Coates Associates Ltd Stainton Court Stainton Kendal Cumbria LA8 0LQ Tel: 015395 61749 Fax: 015395 61849 E-mail:[email protected] www.coatesassociates.co.uk CUMBRIA WIND ENERGY SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT Part 2 Landscape and Visual Considerations C O N T E N T S PART 2 1 GUIDELINES FOR LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL ISSUES 1 Cumbria’s Landscape Character and Capacity 1 Aims of the Landscape Capacity Assessment 1 Landscape Character 2 Scale of development 2 Summary of Potential Capacity for Cumbria 3 Table 1.1 Summary of Cumbria’s Landscape Capacity Findings 4 Cumulative Landscape and Visual Effects 5 Carrying out a cumulative effects assessment 7 Judging the acceptability of cumulative effects 9 Table 1.2 Cumulative Sensitivity Criteria 11 Siting and Good Design for Landscape and Visual Issues 12 Site Selection and Initial Sizing 12 Composition 13 Turbine Design 17 Infrastructure and Ancillary Development 19 Mitigation 21 Compatibility 21 2 LANDSCAPE CAPACITY ASSESSMENT 25 Introduction 25 The Brief 25 Application and Limitations of the Study 25 Methodology 26 Approach 26 Definition of Landscape Capacity and Key Factors to Consider 28 Table 2.1 Landscape Sensitivity Assessment Criteria 30 Table 2.2 Landscape Value Assessment Criteria 32 Wind Energy Development Typology 33 Table 2.3 Development Typology 33 Establish Baseline Character and Value 33 Assessment of Sensitivity and Value 35 Evaluation of Capacity 36 Landscape Capacity Assessment Sheets 39 Map 7 and 8 Landscape Character and Landscape Capacity 86 Appendix 2.1 87 Appendix 2.2 91 Appendix 2.3 92 3 GUIDANCE ON LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 95 Introduction 95 Aim and Basis 95 Definition of Landscape and Visual Effects 96 Cumulative Effects 96 When is an Assessment Needed? 96 Treatment of Turbine Size 97 Document Structure 97 3 CUMBRIA WIND ENERGY SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT PART 2 Iterative Process of Project Design and LVIA 97 Site selection 99 Alternatives Considered and Selection Rationale 99 The proposed development 99 Alternative Compositions Considered 99 Design Philosophy and Primary Mitigation Measures 99 Description 100 Construction Phase 100 Operational Phase 101 Decommissioning Phase 101 Baseline conditions 101 Area of Study 101 Cumulative Study Area 102 Viewpoints and Routes 102 Format of Landscape Descriptions 103 Description of Landscape Resource 104 Landscape Sensitivity 105 Description of Visual Context and Importance 106 Visual Receptor Sensitivity 106 Assessment of effects 106 General 106 Format and Description of Landscape Effects 107 Format and Description of Visual Effects 108 Format and Description of Cumulative Effects 109 Magnitude of Effects 111 Nature of Effects 112 Significance 113 Secondary Mitigation 114 Presentation material 115 Appendix 2.4 117 4 CUMBRIA WIND ENERGY SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT PART 2 PART 2 SECTION 1 GUIDELINES FOR LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL ISSUES 1 Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Issues Cumbria’s Landscape Character and Capacity 1.1 Part 2 provides specific guidance on landscape and visual issues. For many other environmental and planning issues protection is provided through legislation, ie for protected species and habitats, and more detailed information is available from a range of sources to assist developers with assessing the potential effects of such issues. Key information sources are listed under each relevant section in Part 1. However, this is not considered to be the case when dealing with landscape and visual issues. A strategic landscape capacity assessment has been developed by Coates Associates. This did not exist elsewhere and is an important resource, providing baseline information to help determine the appropriate size and locations for new wind energy development across the County. 1.2 Landscape and visual issues are focussed on in this Part of the guidance because they continue to be important in all parts of the county, can cause significant controversy, and can be more difficult to mitigate against than other issues due to the general characteristics of wind turbines. 1.3 The guidance in this part covers both rural and urban areas. It contains the findings of the Landscape Capacity Assessment, guidance for siting, design and cumulative effects for landscape and visual issues and advice on carrying out a landscape and visual impact assessment (LVIA). It complements the guidance set out in sections 2, 3 and 4, Part 1 for other planning issues and should be read in conjunction with them. Key landscape guidance (LG) is highlighted in bold and the landscape capacity is summarised in Table 1.1 (LC). 