Penderfyniad ar yr Apêl Appeal Decision Ymweliad â safle a wnaed ar 21/09/16 Site visit made on 21/09/16 gan Kay Sheffield BA(Hons) DipTP by Kay Sheffield BA(Hons) DipTP MRTPI MRTPI Arolygydd a benodir gan Weinidogion Cymru an Inspector appointed by the Welsh Ministers Dyddiad : 19 Hydref 2016 Date : 19 October 2016 Appeal Ref: APP/T6850/A/16/3146601 Site address: Glyn Farm, Van, Llanidloes, Powys, SY18 6NE The Welsh Ministers have transferred the authority to decide this appeal to me as the appointed Inspector. The appeal is made under section 78 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 against a refusal to grant planning permission. The appeal is made by Tudor Jones against the decision of Powys County Council. The application Ref P/2015/0668, dated 07/07/2015, was refused by notice dated 02/10/2015. The development proposed is the installation of one wind turbine (24.8m to hub), equipment cabinet and ancillary development. Decision 1. The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for one wind turbine (24.8m to hub), equipment cabinet and ancillary development at Glyn Farm, Van, Llanidloes, Powys, SY18 6NE in accordance with the terms of the application, Ref P/2015/0668, dated 07/07/2015, and the plans submitted with it, subject to the schedule of conditions attached to the decision. Main Issues 2. The main issues are the effect of the development on the character of the landscape; the visual amenity of the area and local residents; and cultural heritage. Reasons 3. The appeal seeks consent for a single turbine with hub height of 24.8m and a rotor diameter of 23.5m, giving a vertical blade tip height of 36.6m. The turbine would be sited in open countryside to the north west of Llanidloes. The Afon Clywedog runs through the valley to the south. The topography of the surrounding area is undulating and the turbine would stand to the south east of a local high point of 310m AOD. The farm buildings sit on lower ground approximately 350m to the west and are accessed from a minor road off the B4518 from Llanidloes. The dam at the Clywedog Reservoir is located about 2.6km north west of the site. 4. In addition to the farms and residential properties scattered across the local area there are existing turbines, the nearest being a single turbine at Lower Cefn Penarth approximately 1.2km to the south west of the site. Distant views of several wind farms are also possible in periods of good visibility and include Llandinam to the south east and Carno to the north. The proposed Bryn Blaen wind farm and Bryn Titli extension lie to the south west and south respectively. Appeal Decision : APP/T6850/A/16/3146601 5. Although the site does not lie within any national or local landscape designations, it is within the Clywedog Valley Landscape of Special Historic Interest. There are also Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAM) and Listed Buildings (LB) in the area which include Glyn Clywedog, the house at Glyn Farm, and its stable/cart shed. The National Trail, Glyndŵr’s Way, is approximately 350m to the north of the site. Effect on the character of the landscape 6. According to LANDMAP the site lies within the Clywedog Upland Grazing Visual and Sensory Aspect Area (VSAA). The Upper Severn Valley VSAA lies approximately 100m to the east and 150m to the south of the site and the Llanidloes Farmland VSAA is approximately 300m to the north east. The VSAA’s have an overall evaluation of high with the exception of the latter which is moderate. 7. The Clywedog Upland Grazing VSAA is described as a slightly bleak and remote upland area with upland grazing on its margins. However, it is close to the margins of the VSAA where upland grazing is recognised as taking place. The character of the appeal site also displays features of the neighbouring VSAA including the irregular, well defined small to medium scale field pattern, grazed fields associated with small patches of broadleaf woodland and small scale clustered and scattered settlements of the Llanidloes Farmland VSAA and the well-defined network of field patterns running at right angles to the river course and a settled and domestic setting acting as a contrast with the upland grazing and open farming of the upper slopes of the Upper Severn Valley VSAA. 8. With regard to the Historic Landscape Aspect Area (HLAA) the site lies within the Lower Clywedog/Upper Severn HLAA. It is described as an extensive area of irregular fields and some woodland occupying rolling upland to the west of Llanidloes. Whilst dominated by medieval and scattered farms and houses, reference is made to prehistoric burial and ritual monuments and later prehistoric hillforts and enclosures. It is recognised that the area is rich in metal mining remains. 