REPORT Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme: Environmental Statement Chapter 22 Seascape, Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment Client: North Ayrshire Council Reference: PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z-0022 Status: Final/P01.01 Date: 31 January 2020 Project related HASKONINGDHV UK LTD. 74/2 Commercial Quay Commercial Street Leith Edinburgh EH6 6LX Industry & Buildings VAT registration number: 792428892 +44 131 5550506 T [email protected] E royalhaskoningdhv.com W Document title: Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme: Environmental Statement Document short title: Reference: PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z-0022 Status: P01.01/Final Date: 31 January 2020 Project name: Millport Coastal Flood Protection Scheme Project number: PB4749 Author(s): David Stokoe Drafted by: David Stokoe Checked by: Amy Savage Date / initials: 23/01/2020 Approved by: Amy Savage Date / initials: 23/01/2020 Classification Project related Disclaimer No part of these specifications/printed matter may be reproduced and/or published by print, photocopy, microfilm or by any other means, without the prior written permission of HaskoningDHV UK Ltd.; nor may they be used, without such permiss ion, for any purposes other than that for which they were produced. HaskoningDHV UK Ltd. accepts no responsibility or liability for these specifications/printed matter to any party other than the persons by whom it was commissioned and as concluded under that Appointment. The integrated QHSE management system of HaskoningDHV UK Ltd. has been certified in accordance with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018. 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- i 0022 Project related Table of Contents 22 Seascape, Landscape and Visual Impact 1 22.1 Introduction 1 22.2 Policy, Legislation and Guidance 1 22.3 Consultation 8 22.4 Methodology 11 22.5 Existing Environment 21 22.6 Impact Assessment 28 22.7 Summary of Effects 54 22.8 Conclusions 57 22.9 References 58 Table of Tables Table 22-1 Summary of key international legislation and policy relevant to this proposed scheme 2 Table 22-2 Summary of key national legislation and policy relevant to this proposed scheme 2 Table 22-3 Relevant local planning policies 5 Table 22-4 Consultation responses 8 Table 22-5 Landscape / Seascape Sensitivity and Magnitude 13 Table 22-6 Visual Receptor Sensitivity and Magnitude 17 Table 22-7 Evaluation of Landscape and Visual Effects 18 Table 22-8 Viewpoint Locations 19 Table 22-9 Key Seascape / Landscape and Visual Characteristics 25 Table 22-10 Consideration of Design Opportunities 28 Table 22-11 Construction Effects (Landscape) of the Proposed Onshore Flood Protection Works 31 Table 22-12 Consideration of proposed scheme against key characteristics of the Millport CCA. 36 Table 22-13 Construction Effects (Visual) of the Proposed scheme 38 Table 22-14 Viewpoint Analysis – Millburn Street 39 Table 22-15 Viewpoint Analysis – Crichton Street 40 Table 22-16 Viewpoint Analysis – Clyde Street 41 Table 22-17 Viewpoint Analysis – Millport Pier 42 Table 22-18 Viewpoint Analysis – Stuart Street 43 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- ii 0022 Project related Table 22-19 Viewpoint Analysis – Guildford Street 44 Table 22-20 Viewpoint Analysis – Glasgow Street 45 Table 22-21 Viewpoint Analysis – Kelburn Street 46 Table 22-22 Viewpoint Analysis – Farland Hill 47 Table 22-23 Visual Effects on Views from Recreational Routes 50 Table 22-24 Visual Effects on Recreational and Tourist Destinations 52 Table 22-25 Visual Effects on Views from Ferry / Sailing Routes 53 Table 22-26 Summary of seascape, landscape and visual effects 54 Table of Figures Figure 22-1 Seascape, Landscape and Visual Study Area (2km) Figure 22-2 Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) to 2km with Viewpoints Figure 22-3 Landscape and Seascape Character (2km) Figure 22-4 Landscape Planning Designations (2km) Figure 22-5 Recreational Routes and Key Tourist Destinations (2km) Figure 22-6 Viewpoint 1 Milburn Street Figure 22-7 Viewpoint 2 Chricton Street Figure 22-8 Viewpoint 3 Clyde Street Figure 22-9 Viewpoint 4 Millport Pier Figure 22-10 Viewpoint 5 Stuart Street Figure 22-11 Viewpoint 6 Guildford Street Figure 22-12 Viewpoint 7 Glasgow Street Figure 22-13 Viewpoint 8 Kelburn Street Figure 22-14 Viewpoint 9 Farland Hill Appendices Appendix 22.1 Landscape Design and Access Statement. 