Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Supplementary Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 403-0799-00010 August 2010 RWE Npower Renewables Ref: 403/0799/00010 Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension, Supplementary Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment i August 2010 CONTENTS 1.0 Supplementary Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Comparative ZTV Analysis 1 1.3 Comparative Viewpoint Analysis 1 1.4 Forest of Bowland AONB 4 1.5 Design and Location of Scheme 6 1.6 Woodland and Tree Planting 6 1.7 Summary and Conclusions 6 FIGURE LIST Figure LV-1.34 ZTV: Hameldon Submitted Layout and Hameldon Revised Layout Figure LV-1.35 Viewpoint 1 – Shuttleworth Recreation Ground Figure LV-1.36 Viewpoint 5 – Sainsburys, Burnley Figure LV-1.37 Viewpoint 6 – Southern Edge of Burnley off A682 Figure LV-1.38 Viewpoint 8 – Tree Panopticum, Burnley Figure LV-1.39 Viewpoint 9 – Burnley Way Figure LV-1.40 Viewpoint 14 – Hapton Inn off the A679 Figure LV-1.41 Viewpoint 15 – A678 Padiham Figure LV-1.42 Viewpoint 16 – Thorny Bank Figure LV-1.43 Additional Viewpoint 1 – Nick of Pendle Photomontage Figure LV-1.44 Additional Viewpoint 1 – Nick of Pendle Cumulative Wireline RWE Npower Renewables Ref: 403/0799/00010 Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension, Supplementary Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 1 August 2010 9. The three existing turbines at Hameldon are 90m to blade tip and the proposed three were 110m, but 1.0 Supplementary Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment have now been revised to be two at 110m and one at 100m. The reduced height turbine is located at grid reference E80730, N29879. 1.1 Introduction 10. Initially a comparative zone of theoretical visibility (ZTV) was produced, comparing the submitted 1. SLR has been instructed to prepare a supplementary landscape and visual impact assessment scheme in 2009 against that of the revised layout. Wirelines for all eight viewpoints within 5km of the (hereafter referred to as “LVIA”) of the proposed Hameldon Hill Wind Farm extension, following proposed Hameldon Wind farm were then produced, again to allow comparisons to be made between th objections received from the Defence Estates, dated 15 February 2010 and a consultation response the revised and the previously submitted schemes. Viewpoints beyond 5km away have not been re- th received from Natural England, dated 16 February 2010. assessed as the differences in turbine height proposed are unlikely to be noticeable at these distances. 2. Firstly, the objection received from the Defence Estates identified that the eastern most “Turbine 3 will be approximately 1.18km from; in line of sight to; and will cause unacceptable interference to the 11. The additional photomontage at Nick of Pendle has been produced using the revised turbine heights. Meteorological Office radar at Hameldon Hill. If the proposed turbine is constructed at this location, at the proposed height of 110m to blade tip, the radar beam will be obscured resulting in unacceptable 1.2 Comparative ZTV Analysis degradation to Meteorological Office services. However, if the developer is able to reduce the blade tip height of Turbine 3 to 100m, we will be happy to reassess the proposal and it is likely that we will 12. As illustrated in Figure LV-1.34, the two alternative layouts would have virtually identitical zones of be able to remove our Met Office objection.” theoretical visibility. 3. This supplementary LVIA therefore initially considers the potential effect on the landscape and visual 13. Where there is a predicted reduction in extent, as a result of the slightly shorter turbine at the east of amenity of the site and surrounding area of a revised turbine layout based on reducing the height of the array, this is generally limited to the edges of unchanged areas of visibility, such as adjacent to the Turbine 3 to comply with Defence Estates requirements. All other aspects of the proposed Long Causeway at 4km to the east. development would remain the same. 14. There are small areas to the south east of the proposed development, particularly on the summits of 4. Secondly, the consultation response received from Natural England requested further consideration of Small Shaw Height (409m AOD), Higher Hogshead (445m AOD) and Freeholds Top (454m AOD) at the local landscape and visual impacts of the proposals, inter alia, in relation to potential effects upon over 5km away that would previously have had theoretical visibility of the submitted layout, but would the Forest of Bowland AONB, design and location of the scheme and the potential for mitigation have no visibility as a result of the revised layout. woodland and tree planting. 