Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
Assessment of Landscape Character Receptors - Summary Tables
Landscape Character Type: LOWLAND HILLS/UPLAND IGNEOUS AND VOLCANIC HILLS
Landscape Character Area: Ochil Hills
Extent within LCT extends to a 5-35km radius in a north east direction within the study area.
the study area The prominent mass of the Ochil Hills forms an abrupt northern boundary to the Forth Valley,
stretching eastwards from Dunblane and Bridge of Allan and continuing to spread north and east into
Perth and Kinross District.
According to the Clackmannanshire LCA and the Central Region LCA the south facing lower part of
the Ochil Hills belongs to the Lowland Hills LCT. According to the Tays LCA the rest of the hills are
classified as Upland Igneous and Volcanic Hills.
The ZTV covers the south facing foothills and spreads unevenly upwards to higher levels including
the pathway to Dumyat, the pointed view of Nebit and there are some sporadic ZTV patches over
Ben Cleuch.
Representative VP13 – Ben Cleuch and VP16 – Dumyat
viewpoints
Wind energy Installed/Approved: Burnfoot, Greenknowes, Lochelbank
developments
Visual Effects
Magnitude of
change
Cumulative
Effects
Nature of
impact
Significance of
Effect on LCT
as a whole
Views from this landscape are generally extensive and the turbines would be visible at distances of
between 7km and 10km in the context of wide panoramic views over the Lowland River Valley.
Where theoretical visibility does occur, and the landscape open, clear views will be gained of all four
turbines. Views of the turbines would be against the background landscape.
Where Glens woods screen views, actual views of the wind energy development will not be possible.
The overall magnitude of change would be Medium to low
Visibility is largely concentrated across the most elevated parts; the hilltops, the ridgeline of the Ochil
Hills. The ZTV covers approximately one third of the LCU. Approximately two thirds of the landscape
will gain no visibility of the wind energy development, and this will result in a negligible magnitude of
change in these areas.
As an external influence, the wind energy development will affect a very small proportion of the
setting to the Ochil Hills, with all other parts of the setting remaining unaffected. This is particularly
true where panoramic views are gained from the landscape, as the wind energy development will
affect a very limited proportion of such views. All of the other external influences that contribute to
the character of the Ochil Hills, namely the extent of the Lowland Hills landscape to the west, north
west and north draw the eye of walkers on the Ochil Hills.
Other forms of industrial developments alongside the River Forth shores are also seen from the Ochil
Hills and these influences ensure that the wind energy development will not be seen as an entirely
new, contrasting external feature.
The landform of the Ochil Hills rises above the Lowland River Valley where the wind energy
development is located. This gives it less visual importance, and therefore less influence, than if it
rises above the viewer. The turbines have less vertical impact in this situation, and this is further
reduced by the containment of the turbines below the skyline.
The combination of these considerations will result in the wind energy development having a
medium to low magnitude of change on those parts of the Ochil Hills from where it is visible.
It is notable that the wind energy development will not introduce an entirely new influence into the
character of the Ochil Hills. The Lowland Hills accommodate operating wind energy developments:
Braes of Doune, Craigengelt and Earlsburn, which are already visible from this landscape and have
some influence on its character. The installed Burnfoot and operating Greenknowes do not set a
precedent for wind energy development as a component of the character of the Ochil Hill or reduce
the sensitivity of the landscape to wind energy development, but they do ensure that wind energy
development characteristics are not an entirely new external influence.
Neutral/Indirect
No significant effect
The level of effect is considered to be of medium to low magnitude and in the context of the high
sensitivity of the LCU, would be of moderate and not significant.
Where there is visibility, and therefore influence, of the wind energy development, the effect will be
not significant, as the wind energy development will not have a definitive effect on the character of
this landscape and the landscape character will continue to be defined principally by its baseline
characteristics despite its high sensitivity.
November 2010 Chapter 9 Page 69
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