Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Volume 1- Environmental Statement Submitted on behalf of RWE NPower Renewables Limited to Burnley Borough Council December 2009 Prepared by: ................. Checked by: .................................. Mark Herod Paul McQuillan Senior Environmental Scientist Principal Environmental Scientist Approved by: James Smith Regional Director Rev No Comments Checked by Approved Date by 0 Draft for Internal Review MH PM 07/12/2009 1 Draft for Client Review MH JS 11/12/2009 2 Final for Issue MH JS 16/12/2009 First Floor, One Trinity Gardens, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2HF Telephone: 0191 224 6500 Website: http://www.aecom.com Job No 60050933 Date Created December 2009 This document is confidential and the copyright of AECOM Limited. Any unauthorised reproduction or usage by any person other than the addressee is strictly prohibited. f:\environmental group management\marketing\hameldon extension\environmental statement\06_final for fomatting\environmental statement.doc Table of Contents List of Tables ................................................................................................................................................................................... i List of Figures ................................................................................................................................................................................. ii List of Appendices ......................................................................................................................................................................... iii 1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................................... 1 2 Environmental Impact Assessment ................................................................................................................................. 8 3 Description of the Proposed Development ................................................................................................................... 11 4 Landscape and Visual Summary Chapter ..................................................................................................................... 22 5 Noise ................................................................................................................................................................................ 24 6 Ecology and Nature Conservation ................................................................................................................................. 35 7 Ornithology ...................................................................................................................................................................... 62 8 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................................... 88 9 Traffic and Transport .................................................................................................................................................... 105 10 Existing Infrastructure, Telecommunications, Television Broadcasting, Aviation and Military Interests ............ 111 11 Shadow Flicker .............................................................................................................................................................. 114 AECOM Volume 1- Environmental Statement i List of Tables Table 3.2 Location of Key Wind Farm Infrastructure Table 3.3 Indicative Construction Programme Table 5.1 Background Noise Levels (LA90) and Existing Noise Limits Table 5.2 Turbine Noise Levels Table 5.3 A-Weighted Octave Band Spectra Table 6.1 Key Legislation Table 6.2 Species Legislation Table 6.3 Value of Features On Site for Bats Table 6.4 Summary of Vantage Points and Habitat Types Table 6.5 Survey Details Table 6.6 Determining Nature Conservation Value (Adapted from Hill et al., 2005). Table 6.7 Determining Magnitude of the Potential Impact Table 6.8 Ecological Impact Significance Table 6.9 Biological Heritage Site Data (Received from LCC) Table 6.10 Bat Records from Data Search Table 6.11 Summary of Bat Activity Survey Results Table 6.12 Collision Risk of Bat Species Recorded at Hameldon Hill Based upon Natural England 2009 Table 6.13 Impact Assessments for Habitats Table 6.14 Impact Assessments for Fauna Table 6.15 Wind farms Located Within 35km of Hameldon Wind Farm Development Table 7.1 Determining Nature Conservation Value Table 7.2 Determining Magnitude of the Potential Impact Table 7.3 Ecological Impact Significance Table 7.4 Wintering Bird Survey Dates and Weather Conditions. Table 7.5 Breeding Bird Survey Dates and Weather Conditions Table 7.6 