11 02525 PP ROH Auchadaduie V3 040413.Pdf
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Argyll and Bute Council Development & Infrastructure Delegated or Committee Planning Application Report and Report of handling as required by Schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 relative to applications for Planning Permission or Planning Permission in Principle ____________________________________________________________________________ Reference No : 11/02525/PP Planning Hierarchy : Local Applicant : Fyne Futures Ltd Proposal : Erection of 3 wind turbines (100 metres high to blade tip) control building, new and improved access tracks and ancillary development Site Address : Land South Of Auchadaduie, Barr Glen, Glenbarr, Kintyre ____________________________________________________________________________ DECISION ROUTE Local Government Scotland Act 1973 ____________________________________________________________________________ (A) THE APPLICATION Development Requiring Express Planning Permission • Erection of 3 wind turbines, hub height 59m and rotor diameter of 82m (100m to blade tip) with external transformers and related switchgear; • Erection of substation compound (50m x 50m) and control building (14m x 8m); • Upgrading of existing junction with public road; • Formation of new access track (2.1km) and improvement of existing on-site access tracks (2.5km); • Installation of transformer kiosks 3.1m x 2.4m x 2.7m; • Formation of crane hard standing areas; • Formation of works compound (50m x 50m); • Installation of underground cabling; Other specified operations • Grid connection to Carradale substation (subject to separate consent) via overhead cable; • Forestry felling (9.5ha); ____________________________________________________________________________ (B) RECOMMENDATION: The application is recommended for refusal for the reasons stated in this report. ____________________________________________________________________________ (C) HISTORY: 97/01241/WGS – Woodland Grant Scheme on land at Loch Arnicle Woodland, Bellochantuy, Campbeltown, Argyll – no objection to prior notification 10 th September 1997. 10/00760/PP - Erection of temporary 80m meteorological mast for 2 years on Land South East of Blary Hill, Glenbarr, Argyll & Bute – application approved 14 th July 2010. 10/01044/PP - Erection of a temporary 50m anemometer mast for 2 years on Land South East of Auchadaduie, Glenbarr, Argyll & Bute – application approved 17 th August 2010. 11/00306/PP - Erection of temporary 81.5m meteorological mast on land at Arnicle, Glenbarr, Argyll & Bute – application approved 28 th May 2013 ____________________________________________________________________________ (D) CONSULTATIONS: The Scottish Government (Letter 27/02/2012) - No comments. Transport Scotland (Letter dated 30/01/2012) - No comment. Scottish Water (Letter 01/02/2012) - No objection. Historic Scotland (Letters dated 23/02/2012 and 23/03/2012) – initially requested further information in relation to the impact on two nearby Scheduled Ancient Monuments at An Dunan and Blary. This information has since been received by HS and their concerns have been addressed. Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Letter 30/01/2012) - No objection subject to the submission of an Environmental Management Plan at least two months prior to the commencement of works. Scottish Natural Heritage (Letters dated 23/03/2012, 21/05/2012 and 14/02/2014) – initial response that the proposal could raise natural heritage issues of national interest and objection raised until the further information obtained from the applicant. Following receipt of additional ornithological information SNH subsequently revised their response to one of no objection on ornithology grounds, but advised that the proposal is still likely to have an adverse effect on Greenland white-fronted geese interest feature of the Kintyre Goose Roosts SPA. The proposed construction mitigation plans for black grouse need to be modified to include a 500m buffer around any active leks in which no works take place between one hour prior to sunset and two hours post sunrise. An appropriate assessment is required to be carried out by Argyll and Bute Council. In terms of its landscape and visual consequences, SNH concludes that the proposal is not consistent with the Council’s Wind Energy Capacity Study (WECS). The proposal will have a significant adverse landscape effect including on the character of the small scale and settled Barr Glen and the coast in the Rocky Mosaic Landscape Character Type (LCT). Furthermore there will be a significant adverse visual effect due to its visibility and intrusion in key views to and from the west coast/glen including settlement, recreation areas/tourist destinations, key routes and offshore. The proposal will contribute to adverse cumulative landscape effect due to the impact of the addition of the proposed development to the outer edge of the Upland Forest Moor Mosaic LCT. The application will have adverse effects upon landscape character and qualities and the experience of this landscape/seascape. Scottish Natural Heritage concludes that the scale of the proposal is too large for the area and the applicant has underplayed the impact in their Environmental Statement. The proposal is contrary to the siting and design guidance which recommends that the proposal is one third or less than the height of the hill. The proposal is approximately one half the height of the hill which alters the perception of the scale. This effect is exacerbated when the proposal is viewed in combination with settlement which acts as a scale indicator and emphasises the relatively large scale of the proposal. The visuals have not been produced to SNH’s standard guidance and as a result actually lessen the actual impact that these turbines will have. The applicant has been requested by SNH to re-submit the visuals but they have declined to do so. In SNH’s opinion the habitats recorded in the development footprint are of limited ecological value due to their small scale and age category. An exception to this is the stream and streamside margins which may support a variety of species and the broadleaved plantation woodland which once fully grown may provide valued habitat. Mitigation for the presence of protected species including otters, badgers and bats would be required in the event of permission being granted. Ministry Of Defence – no response National Air Traffic Services (25/01/2012) - proposals do not conflict with their safeguarding surfaces Civil Aviation Authority (E-mail t 20/01/2012) - No specific comment. Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (Email sent 03/02/2012) - No objection subject to a red obstacle light fitted on the hub of each turbine. Joint Radio Company (Email dated 10/02/2012) - No objection. Ofcom – no response CSS Spectrum Management – no response Telecommunications Association of the UK Water Industry (Email 24/01/2012) - No objection. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (Letter dated 25/04/2012, e-mail 07/02/14 and letter dated 04.04.14) – initially objected to this proposal on the basis that additional survey work should be carried out to properly ascertain potential impacts on Greenland white fronted geese. Further survey work should be undertaken regarding Red Throated Divers, Hen Harrier, Black Grouse. Upon the receipt of further information from the applicant the RSPB has since withdrawn its objection. There remain however residual concerns about the manner in which the Environmental Statement focusses largely on the SPA goose population without any real assessment of the local sub- population of geese in the Glenbarr area, which may affect both distribution of birds in the SPA and impacts at a Natural Heritage Zone level. Argyll and District Salmon Fishery Board (Letter dated 20/02/2012) - are critical of the Ecology Report and its findings, however they do not object and recommend that a condition is attached to any permission requiring the submission of an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to address their concerns prior to the commencement of works. West of Scotland Archaeology Service (Letter dated 08/02/2012) - The area is rich in archaeology interest and therefore a planning condition should be attached to any permission requiring the submission of a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) to be agreed with WoSAS and the planning authority and duly implemented. Forestry Commission Scotland (E-mail 01/04/2014 and letter dated 09.04.14) – Discussions between the applicant and FCS has resulted in FCS raising concerns over the proposed mitigation measures planned by the applicant for felling operations. Following discussions FCS has recommended a number of changes and the imposition of a suspensive planning condition requiring the identification of and the implementation of compensatory planting. Council’s Environmental Health Officer (Memo 31/01/2012) - It is noted that the applicant does not have a specific turbine model but has used a representative machine for the noise data. This demonstrates that the relative noise limits can be met at the nearby sensitive receptors. However, Environmental Health should be contacted again should the proposal be approved to ensure that the exact turbine model meets the ETSU noise standards for nearby properties. With regard to construction works a programme for the development of the site should be finalised and submitted to Environmental Health for assessment to ensure that noise arising from the construction phase meets with BS 5228:2009. The applicants’ contractor