Land at Waun-Tysswg Farm, Abertysswg, Rhymney, South Wales
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Land at Waun-Tysswg Farm, Abertysswg, Rhymney, South Wales Landscape and Visual Appraisal Date: March 2018 Our Ref: JPW0888 RPS 260 Park Avenue Aztec West Almondsbury Bristol BS32 4SY Tel: (0)1454 853 000 Fax: (0)1454 205 820 Email: [email protected] rpsgroup.com/uk Quality Management Prepared by: Matt Golding/Cheryl Firkins Matt Golding/Cheryl Firkins Authorised by: Helen Donnelly Dafydd Williams Date: 05.04.2018 Revision: v0 Project Number: JPW0888 Document Reference: 180504 R JPW0888 CF LVA v0.docx O:\04 JOBS\OPEN JOBS\JPW0888 - WAUNTYSSWG FARM, Document File Path: ABERTYSSWG (DW)\Final LVIA compiled\180504 R JPW0888 CF LVA v0.docx COPYRIGHT © RPS The material presented in this report is confidential. This report has been prepared for the exclusive use of Elgin Energy EsCo Ltd and shall not be distributed or made available to any other company or person without the knowledge and written consent of RPS. i rpsgroup.com/uk Amendment Record Revision No. Date Reason for Change Authors Initials First draft DECEMBER 2016 MCG Further baseline Second draft MARCH 2018 CLF information available. Third draft MARCH 2018 PM comments CLF Fourth Draft APRIL 2018 Executive summary added DW ii rpsgroup.com/uk Contents Quality Management............................................................................................................................i Amendment Record ............................................................................................................................ ii Contents ............................................................................................................................................. ii Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................1 1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................4 2 Assessment methodologies.........................................................................................................5 3 Visual Assessment Methodology.................................................................................................7 4 Baseline Conditions ....................................................................................................................9 5 Description of Proposals ...........................................................................................................14 6 Planning Policy Context ............................................................................................................16 7 Effect on landscape elements and features ...............................................................................25 8 Effect on Landscape Character .................................................................................................28 9 Assessment of Landscape Character ........................................................................................36 10 Effect on Visual Amenity ...........................................................................................................40 11 Cumulative Effects ....................................................................................................................51 12 Summary and Conclusion .........................................................................................................59 Appendix 1 Detailed Assessment Methodology .................................................................................62 Appendix 2: Document Figures ........................................................................................................68 ii rpsgroup.com/uk Executive Summary This Landscape and Visual Appraisal of Landscape Effects relates to the construction of a Solar Photovoltaic Park and associated infrastructure on approximately 58ha of farmland adjacent to Waun- Tysswg Farm, Abertysswg, Rhymney, South Wales. It is acknowledged that any development will give rise to change in the landscape character of the Application Site and to the views of people overlooking, visiting or walking through the area. The extent of change will influence the judgement on acceptability and will need to be weighed against the benefits delivered by the Proposed Development. The Application Site does not form part of any statutory designation. However, it is located within the Mynydd Bedwellty, Rhymney Hill & Sirhowy Sides Special Landscape Area (SLA); a non-statutory landscape designation covering some 715 ha of Blaenau Gwent County Borough (‘BGCB’). It should be noted that the majority of rural (outside of settlement boundaries) BGCB is designated SLA. It is considered, therefore, that the site lies in a landscape, as a land resource, of relative abundance and availability. The intrinsic qualities of the SLA confirm that the Application Site is located in a landscape that has a high sensitivity to change. From published assessments and RPS’ assessment, the key features of the Application site and its environs be summarised as: . The presence of both deep and shallow valleys broadly on a northwest-southeast alignment; . The landscape is predominantly agricultural with pockets of linear settlement confined to the northwest-southeast aligned valleys. Isolated and sometimes nucleated farm complexes and private residences are scattered throughout the study area; . Enclosure levels vary and are heavily influenced by the surrounding topography and vegetation levels; . With the exception of the settlement pattern, human influence is confined to the surrounding highway network (particularly to the north), coniferous forestry plantation, clusters of existing on- shore renewable energy infrastructure (wind turbines) and the presence of numerous pockets of industry along the A465 corridor and to the edge of Rhymney. The land use of the Application Site would change from one of agriculture to one of renewable energy development comprising photovoltaic panels, inverters, a substation, 15m lattice tower and permeable gravel tracks. The layout has been designed to avoid higher value grassland habitats, with the arrays primarily located on semi-improved grassland and species-poor rush pasture. Much of the existing farmland would be retained beneath the arrays and areas of pasture could continue to be grazed. The combination of the retention of most of the existing trees and grassland vegetation, together with the creation of new areas of acid grassland, would result in a longer-term benefit for both the Application Site and the surrounding landscape. The Proposed Development would fit within and respect the existing field boundaries. The arrays would follow the contours of Application Site respecting the topography of the site which would remain largely unchanged except at a local level where remodelling may be required for site access roads, internal 1 rpsgroup.com/uk access tracks, and localised regrading to create level platforms. Consequently, the landscape pattern and complexity would not change as a result of the Proposed Development. Analysis of the LANDMAP Aspect Areas reveal that any potential adverse effects on landscape character within these areas is likely to be very localised. Analysis of LANDMAP confirms that the Cwm Tysswg Visual and Sensory Aspect Area, containing the Application site, is of a lower order in terms of the hierarchy of landscape evaluation. The primary landscape qualities of the Aspect Areas are maintained and respected. Of the twelve representative Viewpoints, seven local views would undergo Substantial or Major effects on visual amenity as a result of the Proposed Development at Year 1, with one undergoing Moderate effects and with the remaining Viewpoints undergoing either a Minor or Negligible as a result of the Proposed Development. The value of local views is considered to be high as the Application site is within the locally designated SLA. With the exception of occasional overhead power lines and clusters of turbine development, often visible at distance in good visibility, there are few detractors. Due to the scale of the Proposed Development, much of the lower-lying agricultural land would be converted to photovoltaic infrastructure, changing the character of the host landscape for the 30-year life of the project. It would not be possible to screen it entirely from receptors close to the Application Site. The lower-lying ground (containing the Application Site) is largely devoid of defining field boundary vegetation. It is therefore considered that landscape mitigation measures including extensive tree and hedge planting to screen the proposals would be uncharacteristic of the upland fieldscape and the introduction of these patterns of vegetation would be inappropriate to address any residual effects arising from the Proposed Development However, the proposed solar arrays will be low-lying in close range views, hugging the valley floor thus preserving the open nature of the sensitive, historic landscape. The distinctive open skyline with panoramic views to other ridges is maintained as are open views from the minor unnamed road along the Mynydd Bedwellty ridge, cited in the SLA designation as the only example in Blaenau Gwent. The limited inter-visibility with the lower-lying local valley settlements, which arises from the topography and landscape components including established blocks and belts of woodland limits effects on visual amenity from the surrounding area. Whilst the site boundary is partly within Caerphilly County