Argyll and Bute Council Development and Infrastructure Services ______

CONSULTATION BY ADJOINING PLANNING AUTHORITY MERKINS WINDFARM, JAMESTOWN, ALEXANDRIA ______

Planning Authority: West Council

Planning Hierarchy : Major

Applicant : Lomond Energy

Proposal : Erection of ten wind turbines (max hub height 79m and max blade tip height 120m) with a total installed capacity of around 20MW and associated works including the erection of a meteorological mast, control building, ancillary infrastructure, temporary ground works and construction compound.

Site Address : Land at Merkins Farm, Auchincarroch Road, Jamestown, Alexandria ______

(A) REASON FOR REPORT

This proposal is being reported to Members as it relates to a consultation by a neighbouring planning authority for a major development accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Regulation provides that consultation should take place where development within one local authority area affects that of an adjoining Planning Authority. Whilst that is normally confined to developments close to local authority boundaries, in this case the nature of the development is such that it has potential to influence a wide area.

(B) PROPOSAL

The proposal is for the erection of a wind farm of 10 wind turbines (max hub height 79m and max blade tip height 120m) with associated works, including the erection of a meteorological mast, control building, ancillary infrastructure, tracks, temporary ground works and construction compound. The application site is located within West Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire Council is the determining Planning Authority.

(C) CONSIDERATION

The only area of consideration for Argyll & Bute Council with respect to this proposal is landscape & visual impact.

The Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) submitted with the application does not show any coverage in the or Bute & South Cowal Areas of Panoramic Quality. It does, however, illustrate that the Dunoon area of Argyll & Bute would be affected by the proposal with all 10 turbines being ‘potentially’ visible but at a distance of around 25km. A viewpoint from Dunoon (Viewpoint 19: Dunoon (from Alexandria parade)) has been assessed as part of the Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment.

This viewpoint is located on the shore at Dunoon on the A815 road and represents residential, recreational and travelling receptors. Similar views can be obtained from elsewhere in the northern parts of Dunoon, from other locations on the Cowal Peninsula, and from the ferries crossing the .

This viewpoint demonstrates that there will be a distant view towards Merkins wind farm from Argyll & Bute across the Firth of Clyde. The turbines will be seen as a small and distant cluster, on hills above and in the context of, the settled Firth of Clyde valley. The Environmental Statement states that the magnitude of change to the existing view resulting from the introduction of Merkins wind farm is judged to be very low, with a Visual Impact of ‘negligible’ significance. Officers agree with this.

In terms of cumulative impacts, the only prospective windfarm with potential comulative effects is the Cove windfarm on the peninsula, which is as yet undetermined, with a local hearing pending. Cumulative effects would be limited to views from the ferries crossing the Firth of Clyde and given the separation between the two sites it is not considered that these would be of consequence in the event that both windfarms were to be permitted.

In conclusion, the distance between the wind farm and the most visually affected area of Argyll & Bute is approximately 25km, and based on the conclusions of the Environmental Statement and an assessment of Viewpoint 19, it is clear that the proposal will not have any adverse visual impact of significance for Argyll & Bute.

(D) RECOMMENDATION:

It is recommended that Members do not object to the planning application.

Author of Report: Arlene H Knox Date: 23 rd July 2013

Reviewing Officer: Richard Kerr Date: 24 th July 2013

Angus Gilmour Head of Planning and Regulatory Services