strategic environmental assessment Environmental Report WEST LOTHIAN COUNCIL(Draft) interimdelivers supplementary guidance wind energy development April 2015 westlothian.gov.uk Strategic Environmental Assessment: Environmental Report (Draft) interim supplementary guidance: wind energy development 1 SEA ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT – COVER NOTE PART 1 To: [email protected] SEA Gateway Scottish Executive Area 1 H (Bridge) Victoria Quay Edinburgh EH6 6QQ PART 2 An Environmental Report is attached for: (Draft) interim supplementary guidance: wind energy development The responsible authority is: West Lothian Council PART 3 Contact name Sarah Collings Job title Planning Officer Contact address Development Planning West Lothian Council Civic Centre Livingston West Lothian EH54 6FF Contact tel no 01506 280000 Contact email [email protected] PART 4 Signature (electronic S. d’A. Collings signature is acceptable) Date April 2015 2 Strategic Environmental Assessment: Environmental Report (Draft) interim supplementary guidance: wind energy development Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT (Draft) interim supplementary guidance: wind energy development CONTENTS List of abbreviations 4 Non-technical summary 6 INTRODUCTION 9 1.1 Purpose of the Environmental Report 9 1.2 Key facts about the Plan, Programme or Strategy /Supplementary Guidance 10 1.3 SEA activities to date 12 PLANNING CONTEXT OF PROPOSED POLICY 14 2.1 Objectives and outline of the Draft supplementary guidance: wind energy 14 2.2 Regional and local policy context 16 2.3 SEA relationship with Draft supplementary guidance: wind energy 18 2.4 Relationship with other plans, programmes and strategies 25 ENVIRONMENTAL CONTEXT 28 3.1 Scoping of SEA issues 28 3.2 Environmental baseline data (relevant aspects of the current state of the environment) 28 Biodiversity 29 Population and human health 39 Soils and geology 41 Water 43 Air quality 46 Climatic factors 47 Material assets (waste, energy, transport, agriculture, forestry, recreation, property etc.) 47 Cultural heritage (including architectural and archaelogical heritage) 50 Landscape 51 3.3 Environmental findings and issues 54 3.4 Environmental objectives of SEA 60 3.5 Likely evolution of the environment without Draft supplementary guidance: wind energy 62 REVIEW OF ASSESSMENT OF POLICY APPROACHES TO PPS / SG 63 4.1 Assessment method 63 4.2 Alternative policy approaches considered to which SEA applied 63 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS FOR PROPOSED POLICY 65 5.1 Actions arising from assessment findings and Environmental Report 65 5.2 Proposed mitigation: prevention, reduction and offsetting of significant adverse effects 65 5.3 Conclusions – environmental implications for SG 67 NEXT STEPS 67 6.1 Proposed next steps 67 6.2 Anticipated milestones 68 6.3 Monitoring 68 Strategic Environmental Assessment: Environmental Report (Draft) interim supplementary guidance: wind energy development 3 ANNEXES 69 Annex A West Lothian Wind Turbine Database, WLC Planning 69 Annex B Summary of statutory consultees responses to Scoping Report 71 Annex C Natural environment designations: detailed lists and indicative plan 73 Annex D Heritage designations s: detailed lists and indicative plan 77 Annex E Industrial estates 80 Annex F Edinburgh Airport: Airspace Diagram & NATS self assessment maps information 82 Annex G West Lothian Landscape Character Assessment (2011 update): list and map 82 Annex H Map of West Lothian River Basins (SEPA extract) 84 Annex I Route of Ethylene Pipeline 85 Annex J Ancient Woodlands/ Tree Preservation Orders (West Lothian GGP extract) 86 Annex K Phase 1 Habitat Survey 1993: Mire and Bog (West Lothian GGP extract) 87 Annex L Wildlife Sites – Lothian Wildlife 2008 (West Lothian GGP extract) 88 Annex M Recreation: Draft Core Paths/ Rights of Way/ Regional and Country Parks (West Lothian GGP extract) 89 List of abbreviations AGLV Area of Great Landscape Value CA Conservation Area CAs Consultation Authorities (SNH, HS, SEPA) CDA Core Development Area CEC City of Edinburgh Council CO2 Carbon dioxide CPP Core Paths Plan E&LSP Edinburgh and the Lothians Structure Plan 2015 EPS European Protected Species ER Environmental Report (i.e. this document) FC Falkirk Council GHG Greenhouse gases GIS Geographic Information System – digital mapping system HGDL Historic Gardens and Designed Landscapes HS Historic Scotland LB Listed Building LBAP Local Biodiversity Action Plan LCS Landscape Capacity Study into Wind Energy in West Lothian (David Tyldesley Associates, 2011) LDP Local Development Plan LLDR (West Lothian) Local Landscape Designation Review (2013) LNR Local Nature Reserve MW Megawatt NCN National Cycle Network NLC North Lanarkshire Council NMRS National Monuments Record for Scotland NNR National Nature Reserve 4 Strategic Environmental