f Coal Clough Windfarm Repowering Non Technical Summary December 2009 SCOTTISH POWER PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copyRENEWABLES of CVISION PDFCompressor Coal Clough Windfarm Repowering Non-Technical Summary Environmental Statement PREFACE This document contains a Non Technical Summary of information presented in the Coal Clough Windfarm Repowering Environmental Statement which accompanies the application by ScottishPower Renewables (UK) Ltd to Burnley Borough Council (BBC) to decommission (i.e. dismantle and remove) and repower the existing Coal Clough Windfarm. This Environmental Statement (ES) has been prepared by Arcus Renewable Energy Consulting Ltd on behalf of Scottish Power Renewables (UK) Ltd and comprises the following: • Environmental Statement Volume I: Non-Technical Summary and Written Statement; and • Environmental Statement Volume II: Technical Appendices. The following documents do not form part of the ES but have been submitted to accompany this planning application: • Design and Access Statement; • Statement of Community Involvement; and • Planning Statement. Copies of the Environmental Statement can be viewed at: Burnley Borough Council Town Hall Manchester Road Burnley BB11 1JA The offices are open weekdays 9 am until 5 pm (except Wednesdays 10 am until 5 pm). Copies of the Environmental Statement can be obtained free of charge from ScottishPower Renewables by calling 0141 614 0400 or emailing [email protected] or writing to ScottishPower Renewables 4th Floor 1 Atlantic Quay Glasgow G2 8SP The full Environmental Statement can be purchased for £250.00 per copy. Alternatively full sets of the documents are available free of charge as Adobe Acrobat files on DVD ROM. ScottishPower Renewables December 2009 Page 1 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Non Technical Summary Coal Clough Windfarm Repowering Environmental Statement This page is intentionally blank ScottishPower Renewables Page 2 December 2009 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Coal Clough Windfarm Repowering Non-Technical Summary Environmental Statement 1 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY 1.1 INTRODUCTION This Non-Technical Summary (NTS) forms part of an Environmental Statement (ES) to accompany an application for planning permission under the Town and Country Planning Act 19901 by ScottishPower Renewables (UK) Ltd. (SPR) to decommission (i.e. dismantle and remove) and repower the existing Coal Clough Windfarm. Coal Clough Windfarm is situated approximately 8 km south east of Burnley Town Centre and 5 km north east of Todmorden, within the County of Lancashire in the North West of England as shown in Figure 1.1. It currently comprises of 24 wind turbines with a hub height of 32 m and a blade length of 17 m and a height to blade tip of 49 m. The windfarm currently has an installed capacity of 9.6 MW. The proposed windfarm, to be known as Coal Clough Windfarm Repowering (hereafter referred as ‘the Development’), will comprise: • Eight wind turbines each with a maximum hub height of 70 m and a maximum rotor diameter of 80 m with an overall tip height not exceeding 110 m and an installed capacity of approximately 16 MW; • Two borrow pits; • Upgrading of existing and construction of new access tracks; • Construction of crane hardstandings and component laydown areas; • Construction of temporary construction compound and security office; • Erection of power performance mast not exceeding 70 m in height; • Upgrading of site access to the Long Causeway; • Laying of underground cables; and • Erection of control building. The total installed capacity of the Development will be approximately 16 megawatts (MW) as shown on Figure 1.2. The ES describes the environmental and socio-economic effects during each phase of the Development. This NTS presents a summary of the principal findings reported in the ES. 1.2 UK OVERVIEW Energy underpins virtually every aspect of the economy and society. However, the use of fossil fuels such as gas and coal, which currently provide the bulk of our energy, release greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere which directly affects our climate. To help lessen the effects of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced. One way of helping to achieve this is by generating energy from sources that emit low or even zero levels of greenhouse gases, such as renewable sources. Renewable energy is derived from naturally and continuously occurring sources in the environment, such as energy from the wind, waves or tides. It has the potential to displace electricity generated from fossil fuels and consequently prevent CO2 from being released. The UK Government is committed to addressing the causes and consequences of climate change. In 2002, the UK Government placed a 'Renewables Obligation' on all UK licensed electricity suppliers to provide 10% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010 and 15% by 2015. Generators that fail to meet their targets will be forced to pay a 'buy-out price', which is effectively a financial penalty. The primary purpose of this obligation is to assist the UK in meeting its National and International targets for greenhouse gas reduction, which are the main causes of climate change. It also helps to promote a secure, diverse, competitive energy supply market, stimulates the UK renewable energy industry and makes a contribution to rural development. The Climate Change Act 20082 seeks to create a low carbon environment in the UK whilst increasing the security of energy supply and demonstrating the strong commitment to 1 Her Majesty’s Stationery Office (HMSO) (1990) The Town and Country Planning Act 1990. 2Climate Change Act 2008. London: HMSO ScottishPower Renewables December 2009 Page 3 PDF compression, OCR, web optimization using a watermarked evaluation copy of CVISION PDFCompressor Non Technical Summary Coal Clough Windfarm Repowering Environmental Statement alleviating climate change. This Act seeks to reduce the amount of UK CO2 emissions and sets a legally binding commitment to cut the UK’s carbon emissions by 80% by 2050. It requires that limits be set on the total amount of emissions in successive five year periods (carbon budgets), with a minimum 34% reduction by 2020, against a 1990 baseline. This makes the UK the first country in the world to set such a long-term and significant carbon reduction target into law. The Renewable Energy Strategy 2009 (part of the Government’s Overall UK Low Carbon Transition Plan) sets out a path to achieving the UK’s legally binding target to ensure 15% of energy comes from renewable sources by 2020. It predicts that in order to meet the targets, renewables could provide 30% of electricity by 2020, two-thirds of which is expected to be generated by onshore and offshore wind3. 1.3 WIND ENERGY IN LANCASHIRE AND NORTH-WEST The Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the North West4 was adopted in September 2008. It forms part of the Development Plan which aims to guide future development in the region. One of its overarching principles seeks to lower the CO2 emissions of the region. The RSS sets out regional energy generation targets for 2010, 2015 and 2020 for the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources, which should be 10%, 15% and 20% respectively. The document also establishes installed generation targets for Lancashire of 239 MW in 2010 rising to 297 MW in 2015. Of this it is anticipated that onshore wind will contribute 195 MW and 232.5 MW respectively. At present, the operational windfarms within the Lancashire region generate approximately 95 MW of electricity. The Development will respond to these requirements for renewable energy production, and is located on the site of an existing windfarm in an area with verified suitable wind speed. 2 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a process intended to ensure that developments with potentially significant effects on the environment are granted permission only after full consideration of the likely environmental effects has been made and suitable prevention or management measures have been identified. This ES provides information to allow Burnley Borough Council to fully consider the environmental effects of the Development prior to determining the planning application. 2.1 CONSULTATION AND SCOPING The aim of the Scoping process is to identify key environmental issues as early in the process as possible, to determine which elements of the proposal are likely to result in significant effects on the environment and to establish the extent of survey and assessment required for the EIA. A Scoping Report was prepared by SPR which outlined the proposed scope of the EIA and the key issues to be addressed, along with a description of the Development. The Scoping Report was issued to Burnley Borough Council and was widely circulated to various statutory and non-statutory consultees, including Parish Councils and to other interested parties as a part of the scoping process, which in turn provided any relevant information in their possession. As part of the wider consultation process, public exhibitions were held to inform the residents in the area surrounding the site about the proposal to repower the existing Coal Clough Windfarm and regarding the acceptability of the scale of the proposed turbines. Initial public information days were held from 24th and 25th March 2009 at