Proposed Turbines PLANNING STATEMENT For three wind turbines, up to 149.9m, on land at Rigmuir, Auchentibber, South Lanarkshire, G75 OQZ April 2021 CleanEarth Unit 2a Bess Park Road Trenant Industrial Estate Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27 6HB www.cleanearthenergy.com Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 8 1.1 Application Details..................................................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Site Location ............................................................................................................................................... 9 2. The Proposed Development ..................................................................................................... 11 2.1 The Proposal ............................................................................................................................................. 11 2.1.1 Planning History ..................................................................................... 11 2.2 Site Background........................................................................................................................................ 12 2.3 Outlined Construction Process .............................................................................................................. 13 3. EIA Screening and Scoping ........................................................................................................ 15 4. Energy & Planning Policy Appraisal ....................................................................................... 16 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 16 4.2 Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 .................................................................................................... 17 4.3 Climate Change Plan 2018 ...................................................................................................................... 18 4.4 Scottish Energy Strategy 2017 ............................................................................................................... 19 4.5 2020 Route map for Renewable Energy – 2015 Update ..................................................................... 21 4.6 Onshore Wind Policy Statement 2017 .................................................................................................. 22 4.7 The First Minister’s Speech at the UN Climate Change Conference 2017 ..................................... 23 4.9 Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 2014 ...................................................................................................... 24 4.10 Regional Planning Policy and Guidance .................................................................................................. 24 4.11 South Lanarkshire Council, Landscape Character Assessment, November 2010. ......................... 25 4.12 South Lanarkshire Landscape Capacity Study, 2016. ........................................................................... 25 4.13 South Lanarkshire Council, Tall wind Turbines: Landscape Capacity, Siting and Design Guidance: Addendum to Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Energy, 2016 (2019). ............................... 26 4.14 South Lanarkshire Local Development (LDP) Plan 2- Supporting Planning Guidance 2019 ........ 27 4.15 Renewable Energy in the Context of the Application ....................................................................... 28 4.16 Energy Balance ......................................................................................................................................... 28 5.0 Landscape and Visual Impact ................................................................................................... 29 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... 29 5.2 Assessment Methods ..................................................................................................................................... 30 5.2.1 Study Area ............................................................................................ 31 5.2.2 Desk Study ............................................................................................ 32 5.2.3 Field Survey .......................................................................................... 32 5.3 Baseline Study ............................................................................................................................................... 33 5.3.1 Landscape and Visual Baseline Overview ............................................................ 34 5.3.2 Landscape Character ................................................................................ 35 5.3.3 Landscape Desigantions ............................................................................ 36 5.3.4 Visual Baseline Overview ........................................................................... 37 5.3.5 Overview of Principal Visual Receptors .......................................................... 39 5.3.6 Wind Energy Development Baseline .............................................................. 42 5.4 Identification of Potential Effects ............................................................................................................. 45 5.4.1 Potential Effects ........................................................................................ 45 5.5 Design Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 46 5.5.1 Mitigation ................................................................................................. 46 5.5.2 Landscape and Visual Design Strategy ............................................................... 46 5.6 Assessment of Physical Landscape Effects ............................................................................................... 48 5.6.1 Identification of Physical Landscape Features ...................................................... 48 5.6.2 Course Grassland ........................................................................................ 49 5.7 Assessment of Effects on Landscape Character....................................................................................... 50 5.7.1 Preliminary Assessment ................................................................................ 50 5.7.2 Preliminary LCTs Assessment .......................................................................... 51 5.7.3 Preliminary Landscape Designations Assessment ................................................... 51 5.7.4 Summary of Preliminary Character Assessment..................................................... 51 5.7.5 Detailed Assessment .................................................................................... 51 5.8 Assessment of Effects on Views .................................................................................................................. 66 5.8.1 Preliminary Assessment ................................................................................ 66 5.8.2 Preliminary Principal Settlements Assessment ...................................................... 67 5.8.3 Preliminary Principal Residential Properties Assessment ......................................... 67 5.8.4 Preliminary Principal Transportation Route Assessment .......................................... 67 5.8.5 Preliminary Principal Recreational Routes Assessment ............................................ 67 5.8.6 Preliminary Principal Recreational Destinations and Visitor Attractions Assessment ......... 68 5.8.7 Detailed Assessment .................................................................................... 68 5.9 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................................... 90 6. Ecology ......................................................................................................................................... 0 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 0 6.1.1 Background ............................................................................................ 0 6.1.2 Site Description ....................................................................................... 0 6.2 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................................... 1 6.2.1 Desk Study ................................................................................................. 1 6.2.2 Field Survey ............................................................................................... 2 6.3 Baseline Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 4 6.3.1 Desktop Results ....................................................................................... 4 6.3.2 Field Survey Results .................................................................................. 7 6.3.3 Groundwater Dependent