Mynydd y Gwair Wind Farm - RWE.com

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Mynydd y Gwair Wind Farm
receptors identified. Thus for receptors of national or international value and high sensitivity,
negative effects measured at high or very high magnitude are likely to represent a significant
impact at that geographical level. At the other end of the scale, minor magnitude effects on
receptors of low sensitivity and only immediate local value are likely to be below significance
thresholds. Substantial effects on high value receptors that are of low sensitivity may fall
either side of the significance threshold - in such cases mitigation may be able to be
employed to ameliorate effects. A key consideration is whether the „integrity‟ of a site or
ecosystem (e.g. its coherence of structure and function) and/or the „conservation status‟ of a
species or habitat (e.g. the ability of a population/habitat to maintain itself at pre-development
levels/quality) will be compromised.
Cumulative impacts
9.6.14 Cumulative or „in combination‟ effects on ecological resources have been assessed through
obtaining where possible details of impact assessments for other consented, operational or „in
planning‟ wind farm projects within the region. The process is unavoidably constrained by the
availability of such information, which may be withheld on grounds of commercial sensitivity,
and factors such as the degree to which other assessments have followed standard guidance
– older impact assessments often contain no baseline survey data for bats for example. Such
situations necessitate a degree of subjective application of professional judgement where
necessary to address information shortfalls. Where this approach has been necessary, this is
indicated and confidence predictions (see below) attributed accordingly.
Impact Prediction Confidence
9.6.15 For all impacts identified, confidence levels in this assessment are attributed based on the
following criteria in Table 9.4 (as taken from IEEM 2006):
Table 9.4 Impact Prediction Confidence
Confidence Level Definition
Certain/near certain Probability estimated at 95% chance or higher
Probable Probability estimated above 50% but below 95%
Unlikely Probability estimated above 5% but below 50%
Extremely unlikely Probability estimated at less than 5%
Key Receptors
9.6.16 In terms of assessing the significance of ecological impacts arising from the proposed wind
farm at Mynydd y Gwair, the following key receptors have been identified: