Allerdale Borough Council Development Panel 2/2013/0705
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Allerdale Borough Council Development Panel 2/2013/0705 Reference No: 2/2013/0705 Received: 19 September 2013 Proposed Erection of single turbine with a height of up to 60m and a tip Development: height of up to 86.5m with associated infrastructure works. Location: Kelsick House Farm Kelsick Abbeytown Wigton Applicant: Mr Malcolm Dockery Drawing Numbers: FW04_015 - Block plan FW04_007B - Block plan FW04_007A - Block plan FW04-010 – Elevations FW04-011 - Substation plans FW04-006 - Block plan Email dated 03.12.2013 stating the height of the proposal. Policies: Allerdale Local Plan, Adopted 1999 (Saved) Policy EN14 - Safeguarding Water Environment, Policy EN19 - Landscape Protection, Policy EN20 - Protection of AONB, Policy EN25 - Protecting the open countryside, Policy EN32 - Protecting wildlife protected by law, Policy EN5 - Pollution Control, Policy EN6 - Location of potentially polluting development, Policy EN9 - Contaminated/Derelict Land, Cumbria Wind Energy Supplementary Planning Document. (July 2007) Ministerial statement A ministerial statement by the Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP was issued on 6/6/2013. The statement regards the planning reforms to make the planning process more accessible to communities giving local people the opportunity to influence decisions that affect their lives. The statement makes specific and direct reference to on shore turbine development and the view that decisions are not always reflecting the locally-led planning system. It is stated that action is required to deliver the balance expected within the NPPF and to ensure that protecting the local environment is properly considered alongside the broader issues of protecting the global environment. In this respect new planning guidance sets out clearly that: 1. The need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planning concerns of local communities. 2. Decisions should take into account the cumulative impact of wind turbines and properly reflect the increasing impact upon a) the landscape b) local amenity as the number of turbines in the area increases 3. Local topography should be a factor in assessing whether wind turbines have a damaging impact upon the landscape (i.e. recognise that the impact on predominantly flat landscapes can be as great or greater than on hilly or mountainous ones). 4. Great care should be taken to ensure heritage assets are conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance, including the impact of proposals on views important to their setting. National Planning Policy Framework. Chapter 11 : Conserving and enhancing the natural environment. and Chapter 10 : Meeting the challenge of climate change, flooding and coastal change – paragraph 98. Paragraph 14 - Achieving sustainable development Allerdale Local Plan (Part 1) Draft Pre Submission S32 – Protecting Amenity. Relevant Planning The Local Planning Authority issued a screening opinion History: (SCR/2013/0048) concluding that the proposed development does not constitute EIA development with regard to visual and landscape impact. The representations from Westnewton Action Group question the screening opinion (SCR/2013/0048) concluding that the proposed development does not constitute EIA development with regard to visual and landscape impact. Westnewton Action Group state that the original screening opinion should have should SCR/2013/0043 as almost every turbine in the surrounding area needed an EIA. However the position of the turbine was moved to its current position. This movement and the additional survey submitted by an ornithologist advises that the turbine be relocated to the proposed location, which would be far enough away from known fields to have any significant impact on feeding geese and it would be out of the Whoopers swan flight line. Due to the re-siting of the turbine it is not considered that an EIA would be of benefit. Representations: Bromfield Parish Council – Strongly object to the application. Reasons: For the cumulative impact on the parish and the adverse impact on the visual amenity from Bromfield Parish. Boltons Parish Council - Strongly object to the application. Reason: For the Cumulative and visual impact of the turbine will have on the parish as well as the impact on Solway area of AONB. Waverton Parish Council - Strongly object. The visual impact to the surrounding area and the cumulative effect. There are already too many wind turbinesand clusters of wind turbines in the area; these are degrading the whole beauty of the County of Cumbria which is regarding as a special area for its landscape and views. The Council is also aware that the erection of turbines would lead to the possible building of others and the setting of an unwanted president in this area. Dundraw Parish Council – Recommendation Refusal Cumulative effect and visual effect affecting owners and the impact on those peoples views. The turbine is right in the area of Solway AONB and will be seen from this area of outstanding nature beauty. The turbine will be in the path of geese it is also in the area of bats. People in out parish and the local community are against accumulation of anymore large turbines, the parish feels as though they have had enough in such as small area. Arqiva – No objections Ministry of Defence – No objection. The proposed development is in the vicinity of sites used by the RAF Spadeadam electronic warfare tactics facility, and may cause unacceptable interference to threats at these sites. Following the amended letter which was received on the 02/12/2013 the Ministry of Defence has withdrawn their initial objection. However, the Ministry of Defence would still like to be kept informed of when the construction will start and finish the exact position of the turbine (latitude and longitude) and the height of any construction equipment. Civil Aviation Authority – No objections. Standing advice. Solway Rural Initiative - Objection regarding the adverse impact on the AONB. NATS – No safeguarding objection. Stobart Air – No Objections. Fire Officer – No Comments. Environmental Protection – No objections as the noise level predictions at the nearest sensitive receptors are within the ETSU- R-97 simplified noise limit. Environmental Health however wishes to add contaminated land conditions to any recommendation of approval. Natural England – The proposed site is 1.5km from the Solway Coast AONB. The submitted photomontages do not include any VPs from within the AONB boundary. VP4 is 1.9km from the proposed site and indicates the size of the turbine at this distance, and therefore the impact it would have at this distance in areas to the north which would be within the designated landscape. Despite the white cloud background it would a prominent feature in the landscape at this distance, due to the topography of the surroundings. Natural England advises further VPs from within the designated landscape are therefore needed. In addition, to requiring extra information regarding the Viewpoints from the AONB, Natural England are satisfied that their impact on Pink Footed Geese and Whooper swans will not be of likely significant. Regarding the need for extra information regarding bats Natural England are satisfied this can be controlled by a condition taken from the mitigation, stated in the bat survey. County Archaeologist – No objections Environment Agency – No objections, subject to the inclusion of a condition relating to surface water drainage. In addition to the condition, a note to applicant is further need for works close to Rocketty Beck. RSPB – No reply to date Cumbria Highways – No Objections, subject to Construction Method Statement Conditions. English Heritage – The site of the proposed turbines lies approximately 1.5km to the south of the Grade I listed church of St Mary, the surviving fragment of the church of the Church of the Cistercian Abbey of Holmcultram. It is considered by English Heritage that the turbine will be visible in views to the south from the churchyard and from the Abbey site. However English Heritage do not consider that the turbine will have significant enough impact on the Church or on the site of the Abbey, or on their settings. English Heritage have also considered the potential for the proposed turbine to impact upon the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site and its setting. FORCE – Have provided a full statement of objection summarized on the following grounds. In appropriate size and scale of the proposal turbine, the effect of which would be exacerbated by the low lying landscape of the Solway Plain. The agent has ignored CWESPD advice in that the Cumulative assessment will normally be required where there is another development, proposed, approved or operational within 30km of the scheme. The agent has only provided a radius of 20Km. This agent has chosen to ignore the fact that the Borough of Allerdale already accommodates an exceptionally large number of onshore wind turbines but it is for this reason that the cumulative impact of wind energy, as referred to in the DCLG guidance, is of particular relevance to applications such as this one. Incompatibility with Local and National Planning Policy. The list of the LVIA does not list any of the more established turbines near Maryport and Workington. It includes neither phase of Winscales Wind Farm nor the approved turbines at Tarns, Broom Hill and Hallbank. In addition, none of the Carlisle City Planning Authority turbines have been listed on the assessment. In addition, High Pow wind farm information is incorrect as there are three existing turbines and six as stated by the applicant. According to the LVIA, the impact of the proposed development on some Swinsty Farm has been assessed as having a major adverse affect. The residents of Abbeytown are already greatly affected by Hellrigg development and are likely to be subject to uninterrupted views of the turbines at Westnewton. Cumulative Impact due to proximity of the proposed turbine to a Site of Specific Scientific Interest. The turbine is within 50m of a hedgerow.