Estimated Collision Mortality of Peregrine at Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Table 7.7 Impact Assessments, Mitigation and Residual Impacts Table 8.1 Determining Cultural Heritage Value Table 8.2 Determining Magnitude of Impact Table 8.3 Significance of Impact Table 8.4 Magnitude of Impact on Setting of Cultural Heritage Features Table 8.5 Setting of Cultural Heritage Sites Table 8.6 Archaeological Potential Table 8.7 Value of Cultural Heritage Sites Table 8.8 Impacts on the Setting of Cultural Heritage Sites Table 8.9 Residual Impacts on Cultural Heritage Features Table 9.1 Estimated traffic Generation During Construction Table 9.2 IEA Environmental Effect Table 10.1 Summary of Consultation Responses Table 11.1 Shadow Flicker Assessment Locations Table 11.2 Shadow Flicker Occurrence Table 11.3 Shadow Flicker cumulative Occurrence AECOM Volume 1- Environmental Statement ii List of Figures Figure 1.1 Site Location Plan Figure 1.2 Site Boundaries Figure 3.1 Proposed Site Layout Plan Figure 3.2 Layout 1 - Initial Layout Figure 3.3 Layout 2 - Design Review 1 Figure 3.4 Layout 3 - Design Review 2 Figure 3.5 Layout 4 - Design Review 3 Figure 3.6 Final Layout - Constraints Plan Figure 3.7 Typical Wind Turbine Figure 3.8 Typical Track Cross Section Figure 3.9 Typical Crane Hardstanding Figure 3.10 Typical Cable Trench Figure 5.1 Noise Monitoring / Assessment Locations Figure 5.2a Noise Assessment - Daytime Figure 5.2b Noise Assessment - Daytime Figure 5.2c Noise Assessment - Daytime Figure 5.2d Noise Assessment - Daytime Figure 5.3a Noise Assessment - Night-time Figure 5.3b Noise Assessment - Night-time Figure 5.3c Noise Assessment - Night-time Figure 5.3d Noise Assessment - Night-time Figure 6.1 Phase 1 Habitat Map Figure 6.2 Bat Transect Route Figure 6.3 Vantage Point Locations Figure 6.4 Anabat Location Map Figure 6.5a Bat Transect Survey Figure 6.5b Bat Transect Survey Figure 6.5c Bat Transect Survey Figure 6.5d Bat Transect Survey Figure 7.1 Key Habitat Areas for Wintering Birds Figure 7.2 Breeding Bird Territories Figure 7.3 Peregrine Flightlines Figure 8.1 Known Archaeology Figure 8.2 Features Identified from Aerial Photographs Figure 9.1 Proposed Access Route Plan Figure 10.1 Radiocommunication and Infrastructure Plan Figure 11.1 Occurrence of Shadow Flicker Figure 11.2 Cumulative Occurrence of Shadow Flicker AECOM Volume 1- Environmental Statement iii List of Appendices Appendix 3.1 Example Construction Management Plan Appendix 3.2 Typical Sub Station Details Appendix 5.1 Noise Limits - Application APP/2004/1353 (2005) Appendix 5.2 Copies of Noise Test Data Sheets Appendix 6.1 Habitat Survey Target Notes and Botanic Species List Appendix 6.2 Site Citation and Boundary Appendix 6.3 Raw Survey Data Appendix 7.1 BTO Species Codes and Behaviours Notation Appendix 7.2 Hand Drawn Wintering Bird Maps Appendix 7.3 Hand Drawn Breeding Bird Maps Appendix 7.4 Vantage Point Survey Methodology Appendix 7.5 Description of Collision Risk Model Appendix 7.6 Species Records Appendix 7.7 Data Search Appendix 7.8 Wintering Bird Survey Results Appendix 7.9 Nature Conservation Evaluation Appendix 8.1 Significance Criteria Appendix 8.2 Site Descriptions AECOM Volume 1- Environmental Statement 1 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 This Environmental Statement (ES) has been prepared on behalf of RWE NPower Renewables Limited (RWE NRL) to accompany the planning application that has been made to Burnley Borough Council for permission to extend a wind farm known as Hameldon Hill Wind Farm. 1.1.2 The proposed extension to Hameldon Hill Wind Farm is approximately 1 km south west of the outskirts of Burnley and 2 km south of the M65 Motorway, within Hapton County Parish, Lancashire. The land available for development amounts to approximately 134 hectares (ha) and is centred on approximate National Grid Reference SD803298, as shown on Figure 1.1. The proposed wind turbines will be located to the west of the three existing wind turbines. The proposed planning application boundaries are shown in Figure 1.2. 1.1.3 The land available for development and the surrounding area generally comprise agricultural land. A narrow strip of wooded area known as ‘Thorny Bank Wood’ is located within the deeply incised Thorny Bank Clough valley adjacent to the western boundary of the land available for development. A farm (known locally as Old Barn) and an associated residential building (Old Barn Cottage) are present 400 m north of the proposed site and comprise four large buildings. 1.1.4 An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 (‘the EIA Regulations’) to identify and assess the likely significant