Wull Muir Wind Farm

The proposed development comprises eight turbines with a tip height of 150m and takes account of the reasons for refusal of the previous applications. The redesigned layout increases the separation distance from the escarpment to over 1.5km.

A full Environmental Impact Assessment is currently underway which will appraise the environmental impacts of the revised scheme. Disciplines under investigation include:

Landscape and Visual Impact
The objective of the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) is to assess the Proposed Development in relation to the following:

Landscape Effects: Assessment of the effects on areas of landscape character including key characteristics, elements, landscape qualities and landscape designations; and
Visual Effects: Assessment of the effects on the views and visual amenity experienced by residents, tourists/visitors, recreational users and road users.
We have selected a number of viewpoints which is based on a Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV). ZTVs are provided as part of this exhibition and highlight those areas where views of the wind farm may be possible and based on the ZTV the viewpoints are locations which are considered representative of showing what the windfarm would look like from these areas. These viewpoints comprise those used for the previous scheme where relevant as well as a number of additional locations.

Hydrology, hydrogeology and Geology
The site layout takes account of ground conditions including peat and surface water networks. Specifically, we have included exclusion buffers to ensure a minimum separation distance from watercourses and we have avoided areas of deep peat.

The assessment within the EIAR will consider the potential impact on:

Surface water runoff rates and volumes and resultant flood risk;
Erosion and sedimentation;
Surface water quality and pollution of surface water;
Quality and quantity of public and private water supplies;
Site drainage (tracks, turbine foundations and hardstanding areas);
Drainage pathways; and
Watercourse crossing locations.
Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
A heritage asset is defined as any element of the historic environment which is of sufficient cultural significance to merit consideration in the planning process. Designated assets include Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings, World Heritage Sites, Conservation Areas, Inventory Gardens and Designed Landscapes, Inventory Historic Battlefields and Historic Marine Protected Areas. Other assets may also be locally designated through policies in the Local Plan.

There are a number of identified assets in the surrounding area that may be subject to impacts and we will consider both indirect and direct effects, including impacts on the setting of these heritage assets.

Biodiversity
We will consider the likely ecological and ornithological impacts associated with the Proposed Development and the effects on a range of ecological receptors including key habitats and species.

Ecology investigations will include:

Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey (including a search or protected mammals)
National Vegetation Classification Survey
Ornithological surveys
Bat habitat assessment, bat roost suitability surveys, bat transect surveys and automated static bat detector surveys
Habitat suitability surveys
This result of the assessment will be reported in the EIAR which will set out how we have avoided sensitive locations as well as mitigation, enhancement and habitat creation.

Traffic and Transport
We will utilise as much of the existing tracks as we can, and we have identified a borrow pit that could be used for the extraction of stone on site for the construction of the access track. Even though we anticipate that a significant proportion of stone could be extracted via the borrow pit, to ensure a robust assessment we will base the number of transport trips needed for construction of the windfarm on the assumption that at least 50% of material will be transported to Site.

We are investigating a number of options to access the site and these will be outlined in the planning application. The layout utilises a number of existing tracks and to minimize potential HGV lorry movements further during the construction phase on local roads, a borrow pit has been identified where rock supplies could be used to construct the new tracks as well as other areas of hardstanding such as the crane pads.

Noise and Vibration
Turbines are proposed at sufficient distances from residential properties to ensure that noise monitoring isn’t required as predictions show that noise levels would be within acceptable limits. The noise assessment provided as part of the application will take into account the cumulative impact that other windfarms in the area might have.

Works will be undertaken at considerable distances from residential properties which would limit the potential for any significant noise or vibration effects and measures will be put in place through commitments made within a Construction Environment Management Plan (CEMP).