Volume 2 Written Statement Full (PDF 4 MB) - Vattenfall

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Environmental Report Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm Onshore Transmission Works December 2012 52 The area of search identified does not have any internationally important statutory designations within it, and in terms of topography and potential access routes from the A90, most of the area of search was considered to be suitable for accommodating the infrastructure of the Proposed Development. The centre of the area of search was less accessible than other parts of the area of search using existing roads, however a new business park proposed in this part of the area of search would provide better access. 53 Parts of the area of search were considered physically unsuitable for accommodating the infrastructure required including the actively used areas of the golf courses, the active Tarbothill land fill site, and land immediately adjacent to properties at Blackdog and the isolated farm properties. 54 Three main burns cross the area of search from west to east, and the adjacent areas of land at risk from flooding was considered unsuitable for accommodating the infrastructure required. Parts of the east of the area of search are also identified by SEPA as being at risk of flooding by the sea, and these areas were also discounted. 2.4.4 Step 5: Defining the ‘Study Area’. Identification of a ‘long list’ of potential sites that can physically accommodate the Proposed Development 55 The Study Area used to identify a list of potential sites constituted the area of search identified in Step 2 with the omission of the areas with physical constraints to development identified in Step 4. 56 The ‘long list’ of potential sites was drawn up with regard to land availability, and the commercial viability of particular sites taking into account factors such as length of offshore cable required to reach a cable landfall point. 57 Within the Study Area, four sites were identified for further consideration: • Aberdeen Science & Energy Park - a plot within the existing business park • Murcar A – land close to Murcar Links Golf Club • Murcar B – a plot within the proposed Berryhill Business Park • Blackdog – land south east of Blackdog village 2.4.5 Step 6: Defining and mapping of areas of national amenity and areas of local amenity importance 58 Following identification of the area of search (Step 2), desk top and onsite baseline environmental surveys were undertaken across the area of search in June 2011 and July 2011. This work was undertaken to identify constraints to development within the area of search to inform the site selection process, and was also intended to be used to form the baseline for environmental assessment of the impacts of the Proposed Development to support a later planning application (on any site in the area of search). The work undertaken included the following consideration of the following: • Planning Policy • Ecology and Ornithology • Hydrology, Hydrogeology and Ground Conditions Chapter 2 SITE SELECTION Page 14 of 211
Environmental Report Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm Onshore Transmission Works December 2012 • Cultural Heritage • Noise • Socioeconomics, tourism and recreation • Traffic and Transport • Landscape and Visual 59 The findings of the baseline environmental surveys were used to inform the consideration of sites against the criteria in Step 6. 60 Within the Study Area, the only designated site of national importance identified was a listed building, a Salmon Netting Station, to the south west and south of the Study Area as shown on Figure 2-1. In terms of local amenity, a right of way forming part of the North Sea Trail coastal path runs along the eastern boundary of the Study Area, the only public access to the beach within the Study Area is at Blackdog where a number of footpaths link the village to the beach. 61 A district wildlife site, Blackdog and Balgownie Links includes the dune systems running parallel to the coast from the south of the Study Area to the Aberdeenshire Council boundary. 62 Parts of the Study Area are designated as ‘Coastal Zone’ and ‘Greenbelt’ in the respective local Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City local plans. Greenbelt covers the majority of the eastern part of the Study Area. 63 The Study Area also included an area of mixed use development land east of Blackdog village, and land proposed for industrial and business use in the centre of the Study Area with an existing outline permission for construction of a new business park. 2.4.6 Step 7: Consideration of local context and ability to mitigate 64 All of the sites within the Study Area were considered to have the capacity to accommodate the required infrastructure. Designated sites, and areas of local amenity were identified (Step 6) and it was determined that these sites could be avoided, through either location of the infrastructure away from these areas, or through use of appropriate construction methodologies such as HDD beneath golf courses and dune systems. The parts of the site with existing screening from plantation woodland, and the areas with existing proposals for development, or existing industrial development were considered to give the best opportunities for mitigation of potential impacts on the designated sites and areas of local amenity identified in Step 6. 65 During this Step, meetings were held with planning officers from Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council to discuss the available options and obtain information on any planning policy constraints to feed into the site appraisal process (Step 8). 2.4.7 Step 8: Appraising the sites based on the environmental and technical constraints 66 The site appraisal process was carried out on the ‘long list’ of four sites identified with reference to the baseline survey work carried out in Step 6. The four potential sites were considered in the context of environmental and Chapter 2 SITE SELECTION Page 15 of 211
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