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Helensburgh Renewables ES

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Helensburgh Renewables ES Environmental Statement Volume I Prepared By: Green Cat Renewables Ltd External Contributors: GLM Ecology Wind Business Support Stobo House Midlothian Innovation Centre Roslin EH25 9RE Tel: 0131 440 9053 Name Title Date Checked by Cedric Gerbier Project Manager February 2014 Approved by Gavin Catto Director February 2014 © Green Cat Renewables Ltd PREFACE This Environmental Statement seeks to assess the environmental impact of the proposed Helensburgh Community Wind Farm, which comprises five 800kW wind turbines with a height of up to 86.5m to blade tip. This is an Environmental Statement for the purposes of the Planning EIA Regulations (the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 2011) covering the major potential environmental effects arising from this proposal. Hard copies of the planning application and supporting EIA documents can be viewed at the following Council office: Argyll & Bute Council – Planning Department Dalriada House Lochnell Street Lochgilphead PA31 8ST Hard copies of the Non-Technical Summary (NTS) may be purchased for £20 and the full Environmental Statement (ES) for £200 per hard copy. Electronic copies (CD-ROM) of the ES package can be purchased for £10. Please contact: Green Cat Renewables Ltd Address: Stobo House, Midlothian Innovation Centre, Roslin, EH25 9RE Email: [email protected] Tel: 0131 440 9053 © Green Cat Renewables Ltd © Green Cat Renewables Ltd TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 9 1.1 About the Developer ................................................................................... 9 1.2 About the Project ........................................................................................ 9 1.3 Structure and Content of the EIA .............................................................. 10 2 The Proposed Development ...................................................................... 12 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 12 3 Planning and Environmental Policy Context ............................................. 24 3.1 National Planning Policy Guidance ............................................................ 24 3.2 Local Planning Policy.................................................................................. 26 4 Project Design ............................................................................................ 30 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 30 4.2 Preferred Site and Key Design Principles .................................................. 30 4.3 Iterative Design Process ............................................................................ 32 4.4 Summary .................................................................................................... 40 5 Socio-Economics ........................................................................................ 42 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 42 5.2 Methodology ............................................................................................. 42 5.3 Baseline Studies ......................................................................................... 43 5.4 Baseline Description .................................................................................. 49 5.5 Assessment of Effects ................................................................................ 60 5.6 Mitigation .................................................................................................. 66 5.7 Summary of Effects .................................................................................... 66 5.8 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 67 6 Ecology ....................................................................................................... 68 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 68 6.2 Regulations and Guidance ......................................................................... 68 6.3 Site Description .......................................................................................... 72 6.4 Ecological Baseline ..................................................................................... 76 6.5 Ornithology ................................................................................................ 78 6.6 European Protected Species (EPS) and Mammal Surveys ........................ 81 6.7 Badgers ...................................................................................................... 82 6.8 Otters ......................................................................................................... 82 6.9 Water Voles ............................................................................................... 83 6.10 Wildcat Survey ........................................................................................... 84 6.11 Bat Survey .................................................................................................. 84 6.12 Phase 1 Habitat and GWDTE Surveys ........................................................ 88 6.13 Freshwater Ecology Assessments .............................................................. 91 6.14 Assessment of Impacts .............................................................................. 92 6.15 Summary of Impacts .................................................................................. 96 6.16 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 97 7 Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment ................................................ 98 7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 98 7.2 Guidance .................................................................................................... 98 7.3 Assessment Methodology ......................................................................... 99 © Green Cat Renewables Ltd 7.4 Consultation and Scope ........................................................................... 106 7.5 Landscape Design Considerations ........................................................... 110 7.6 Construction Activities ............................................................................. 112 7.7 Landscape and Visual Baseline ................................................................ 113 7.8 Construction Stage: Assessment of Landscape and Visual Effects ......... 120 7.9 Assessment of Landscape Effects ............................................................ 121 7.10 Assessment of Visual Effects ................................................................... 130 7.11 Assessment of Cumulative Visual Effects ................................................ 140 7.12 Summary of Assessment ......................................................................... 147 7.13 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 149 8 Noise Impact Assessment ........................................................................ 150 8.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 150 8.2 Guidance .................................................................................................. 150 8.3 Baseline .................................................................................................... 151 8.4 Predicted Impacts and Effects ................................................................. 153 8.5 Construction phase .................................................................................. 154 8.6 Assessment of Significance ...................................................................... 154 8.7 Mitigation ................................................................................................ 154 8.8 Conclusions .............................................................................................. 154 9 Cultural Heritage and Archaeology Impact Assessment ......................... 155 9.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 155 9.2 Guidance .................................................................................................. 155 9.3 Methodology ........................................................................................... 155 9.4 Consultation............................................................................................. 159 9.5 Baseline .................................................................................................... 161 9.6 Indirect Visual impacts ............................................................................ 162 9.7 Assessment of Impact .............................................................................. 185 9.8 Mitigation Incorporated into the Proposed Development ..................... 192 9.9 Summary of Predicted Impacts and Effects ............................................ 192 9.10 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 196 10 Surface and Groundwater Hydrology Impact Assessment ....................
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