Landscape Capacity Study for Wind Farm ... - North Ayrshire Council

6. Conclusions on capacity
Summary of findings
6.1 The study has assessed the sensitivity of 8 detailed landscape character
areas within the Phase one study area to a range of different wind turbine
development typologies, using a number of key landscape and visual criteria
in the assessment. The findings of the sensitivity assessment are outlined in
the table below:
Table 4: Summary of sensitivity
Landscape character areas Sensitivity Capacity
Loch Thom area High None
The Upland Core High None
Duchal Moor Medium-High Limited
Blaeloch and Crosbie Hills Medium-High Limited
Haupland Muir High None
Raised Beach Coast Medium-High Limited
Intimate Pastoral Valley High None
Rolling Hill Fringes High None
6.2 There are two existing wind farm developments located within the study area
and therefore any assessment of capacity for additional development needs
to consider the location and pattern of these developments as part of the
baseline. Potential cumulative landscape and visual effects were considered
in the sensitivity assessment for individual character areas and also within the
wider study area where key views to and from the uplands formed the basis
of our appraisal.
6.3 None of the landscape character areas assessed were considered to have a
low or medium sensitivity to wind farm development. This reflects the
significant landscape and visual sensitivities of the phase one study area and
the presence of existing wind farm development which increases potential for
cumulative impacts to occur on landscape character and on views.
6.4 There was found to be limited capacity for a small extension to existing wind
farm development (5) within the ‘Blaeloch and Crosbie Hills’ landscape
character area. Development in this area would be subject to a number of
landscape and visual constraints, principally relating to the need to minimise
intrusion on the ‘Raised Beach Coast’ and the Firth of Clyde and islands to
the west and to retain the present separation and containment between
existing wind farm developments. There is scope for a very limited extension
to existing wind farm development in the less sensitive lower uplands in the
east of this character area where the existing wind farm of Wardlaw Wood is
already prominent in views from the settled lowlands of North Ayrshire.
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