Forthbank Wind Energy Development - Partnerships for Renewables

Forthbank Wind Energy Development
15.4.5 Visit Scotland publishes figures relating to visitor volumes and other aspects of tourism at a
regional Tourist Board level. Baseline information has been sourced from the Argyll, The Isles,
Loch Lomond and Forth Valley Tourist Board area. This information has allowed a generic
snap-shot for the area to be established, with regard to tourist activity from 2008 (the most
recent figures published). In addition, ClacksTourism website (operated by the Council) was
consulted. There is no specific tourism and recreation information available in relation to the
application area itself as it is not a site that provides either tourist or recreational facilities.
15.4.6 The potential effects on recreation and tourism are closely linked to public attitudes to wind
turbines in the landscape, which are in turn linked with the landscape and visual assessment of
the proposed wind energy development detailed in Chapter 9 Landscape and Visual Impact.
These effects are not further addressed within this chapter, where the criteria employed to
assess the significance of effects on recreation (and recreational tourism) is based on whether
there has been a material change to the access or accessibility of facilities, or where proposals
affect recreational resources that have more than local use or importance. However,
information sources such as opinion surveys on wind farm development were used to provide
useful context.
15.4.7 There is legislation concerning scenery and access rights. National Scenic Areas 19 were
established under The Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and the Planning etc.
(Scotland) Act 2006. Statutory access rights to all people over land and inland water
throughout Scotland were established in The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. This access is
subject to specific exclusions set out in the Act and as long as people exercising their rights
behave responsibly. It also introduced very specific duties and powers for local authorities and
national park authorities for upholding access rights, and for planning and managing access.
Areas where these rights do not apply include buildings, works and structures and the areas
around them (curtilages) and land on which or engineering works are being carried out, or
which is being used for mineral working or quarrying.
15.4.8 Other legislation and guidance applicable to tourism and recreation (including those relating to
visual impacts, which are of relevance to tourism) is discussed in Chapter 5 (Legislative and
Policy Context) and Chapter 9 (Landscape and Visual).
15.4.9 Table 15.5 presents the scoping responses received relevant to tourism and recreation, and
Table 15.6 presents the information sources used in the desk-based study.
Table 15.5 Scoping Responses Relevant to Tourism and Recreation
Organisation
Clackmannanshire
Council
Scottish Natural
Heritage
Historic Scotland
Response
14/06/10 - The assessment should include relevant interests in Falkirk and Stirling Council areas
whose boundaries lie close to the site.
The ES should consider potential impacts of the development on tourism and recreation and
contain measures to mitigate and enhance these impacts – including an examination of the
potential to include visitor/educational facilities associated with the development (on or off site) to
enhance public understanding of climate change, the contribution from wind power to alleviate its
impacts and the natural heritage and landscape value of the site and its surrounding area, given
the relative accessibility of the site to centres of population.
20/01/10 - The ES should assess the effect of enjoyment of any access routes in the area
(including cumulative impacts), the use of boundary features and essential access controls to
ensure that these are not a barrier to the general right of access, and any effect of increased
noise and other changes in experience of the area from its present character. The EIA should
deal with temporary and permanent effects of the proposal on recreation and access during
construction and subsequent operation of the proposed wind energy development.
03/02/10 - Indirect impacts on scheduled monuments, Category A listed buildings and Gardens
and designed landscapes should be considered, some of which are tourist attractions.
November 2010 Chapter 15 Page 11
Copyright Partnerships for Renewables Development Co. Ltd 2010 ©