Galloper Wind Farm Project - National Infrastructure Planning

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visible from within it include the Martello Tower south of Aldeburgh and the
Lantern Marshes transmitting station and radio masts, as described in the
Aldeburgh Bay seascape unit. When visibility is good, distant views along
the coast to the south as far as the Naze can be seen from within the unit and
the WTGs of GGOWF are sometimes be visible in seaward views to the east
and southeast. On the occasions when excellent seaward visibility
conditions prevail, there are also very distant views southwards towards the
WTGs of the London Array and Gunfleet Sands wind farms.
Perceptual Qualities
4.3.26. It is a seascape of striking character, with its sheer vastness of scale being
perhaps its most notable feature. It has a simple composition of elements,
consisting mainly of shingle, sea and sky and is defined by a relatively
straight coastal geometry formed by the linear shingle structure of Orford
Ness. The seascape unit is characterised by series of contrasts: the man-made
versus the natural; hard forms versus soft forms; past activity compared to
the present stillness; and, most significantly, the timeless natural processes
contrasting with transitory man-made dereliction. Although Orford Ness can
be divided into a number of areas with their own particular characteristics,
the dominant impression of the overall area is one of great solitude. Much of
the seascape unit could be described as wilderness, characterised by a feeling
of isolation and loneliness, with a heightened sense of being exposed to the
elements.
Existing Seascape Sensitivity to Change
4.3.27. The components of this seascape remain largely intact and are generally wellmaintained.
The arrangement of contrasting elements, features and
processes within the vast setting of the coastal zone means that this seascape
is characterised by a very distinctive and rare set of qualities.
4.3.28. The wilderness character of the seascape environment and the simple
composition of its constituent elements combine to increase the unit's
sensitivity to the proposed change of the offshore wind farm. Views toward a
number of notable vertical structures in the landscape, however, and the
existing contrast between natural and manmade features within the
seascape, go some way in moderating its sensitivity. It is considered,
therefore, that the sensitivity of this seascape unit to the type of change
proposed by the offshore wind farm, outwith its area, is High-Medium.