The North Wales Wind Farms Connection Project Environmental Statement Chapter 1 - Introduction Technical Appendix 1.3 Application reference: EN020014 March 2015 Regulation reference: The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 Regulation 5(2)(a) Document reference 6.17.3 North Wales Wind Farms Connection Project Environmental Statement Appendix 1.3 Proposed Collector Substation Clocaenog Forest Environmental Report March 2015 PINS Reference: EN020014 Document Reference: 6.17.3 The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 – Regulation 5(2)(a) The Planning Act 2008 The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 Regulation 5(2)(a) The North Wales Wind Farms Connection Project Environmental Statement Appendix 1.3 Proposed Collector Substation Clocaenog Forest Environmental Report Document Reference No. 6.17.3 Regulation No. Regulation 5(2)(a) Author Gillespies Date March 2015 Version 01 Planning Inspectorate Reference EN020014 No. Note: This Report was submitted to Denbighshire County Council in December 2014 in support of a planning application (Ref 23 / 2014 /1440) for the proposed Collector Substation. Proposed Collector Substation Clocaenog Forest Environmental Report December 2014 North Wales Wind Farms Connection Project Clocaenog Substation Table of Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Overview .............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 SP Manweb plc .................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Statutory Consents Procedure ............................................................................................. 1 1.4 Structure of the Report ......................................................................................................... 3 2 Project Description ............................................................................................................ 4 2.1 Need for the Collector Substation ........................................................................................ 4 2.2 Existing Land Use ................................................................................................................ 5 2.3 Design .................................................................................................................................. 5 2.4 Phases of Development ....................................................................................................... 6 3 Alternatives Considered .................................................................................................. 13 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 13 3.2 Options and Sites Considered ........................................................................................... 13 3.3 Appraisal of Options ........................................................................................................... 17 3.4 Consultation ....................................................................................................................... 22 3.5 Site Options Appraisal Outcome ........................................................................................ 23 4 Planning Policy Considerations ..................................................................................... 24 4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 24 4.2 Welsh National Planning Advice and Policies .................................................................... 26 4.3 National Policy Statements ................................................................................................ 29 4.4 Local Planning Policy ......................................................................................................... 29 4.5 Summary ............................................................................................................................ 29 5 Ecology and Biodiversity ................................................................................................ 33 5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 33 5.2 Policy Background ............................................................................................................. 35 5.3 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 35 5.4 Baseline Context ................................................................................................................ 42 5.5 Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 55 5.6 Mitigation ............................................................................................................................ 57 6 Landscape and Visual ..................................................................................................... 60 6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 60 6.2 Policy Background ............................................................................................................. 60 6.3 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 60 6.4 Landscape and Visual Baseline ......................................................................................... 62 6.5 Landscape and Visual Assessment ................................................................................... 68 6.6 Mitigation of Significant Visual Effects ............................................................................... 83 7 Historic Environment ....................................................................................................... 84 7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 84 7.2 Policy Background ............................................................................................................. 84 7.3 Methodology ...................................................................................................................... 85 7.4 Baseline Context ................................................................................................................ 89 7.5 Assessment of Effects ....................................................................................................... 94 7.6 Mitigation ............................................................................................................................ 97 8 Water Quality and Flood Risk ......................................................................................... 99 8.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 99 8.2 Policy Background ............................................................................................................. 99 8.3 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 101 8.4 Baseline Context .............................................................................................................. 105 North Wales Wind Farms Connection Project Clocaenog Substation 8.5 Assessment of Effects ..................................................................................................... 107 9 Socio Economic and Tourism ...................................................................................... 110 9.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 110 9.2 Policy Background ........................................................................................................... 112 9.3 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 113 9.4 Baseline - Socio-economic .............................................................................................. 114 9.5 Baseline - Tourism ........................................................................................................... 116 9.6 Business Survey .............................................................................................................. 118 9.7 Assessment of Effects ..................................................................................................... 122 10 Traffic and Transport ..................................................................................................... 124 11 Emissions ....................................................................................................................... 136 11.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 136 11.2 Noise ...............................................................................................................................