Cornwall Council Planning Unit 2A 2B Bess Park Road Carrick House Trenant Industrial Estate Pydar Street Wadebridge Truro Cornwall TR1 1EB PL27 6HB 29/03/2021 Tel: 01208 895576 ext. 400 Our ref: CE3405 – PR3758 To whom it may concern, Request for a formal EIA screening opinion for the erection of a single wind turbine, up to 135m to tip, on Imerys land, Land at East Karslake, Cornwall, PL26 7XS. CleanEarth (CE) are proposing to submit a planning application for a single turbine development on land at East Karslake, Imerys, Cornwall, PL26 7XS. CE seeks to gain a formal screening opinion and formal pre-planning consultee comments for this site. The provisional turbine locations are shown in drawings CE3405-SC-TL-01 and CE3405-SC-SL-01. CE has provided a detailed description of the project and evaluated this against Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) regulations to support our screening request. 1. The Development The proposal is to install a single turbine of maximum tip height 135m, with a 3-bladed rotor design. Due to constant industry developments, the turbine model has yet to be finalised. Supplementary elements include two permanent switchgear housing units (approx. 4m x 4m x 3m), temporary access track, underground cabling, and temporary crane hard standing area (approx. 45m x 65m). CE looks to develop sites that have reduced environmental impacts considering proximity, noise and visual amenity to ‘sensitive receptors’ (residential dwellings), ecological constraints, existing infrastructure, and locally designated areas and features. 1.1 Installation The turbine and other components would be delivered to the site by an articulated lorry. The proposed route follows existing public and private highways and access may need to be established within the land boundary to the turbine base. A temporary crane hard standing area (approx. 45m × 65m) will be required for the tower, nacelle, and blade installation, this typically takes 2-3 days, after which the land will be returned to its original state. 1 1.2 Electrical Connection The transformer and electrical switching system for connecting the wind turbine to the local grid will be contained within two small weatherproof housing units (approx. 4m x 4m x 3m), positioned adjacent to the tower. Local grid connection will be part of a separate application, undertaken by the local network operator (in this case Western Power). Underground cabling will be used where practical. 1.3 Decommissioning The operational lifespan of the turbine is 35 years, after which the turbine will be decommissioned. This site would then be reinstated to its former state or a condition agreed with the Local Planning Authority (LPA). 2. Screening Opinion Wind turbine installations are erected to harness wind power for energy production and are specified in Schedule II of the Town and Country Planning (EIA) Regulations 2017. This correspondence constitutes a formal request for a screening direction under the above regulations. With the above regulations in mind, we have provided an assessment of the project against the criteria stated below. 2.1 Schedule II of the TCP Regulations This regulation identifies the threshold criterion which, if exceeded, requires a formal assessment to be undertaken against Schedule 3 of the TCP Regulations to determine whether an EIA Is required. The applicable threshold criterion is stated in two points within Schedule 2 section 3(i): "(i) the development involves the installation of more than 2 turbines; or "(ii) The hub height of any turbine or height of any structure exceeds 15 meters ... " The proposed wind turbine exceeds the hub height threshold and therefore is a Schedule 2 development that requires a formal assessment against Schedule 3 as to whether an EIA is required. 2.2 Summary of Schedule 3 of the TCP Regulations Assessment Schedule 3 of the TCP Regulations set out the selection criteria for screening a Schedule 2 development. This determines whether the project is likely to have significant effects on the environment, assessing factors such as nature, size and location of the turbine. Our assessment is shown in Table 1 and summarised below. 2 • The turbine is not proposed in a sensitive or vulnerable location and the turbine footprint is proposed in an industrial setting, close to the Longstones operational clay mining pit. The location is within the landscape character type (LCA) CA17 St Austell or Hensbarrow China Clay Area, which has been highlighted to have no greater sensitivity to one turbine size more than the other, providing the wind development does not comprise of multiple turbines. There are no designated scenic areas within the LCA, as it is dominated by china clay workings which create an ever- changing and man-made landscape. In addition, the most recent Cornwall Council draft development plan maps deem this area (RLU 13) to have moderate to high sensitivity towards band D turbine developments. Clean