Assessment: Environmental Report (Draft) interim supplementary guidance: wind energy development NOx Nitrates, nitrites etc. implicated in water pollution and acid rain respectively NPF National Planning Framework PAN Planning Advice Note PHRP Pentland Hills Regional Park PPS Plan, Programme or Strategy (the categories of public policy making that may require SEA) RA Responsible Authority (WLC) Ramsar Wetland site of international importance especially for waterfowl derived from international Ramsar Convention RIGS Regionally Important Geological Sites SAC Special Area of Conservation (European directive for habitat protection) SAM Scheduled Ancient Monument SDP Strategic Development Plan 2013 SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment SEPA Scottish Environmental Protection Agency SESplan The Strategic Development Planning Authority for Edinburgh and South East Scotland SLA Special Landscape Area SLC South Lanarkshire Council SMR Sites and Monuments Register SNH Scottish Natural Heritage SOx sulphate, sulphur dioxide etc. implicated in water pollution and acid rain respectively SPA Special Protection Area (European directive for species protection: birds) SG Supplementary Guidance SPP Scottish Planning Policy 2014 SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest TPO Tree Preservation Order TWIC The Wildlife Information Centre (Lothians) WLC West Lothian Council WLLDP West Lothian Local Development Plan WLLP West Lothian Local Plan 2009 Strategic Environmental Assessment: Environmental Report (Draft) interim supplementary guidance: wind energy development 5 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY INTRODUCTION It was determined at Scoping Report stage that the proposed supplementary guidance on wind energy falls under Section 5(3) of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and requires full Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in the form of an Environmental Report. The purpose of this Environmental Report is to appraise the environmental effects of the council’s proposed extension and update of planning guidance on wind energy developments above and beyond current policy in the local plan. The policy change has been prompted by pressure for wind farm developments in the plan area, higher government targets and new national guidance for renewables, specifically wind energy. The basic objective of Draft supplementary guidance: wind energy is to strategically address the development of and constraints on wind energy development which could be accommodated without unacceptable environmental impacts and without compromising the landscape character and visual quality of the West Lothian Council area. A range of other pertinent factors will also be considered, including environmental impacts. This should result in greater clarity in the determination of planning applications for wind energy development subject to meeting policy and guidance requirements. The standard SEA methodology for Environmental Reports as outlined in the SEA Gateway Toolkit was followed. CONTEXT OF PROPOSED POLICY The established planning framework includes the Scottish Government’s planning and environmental objectives as set out in legislation and in Scottish Planning Policy and other relevant Scottish Government planning policy publications. The current development plan – Strategic Development Plan (2013) and the West Lothian Local Plan 2009 – will be superseded by the Strategic Development Plan and the West Lothian Local Development Plan in due course. The proposed SG will be incorporated into the council’s Local Development Plan. The parameters for Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Draft SG on wind energy have been established through a scoping exercise. Comments from the Consultation Authorities on the Scoping Report are summarised in Annex B of the Environmental Report. It is considered that most of the environmental topics listed in the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005, Schedule 3, have the potential to be impacted upon by the outcomes of the proposed policy document. ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS & PROPOSED MITIGATION This Report emphasises the generally high and improving environmental quality of the West Lothian area. Significant features of the natural and cultural environment are summarised in this report, and designated features mapped. There is also generally high quality in terms of healthy living and working environments. Some key features and trends for West Lothian that may impinge on the proposed guidance are outlined. These include aviation and MOD requirements, the urbanised nature of much of the area, and the mining / extractive industries legacy. 6 Strategic Environmental Assessment: Environmental Report (Draft) interim supplementary guidance: wind energy development