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

4. SITE SELECTION AND DESIGN
DESCRIPTION OF THE APPLICATION SITE
4.1 The centre of the proposed Penny Hill Wind Farm is located approximately
900m east of Ulley and 1.25km west of Brampton en le Morthen. The
proposed development area is positioned west of the M1 and M18
interchange and to the east of Ulley, as illustrated by Drawing
HJB/681/PA02. The existing features within the site are depicted on
Drawing HJB/681/PA03, which also shows the planning application
boundary. The development is described fully in Section 2 of this ES and
illustrated on Drawing HJB/681/PA05.
4.2 In total the application site area covers approximately 125.5 hectares (as
outlined in red in Drawing HJB/681/PA03). However, the actual land take
of the proposed wind farm would only directly affect around 2.5 hectares
during operation (approximately 2% of the application area). The site
varies in altitude between around 85m and 115m AOD and is located on
arable farmland. There is no open access land within the development
area; with the site accessed via Penny Hill Lane (and a crossing point over
Brampton Lane) which passes through the site centre.
SITE SELECTION
4.3 The paragraphs below outline the process under which the Penny Hill site
was identified and assessed against a range of constraint criteria by the
Applicant, following the initial identification of the potential for wind
development in Rotherham.
4.4 The Applicant identified the Penny Hill site following a detailed evaluation
of constraints to wind energy development in Rotherham (and several
other areas in Yorkshire where they are progressing other proposals).
4.5 A constraint mapping exercise focussed the Applicant‟s attention on a
relatively small area located to the south of Rotherham, and following a
series of site visits, the initial site area was identified. Drawing
HJB/681/PA04 of the ES shows the Applicant‟s the constraint mapping of
the Rotherham area.
Constraint Mapping
4.6 As noted above, the Applicant has prepared a constraint map for wind
development for the whole of the RMBC area. This exercise identified a
number of constraints to wind energy development and subsequently
areas that were not constrained by the selected key criteria.
4.7 These key constraints mapped include:
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Penny Hill Wind Farm
Environmental Statement