9. In the Clywedog Valley Landscape of Special Historic Interest there are smaller distinct character areas and the appeal site lies within the Manledd character area which stretches from the Clywedog Dam to the outskirts of Llanidloes. Although the importance of mine workings is recognised in the character of the registered landscape, it is also recorded as including a variety of different fieldscapes representing a number of distinct patterns of land use and enclosure. 10. The submitted Historic Environment Assessment reports a significant cluster of Iron Age Hillforts in the local area. The best examples within 2km of the site are identified as being the SAM of Penyclun and Penycastell Hillforts and the recently discovered Penrally Hillfort. However, they are each of a different character and it is not known if they are all contemporary. The location of the forts on prominent hilltops gave control over the surrounding area, especially the valleys and the trade routes and intervisibility between the sites may have been a factor in their location. Whilst the turbine would be visible to varying degrees from the identified forts, it would not interfere unduly with intervisibility between them. 2 Appeal Decision : APP/T6850/A/16/3146601 11. The site is within the Clywedog Valley Cultural Landscape Aspect Area (CLAA) and the Clywedog Valley Landscape of Special Historic Interest is described as the remnants of the once thriving lead-mining industry which had a considerable impact on the landscape. No features of the site which reflect the mining heritage of the area have been drawn to my attention. Monuments in the local area associated with lead mining include Bryntail and Penyclun and although there would be the potential for the turbine to feature in views of and from the monuments, I agree with Cadw that these would be limited with little effect on the heritage assets. Furthermore the Clywedog Reservoir is recognised for its contemporary cultural essence as are the wind farms which are seen as a 20th century response to the need for sources of sustainable energy. 12. The development would introduce a vertical, moving and man-made element into the landscape. However, given the height of the turbine and the character of its surroundings, I do not consider that the proposal would be an unduly prominent or disturbing element in relation to the broader landscape in which it would sit. On this basis I do not consider that the turbine would be unduly intrusive in the landscape. 13. In some views the proposed turbine would be seen in the context of the existing turbine at Lower Cefn Penarth, the widely dispersed single turbines and the wind farms. However, due to the distance from the site of the large scale wind farms and the distribution of the single turbines across the area, the former are not prominent in most views and the latter are generally viewed in isolation of other turbines. With regards to the turbine at Lower Cefn Penarth, the proposed turbine would represent a slight intensification but one which would be satisfactorily accommodated within the landscape. Given the evidence before me and my observations during the site visit I do not consider the development would have an unacceptable impact when viewed cumulatively with other similar developments in the area. 14. The evidence leads me to conclude that the development would not be detrimental to the character of the landscape, in accord with Policies GP1, ENV2 and E3 of the Powys Unitary Development Plan, 2010 (the UDP) which support proposals for wind turbines that do not unacceptably adversely affect the quality of the landscape. Effect on visual amenity 15. The Council’s main concern is the effect the turbine would have on views from within the Clywedog Valley Landscape of Special Historic Interest and from Glyndŵr’s Way. 16. There are several vantage points on the local highways from where the turbine would be visible. From some of these viewpoints, including the entrance to Cefngoleugoed (viewpoint 1) and the minor road to the south of the site near Bronheulwen (viewpoint 2) the structure would appear quite prominent in the landscape. However due to the local topography, roadside hedges, woodland planting and the direction of travel of receptors, views of the turbine from the local roads would be intermittent. 17. It is acknowledged that from the viewing platform at the Clywedog Dam (viewpoint 3) the turbine would be a prominent feature on the hillside above the farm buildings and would be seen in the context of the existing turbine at Lower Cefn Penarth. However views of the turbine would depend on the direction of travel and at some points would be restricted by vegetation. Furthermore the turbine would form only a minor part of a panoramic view dominated by the reservoir and the dam.