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Appendix B: Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Appendix B: Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment National Grid Woodhead Overhead Line Tower 4ZO214 Landscape and Visual Appraisal Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited 2212959 Firecrest Court Centre Park Warrington WA1 1RG United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1925 800 700 Fax: +44 (0)1925 572 462 www.hyderconsulting.com National Grid Woodhead Overhead Line Tower 4ZO214 Landscape and Visual Appraisal Author A Chester Checker R Kitch Approver A Zorlutuna Report No 214-001-UA007491-03 Date 19th December 2014 This report has been prepared for National Grid in accordance with the terms and conditions of appointment for Woodhead Overhead Line Tower 4ZO214 dated Sept 2014. Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited (2212959) cannot accept any responsibility for any use of or reliance on the contents of this report by any third party. Woodhead Overhead Line Tower 4ZO214 — Landscape and Visual Appraisal Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited-2212959 Page ii CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 2 2 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................. 3 2.1 Baseline Evaluation .............................................................................. 3 2.2 Assessment .......................................................................................... 4 2.3 Cumulative Assessment ....................................................................... 5 3 BASELINE LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL AMENITY ............................. 7 3.1 Landscape ............................................................................................ 7 3.2 Visual Amenity ...................................................................................... 9 3.3 Future Baseline .................................................................................. 10 4 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL APPRAISAL .......................................... 11 4.1 Mitigation ............................................................................................ 11 4.2 Landscape Effects .............................................................................. 11 4.3 Visual Amenity Operation Phase Effects ............................................ 12 5 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ................................................................... 14 6 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................. 16 7 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................. 17 APPENDICES Appendix A FIGURES Woodhead Overhead Line Tower 4ZO214 — Landscape and Visual Appraisal Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited-2212959 Page iii 1 INTRODUCTION In September 2014 National Grid appointed Hyder Consulting to undertake a landscape and visual appraisal for the provision of six temporary towers and a single temporary mast with backstay associated with the repair of the 4ZO Overhead Line (OHL) between Stalybridge substation within Tameside and Woodhead Station within the Peak District National Park. The temporary towers and mast are required to enable repair works to be undertaken at each of the seven respective existing towers. Each of the temporary towers and the mast has been assessed independently with the adjacent construction work associated with the full repair work being considered as part of the future baseline. The cumulative impacts of the temporary tower or mast in addition to the adjacent full repair works to the existing tower have also been considered in each report. This report considers the installation of a temporary tower to enable the full repair to Tower 4ZO214, taking into account associated access, construction compound for material storage, crane pads and new fencing, and other works to facilitate the construction and operation of the temporary tower. Due to the relatively short time scales involved for this temporary work i.e. a total of 71 days for the operational phase, the report considers the impacts during the tower’s construction, operation and decommissioning as one phase. The remainder of this report sets out the methodology used to undertake the appraisal, the baseline and future conditions and assessment of the impacts arising as a result of the erection, operation and dismantling of the temporary tower. In undertaking the assessment and in consideration of the temporary nature of the works no specific mitigation proposals, other than reinstatement works have been identified. A conclusions section completes the report. Woodhead Overhead Line Tower 4ZO214 — Landscape and Visual Appraisal Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited-2212959 Page 2 2 METHODOLOGY The assessment process has been carried out based on ‘Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment: Third Edition’ (Landscape Institute, LI, and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, IEMA, 2013). The Study Area for the appraisal extends up to approximately a 1km radius from the site (refer to Figure 214-1.0), within which 3 representative viewpoints have been identified to form the basis of the appraisal. A 1km study area has been selected, which is based on professional judgement and considered appropriate for this development, due to its temporary nature. Whilst it is understood that potential visibility of the proposed development may be possible beyond distances of 1km, it is envisaged that receptors from these distances are generally limited to publically accessible upper moorland areas, and from these locations it is considered that there would be limited levels of use during the short period of the proposed activities. Table 1.1 presents details of the consultation undertaken during the preparation of this appraisal. Table 1.1 Summary of Consultation Consultee Date of Consultation Response Project Response Consultation John Keeley Peak 2nd October 2014 Email response dated 3rd November from We will present the District National Martin Burfoot – Landscape Architect representative Park Authority PDNPA viewpoints as agreed “I have no problem at all with the revised list of viewpoints appended to the documents submitted” 2.1 Baseline Evaluation Baseline conditions are defined by landscape character and respective sensitivity, together with visual amenity (as represented by views) and the sensitivity of visual receptors (or potential viewers), in accordance with the criteria set out below. Table 1.2 Definitions of Landscape Sensitivity Level of Definition of Sensitivity Examples Sensitivity (Considers value of receptor and susceptibility to change) High Value: Typically of high importance and rarity, national scale, and limited potential for substitution (e.g. National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty). *Susceptibility to change: Landscape unlikely to tolerate the change proposed. Medium Value: Typically of moderate importance and rarity, regional scale, and limited potential for substitution (e.g. Registered Historic Parks and Gardens, Conservation Areas). *Susceptibility to change: Landscape has the potential to tolerate the change proposed. Low Value: Typically of low importance and rarity, local scale, such as undesignated or degraded landscapes. *Susceptibility to change: Landscape likely to tolerate the change proposed. *The judgement concerning susceptibility to change is made by considering the nature/characteristics of the development and receiving landscape, following evaluation of receptor value and prior to the assessment of effects. Woodhead Overhead Line Tower 4ZO214 — Landscape and Visual Appraisal Hyder Consulting (UK) Limited-2212959 Page 3 Table 1.3 Definitions of Visual Sensitivity Level of Definition of Sensitivity Examples Sensitivity (Considers value of receptor and susceptibility to change) High Value: Typically nationally recognised/important (e.g. from landscape of national importance); Susceptibility to change: Views from residential properties; where appreciation of affected views may be the principal activity. Medium Value: Typically regionally/locally recognised/important (e.g. from landscape of regional/local importance); Susceptibility to change: Views from public rights of way, cycle trails, public open space; where attention may be focused on an affected view. Low Value: Typically views not recognised/of importance; Susceptibility to change: Views from roads and railways which are transient due to travelling through the landscape; places of work or commercial properties; where attention is unlikely to be focussed on affected views. Relevant desk-based information has been obtained from Natural England, Peak District National Park Authority, and Ordnance Survey. Field survey work was undertaken during September 2014. At this time of year, deciduous trees and shrubs are predominantly with leaves such that there is less visibility within the landscape than in winter months (when there is not deciduous leaf cover). At this time of year, deciduous trees and shrubs are predominantly with leaves such that there is less visibility within the landscape than in winter months (when there is not deciduous leaf cover), although this provides a representative field survey as it expected that the duration of the temporary works will occur during the summer months when the vegetation is in leaf, with an anticipated completion date at the end of October 2015. Viewpoints have been selected to represent the range of visual receptors, that is those who would have a view of the proposed development, and views affected, against which visual sensitivity was assessed. Viewpoint photographs were taken in accordance with
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