Appendix 14

Date: March 2016

Derry/ Planning Office Orchard House DOE Strategic Planning Division 40 Foyle Street Derry BT48 6AT Tel: 0300-200-7830 E-mail: [email protected]

Planning application LA10/2015/0292/F

Erection of 36 wind turbines (comprising 11 turbines with a maximum tip height 126.5m and 25 turbines with a maximum tip height of 140m), associated transformers and switchgear at the base of each wind turbine, hard standing areas for erection cranes at each turbine, internal access tracks and site access, operations building and wind farm substation compound and building, on site electrical cables, a parking area, two temporary construction compounds, five permanent meteorological masts and all ancillary works including borrow pits, peat storage, spoil deposition, forestry removal and minor works to the public highway between site and Magherafelt to facilitate turbine delivery at Land approximately 12km to the west of Draperstown Co Derry/Londonderry 2km to the north of Broughderg adjacent to the B47.

The access to the proposed windfarm is sited in the Mid Ulster District Council area with the 36 turbines being located in the Fermanagh and District Council area. Whilst the application site lies outside of Derry City and Strabane District Council area, the northern boundary of the application site is contiguous with the District boundary of Derry City and Strabane. The northern boundary of the application site lies just to the south of Glenelly Valley and Glenelly Road. The application site is located within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The designation of an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty was introduced in order to protect the high scenic value of the Sperrins and to ensure that any development could be integrated into the landscape. Lying in the heart of the Sperrin AONB encompasses a largely mountainous area of great geological complexity.

Designated first in 1968 under the 1965 Amenity Lands Act and latterly in 2008 under the 1985 Nature Conservation and Amenity Lands Order (NCALO) with a revised boundary, it covers an area of 118,206 hectares and stretches from the Strule Valley in the west to the perimeter of the Lough Neagh lowlands in the east. This area presents vast expanses of moorland penetrated by narrow glens and deep valleys.

The proposed windfarm site is located on high ground overlooking the B47 Glenelly Road which runs east/west to the north of the application site and is one of the main scenic routes of the Sperrins. The area is busy with travellers touring by car, walking, hiking and cycling. There are a number of high mountain areas located in Derry City and Strabane District including Sawal, Dart and Meenard Mountains. With regards to amenity and recreation, there is the Central Sperrins Way waymarked route and the Sperrins Heritage Centre in Glenelly Valley.

In the supplementary guidance to Planning Policy Statement 18: "Wind Energy Development in NI's Landscapes" the area within which the planning application is located is Landscape Character Area 24 South Sperrin. Under the heading "Visibility and views", the guidance states: - Many views from valleys to surrounding ridgelines. Central Sperrins Way offers hillwalkers a series of outstanding views into the Owenkillew and Glenelly Valleys, north to the main Sperrin ridge and east to Slieve Gallion. In the paragraph "Overall sensitivity" the guidance states that: - While the large scale and relatively simple landform and land cover of this LCA are in theory suited to wind energy development, most of the area of this LCA has an unspoilt character and many valued characteristics and features that make it highly sensitive to change. The dramatic, enclosed lower valley reaches are especially sensitive; wind energy development on the slopes or tops above could potentially have an overwhelming landscape impact. The overall sensitivity is High.

Derry City and Strabane District Council would have serious concerns with this proposal, especially with regards to the impact on the visual amenity and character of this part of the Sperrins Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by reason of the number, scale and siting of the turbines given the high sensitivity of the landscape. It is considered that the proposed windfarm would be detrimental to the environmental quality of the AONB due to the lack of sensitivity to the distinct character and landscape quality of the area.

Therefore, it is the consideration of Derry and Strabane District Council that application LA10/2015/0292/F should be objected to as it is contrary to Planning Policy Statement 18 Policy RE1 due to the unacceptable impact on the visual amenity and landscape character of the Sperrins Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The cautious approach to wind energy development required by the SPPS in the AONB should be noted as is the appropriate weighting test to any socio economic benefits put forward in support of the application.

Derry City and Strabane District Council also have serious concerns with regards to the potential damage to the intrinsic character and quality of the tourism assets of the Sperrins AONB by reason of unacceptable visual impact.

Yours faithfully

Maura Fox Head of Planning