Burnley Borough Council Bury Metropolitan Borough Council Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council Kirklees Metropolitan Council Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council Rossendale Borough Council Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Energy Developments in the South Pennines Final Report January 2010 Burnley Borough Council Bury Metropolitan Borough Council Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council Kirklees Metropolitan Council Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council Rossendale Borough Council Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Energy Developments in the South Pennines Final Report January 2010 Julie Martin Associates The Round House Swale Cottage, Station Road Richmond North Yorkshire DL10 4LU 01748 826984 [email protected] in association with Alison Farmer Associates Countryscape 2 Julie Martin Associates ___________________________________________________________________________________ Team and Acknowledgements The study team comprised: Julie Martin, Julie Martin Associates Alison Farmer, Alison Farmer Associates Jonathan Porter, Countryscape Jemma Simpson, Countryscape The study Steering Group comprised: John Buddle, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council Francis Comyn, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council David Hodcroft, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council David Hortin, Burnley Borough Council John Houston, Kirklees Metropolitan Council Adrian Smith, Rossendale Borough Council Ruth Benson, Natural England The study team gratefully acknowledges the support and input that the Steering Group made throughout the study, and the assistance of Natural England in providing information for working maps as detailed in Table 8 . _____________________________________________________________________ Julie Martin Associates 3 ___________________________________________________________________________________ Contents 1 Introduction.....................................................................................5 1.1 Planning and Policy Context.................................................................................5 1.2 Purpose and Scope of the Study ............................................................................5 1.3 Wind Energy Development in the South Pennines.................................................6 1.4 Scope of the Report ..............................................................................................7 1.5 Structure of the Report..........................................................................................7 1.6 How to Use This Report .......................................................................................8 2 Assessment Approach and Principles ..........................................11 2.1 Introduction........................................................................................................ 11 2.2 Key Terms and Definitions ................................................................................. 11 2.3 Sensitivity Assessment ....................................................................................... 13 2.4 Capacity Assessment .......................................................................................... 16 2.5 Principles Affecting Landscape Capacity for Wind Energy Development............ 19 3 Assessment Process .......................................................................23 3.1 Overview............................................................................................................ 23 3.2 Development of Assessment Approach and Principles ........................................ 23 3.3 Review of Existing Wind Energy Development .................................................. 23 3.4 Development of Spatial Framework.................................................................... 24 3.5 Background Research ......................................................................................... 24 3.6 Preparation of Working Maps.............................................................................24 3.7 Baseline Assessment........................................................................................... 25 3.8 Sensitivity and Capacity Assessment .................................................................. 25 3.9 Preparation of Guidance ..................................................................................... 26 3.10 Outputs............................................................................................................... 26 4 Baseline Assessment ......................................................................27 4.1 Introduction........................................................................................................ 27 4.2 The South Pennines Landscape........................................................................... 27 4.3 Wind Energy Development in the Landscape...................................................... 33 4.4 Wind Energy Development Baseline................................................................... 34 4.5 Baseline Assessment of Landscape and Visual Impacts....................................... 38 4.6 Updating the Baseline and the Baseline Assessment............................................ 46 5 Landscape Sensitivity and Capacity Assessments .......................47 5.1 Spatial Framework.............................................................................................. 47 5.2 Sensitivity Assessment Sheets ............................................................................ 52 5.3 Capacity Assessment Sheets ............................................................................... 82 6 Landscape and Visual Guidance on Wind Energy Proposals...107 6.1 Introduction...................................................................................................... 107 6.2 Using the Sensitivity and Capacity Assessment Sheets...................................... 107 6.3 Initial Scheme Planning .................................................................................... 108 6.4 Siting, Layout and Design................................................................................. 109 6.5 Assessment of Landscape and Visual Impacts................................................... 111 6.6 Reviewing Applications.................................................................................... 115 Annex 1: Landscape Character Types..............................................117 Approach and Sources................................................................................................... 117 A: High Moorland Plateaux........................................................................................... 118 B: Moorland Hills ......................................................................................................... 119 C: Enclosed Uplands..................................................................................................... 120 D: Moorland Fringes/ Upland Pastures .......................................................................... 121 _____________________________________________________________________ 4 Julie Martin Associates ___________________________________________________________________________________ E: Rural Fringes............................................................................................................ 122 F: Settled Valleys.......................................................................................................... 123 G: Wooded Rural Valleys ............................................................................................. 124 I: Reservoir Valleys ...................................................................................................... 125 K: Coalfield Edge Urban Fringe Farmland .................................................................... 126 L: Lowland Farmland.................................................................................................... 127 M: Industrial Lowland Valleys ...................................................................................... 127 N: Rolling Wooded Farmland ....................................................................................... 128 O: Industrial/ Business Parks......................................................................................... 129 U: Urban....................................................................................................................... 129 Annex 2: Landscape Character Areas in Bury, Rochdale, Calderdale and Kirklees.................................................................................131 Annex 3: Bibliography.......................................................................145 Annex 4: List of Acronyms................................................................147 Figures Figure 1: How to Use This Report Figure 2: Comparative Turbine Heights Figure 3: Physical Features of the Study Area Figure 4: South Pennines Landscape Context Figure 5: Mean Wind Speeds at 45m Above Ground Level Figure 6: Wind Energy Developments (as at October 2009) and National Character Areas Figure 7: Landscape Character Types Figure 8: Capacity Areas Figure 9: Sensitivity by Landscape Character Type Figure 10: Landscape Character Types and Areas Tables Table 1: Key Terms Relating to Landscape Resources Table 2: Key Terms Relating to Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Table 3: Criteria for Assessing Landscape Sensitivity to Wind Energy Development Table 4: Wind Energy Development Typology Table 5: Thresholds of Landscape