Mossbank - Yell Marine Licence Application
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Mossbank - Yell Marine Licence Application Environmental Supporting Information Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc Assignment Number: A100487-S00 Document Number: A-100487-S00-REPT-001 Xodus Group Xodus House, 50 Huntly Street Aberdeen, UK, AB10 1RS T +44 (0)1224 628300 E [email protected] www.xodusgroup.com Environmental Supporting Information A100487-S00 Client: Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc Document Type: Report Document Number: A-100487-S00-REPT-001 A02 24/04/2018 Reissued for Use RP EH JH A01 20/04/2018 Issued for Use RP EH JH R01 11/04/2018 Issued for Review MB/JH EH EH Checked Approved Client Rev Date Description Issued By By By Approval Mossbank - Yell Marine Licence Application – Environmental Supporting Information Assignment Number: A100487-S00 Document Number: A-100487-S00-REPT-001 ii CONTENTS ACRONYMS 6 1 INTRODUCTION 8 1.1 Introduction 8 1.2 Work completed to date 9 1.2.1 Marine surveys 9 1.3 Project description 12 1.3.1 Route Overview 12 1.3.2 Submarine cable installation 15 1.3.3 Intertidal cable installation 16 1.3.4 Vessels 18 1.3.5 Schedule 18 1.4 Consent requirements and relevant legislation 18 1.4.1 Marine Licence and supporting information requirements 18 1.4.2 Scottish National Marine Plan 19 1.4.3 Shetland Islands’ Marine Spatial Plan 21 1.5 Stakeholder consultation 22 1.6 Environmental assessment scope 22 2 ECOLOGICAL PROTECTED SITES 24 2.1 Introduction 24 2.2 Consultation 24 2.3 Internationally important sites 25 2.3.1 Nature Conservation Marine Protected Areas (NCMPAs) and Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) 25 2.3.2 Special Areas of Conservation (SPAs) and Ramsar sites 29 2.4 Nationally and locally important sites 31 2.5 Potential impacts 34 3 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (INCLUDING SEABED CONDITIONS) 36 3.1 Introduction 36 3.2 Legislation and policy context 36 3.3 Consultation 36 3.4 Physical environment description 36 3.5 Potential impacts 39 4 BENTHIC AND INTERTIDAL ECOLOGY 40 4.1 Introduction 40 4.2 Legislation and Policy Context 40 4.2.1 European Habitats Directive 40 4.2.2 Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 40 4.2.3 Biodiversity Action Plan (BAPs) 41 4.2.4 Shetland Islands Marine Spatial Plan 41 4.3 Consultation 41 4.4 Benthic and intertidal ecology description 42 4.4.1 Subtidal area 42 4.4.2 Intertidal areas 45 4.5 Potential impacts to benthic and intertidal ecology 48 Mossbank - Yell Marine Licence Application – Environmental Supporting Information Assignment Number: A100487-S00 Document Number: A-100487-S00-REPT-001 iii 4.5.1 Potential impacts during cable installation 48 4.5.2 Potential impacts during cable operation and maintenance 49 4.5.3 Impact, management and mitigation summary 50 5 MARINE MAMMALS, FISH, BIRDS AND OTTERS 51 5.1 Introduction 51 5.2 Legislation and Policy Context 51 5.3 Consultation 51 5.4 Receptor description 51 5.4.1 Cetaceans 51 5.4.2 Pinnipeds 54 5.4.3 Otters 55 5.4.4 Fish ecology 55 5.4.5 Ornithology 58 5.5 Summary of potential impacts 60 6 MARINE ARCHAEOLOGY 62 6.1 Introduction 62 6.2 Legislation and policy context 62 6.2.1 International/ EU legislation and policy 62 6.2.2 UK legislation and policy 62 6.2.3 Scottish legislation and policy 63 6.2.4 Local planning policy 63 6.2.5 Codes of practice, professional guidance and standards documents 63 6.3 Consultation 64 6.4 Sources of information 64 6.4.1 Desk-based assessment 65 6.5 Assessment Methodology 65 6.5.1 Desk Based Assessment 66 6.5.2 Receptor evaluation 68 6.6 Site characterisation 69 6.6.1 Potential for submerged landscapes and prehistoric sites 69 6.6.2 Shipwrecks and aircraft wrecks 69 6.6.3 Unexploded ordinance (UXO) 72 6.7 Potential Impacts 72 6.7.1 Direct damage to or destruction of known marine historic environment assets and unexploded ordnance 72 6.7.2 Direct damage to or destruction of unknown marine historic environment assets including unexploded ordnance 72 6.7.3 Potential indirect damage to or destruction of known and unknown marine historic environment assets including unexploded ordnance 72 6.8 Mitigation 73 6.8.1 Mitigation by design 73 6.8.2 Direct damage to or destruction of known and unknown marine historic environment assets and unexploded ordnance 73 6.8.3 Mitigation during installation 73 6.8.4 Mitigation during operation 74 6.9 Residual Impacts 74 7 CONCLUSIONS 76 7.1 Key receptors 76 7.1.1 Ecological protected sites 76 7.1.2 Benthic and intertidal ecology 76 7.1.3 Marine mammals, fish, birds and otters 77 7.1.4 Marine archaeology 77 7.2 Residual impacts 77 7.3 Compliance with the NMP 77 Mossbank - Yell Marine Licence Application – Environmental Supporting Information Assignment Number: A100487-S00 Document Number: A-100487-S00-REPT-001 iv 8 REFERENCES 79 Mossbank - Yell Marine Licence Application – Environmental Supporting Information Assignment Number: A100487-S00 Document Number: A-100487-S00-REPT-001 v ACRONYMS AtoN Aid to navigation BAP Biodiversity Action Plan CAR Controlled activity regulation CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CIfA