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- iii 0022 Project related Acronyms Acronym Acronym description AOD Above Ordnance Datum AoV Angle of View CLVIA Cumulative Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment FoV Field of View NSA National Scenic Area SNH Scottish Natural Heritage ZTV Zone of Theoretical Visibility 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z- iv 0022 Project related Glossary Glossary Term Glossary Text Cumulative effects Additional changes caused by a proposed development in conjunction with other similar developments or as a combined effect of a set of developments, taken together’ (SNH, 2012) Development* Any proposal that results in change to the landscape and/or visual environment. Degree of change A combination of the scale, extent and duration of an effect also defined as ‘magnitude’. Designated Areas of landscape identified as being of importance at international, national or Landscape* local levels, either defined by statue or identified in development plans or other documents. Elements* Individual parts which make up the landscape, such as, for example, trees, hedges and buildings. Enhancement* Proposals that seek to improve the landscape resource of the site and its wider setting beyond its baseline condition. Environmental fit The relationship of a development to identified environmental opportunities and constraints in its setting. Environmental A statutory process by which certain planned projects must be assessed before a Impact Assessment formal decision to proceed can be made. It involves the collection and (EIA) consideration of environmental information, which fulfils the assessment requirements of the EIA Directive and EIA Regulations, including the publication of an Environmental Statement. Environmental A document reporting the findings of the EIA and produced in accordance with the Statement (ES) EIA Directive as transposed into UK law by the EIA Regulations. Feature* Particularly prominent or eye-catching elements in the landscape such as tree clumps, church towers or wooded skylines OR a particular aspect of the project proposal. Field of View The horizontal angle of the view illustrated in a visualisation. 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z-0022 v Project related Geographical A system that captures, stores, analyses, manages and presents data linked to Information System location. It links spatial information to a digital database. (GIS) GLVIA 3 Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment, Third Edition, published jointly by the Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, 2013. Heritage The historic environment and especially valued assets and qualities such as historic buildings and cultural traditions. Historic Landscape Historic characterisation is the identification and interpretation of the historic Characterisation dimension of the present-day landscape or townscape within a given area. HLC (HLC) and Historic is the term used in England and Wales, HLA is the term used in Scotland. Land-use Assessment (HLA) Indirect effects* Effects that result indirectly from the proposed project as a consequence of the direct effects, often occurring away from the site, or as a result of a sequence of interrelationships or a complex pathway. They may be separated by distance or in time from the source of the effects. Also used to describe indirect landscape effects concerning perceptual characteristics and qualities of the landscape and indirect visual effects in relation to issues such as ‘setting’. Iterative design The process by which project design is amended and improved by successive process stages of refinement which respond to growing understanding of environmental issues. Key characteristics Those combinations of elements which are particularly important to the current character of the landscape and help to give an area its particularly distinctive sense of place. Land cover The surface cover of the land, usually expressed in terms of vegetation cover or lack of it. Related to but not the same as land use. Landscape and A tool used to identify and assess the likely significance of the effects of change Visual Impact resulting from development both on the landscape as an environmental resource in its own right and on people’s views and visual amenity. Assessment (LVIA) Landscape Character These are single unique areas which are the discrete geographical areas of a Area (LCA)* particular landscape type. 31 January 2020 PB4749-RHD-ZZ-XX-RP-Z-0022 vi Project related Landscape Character The process of identifying and describing variation in the character of the Assessment landscape, and using this information to assist in managing change in the landscape. It seeks to identify and explain the unique combination of elements and features that make landscapes distinctive. The process results in the production of a Landscape Character Assessment. Landscape Character These are distinct types of landscapes that are usually homogenous in character. Types (LCTs)* They are generic in nature in that they may occur in different areas in different parts of the country, but wherever they occur they share broadly similar combin ations of geology, topography, drainage patterns, vegetation and historical land use and settlement pattern, and perceptual and aesthetic attributes. (Topic Paper 6, Countryside Agency and SNH 2004) Landscape capacity The ability of a landscape to accommodate different amounts of change or development of a specific type. Capacity reflects the landscape's sensitivity to the type of change, and the value attached to the landscape, and is therefore dependent on judgements about the desirability of retaining landscape characteristics and the acceptability of their loss. (http://www.snh.gov.uk/protecting-scotlands-nature/looking-after- landscapes/landscape-resource-library/glossary-of-terms/ ).