Proposed Turbine ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Application to increase tip height of consented wind turbine on land at West Dykes, Muirkirk Road, Strathaven, ML10 6RF up to 150m December 2019 CleanEarth Unit 2a Bess Park Road Trenant Industrial Estate Wadebridge, Cornwall PL27 6HB www.cleanearthenergy.com Environmental Statement: West Dykes Wind Turbine Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................ 7 1.1 Application Details .......................................................................... 7 1.2 Site Location ................................................................................. 9 2. The Proposed Development .................................................................... 10 2.1 The Proposal................................................................................. 10 2.2 Site Background ............................................................................. 10 2.3 Outlined Construction Process ............................................................ 12 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 New Climate Change Bill .................................................................. 19 4.5 Scottish Energy Strategy 2017 ............................................................ 19 4.6 The Government’s Programme for Scotland 2019-2020 ............................... 21 4.7 10 Energy Pledges 2009 .................................................................... 22 4.8 2020 Route map for Renewable Energy – 2015 Update ................................ 22 4.9 Onshore Wind Policy Statement 2017 .................................................... 23 4.10 The First Minister’s Speech at the UN Climate Change Conference 2017 .......... 23 4.11 National Planning Framework for Scotland (NPF3) 2014 .............................. 24 4.12 Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) 2014 ...................................................... 24 4.13 Regional Planning Policy and Guidance ................................................. 25 4.14 South Lanarkshire Council, Landscape Character Assessment, November 2010. .. 26 4.15 South Lanarkshire Landscape Capacity Study, 2016. .................................... 26 4.16 South Lanarkshire Council, Tall wind Turbines: Landscape Capacity, Siting and Design Guidance: Addendum to Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Energy, 2016 (2019). ...... 27 4.17 South Lanarkshire Local Development (LDP) Plan 2- Supporting Planning Guidance 2019 28 4.18 Renewable Energy in the Context of the Application ................................. 30 4.19 Energy Balance .............................................................................. 30 5.0 Landscape and Visual Impact ................................................................... 31 5.1 Introduction ..................................................................................... 31 5.2 Methodology .................................................................................... 31 5.2.1 Landscape Sensitivity to Change .................................................... 33 5.2.2 Magnitude of Change ................................................................. 34 5.2.3 Degree of Significance Assessment ................................................. 34 5.2.4 Visual Assessment Methodology ..................................................... 35 [1] Environmental Statement: West Dykes Wind Turbine 5.2.5 Baseline Assessment .................................................................. 36 5.2.6 Identification of Visual Receptors .................................................. 37 5.2.7 Appreciation of Existing Views ...................................................... 37 5.2.8 Receptor Sensitivity ................................................................... 37 5.2.9 Magnitude of Change ................................................................. 38 5.2.10 Assessment of Effects .............................................................. 39 5.2.11 Visual Baseline Conditions ......................................................... 40 5.2.12 Cumulative Landscape and Visual Assessment Methodology ................. 41 5.2.13 Cumulative Visual Assessment ....................................................... 41 5.2.14 The Cumulative Visual Baseline ..................................................... 42 5.2.15 Cumulative Magnitude of Change ................................................... 42 5.2.16 Cumulative Visual Effects ............................................................ 42 5.2.17 Cumulative Effects – Capacity (South Lanarkshire) Methodology .............. 43 5.2.18 Landscape Character of the Site .................................................... 43 5.2.19 Landscape Character Type ........................................................... 44 5.2.20 Landscape Designations .............................................................. 46 5.2.22 Visual Amenity Baseline Conditions................................................. 47 5.2.23 Recreational Visual Receptors ....................................................... 48 5.2.24 Resident Visual Receptors............................................................ 48 5.2.25 Road User Visual Receptors .......................................................... 48 5.2.26 Cumulative Baseline .................................................................. 48 5.3 Assessment of Landscape and Visual Impact ............................................... 50 5.3.1 The Effect on the Landscape During Construction ............................... 50 5.3.2 The Effect on the Landscape Character of the Site .............................. 51 5.3.3 The Effect on the Landscape Character Type ..................................... 51 5.3.4 The Effect on Landscape Designations ............................................. 52 5.3.5 Landscape Character Assessment Summary ....................................... 52 5.3.6 Assessment of Effects on Visual Amenity .......................................... 53 5.3.7 Assessment of Effects ................................................................. 54 5.3.8 Recreational Visual Receptors ....................................................... 60 5.3.9 Residents Visual Receptors .......................................................... 60 5.3.10 Road User Visual Receptors .......................................................... 61 5.4 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 61 6. Ecology ............................................................................................ 63 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................. 63 6.1.1 Background ............................................................................. 63 6.1.2 Site Description ........................................................................ 63 6.2 Methodology .................................................................................... 63 [2] Environmental Statement: West Dykes Wind Turbine 6.3.1 Desk Study .............................................................................. 63 6.3.2 Field Survey ............................................................................ 63 6.3 Results ........................................................................................... 65 6.3.1 Desktop Results ........................................................................ 65 6.3.2 Habitat Survey ......................................................................... 66 6.3.3 Groundwater Dependant Terrestrial Ecosystems ................................. 67 6.3.4 Protected Species ..................................................................... 68 6.4 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 69 7. Archaeological and Historic Environment .................................................... 71 7.1 Introduction ................................................................................. 71 7.2 HVIA Methodology .............................................................................. 71 7.2.1 Policy and Data Sources Used ........................................................... 71 7.2.2 Methodology for Assessing Impacts ..................................................... 74 7.3 Summary ..................................................................................... 80 7.4 HVIA Conclusion ............................................................................. 81 8. Noise ................................................................................................. 82 8.1 Introduction ..................................................................................... 82 8.2 Summary ........................................................................................ 82 8.2 Conclusions...................................................................................... 86 9. Hydrology and Geology .......................................................................... 87 9.1 Introduction