1.4 When designing a wind energy scheme it is important for developers to employ landscape professionals to assist in determining the best site, size and layout for scheme and to carry out a landscape and visual impact assessment. The guidance contained in this part of the SPD should inform any such decisions. Aims of the Landscape Capacity Assessment 1.5 A landscape capacity assessment has been carried out for each of the main landscape types in Cumbria. This considered the specific landscape characteristics that are sensitive to wind energy development along with their value. This enabled the potential capacity for each character type to be determined. This • indicates the relative capacity of the County’s landscapes to accommodate wind energy development, and • defines the landscape criteria used to judge capacity. 1.6 This guidance aims to help developers when carrying out initial investigations to determine the possible capacity of a site to accommodate wind energy development. It intends to take a proactive approach to development, guiding it to the most appropriate locations and ensuring that the key characteristics and quality of Cumbria’s landscapes are safeguarded. 1.7 However, it only provides an indication of the relative capacity of different landscapes. It should not be used in a definitive sense, ie to mean that a particular proposal would be acceptable or unacceptable on any given site. Every site is unique, and any proposal involving 2 or more wind turbines or those with a hub height exceeding 15m must be accompanied by an Environmental Impact 1 CUMBRIA WIND ENERGY SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT PART 2 Assessment that includes a detailed landscape and visual impact assessment following to the guidance set out in section 3, Part 2. For other schemes below this threshold the effects of the proposal should be included in a planning statement. Landscape Character 1.8 The capacity guidance builds upon earlier landscape character assessment work undertaken by the County Council. The Cumbria Landscape Classification1 (CLC) identified 13 main landscape types ranging from Estuary and Marsh to Fells and Scarps. Whilst townscape character was not specifically assessed urban fringe sub- types were included and the main urban areas differentiated. For the purposes of this guidance it is necessary to consider Urban Areas and Fringes as a separate landscape type because of their unique urban characteristics and key sensitivities in relation to wind energy development. Consequently the landscape capacity assessment considered 14 landscape types. An exception has also been made for Type 9: Intermediate Moorland and Plateau dividing it into two groupings based on consistency of character, and specifically the key sensitivities in relation to wind energy development. These are set out in Map 7 and more information can be found in paragraph 2.29. 1.9 To date landscape character assessment and classification has not been undertaken in the Lake District National Park. This will take place during 2007 and the landscape capacity assessment in Part 2 may need to be amended as a result of this. As the Structure Plan does not cover the Yorkshire Dales National Park, the area of Cumbria within the Yorkshire Dales National Park is not covered by this guidance. Scale of development 1.10 The potential capacity has been assessed in relation to six scales of development2. These are: • Single or twin turbines • Small group (linear or cluster arrangement of 3-5 turbines) • Large group (linear or cluster arrangement of 6-9 turbines) • Small wind farm (10-15 turbines) • Medium wind farm (16-25 turbines) • Large wind farm (25+ turbines) 1.11 This range reflects both the nature of schemes currently coming forward and an appreciation of the scale of the receiving landscape in Cumbria. Although small and large groups are referred to above they are considered to be wind farms for the purpose of interpreting PPS22 and its Companion Guide, and regional and local policy documents. 1.12 Turbine heights of 95 – 120m (to blade tip) have been assumed which are typical of the current generation of turbines. However this assumption should not preclude the possibility of using smaller turbines in order to ensure that they are in scale and proportion with the effected landscape. Turbines in the larger range might not be appropriate due to their scale. 1 Cumbria Landscape Classification, Cumbria County Council 1995 2 It should be noted that the guidance does not address small domestic micro generation installations 2 CUMBRIA WIND ENERGY SUPPLEMENTARY PLANNING DOCUMENT PART 2 Summary of Potential Capacity for Cumbria 1.13 The overall capacity, determined by considering the sensitivity and value attached to each landscape type, is expressed on a five point scale on the following basis: 1.14 High Low landscape sensitivity and landscape or key characteristics of low value. Indicates opportunity to accommodate wind energy development at an appropriate scale without significant adverse landscape effects Moderate/High Moderate ↑↓ Moderate/Low Low High landscape sensitivity and landscape or key characteristics of high value likely to be compromised. Indicates that any type of wind energy development would be likely to have a significant adverse landscape effect and would not generally be appropriate. 1.15 A summary of the capacity of each of the County’s landscape types to accommodate wind energy development is provided in Table 1.1 and illustrated in Map 8.