Environmental Impact Assessment Screening Opinion
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Installation and Operation of a Grid Connected Solar Farm and Battery Storage Facility with an export capacity of c. 49.9MW at Land South West of Cowley Substation, Nuneham Courtenay, Oxford, OX44 9PA REQUEST FOR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT SCREENING OPINION May 2020 Prepared By Project Quality Control Sheet ORIGINAL Author Checked by Approved by Signature Date 29 April 2020 01 May 2020 01 May 2020 Company Aardvark EM Ltd Aardvark EM Ltd Aardvark EM Ltd Location: Land to the south west of Cowley Substation, Nuneham Courtenay, Oxford, OX44 9PA Grid Reference: ST 729080. Project Manager: Nick Leaney BSc Hons MRICS Report Author: Rachel Ness BSc Hons Report Number: 2013-R001 Report Status: Final Copyright: All copyright in this document is reserved. Liability: This document contains information and may contain conclusions and recommendations. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate and that the opinions expressed are sound. However, Aardvark EM Limited cannot be made liable for any errors or omissions or for any losses or consequential losses resulting from decisions based on the information. Report Written and Produced By Aardvark EM Limited, Higher Ford, Wiveliscombe, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 2RL Telephone: 01984 624989, Facsimile: 01984 623912 Email: [email protected], Web: www.aardvarkem.co.uk Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Overview ................................................................................................................ 1 1.2 The Applicant ......................................................................................................... 2 2. Scheme Overview ........................................................................................................ 3 2.1 The Existing Site ................................................................................................... 3 2.2 The Surrounding Area ........................................................................................... 4 2.3 Designations .......................................................................................................... 5 2.4 Alternative Site Options ......................................................................................... 6 2.5 Principle of Development ...................................................................................... 6 2.6 The Proposed Development ................................................................................. 9 2.7 Construction Phase ............................................................................................. 12 2.8 Operational Phase ............................................................................................... 12 2.9 Decommissioning Phase ..................................................................................... 11 3. EIA Screening Process ............................................................................................. 14 3.1 Determining the need for an EIA ......................................................................... 14 3.2 Review against EIA Regulations ......................................................................... 14 3.3 Planning Practice Guidance ................................................................................ 14 4. Potential Effects on the Environment ..................................................................... 16 4.1 Landscape and Visual Impacts ........................................................................... 16 4.2 Heritage Impacts ................................................................................................. 18 4.3 Impacts on Biodiversity ....................................................................................... 19 4.4 Impacts on Amenity ............................................................................................. 23 4.5 Agricultural Land Impacts .................................................................................... 24 4.6 Flood Risk Impacts .............................................................................................. 27 4.7 Traffic and Access Impacts ................................................................................. 29 4.8 Cumulative Impacts ............................................................................................. 30 5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 31 Appendices Appendix 1: Site Location Plan Appendix 2: Zone of Theoretical Visibility Appendix 3: Preliminary Assessment of Historic Environment Appendix 4: Preliminary Noise Impact Assessment Appendix 5: Preliminary Glint and Glare Assessment Report Appendix 6: Semi-detailed Agricultural Land Classification Report Appendix 7: Preliminary Flood Risk Screening Report Appendix 8: Preliminary Assessment of Traffic and Access Impacts Report Cowley Baldon Solar Farm and Battery Storage - EIA Screening Request 1. Introduction 1.1 Overview Aardvark EM Limited has been instructed by Cowley Baldon Green Limited (‘the Applicant’), to formally request an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Screening Opinion from South Oxfordshire District Council (SODC) with regards to the development of a solar farm and battery storage facility at land to the south west of Cowley Substation, Nuneham Courtenay, Oxford, OX44 9PA (the “Site”). This request is made under Regulations 6 (1) and 15 (1) of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England) Regulations 2017 (“the EIA Regulations”). Specifically, the proposal involves the following (“the Proposed Development”): “Installation of renewable led energy generating station comprising ground-mounted photovoltaic solar arrays and battery-based electricity storage containers together with substation, inverter/transformer stations, site accesses, internal access tracks, security measures, access gates, other ancillary infrastructure and landscaping and biodiversity enhancements.” Once constructed it will provide a reliable source of clean renewable energy which will be supplied to domestic and commercial consumers via the National Grid network, connected via the nearby Cowley Substation located just to the north east of the Site. The generating station would have an export capacity of up to 49.9MW and would produce approximately 72,000MWh of clean renewable electricity per year for distribution to the national grid. This is equivalent to the annual electrical needs of approximately 19,000 family homes. The anticipated CO2 displacement is around 18,500 tonnes per annum, which represents an emission saving equivalent of a reduction in 8,500 cars on the road every year. The battery storage facility would be utilised to reinforce the power generation of the solar PV. Storing energy at times of low demand and releasing to the grid in periods of higher demand or when solar irradiance is lower, as well as providing balancing services to maintain National Grid stability. The generating station would operate for a temporary time period, approximately 35 years. The Site, having been intensively farmed for many years, would benefit from a period of soil resting and has the potential to deliver significant biodiversity enhancements including via low intensity sheep grazing amongst the solar arrays. On decommissioning of the generating station the Site would continue in agricultural use. There is an urgent need reflected in national and local policies for reducing carbon emissions to limit the damaging impacts of climate change. Rapidly growing the use of renewable energy sources such as solar is strongly supported. SODC has recognised the imperative nature of the radical changes required by declaring a Climate Emergency in April 2019. The Proposed Development does not fall within Schedule 1 of the EIA Regulations. In line with requirements of Regulation 6(2) of the Regulations therefore, this request contains the following information to assist SODC (as the Local Planning Authority, LPA) in adopting an EIA Screening Opinion: Aardvark EM Limited April 2020 Page 1 Cowley Baldon Solar Farm and Battery Storage - EIA Screening Request • A plan sufficient to identify the land; • A description of the nature and purpose of the Proposed Development; and • A description of the aspects of the environment likely to be affected by the Proposed Development and the likely significant effects, taking into account: ➢ Schedules 2 and 3 of the EIA Regulations; ➢ The characteristics of the Proposed Development; and ➢ The location of the Proposed Development and its surrounds. Based on the preliminary assessments undertaken and shared in this report, and consideration of the relevant selection criteria for screening Schedule 2 development presented in Schedule 3 of the EIA Regulations, it is concluded that the Proposed Development is unlikely to have significant environmental impacts. As such it is recommended that the Proposed Development is not EIA Development and does not require an Environmental Statement to be submitted with the future planning application. Without prejudice to a decision in respect of the requirement for an EIA, and in the event the Council determine that an EIA should be provided with any planning application, it is requested that the required scope of the Environmental Statement is identified as part of the EIA Screening Opinion. 1.2 The Applicant Cowley Baldon