Galloper Wind Farm Project - National Infrastructure Planning

2890_mitigation
4
August 2011
Galloper Wind Farm Substation
occasional sweet chestnut Castanea sativa and an understorey of hawthorn, elder
Sambucus nigra, and very occasional honeysuckle Lonicera periclymenum. The
ground flora is sparse with dense leaf litter, occasional common nettle, ground-ivy
Glechoma hederacea, red campion Silene dioica, and earthstar Geastrum fimbriatum.
This woodland is considered to be of relatively low ecological value but still represents
a habitat of local importance.’
The GGOWF substation to the east is enclosed by this woodland on its north, west and
south sides.
Cable corridors will run from the landfall to the GWF compound, between the two
compounds, from the transmission compound to proposed cable sealing compounds
and gantries and from the transmission compound to interconnect with existing
cables to Sizewell. The cables entering the sealing end compounds will connect to the
existing overhead wires at the location of the existing pylons east of the GGOWF
substation. The proposed cable sealing compounds and gantries will lie in a field that
has been recently landscaped as part of the works for the GGOWF substation, with
young tree and shrub planting protected by shelters or fencing.
A more detailed description of the site and its context is given in the full Landscape
and Visual Impact Assessment by LDA Design.
2.1.2. The Suffolk Landscape Character Assessment
The Suffolk Landscape Character Assessment was published for the county of Suffolk
in 2008 by Suffolk County Council. It was updated in 2011.
The above-ground onshore works lie within the Estate Sandlands landscape character
type and the onshore connection route passes through it as it extends eastwards from
the substation (see drawing 2890/02F in Appendix 4). It is summarised as A landscape
of large geometric fields, plantation woodlands and remnant heathland.
Key Characteristics include:
� Extensive areas of heathland or acid grassland
� Strongly geometric structure of fields enclosed in the 18th & 19th century.
� Large continuous blocks of commercial forestry
� Characteristic ‘pine lines’ especially, but not solely, in the Brecks
� Widespread planting of tree belts and rectilinear plantations
Under Trees and Woodland Cover it says that it is generally a landscape without
ancient woodland, but there are some isolated and very significant exceptions. It also
says: