North Ayrshire Landscape Wind Capacity Study Carol Anderson Landscape Associates October 2018 North Ayrshire Landscape Wind Energy Capacity Study Final Report - October 2018 Carol Anderson Landscape Associates CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 POLICY CONTEXT ................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 STUDY OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................................. 2 1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT .................................................................................................................. 3 2 STUDY METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 BACKGROUND TO LANDSCAPE CAPACITY .................................................................................................. 4 2.2 DEFINITION OF TERMS .......................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 GENERAL APPROACH TO THE STUDY ........................................................................................................ 5 2.4 OPERATIONAL AND CONSENTED WIND FARMS AND TURBINES ...................................................................... 6 2.5 BASELINE LANDSCAPE CHARACTER .......................................................................................................... 7 2.6 DEVELOPMENT TYPOLOGIES .................................................................................................................. 7 2.7 THE SENSITIVITY ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................ 8 2.8 SENSITIVITY RATINGS ........................................................................................................................... 9 2.9 REPOWERING OF EXISTING WIND FARMS ................................................................................................ 10 2.10 CUMULATIVE ISSUES AND OVERALL CAPACITY ASSESSMENT ........................................................................ 10 2.11 OVERALL SENSITIVITY RATINGS ............................................................................................................. 11 2.12 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL EFFECTS ............................................................................ 12 2.13 GUIDANCE FOR SITING SMALLER TURBINES ............................................................................................. 12 3 SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................... 13 3.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 13 3.2 KEY FINDINGS OF THE SENSITIVITY ASSESSMENT ....................................................................................... 13 3.3 STRATEGIC LANDSCAPE ISSUES............................................................................................................. 15 3.4 KEY CUMULATIVE ISSUES .................................................................................................................... 17 3.5 A RECOMMENDED SPATIAL LANDSCAPE STRATEGY ................................................................................... 17 4 INTRODUCTION TO THE SENSITIVITY ASSESSMENT ........................................................................ 20 4.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 20 4.2 HOW TO USE THE STUDY ..................................................................................................................... 20 5 CHARACTER TYPE 1A: NORTH AYRSHIRE RAISED BEACH COAST ..................................................... 23 5.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 23 5.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY .................................................................................................................. 30 5.3 GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................ 31 6 CHARACTER TYPE 1B: ARRAN RAISED BEACH COAST ...................................................................... 34 6.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 34 6.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY .................................................................................................................. 41 6.3 GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................ 42 7 CHARACTER TYPE 2A: COASTAL LOWLANDS WITH INDUSTRY ........................................................ 45 7.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 45 7.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY .................................................................................................................. 52 7.3 GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................ 53 8 CHARACTER TYPE 2B: COASTAL EDGE ............................................................................................ 56 8.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 56 8.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY .................................................................................................................. 63 8.3 GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................ 64 9 CHARACTER TYPE 3A: ARRAN COASTAL FRINGE WITH AGRICULTURE ............................................ 66 9.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 66 9.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY .................................................................................................................. 75 9.3 GUIDANCE ....................................................................................................................................... 76 10 CHARACTER TYPE 3B: CUMBRAE COASTAL FRINGE WITH AGRICULTURE.................................... 79 10.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 79 10.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY .................................................................................................................. 86 10.3 GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................ 87 11 CHARACTER TYPE 6: COASTAL LOWLAND MOOR ....................................................................... 90 11.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 90 11.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY .................................................................................................................. 97 11.3 GUIDANCE ON DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................. 98 12 CHARACTER TYPE 7A: NORTH AYRSHIRE LOWLANDS ............................................................... 100 12.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 100 12.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY ................................................................................................................ 107 12.3 GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................................... 108 13 CHARACTER TYPE 7B: SMALL ROLLING HILLS ............................................................................ 111 13.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 111 13.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY ................................................................................................................ 118 13.3 GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT .......................................................................................................... 119 14 CHARACTER TYPE 8A: BROAD VALLEY LOWLAND ..................................................................... 121 14.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 121 14.2 SUMMARY OF SENSITIVITY ................................................................................................................ 128 14.3 GUIDANCE FOR DEVELOPMENT .........................................................................................................