built more than 100 onshore wind farms in Europe. Energiekontor UK Ltd | March 2021 2 Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement 2. Site Location and Description The Site and Surroundings 2.1 The application site is located within the administrative boundary of Carmarthenshire County Council, approximately 2 km north of the village of Rhydcymerau and 2 km west of Wern. Other nearby settlements include: Llanybydder (5.5 km) to the south-east and Lampeter (6.5 km) to the south. Other smaller clusters of settlements and farmsteads are located at varying distances from the application site. 2.2 The application site comprises two adjacent fields and a thin, linear ‘leg’ to the south of these fields, plus a small section of field to the north. The two adjacent grassland fields lie along the western side of the head of a small valley and are separated by a post and wire fence. The topography of the application site is varied due to the two main fields being located at the head of a small valley. A stream runs south through the application site parallel to an existing access track. 2.3 Further grassland fields lie immediately to the north, east and south of the site. The wider area is predominantly upland grazing agricultural land, comprising open sheep farming agricultural land set within a rural landscape. The surrounding area to the south west comprises a large commercial forest, known as Brechfa Forest, which covers an area of approximately 6,500 ha. 2.4 The application site is not situated within any international or national ecological designations. Cefn Blaenau Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is located approximately 0.67 km east of the application site. Ceaau Blaen-Bydernyn SSSI is located approximately 2.6 km to the north west of the application site and Cae Blaen- Dyffryn 4.5 km to the north west. The Brecon Beacons National Park (SSSI) is located approximately 19 km to the south. Residential Properties 2.5 The nearest residential properties to the proposed turbines are Tanrhiw (679 m) and Esgairliving Farm (714 m). The owners of both properties are financially involved with the proposed development. The nearest non-involved property is Caermalwas Fawr, which is located 793m to the west of the nearest proposed turbine. The second closest non- involved property is Bwlch Caermalwas Fach, located 939 m south-west of the nearest turbine. The third closest non-involved property is Cefnblaenau, located 951 m north-east of the nearest turbine. There are no other non-involved residential properties within 1 km of the proposed turbines. Accessibility 2.6 The application site is accessed from the B4337 via an existing track serving Esgairliving Farm. Two unnamed roads also run to the west and north of the application site, which serve the local area, farmsteads and associated dwellings. 2.7 There are no Public Rights of Way (PROW) within the application site boundary. The closest PROW to the application site crosses the edge of the Lllwydrissi woodland, 1.3 Energiekontor UK Ltd | March 2021 3 Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement km to the north west of the application site. There are some publically accessible tracks within Llwydrissi woodland. Nearest Wind Farms and Turbines 2.8 There are 29 wind energy developments within 15 km of the proposed Mynydd Pencarreg turbines (including and up to 5th January 2021 (see Appendix 4.2 of the Environmental Report). These range from single turbines to wind farms comprising 28 turbines. There are 15 ‘operational’ wind turbine schemes, 13 ‘approved’ schemes and 1 ‘in planning’. Energiekontor UK Ltd | March 2021 4 Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement 3. Background to the Proposed Development Planning History 3.1 A Planning Application (Ref: W/31728, herein after referred to as ‘the Original Planning Application’) and accompanying environmental information was submitted by the Applicant under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for two turbines of 100m tip height, and associated infrastructure, at the same location as this submission in March 2015. The Council considered the development non-EIA and subsequently granted planning permission in March 2016 (herein after referred to as ‘the Original Planning Permission’). 3.2 Following this, an application (Ref: W/34341, herein after referred to as ‘the Variation Application’) was submitted by the Applicant to the Council in August 2016 under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, in which a variation was sought for the aforementioned planning permission (Ref: W/31728) as to not comply with Condition 2, which stated that: “The development shall be carried out in accordance with the following approved plans and documents: Figure 3.1 Typical Wind Turbine Elevation”. The Applicant proposed to supersede Figure 3.1 with a new figure (Figure 3.1a), essentially requesting a 25m turbine tip height increase from 100m previously granted to 125m. Additional environmental information was provided with the Variation Application, including on landscape and visual and noise. The Council refused the Variation Application in March 2017 for the following reasons: • The proposed development is contrary to Policy RE2 of the Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan; • The proposed development is contrary to Policy SP11 of the Carmarthenshire Local Development Plan; and • The proposed development is contrary to Planning for Renewable Energy - Technical Advice Note: 8 Planning for Renewable Energy (2004). 3.3 The Applicant appealed under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against the refusal to grant planning permission under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. 3.4 The Welsh Minister’s appointed inspector (‘the Inspector’) provided an appeal decision (‘the Appeal Decision’) in February 2018 in which the following main issues where considered: • the landscape character of the site and surrounding area, particularly that of the Teifi Valley Special Landscape Area (“SLA”); • the visual effect of the scheme, particularly on local residents and users of rights of way and publicly accessible areas; and Energiekontor UK Ltd | March 2021 5 Mynydd Pencarreg Wind Turbines Planning Statement • Whether any harm identified in relation to the foregoing is outweighed by any additional benefits of the scheme and its contribution to renewable energy production. 3.5 The Inspector’s decision was that the appeal should be allowed and planning permission granted for the Variation Application without compliance with Condition 2 previously imposed by the Original Planning Permission but subject to the conditions set out in the schedule attached to Inspector’s Appeal Decision.