Chartered Institute for Archaeologists CLV Cable lay vessel CMS Convention for Migratory Species of Wild Animals DBA Desk-based assessment DECC Department of Energy and Climate Change DEFRA Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs DSV Dive support vessel DTI Department of Trade and Industry ECoW Ecological Clerk of Works EIA Environmental impact assessment EMF Electromagnetic fields EPS European Protected Species ERM Environmental Resources Management Ltd. ESG Environmental Scientifics Group EU European Union EUNIS European Nature Information System FLMAP Fishing Liaison Mitigation Action Plan GES Good Environmental Status HMPA Historic Marine Protected Areas HVAC Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature JNCC Joint Nature Conservation Committee LDP Local Development Plan LNCS Local Nature Conservation Sites LSE Likely Significant Effects MHWS Mean High water Springs MLWS Mean Low water Springs MMO Marine Mammal Observer MMPP Marine Mammal Protection Plan MPA Marine Protected Area MSFD Marine Strategy Framework Directive Mossbank - Yell Marine Licence Application – Environmental Supporting Information Assignment Number: A100487-S00 Document Number: A-100487-S00-REPT-001 6 NAFC Natural Environment Research Council NBN National Biodiversity Network NCMPA Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area NMP Scottish National Marine Plan NMPI National Marine Plan Interactive NNR National Nature Reserve NRHE National Record of the Historic Environment OHL Overhead lines OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic PMF Priority Marine Feature pSPA proposed Special Protection Area ROV Remotely Operated Vehicle RPSB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds SAC Special Area of Conservation SAT Shetland Amenity Trust SCANS Small Cetaceans in the European Atlantic and North Sea SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SHEPD Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc SIMSP Shetland Islands Marine Spatial Plan SMR Shetland Sites and Monuments Record SMRU Sea Mammal Research Unit SNH Scottish Natural Heritage SPA Special Protection Area SSSI Sites of Special Scientific Interest UK United Kingdom UKBAP United Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan UKHO UK Hydrographic Office UNCLOS United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea UXO Unexploded Ordinance Mossbank - Yell Marine Licence Application – Environmental Supporting Information Assignment Number: A100487-S00 Document Number: A-100487-S00-REPT-001 7 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Introduction In line with Part 4 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, Scottish Hydro Electric Power Distribution plc (SHEPD) is submitting an application for a Marine Licence for the installation of a replacement 33kV submarine electricity cable (hereinafter referred to as the cable) from Mossbank to Hoga in Yell within the Shetland Isles (the ‘Project’). The purpose of this report and the separately produced Fishing Liaison Mitigation Action Plan (FLMAP) is to provide information on the proposed works for the cable installation and present the environmental information required in support of the Marine Licence application. The environmental supporting information has been based on publicly available information including that available through the National Marine Plan Interactive (NMPI) website platform and the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) website. As further information becomes available through additional marine surveys planned for May to June 2018, the potential impact of the proposed cable operations on environmental sensitivities will re-evaluated. The conclusion drawn from the environmental information available is that the proposed cable operations will not significantly impact the environment or protected features in the Project area. For specifically sensitive environmental receptors mitigation plans have been produced. The existing 33 kV cable between Mossbank and Yell was installed in 1984 and is nearing the end of its operational life. This has been verified through existing asset records and following recent visual inspections by Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) of the cable. The replacement of this cable is essential to maintaining SHEPD power supplies to the island of Yell and supports the security of supply to Unst and Fetlar. The existing cable for replacement is shown in Figure 1-1. Figure 1-1 Existing cable for replacement Mossbank - Yell Marine Licence Application – Environmental Supporting Information Assignment Number: A100487-S00 Document Number: A-100487-S00-REPT-001 8 1.2 Work completed to date 1.2.1 Marine surveys SHEPD previously appointed a Contractor to conduct marine surveys along the proposed cable route and surveys were undertaken between September and October 2015. The main objectives of the marine survey was to identify: Seabed conditions (e.g. sand, rock, mud) to optimise the proposed cable route (avoidance of rock outcrops) Potential geological constraints, such as dykes, rock pinnacles, sand waves, incised channels etc.