Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
9.7.12 From a distance of around 13km, the turbines will be minor but visible elements in views from
the landscape. The vertical form of the turbines will not be pronounced due to their complete
containment below the skyline.
9.7.13 The effect from the viewpoints which are national tourism centres such as Stirling Castle and
the Wallace Monument would not be significant due to the distance and existing vertical
manmade features amongst which the new proposed wind energy development will appear. In
addition, the orientation of viewing interest is not focused on the proposed wind energy
development.
9.7.14 While visibility is shown to be continuous along the southern shore of the River Forth, its
northerly orientation makes the focus of views towards the Ochil Hills, rather than the proposal
site, which sits at an oblique angle to this orientation. Where more direct views can be gained
from the northern shores, the more distant range reduces the scale at which the turbines will
be seen and therefore also their prominence.
9.7.15 The existing character of the site and its surroundings are largely defined by past and present
industrial land uses on and around the site. This forms a landscape context in which the
addition of turbines will not result in such a notable landscape character alteration.
9.7.16 The reasons stated above demonstrate the suitability of this site for wind energy development.
The very low site elevation reduces their visible height and in the majority of views sets them
below the skyline. In most instances where visibility does occur, all four turbines are visible.
This makes the wind energy development more readily recognisable as a single unit.
9.7.17 The layout of four turbines means that the extent of the horizontal visibility is also limited. Their
close grouping means that their horizontal extent within views is relatively well contained and
there are fewer incidents of outliers or cluttering that would perhaps occur with a larger layout.
Their similar elevation also enables them to be viewed as part of the same wind energy
development.
9.7.18 Where visibility does occur, the small number of turbines and their compact layout ensures a
limited influence within the wider landscape owing to the limited horizontal extent. The turbines
even spacing and base height means they form a neat and well composed feature from much
of the surrounding landscape.
9.7.19 The assessment has confirmed in section 9.4 that in all cases the predicted significant effects
of the proposed wind energy development relate to the turbines and are therefore long-term,
lasting the life-time of the wind energy development, but reversible, such that following the decommissioning
these significant effects will cease to exist.
9.7.20 The acceptability of the proposed wind energy development is largely due to the containment
of significant effects within a localised area and the limited effects on the rest of the study area.
Wind energy developments are, of all the renewable technologies, likely to have the greatest
visual and landscape effects. There are very few existing or proposed wind energy
developments that will not have significant effects on the landscape and visual resource, and it
may be assumed that the wind energy development will result in such effects. In respect of the
proposed wind energy development these significant effects are acceptable, with acceptability
being an expression of how well the wind energy development fits into the landscape and
November 2010 Chapter 9 Page 128
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