Supporting documents - Renfrewshire Council

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a Road Safety and Traffic Management Plan; a Water Protection Plan; an Ecological Management Plan; a Landscape Management Plan; a Traffic Management Plan; a Noise Management Plan a Post Construction Restoration Plan; and a Decommissioning Plan. At the end of construction the contractor would be required to restore all areas of the site which were no longer required for activities during operation of the windfarm. DECOMMISSIONING Decommissioning of the windfarm site would take place once the site ceases operation (after approximately 25 years). The general method statement for decommissioning would be agreed with ERC in advance of these works beginning. The Decommissioning Plan in the EMP would set out the environmental protection measures and restoration principles which would be implemented during the works. EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSALS The environmental effects of the proposals are summarised in the following sections. Effects which are moderate or major (adverse or beneficial) are considered to be significant. Policy and Planning The proposals broadly follow Scottish Government guidance and the relevant Structure Plan policy framework and comply with most Local Plan Policies relevant to the proposals. The development would contribute towards meeting the Scottish carbon reduction target for the year 2020 and 2050 and renewable electricity targets as described above. The proposals are within the identified broad area of potential search for windfarm developments in the Glasgow and Clyde Valley Joint Structure Plan. The proposed site is zoned as Countryside Around Towns in the East <strong>Renfrewshire</strong> <strong>Council</strong> Adopted Local Plan (2003). In the Finalised Local Plan (2008) the proposed site is zoned as Countryside Around Towns however the majority is also zoned as Renewable Energy, which supports the development of this proposal. A small section in the north eastern part of the proposed site is solely zoned as Countryside Around Towns. The majority of the proposals would be sited within the area zoned as Renewable Energy. Two turbines MHT-16 and MHT-17 and the substation (as shown on Figure 2) would however be located in the area solely zoned as Countryside Around Towns, where if the proposals satisfy Finalised Local Plan Strategy: Assessment of Development Proposals and the Policy: Green Belt and Countryside Around Towns criteria then it would comply with policy. The environmental assessment indicates that the necessary criteria of these policies would be met. Seven Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) lie within, partly within or in proximity to the proposed site. Three of these sites would be directly affected. The assessment indicates that the integrity of the affected sites would not be compromised and therefore the proposal complies with the policy in the Local Plan which protects them. VII
Traffic and Access The proposals would cause an increase in traffic on local roads during construction and this could be particularly noticeable in the peak hour period. The worst effects would be limited to a three month period and are not predicted to result in significant traffic disruption or severance/amenity effects. Each turbine would require delivery of nine abnormal loads. The access route for these would be likely to be from either King George V Docks in Glasgow or Ayr Docks and via the trunk road network as much as possible to reduce the potential for impacts on local communities. A Section 96 agreement would be entered into so that any damage to the road network during construction would be repaired. The traffic effects would be minor during operation of the windfarm (vehicles for a workforce of two and traffic required for maintenance activities). Land Use, Property and Agriculture The majority of the site is currently used for cattle and sheep grazing. Surrounding land uses in the area include Whitelee Windfarm, forestry, agriculture (mainly grazing), golf courses and residential with the proposed site lying approximately 2km west of Eaglesham and some 3km south of Newton Mearns. Bennan Loch and Lochcraig Reservoirs, owned and operated by Scottish Water, are located in the centre of the site and are public water supplies. There is a gas distribution compound on the eastern edge of the site approximately 0.5km north east of East Moorhouse and four Scotland Gas Networks gas pipelines run across the site. There are various electricity supplies on site and two overhead telephone lines cross the site. There are scattered properties around the site. No residential properties would be directly affected by construction. Residents and local businesses would be informed of the sequence of construction activities including blasting (if required) and the contractor would be required to keep disruption to a minimum. There could be some short term minor (not significant) disruption to traffic on the B764 used for access to the site by construction vehicles. Access would be maintained for all properties during construction and when the windfarm was operational access would be open for recreational users (walkers and cyclists). Pipelines would be protected from any potential impact during construction. Where an access track crosses the Eaglesham to Kilmarnock pipeline no works would begin until detailed consultation had been undertaken with Scotland Gas Networks and detailed construction methodology and mitigation measures agreed. Construction of the proposals would result in a permanent change in land use of approximately 10.3ha of non-prime agricultural land to land used for infrastructure for renewable energy, although once built the rest of the site would remain in its current use (grazing). The proposals would result in a temporary change in land use of some 9.1ha for land used for crane hardstandings and borrow pits. This land would be restored on completion of construction and some could be suitable for grazing in the future. VIII
Page 1 and 2: Moorhouse Farmers Windfarm Non-Tech
Page 3: Pre-Application Consultation (PAC)
Page 7: DELIVERING THE PROPOSALS If at the
Page 11 and 12: Landscape and Visual Effects Effect
Page 13 and 14: Non-Technical Summary Figure 3 Phot
Page 15 and 16: Some 2km of floating road would be
Page 17 and 18: e an indirect benefit on local and
Page 19 and 20: Copies of the Environmental Stateme

Supporting documents - Renfrewshire Council

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