environmental statement - Rotherham's Online Application for ...

ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS
10.14 The assessment of effects on the cultural heritage is concerned with direct
(physical) and indirect (largely visual) impacts.
DIRECT (PHYSICAL)
10.15 Assessment of physical effects considers direct effects upon features of
cultural heritage interest, whether known sites or unknown buried
archaeology, which are in danger of being disturbed or destroyed. Physical
impacts are likely to occur during construction and decommissioning, and
are permanent and irreversible. They are discussed in the section on
Potential Construction Effects.
INDIRECT (VISUAL, NOISE ETC.)
10.16 This assessment will take account of the potential visual effects on the
settings of Scheduled Monuments, monuments registered as nationally
important and Listed Buildings that exist within the proposed development
site and a 15km Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) around it. The setting
of a national monument or Listed Building can be loosely interpreted as
features, spaces and views that are historically and functionally related,
and which can be considered to be vital to their intrinsic interest. Setting
can be tangible, such as a defined boundary, or intangible, such as
atmosphere or ambience. The main concern for visual effects on a
cultural heritage setting is the potential for the proposed development to
fragment the historic landscape, separate connectivity between historic
sites and impinge on views to and from sites with important landscape
settings. Wind Energy and the Historic Environment (English Heritage,
2005) lists visual dominance, scale, intervisibility, vistas and sight-lines as
well as noise, movement and light as potential effects upon features of
cultural heritage interest that might be derived from wind farm projects.
Indirect effects can occur during construction, operation and
decommissioning. Wind farms can have a lifespan of up to 25 years, but
the visual and any other indirect effects from this form of development are
considered temporary and easily reversible.
10.17 In order to identify those cultural heritage features upon whose settings the
proposed development may have the potential to have an effect, an initial
search area was defined. Distance was used here as the principal
criterion in determining the likelihood of a significant visual effect on
setting. As the landscape and visual assessment was ongoing at the
same time it was not possible to derive information from that at the outset
of this assessment. Therefore, regard was had to the indicative distances
given in the Scottish Planning Advice Note - Renewable Energy
Technologies (PAN 45, Revised 2002) 8 . At paragraph 78 PAN 45 notes
that: „visual effects will be dependent on the distance over which a wind
8 Whilst recognising that document has no weight as planning advice in England, it nevertheless
provides a useful starting point in identifying the parameters for the study area.
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Penny Hill Wind Farm
Environmental Statement