Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
Potential Impacts on Designated Sites
Firth of Forth SPA, Ramsar Site and SSSI
12.4.32 For an assessment of effects on the Firth of Forth SPA (and by default the Ramsar Site),
please refer to Section 12.8: Impacts on the Firth of Forth SPA, presented later in this Chapter.
12.4.33 The above assessment is also considered to deal with impacts of the proposed wind energy
development on the over-wintering bird interest of the Firth of Forth SSSI.
12.4.34 Of the breeding bird species for which the Firth of Forth SSSI is notified (eider, shelduck,
ringed plover and common, Arctic and little tern; see Table 12.9), only shelduck was recorded
breeding in the vicinity of the proposed wind energy development site. The SSSI is notified for
a nationally important breeding population of shelduck (assuming the qualifying level is 1% of
the national population, this means at least 106 pairs based on the latest estimate of the British
breeding population of 106,000 pairs 34 ) concentrated at Aberlady Bay, Alloa Inch and
Skinflats 35 . On this basis, potential impacts of construction and operation of the proposed wind
energy development on the small breeding population in the Black Devon Wetlands, within
500m of the site boundary (3 pairs in 2009; Table 12.14, Figure 12.6) are considered nonsignificant.
Gartmorn Dam SSSI
12.4.35 Gartmorn Dam SSSI is located approximately 3.5km northeast of the proposed wind energy
development site. Given this distance there will be no loss of habitat from this designated site
and none of the features for which it is notified will be disturbed directly by the proposed wind
energy development.
12.4.36 The reservoir at Gartmorn Dam supports a regionally important assemblage of waterfowl
during the winter months including whooper swan, mute swan, greylag goose, wigeon,
pochard, goldeneye, teal, tufted duck and mallard 36 , although no population data were
available for these species. Of these species, large numbers of mallard, teal and wigeon in
particular were recorded at Forthbank and given the relatively short distance between the Forth
Estuary and Gartmorn Dam it is likely that there is some movement of the birds between these
two sites. Indeed, the estuary is recognised as an important alternative feeding ground for
those birds which typically occur at Gartmorn Dam during harsh winters when the reservoir
freezes over 37 . Consequently, given the proposed wind energy development’s location on the
north bank of the Forth Estuary, there is a potential for it to present a barrier to the movement
of birds between these two sites. Of the bird flights observed passing due north east from the
survey area (i.e. in the direction of Gartmorn Dam) during the flight activity surveys most were
notified species of Gartmorn Dam SSSI, particularly mallard, mute swan, greylag goose and
tufted duck (see Figures 12.7 and 12.8). However, these flights only accounted for a very
small proportion of the total number of flights observed for these species. Furthermore, most
of the flights were undertaken by birds flying from Black Devon Wetlands rather than
originating from the Forth Estuary or indeed further south. Therefore, given the above and
considering the small scale of the proposed wind energy development, it is reasonable to
assume that the proposed wind energy development will not present a significant barrier to the
November 2010 Chapter 12 Page 42
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