15. There are also areas to the west of the study area from the centre and northern fringes of Preston in 5. This supplementary LVIA therefore also presents an additional photomontage from the requested excess of 20km, where there would be a reduction in theoretical visibility as a result of the revised public viewpoint at the Nick of Pendle, Forest of Bowland AONB and further information in relation to scheme. landscaping proposals as set out in the original Design and Access Statement, 2009. 16. Overall the differences between the two layouts are negligible to slight, with the revised layout being 6. This additional assessment has been prepared by SLR Consulting Ltd, a multidisciplinary beneficial due to the reduction in theoretical visibility. environmental consultancy, with a landscape practice of over 40 staff which is Registered with the Landscape Institute. The project team consisted of Bob Bainsfair, a Chartered Landscape Architect 1.3 Comparative Viewpoint Analysis with over 15 years experience, Simon Higson, a Chartered Landscape Architect with over 10 years of experience and Ben Pickering, a graduate Landscape Architect with over 2 years experience and 17. The following sub-section of the supplementary assessment considers comparative effects of the two support from specialist GIS staff. This is the same senior team that worked on the original LVIA in alternative turbine heights on selected viewpoints: 2009. • Viewpoint 1 – School Recreation Ground south of Hameldon Terrace and George IV Public 1.1.1 Methodology House (off A646); 7. This additional assessment follows the same methodology, process and evaluation criteria as used for • Viewpoint 5 – Sainsburys; the original LVIA in 2009. The assessment has involved desktop study, data processing and analysis, as well as interpretation using professional judgement. • Viewpoint 6 – Southern edge of Burnley off A682; 8. Since baseline conditions include the existing wind farm at Hameldon Hill, immediately adjacent, the • Viewpoint 8 – Tree Panopticum, Burnley; original LVIA in 2009 focused primarily on the potential cumulative or additional effects on landscape and visual amenity arising from the introduction of the proposed turbines in conjunction with the • Viewpoint 9 – Burnley Way; adjacent turbines. RWE Npower Renewables Ref: 403/0799/00010 Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension, Supplementary Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 2 August 2010 • Viewpoint 14 – Hapton Inn off the A679; 24. Again, differences between the submitted and revised layout would be minimal (as shown on Figure LV-1.36), however, only the blade tips of Turbine 3 would be visible above the skyline in the revised • Viewpoint 15 – A678 Padiham; and layout whereas the hub and blade tips are visible above the skyline in the submitted layout. Sitting lower in the landscape, the revised turbine also relates better to the sloping landform beyond the • Viewpoint 16 – Thorny Bank turbines and thus may be a better option. 1.3.1 Viewpoint 1: School Recreation Ground south of Hameldon Terrace and George IV 25. As a result the slight cumulative magnitude of change predicted in the original LVIA in 2009 would Public House (off A646) remain the same. Thus the cumulative impact on landscape character and visual amenity for residents and road users will remain moderate/minor and will not represent a significant effect. 18. This viewpoint is located at E380854, N433402 on the intersection of the A671 Padiham Road and the A646 Kiddrow Lane, on the boundary of the school recreation ground. This viewpoint represents views 1.3.3 Viewpoint 6: Southern edge of Burnley off A682 obtained by local residents, road users and users of the recreation/school grounds. 26. This viewpoint is located at E383023, N430419 on the southern edge of Burnley on the A682, 19. The submitted turbine layout (as shown on Figure LV-1.35) appear as a pair of turbines to the west Manchester Road looking west, close to a public right of way. It represents views obtained by local and an outlier to the east, almost mirroring the appearance of the existing turbines on Hameldon Hill. residents, road users and recreational visitors. The eastern most proposed turbine (Turbine 3) overlaps with the western most turbine of the existing wind farm cluster. The nearest proposed turbine will be 3.71km away from this viewpoint. The 27. The existing wind turbines are situated some 2.5km away and wholly within this moorland fringe valley perceived heights of the hubs and blade tips vary but the difference is only marginal and does not side, where the turbines are mostly visible above the intervening ridge and appear as a pair (to the appear out of keeping with the sloping nature of the backgrounding landform. The overall layout of the right of the view) and an outlier (to the left of the view), but generally as a simple group. The southern existing and submitted turbines appear balanced despite overlapping. The blade tips of all of the most existing turbine is partially backgrounded by elevated land to the west. submitted turbines break the skyline. 28. The predicted view for the submitted scheme (as illustrated in the wireline on Figure LV-1.37) 20.