www.engena.co.uk CEFN Y MAES COMMUNITY RENEWABLE ENERGY PARK Pre-Application Consultation Report PREPARED ON BEHALF OF FEBRUARY 2017 PREFACE This Pre-Application Consultation Report forms part of the planning application documentation submitted for the proposed Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park. A complete Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is provided for the proposal and is reported within the Environmental Statement (ES) that comprises three volumes. The volumes of the complete ES are described in the following table, along with the additional documentation submitted with the planning application by the applicant (Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park Limited). Document Title Contents Non-Technical Summarises the proposal and the key conclusions ES Volume 1 Summary of the EIA for the non-technical reader ES Volume 2 Written Statement Presents the full assessments of the EIA Presents the appendices referred ES Volume 2 Appendices to in the Written Statement Presents the figures referred to in the Written Statement and the visualisations referred Figures and ES Volume 3 to in the Landscape and Visual Impact Visualisations Assessment (LVIA) and Heritage Assessment, both within the Written Statement. Design and Access Describes the site design approach and evolution, Statement and proposed access to and within the site. Planning Pre-Application Describes the pre-application consultation Application Consultation Report procedure and responses received. Documents Summarises the planning policy Planning Statement context of the proposal. Printed copies of all three volumes in addition to the Planning Statement, Design and Access Statement and Pre-Application Consultation Report are available at: • Powys Council Offices, Spa Road East, Llandrindod Wells, Powys, LD1 5LG; • Llanfyllin Public Library, Youth and Community Centre, Llanfyllin, Powys, SY22 5BB; and • Oswestry Public Library, Arthur Street, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY11 1JN. The above locations also have computer facilities to view the document through the project specific website at www.cefnymaes.co.uk or via Powys Council website, planning section. Additional printed copies can be purchased at a cost of £500 +VAT or digital versions on CD- ROM at a cost of £10 +VAT. To order copies, please contact Engena Limited at: The Old Stables, Bosmere Hall, Kettle Lane, Creeting St Mary, IP6 8LL. 3 PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION REPORT Contents Introduction 6 Pre-Application Consultation Methodology 7 Responses to Consultation 15 Impacts Identified, By topic 77 Conclusions 80 References 81 Appendix 1 - Site Notice Copy and On-site Record 82 Appendix 2 - Copy of Schedule 1B Notice 85 Appendix 3 - Copy of Schedule 1C Notice 87 Appendix 4 - Distributed Consultation Documents 89 5 PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION REPORT INTRODUCTION PAC1 This document provides a detailed report of the consultation approach, methods, and responses received during a specific pre-application consultation period for the Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park. The document goes on to set out how matters raised by consultees have been incorporated in the final Environmental Statement and associated Planning Application Documentation, and finally draws conclusions from the consultation exercise. PAC2 Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park Limited is proposing the development of a single wind turbine, ground mounted photovoltaic solar panel array and energy storage facility, on land approximately 1km north of Cefn Canol and 2.2km north-west of Rhydycroesau. PAC3 Due to the scale of the proposal (development area over 1ha), in accordance with Article 2 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) Order 2012, Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park constitutes major development. PAC4 In advance of submission, pre-application consultation was undertaken with the local community. Residents and businesses surrounding the proposed development have been consulted upon the plans for the Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park in accordance with Article 1 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2016. PAC5 The methods of public consultation undertaken by REG Power Management in collaboration with Engena (together forming Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park Limited) for this proposal were developed from many years experience and guided by best practice from within the wind and solar industry. The scope of public consultation is considered appropriate for the scale and type of development proposed and is in full accordance with Article 1 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2016. Hereafter, this order may simply be referred to as ‘Article 1 (2016)’ PAC6 The specific requirements of a Pre-Application Report are provided by the Article 1 Guidance on Pre-application Consultation document (2016). For ease of reference the requirements are tabulated below with cross reference to where the matters can be found within this report. 6 Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park Table PAC1 - Required contents of the Pre-Application Report according to Article 1 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2016 Paragraph 44 Requirement Location in PAC a) a copy of the site notice; Appendix 1 b) a declaration that the site notice was displayed in accordance From Paragraph with the statutory requirements, i.e. in at least one place on or PAC10 on near the development site for no less than 28 days; page 8 c) a copy of the site notice given to owners and occupiers of Appendix 2 adjoining land; d) copies of all notices provided to councillors, town and Appendix 2 and community councils, and specialist consultees; Appendix 3 e) a summary of all issues raised in response to the statutory From Paragraph publicity (i.e. site notice and letters to owners, occupiers) PAC51 on - the developer must confirm whether the issues have been page 77 addressed and, if so, how they have been addressed; and f) copies of all responses received from specialist consultees Table PAC2 with a reference to where each response has been addressed by the developer. PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION METHODOLOGY PAC7 As described at Paragraph PAC5 on page 6, the approach to consultation has been developed over many years experience in the renewables sector. The developer considers public consultation to be an important part of the planning process and will always undertake a level of public consultation proportionate to the scale of the proposed development. PAC8 In the case of the Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park, the proposal is considered to be Major Development and is assessed through EIA. The development involves a single wind turbine, small solar array and energy storage facility with associated infrastructure and so could be considered to be relatively small compared to the scope of what could comprise major development. PAC9 Consultation in this case therefore, is approached principally by contacting relevant community and specialist consultees and seeking views of the potential environmental impacts. The level of consultation proposed was discussed with Powys County Council ahead of mobilising. The Council agreed that an approach in line with (Article 1 of) the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2016 would be appropriate. 7 PRE-APPLICATION CONSULTATION REPORT Site Notice PAC10 In accordance with Paragraph 3, bullet point, of Article 1 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2016 a site notice in the form of Schedule 1B to the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2016 was placed at three locations near to the proposed Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park. PAC11 A site notice was placed at: • the existing farm entrance which will form the site entrance for the proposal; • the Public Right of Way (PRoW) running adjacent to the south border of the proposed development area; and • the noticeboard at Rhydycroesau Village Hall. PAC12 The proposed site is in a relatively remote location, so to provide the best coverage of notice to residents in the wider area, the third site notice in Rhydycroesau was considered appropriate. The locations listed at Paragraph PAC11 are shown in plan form relative to the site at Plate PAC1. A photographic record of the notices in place is contained at Appendix 1, along with a copy of the erected site notice. PAC13 The guidance states that at least one site notice should be placed on or near the land of the proposed application. Thereby the applicant for Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park has exceeded the requirements on this point. PAC14 Notices were erected on Wednesday 18th January 2017, and regularly checked during the pre-application consultation period to ensure they were still in place and legible. No replacements notices were needed during the consultation period, which ended on Monday 20th February 2017. The period during which site notices were on display lasted 33 days, in excess of the 28-day minimum requirement of the guidance. 8 Cefn y Maes Community Renewable Energy Park © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved, 2017. Licence number 0100031673. Scale; 1:20 000 at A4 Proposed Development Location Site Notice Locations Plate PAC1 - Location of site notices relative to proposed renewable energy park Consultation Website