Supporting documents - Renfrewshire Council

monitoring would be implemented. The scale and scope of all excavation,
monitoring and subsequent post fieldwork requirements would be agreed in
consultation with relevant agencies. Provided all agreed mitigation was implemented
the residual effects on the directly affected sites would not be significant.
The consideration of impact on the setting of relevant sites has shown only one
moderate adverse effect – site I, Ballagioch Cairn. All other sites have either minor
adverse or no significant impact on setting.
Noise and Vibration
The completed assessment has considered the potential impacts that could occur
during both the construction and operation of the proposed development.
Noise predictions have been undertaken to determine potential impacts on existing
local noise sensitive receptors (including the closest residential properties to the
proposed development) during the operation of the proposed windfarm.
Consideration has been given to the local properties that have, or do not have, a
financial involvement in the proposed development. A detailed baseline noise survey
was undertaken to inform the assessment of noise from the proposed development
once operational. The effect of the Whitelee Windfarm and proposed extension was
taken into account in the assessment.
An assessment of potential construction noise was undertaken and even when
adopting a series of worst case assumptions, predicted construction noise levels
have been predicted to fall below a criterion applicable to rural areas, at the closest
residential dwellings to the site. Notwithstanding this, a series of good practice
construction noise mitigation measures would be implemented. At worst, a
temporary adverse minor noise effect would arise from construction noise at local
properties.
Vibration and air overpressures that could be generated if blasting was required at
the proposed borrow pits could be controlled to appropriate levels at residential
properties. Groundborne vibration levels arising from possible blasting could also be
controlled to appropriate levels at underground services with the agreed mitigation
measures in place.
The proposed turbine layout has been prepared following a detailed iterative design
process taking into account the prevailing local noise environment and associated
constraints. Assessment of the final scheme design has identified that the applicable
noise level limits stated in ETSU-R-97 (prepared by the Energy Technical Support
Unit for the Department for Trade and Industry) would not be exceeded with the
candidate turbines used for the assessment operating in unconstrained mode. At
worst, the effect would be negligible/minor (not significant) at local properties from
the operation of the proposed windfarm. Plant noise levels limits have been
calculated for the control of noise from the proposed transformers and the control
building/substation and at worst, again, an adverse noise effect of negligible or minor
level (not significant) would arise at local properties as a result of noise from
proposed plant items.
Air Quality
No significant effects on air quality are predicted during construction, operation and
decommissioning provided all mitigation measures are successfully implemented.
There would be no significant direct effects on local or global air quality. There would
XV