10 Landscape & Visual Impacts
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Hong Kong Offshore Wind Limited Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm in Southeastern Waters Environmental Impact Assessment 10 Landscape & Visual Impacts 10.1 Introduction 10.1.1 Background 10.1.1.1 Wind turbines in the landscape are a relatively recent phenomenon and the ways in which people perceive their visual effect has only recently become clear. In particular both the functional aspects of their form and the symbolic meaning of wind turbines may be fundamentally different to other types of development and this in turn may affect the extent to which people perceive that they may be appropriate / acceptable in the landscape. 10.1.1.2 Such perceptions are discussed in this Section as part of the technical assessments of landscape and visual impacts associated with proposed development of an offshore wind farm in the south-eastern waters of the HKSAR. 10.1.2 Objectives 10.1.2.1 Clause 2(vi) of the EIA Study Brief (ESB) states that a core objective of this EIA Study Report is to, “identify and quantify any potential landscape and visual impacts and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts”. 10.1.2.2 Specifically, Section 3.4.4 of the ESB requires an assessment of both the construction and operational phase impacts of the Project. Accordingly, this assessment includes: Definition of the scope and contents of the study, including a description of the assessment methodology; Review of relevant planning and development control framework; Review of literature on established public preference with regard to the appearance of wind turbines in the landscape and also a literature review of professional opinion on the appearance of power generation facilities in the landscape; Baseline study providing a comprehensive and accurate description of the baseline landscape and visual character; Identification of the potential landscape and visual impacts and prediction of their magnitude and potential significance, before and after mitigation measures; and Recommendation of appropriate mitigation measures and associated implementation programmes. ESB-146/2006 Issue 3, May 2009 Section 10 – Page 1 Hong Kong Offshore Wind Limited Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm in Southeastern Waters Environmental Impact Assessment 10.2 Legislation, Standards & Guidelines 10.2.1.1 The following legislation, standards and guidelines are potentially applicable to the assessment of landscape and visual impacts associated with the construction and operation of the Proposed Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm in South-eastern Waters Project: Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap.499.S.16) and the Technical Memorandum on EIA Process (EIAO TM), particularly Annexes 10, 11 and 18; EIAO Guidance Note 8/2002; Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines; Town Planning Ordinance (Cap 131); Forests and Countryside Ordinance (Cap. 96) and its subsidiary legislation the Forestry Regulations; Country Parks Ordinance (Cap 208); Marine Parks Ordinance (Cap 476) and associated subsidiary legislation; Study on South East New Territories Development Strategy Review: Landscape and Conservation Framework; Territorial Development Strategy Review: 1995. 10.3 Assessment Approach 10.3.1 Limits of the Assessment Area 10.3.1.1 The limit of the landscape impact study is 500m beyond the limit of the Works (Figures 10.3 and 10.4). The limits of the visual impact study are the Primary Visual Envelope of the works, which is illustrated in Figures 10.7a and 10.7b. 10.3.2 Assessment Methodology 10.3.2.1 Landscape and visual impacts have been assessed separately for the construction and operational phases. 10.3.2.2 The assessment of landscape impacts has involved the following procedures: Identification of the baseline physical landscape resources and landscape character found within the Assessment Area. This is achieved by site visit and desktop study of topographical maps, information databases and ESB-146/2006 Issue 3, May 2009 Section 10 – Page 2 Hong Kong Offshore Wind Limited Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm in Southeastern Waters Environmental Impact Assessment photographs. Assessment of the degree of sensitivity to change of the landscape resources and Landscape Character Areas. This is influenced by a number of factors, including rarity, quality, conservation status and importance, the presence statutory or regulatory limitations, maturity of the resource and the ability of the resource / character to recover or be recreated. The sensitivity of each landscape resource and character area is classified as follows: High: Important landscape or landscape resource with particularly distinctive positive aspects of character or high rarity value, sensitive to relatively small changes. Medium: Landscape or landscape resource with moderately distinctive positive aspects of character or rarity value reasonably tolerant to change. Low: Landscape or landscape resource common across Hong Kong with little distinctive positive character or low rarity value with a high tolerance to change. Identification of potential sources of landscape impact. These are the various elements of the construction works and operational procedures that will produce changes to the landscape. Identification of the magnitude of landscape impact. Impact magnitude depends on various factors, including physical extent and context of the impact, project compatibility with the surrounding landscape, and impact frequency, duration and reversibility. Landscape impacts have been quantified wherever possible. The magnitude of landscape impacts is classified as follows: Large: The landscape or landscape resource would experience a major change; Intermediate: The landscape or landscape resource would experience a moderate change; Small: The landscape or landscape resource would experience slight or barely perceptible changes; Negligible: The landscape or landscape resource would experience no discernible change. Identification of potential landscape mitigation measures. Such measures may include adopting an alternative design and / or layout, use of remedial measures such as colour and textural treatment, and measures to compensate unavoidable adverse impacts. A programme to implement mitigation measures has been provided. The agencies responsible for the ESB-146/2006 Issue 3, May 2009 Section 10 – Page 3 Hong Kong Offshore Wind Limited Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm in Southeastern Waters Environmental Impact Assessment funding, implementation, management and maintenance of the mitigation measures are identified and their approval-in-principle has been sought. Prediction of the significance of landscape impacts before and after the implementation of the mitigation measures. By synthesizing the magnitude of the various impacts and the sensitivity of landscape resources it is possible to categorize impacts in a logical, well-reasoned and consistent fashion. Table 10.1 displays a matrix categorizing impact significance according to project impact magnitude and sensitivity of landscape resource/character. The impact significance thresholds are defined as follows: Substantial: Negative / positive impact where the proposal would cause a very noticeable deterioration or improvement to existing landscape resources / character. Moderate: Negative / positive impact where the proposal would cause a noticeable deterioration or improvement to existing landscape resources / character. Slight: Negative / positive impact where the proposal would cause a barely perceptible deterioration or improvement to existing landscape resources / character. Insubstantial: No discernible change to existing landscape resources / character. Prediction of Acceptability of Impacts. An overall assessment of the acceptability, or otherwise, of the impacts according to the five criteria set out in Annex 10 of the EIAOTM. Table 10.1 Relationship between Receptor Sensitivity and Impact Magnitude in Defining Impact Significance Moderate / Large Moderate Substantial Substantial Moderate / Intermediate Slight / Moderate Moderate Substantial Magnitude Small Insubstantial / Slight Slight / Moderate Moderate of Impact Negligible Insubstantial Insubstantial Insubstantial Low Medium High Receptor Sensitivity (of Landscape Resource, Landscape Character Area or VSR) ESB-146/2006 Issue 3, May 2009 Section 10 – Page 4 Hong Kong Offshore Wind Limited Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm in Southeastern Waters Environmental Impact Assessment 10.3.2.3 The assessment of visual impacts has involved the following procedures. Identification of the Visual Envelope for the Hong Kong Offshore Wind Farm in South-eastern Waters project. This has been achieved primarily through the use of computer modelling (‘Windfarm’ software developed by Resoft) and reconfirmed by site visit to determine visibility of the Project from various locations. Identification of the Visually Sensitive Receivers (VSRs) within the Primary Visual Envelope. These are the people who would reside within, work within, play within, or travel through, the Primary Visual Envelope. Assessment of the degree of sensitivity to change of the VSRs. 10.3.2.4 The sensitivity of VSRs (those who will see the change in the landscape) is classified as follows: High: The VSR is highly sensitive to any change in their viewing experience. Medium: The VSR is moderately sensitive to any change in their viewing experience. Low: The VSR is only slightly sensitive to any change in their viewing experience. VSRs are grouped and their sensitivity classified according to whether the person is at home, at work, at play, or travelling.