Burnfoot Hill Wind Farm ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT MARCH 2006 VOLUME 2: THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT TEXT PHOTO STILL TO BE TAKEN W I N D P R O S P E C T D E V E L O P M E N T S L T D 1 0 A C A S T L E S T R E E T E D I N B U R G H E H 2 3 A T CONTENTS CONTENTS.........................................................................................................................................................1 1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................5 1.1 FOREWORD ............................................................................................................................ 5 1.2 APPROACH TO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT....................................................... 6 1.3 CONSULTATIONS................................................................................................................. 6 1.4 FORM AND CONTENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT ........................... 6 1.5 THE CONSULTANCY TEAM............................................................................................... 7 2 THE PROPOSED BURNFOOT HILL WIND FARM .........................................................................8 2.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 LOCATION.............................................................................................................................. 8 2.3 TURBINES................................................................................................................................8 2.4 ACCESS .................................................................................................................................... 9 2.5 ELECTRICAL GRID CONNECTION ROUTE..................................................................... 9 2.6 CONSTRUCTION WORKS.................................................................................................. 10 2.7 MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS AND OPERATION............................................... 10 3 THE NEED FOR THE DEVELOPMENT............................................................................................11 3.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 11 3.2 ENERGY FROM FOSSIL FUELS AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ........................ 11 3.3 THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT .................................................................................. 12 3.4 THE EUROPEAN CONTEXT .............................................................................................. 12 3.5 THE UK CONTEXT............................................................................................................... 13 3.6 SUPPLIER OBLIGATION AND THE CLIMATE CHANGE LEVY ................................ 14 3.7 THE ENERGY WHITE PAPER ............................................................................................ 14 3.8 RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGETS .................................................................................... 16 3.9 ELECTRICITY PRODUCTION............................................................................................ 16 3.10 REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS ....................................................... 17 3.11 REDUCTION OF TRANSMISSION LOSSES..................................................................... 18 3.12 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................... 19 4 PLANNING THE DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................................20 4.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 20 4.2 STRATEGIC SITE SELECTION ........................................................................................... 20 4.3 DETAILED SITE DESIGN .................................................................................................... 22 4.4 CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................... 27 5 CONSTRUCTION..................................................................................................................................28 5.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 28 5.2 PRE‐CONSTRUCTION ........................................................................................................ 28 5.3 CONSTRUCTION WORKS.................................................................................................. 28 5.4 ACCESS .................................................................................................................................. 29 5.5 ROAD UPGRADES............................................................................................................... 29 5.6 PASSING PLACES AND LAY BYS ..................................................................................... 30 5.7 BRIDGES................................................................................................................................. 30 5.8 SLOPE STABILITY AND ROAD WIDENING................................................................... 31 5.9 CULVERT............................................................................................................................... 32 5.10 INTERNAL ACCESS ROADS.............................................................................................. 33 1 5.11 CRANE HARD STANDINGS.............................................................................................. 35 5.12 WIND TURBINE FOUNDATIONS .................................................................................... 35 5.13 EARTHWORKS..................................................................................................................... 36 5.14 CONSTRUCTION COMPOUNDS...................................................................................... 37 5.15 BORROW PITS....................................................................................................................... 37 5.16 DRAINAGE & DAMS........................................................................................................... 38 5.17 SITE TRAFFIC........................................................................................................................ 39 5.18 WIND TURBINES ................................................................................................................. 40 5.19 SWITCHGEAR BUILDING.................................................................................................. 41 5.20 DISTRIBUTION CABLE....................................................................................................... 42 5.21 ELECTRICAL GRID CONNECTION ................................................................................. 42 5.22 OTHER ANCILLARY WORKS............................................................................................ 43 5.23 POTENTIAL IMPACTS........................................................................................................ 43 5.24 MITIGATION MEASURES.................................................................................................. 46 5.25 RESIDUAL IMPACTS........................................................................................................... 49 5.26 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................... 49 6 DECOMMISSIONING..........................................................................................................................51 6.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 51 6.2 POTENTIAL IMPACTS........................................................................................................ 51 6.3 MITIGATION MEASURES.................................................................................................. 52 6.4 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.................................................................................... 53 7 LAND USE & RECREATIONAL ACCESS........................................................................................54 7.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 54 7.2 LAND USE ............................................................................................................................. 54 7.3 THE IMPACT OF THE WIND FARM ON LAND USE .................................................... 54 7.4 MITIGATION ........................................................................................................................ 54 7.5 RESIDUAL IMPACTS........................................................................................................... 54 7.6 RECREATIONAL ACCESS.................................................................................................. 55 7.7 LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND ......................................................................................... 56 7.8 BASELINE CONDITIONS ................................................................................................... 57 7.9 LAND‐BASED RECREATION ...........................................................................................