Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
The effects of the proposed turbines on landscape character would arise from its relationship
to these combinations and patterns. The most important aspect of the proposed wind energy
development would be the turbines. It is considered that the access tracks, control building,
external transformers, met mast and grid connection would be read as subsidiary and
generally subsumed within the large scale context of the proposed turbines.
9.4.46 The first stage in the assessment of these landscape character types is a filtering process to
ascertain which of the landscape character types in the study area have potential to be
significantly affected by the wind energy development. This process was carried out through a
desktop study and site survey which examined the visibility of the wind energy development
from the landscape character types around the study area, using the ZTV and wirelines. The
landscape character types are shown in Figure 9.6 and in conjunction with the ZTV in Figure
9.10.
9.4.47 This filtering process has indicated that 6 landscape character types with related 9 landscape
character units have the potential to undergo significant effects as a result of the proposed
wind energy development. These are:
• Lowland Hills: Ochil Hills
• Lowland Hill Fringes: East Touch Fringe
• Lowland River Valleys: Carse of Forth
Falkirk/Denny Urban Fringe
• Lowland Valley Fringes: Devon/Forth
• Lowland Plateaux: Slamannan Plateau
• Coastal Margins: Grangemouth Bo’ness Flats,
The Bo’ness Coastal Hills
Kincardine Coastal Flats
9.4.48 The effect on each of these landscape character receptors is assessed below.
9.4.49 Other landscape character types within the study area were found to not have the potential to
undergo a significant effect. These are presented in Appendix 9.5. Table 9.5-1 presents the
LCTs which have ZTV cover but it is expressed as discrete scattered patches for the most part
a long distance from the proposed wind energy development site. Table 9.5-2 lists the LCTs
which remain outwith the ZTV and therefore will not be impacted upon by the proposed wind
energy development. These LCTs were not considered to have the potential to experience a
significant effect and have not been assessed.
9.4.50 It should be noted that levels of magnitude of change on landscape character types are
generally found to be slightly lower than the magnitude of change on viewpoints that lie within
these landscape character types. This means that if a viewpoint is assessed to undergo a
medium-high magnitude of change it does not necessarily follow that the landscape character
type would also undergo a medium-high magnitude of change, but may undergo a medium
magnitude of change instead. This is because the effects on viewpoints are assessed within
the context of a 75-degree view over the site and are usually specifically selected to gain a
direct view over the site. The main or direct orientation of a visual receptor or viewpoint will
November 2010 Chapter 9 Page 67
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