Earth propose to develop a single large-scale turbine and as such would not lead to significant landscape or visual impacts on this LCA. • The closest Special Area of Conservation (SAC) to the proposed turbine location is the Breney Common and Goss and Tregoss Moors located 3.72km northwest at its closest point. This area was designated for its various habitats including wet heaths, dry heaths, acid grassland, bog, swamp, fen, and open water communities. The River Camel SAC is located 6.52km north at its closest point to the proposed turbine location and is designated for the various habitats it encompasses including the tidal rivers, estuaries, and mudflats. The proposed turbine is separated from these designations by an industrial landscape, china clay mining activity and two operational wind developments, therefore no additional significant impact on these designations are expected. There are no other Special Areas of Conservation within 10km of the proposed development. • The closest SSSI is Wheal Martyn SSSI, located 1.57km to the east of the proposed location which is designated for its significance in providing evidence that the original intrusion, a biotite granite of variable grain size which has been altered by two metasomatic events. The next closest SSSI is St Mewan Beacon, located 1.85km south of the proposed location, designated for its documentation of an important evolutionary stage between late-stage granite processes and later mineralising events in south-west England. Trelavour Downs SSSI, located 3.36km northwest of the proposed site is designated for being the best-known locality for biotite mica in Britain. St Austell Claypit SSSIs are located 3.36km north, 3.6km east, and 4.16km to the west of the proposed site. These sites are designated for their habitat that supports important populations of the internationally rare liverwort western rustwort Marsupella profunda. The next closest SSSI is the Mid Cornwall Moors SSSI which is located 3.7km north of the site at its closest point to the proposed site which is designated for its diverse mosaic of semi-natural habitats, including heaths, fens, grasslands, woodlands, ponds, and waterways. Tregargus Quarry SSSI, located 3.85km west of the proposed site, is designated for its excellent exposure of two late-magmatic varieties of the varied St. Austell granite mass (of Permo- Carboniferous age). Roche Rock SSSI is located 4.2km north of the proposed site and is designated for its archaeological importance and for providing the finest example of quartz-tourmaline rock in Britain. Carn Grey Rock and Quarry is located 4.65km east of the location and is designated for its relative contributions of magmatic and metasomatic processes in the evolution of the St Austell mass as a whole. Due to the 3 nature of these SSSI designations and because of no infrastructure or access proposed within these sites, no significant impacts are expected. • The proposed turbine locations are not within an area of Grade 1 or 2 peat. • Par Beach and St Andrews Road designated as a Local Nature Reserve is located 9.4km southeast of the proposed site. The area is of botanical and ornithological interest and comprises a body of open water which holds value to local anglers, wildlife, swamp, and grassland areas. Bodmin Beacon, located 13.11km northeast of the proposed site is known for housing young and semi young woodland, semi-natural acid grassland and relict headland. There is no expected impact from the proposed turbine on these designated areas due to the large distances and the presence of multiple developments and industrial activity between the locations. There are no other Local Nature Reserves within 12km of the proposed turbine location. • The closest National Nature Reserve is Goss Moor is located 4.13km northwest of the proposed site, consisting mainly of peatland and lowland heath. Together with the neighbouring moor to the east, it forms the Goss And Tregoss Moors Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as well as the Breney Common and Goss and Tregoss Moors Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Due to the distance between the proposed location of the turbine and the designation, and no access being proposed through the SAC, no impacts to be observed. • There are no Biosphere Reserves within 12km of the proposed turbine location. Beyond these distances, no impacts on these designations are expected. • There are no AONBs seen within a 5km radius from the proposed site of the turbine. • There are no Listed Buildings in the immediate area of the turbine site. The closest is the Grade II*, Menacuddle Baptistery Church located 3.38km to the southeast of the proposed site. The Church of St John (Methodist) which is a Grade II* building is located 3.8km southeast of the proposed site. The Grade II* listed Market House and the Old Manor House are located 4.03km and 4.04km southeast of the proposed site, respectively.