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

farm may be viewed, whether the turbines can be viewed adjacent to other
features, different weather conditions, the character of the development
and the landscape and nature of the visibility‟. It goes on to state that:
„The following is a general guide to the effect which distance has on the
perception of the development in an open landscape.
up to 2 km the wind farm is likely to be a prominent feature;
within an area between 2-5 km from the wind farm it is likely to be
relatively prominent;
between 5-15 km, the wind farm will only be prominent in clear visibility
and as part of the wider landscape; and
between 15-30 km the turbines will only be seen in very clear visibility
and then as a minor element in the landscape”.
10.18 Drawing on this approach, and using an element of professional
judgement, the following generalisations have been made:
Within 2km or less the wind farm is likely to be a prominent feature
and may cause severance, appear intrusive and have the potential to
cause extensive change to the setting of a receptor (i.e. have high
magnitude of effect);
Within 2 to 5km the wind farm is likely to be relatively prominent and
thus could cause intrusion or change the setting of a receptor (i.e. have
medium effect on setting); and
At >5km the wind farm is not likely to be visually prominent or perhaps
only as part of the wider landscape and thus causing no change or
slight change to setting of the receptor (i.e. low magnitude of effect).
10.19 In summary, the most significant effects on setting will occur within a 0-
5km study area, and that is what has been defined as the study area. This
was born out by the results of the site specific assessments (discussed in
more detail later within this section).
10.20 The assessment has taken an approach in which the designation status
(sensitivity) of a feature is set against the degree of intervisibility with the
proposed development, based primarily on range, assuming that this will
be a determinant in the degree of magnitude of any change that might be
caused, as noted above. Simple intervisibility with turbines is not
necessarily considered to be harmful.
10.21 It is also important to consider existing screening of cultural heritage
features from natural topography of the landscape. Forest and woodlands,
as well as buildings, can also provide suitable visual screening to the
cultural heritage. However, it is noted that in managed forests the level of
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Penny Hill Wind Farm
Environmental Statement