Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
13.3.63 The borehole located to the north of the landfill recorded 1’ (0.3m) of soil, underlain by 18’
(5.5m) of silt and silty sandy clay. This was underlain by 8’ (2.4m) of dense bound sand and
gravel. Bedrock was encountered at 33’ (10m) and consisted of sandstone.
13.3.64 The borehole located near the mouth of the river recorded 5m of soft to firm black sandy silt
underlain by soft grey black silt to termination at 15.9m. Bedrock was not encountered.
Ground Levels
13.3.65 There is no available on-site data of the ground level prior to landfilling. The earliest survey
plans are from 1995, and record an area to the east of the site, adjacent to the Black Devon
River, which had yet to be landfilled. The levels from this area are therefore indicative of the
top of the Carse Clays and are in the region of 2.54m Above Ordnance Data (AOD) to 3.03m
AOD, with an average level of 3m AOD.
Coal Mining
13.3.66 There is a history of coal mine workings at the site and the Coal Authority was contacted to
obtain a Coal Mining report and Mine Abandonment Plans for the area.
Coal Authority Report
13.3.67 The Coal Authority Report identifies two disused adits at the north-western area of the site.
The adits are located in open ground which is now marshy. The Coal Authority was contacted
for further information about the adits. There is a note on the shaft register that the adits were
infilled in 1961. The approximate co-ordinates of the adits are 289060 E 691472 N (388691-
001) and 288174E 691499N (388691-003).
13.3.68 The information from the Coal Authority indicates that the site is in the likely zone of influence
from working in five seams of coal. The depth of these five seams ranges from shallow depths
to 610m below ground level. The coal was last worked in 1990. There are no present
underground coal workings at the site, however the site is in an area for which a licence to
remove coal using underground methods was granted in October 1994.
13.3.69 No notice of the risk of the land being affected by subsidence has been given. There is no
record of opencast coal mining in the area and no record mine gas emissions.
13.3.70 The site is not in an area that is likely to be affected at the surface from any planned future
workings. However, it is noted that reserves of coal exist in the local area which could be
worked at some time in the future.
Abandonment Plans
13.3.71 Mine abandonment plans were also obtained for the site. The plans show the adits were
entrances to Forth No.1 and No.2 Mines. The workings in the Lower Five Foot mine
predominantly extended off-site to the east with an area of workings in the north site. From the
plans, the mining in this seam appears to have been long wall mining.
November 2010 Chapter 13 Page 17
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