View - North East Lincolnshire Council

BOC Immingham Dissolved Acetylene Project Environmental Statement: Vol. 2 Main Text
Views and Visual Receptors
Overview
13.66 This Section provides an understanding of the nature and extent of the existing views towards and
between the site and the surrounding area. It also includes reference to specific locations that
could be subject to impacts as a result of the scheme.
13.67 The extent of visibility within the study area varies (as shown on the ZTVs prepared for this
assessment - see Figures 13A.1 to 13A.10 in Appendix 13A). In some locations extensive
panoramic views are available due to the flat and low lying nature of the topography. In these
views vertical man-made features form strong reference points and create a varied skyline.
13.68 Views along and across the Estuary are also common, with long distance and panoramic views of
the existing landscape experienced from numerous points along the edge of the Estuary.
However, at a more local level the large scale of the built structures and the industrial context,
provide visual containment, restricting views in some instances.
13.69 For the purpose of this assessment the potential visual receptors have been grouped as follows:
� recreational users, including PRoW, public open space and areas of open access land;
� residential properties;
� vehicle routes and other major transport corridors; and
� other uses including industrial, retail leisure and business uses.
13.70 In some instances receptors located in close proximity to each other are grouped together (e.g.,
for scattered residential properties where effects are anticipated to be of the same extent). The
locations of all the representational visual receptors are shown on Figure 13B.1 (see
Appendix 13B) and are referenced throughout the following text with their receptor identification
number. The sensitivity of the identified receptors is contained in the Visual Impact Table
(Table 13D.1 in Appendix 13D). The extent of the baseline visibility and views within the study
area are summarised below.
Existing Views from Settlements and Residential Properties
13.71 There are several settlements (Immingham, The Willows and Wybers Wood on the edge of
Grimsby, Healing, Stallingborough and Little London) and numerous scattered houses and
farmhouses within the 5 km study area that could potentially experience effects as a result of the
Dissolved Acetylene Project.
13.72 During the summer months the foliage of intervening vegetation limits views from the residential
locations (R3, R4 and R9). Existing industrial elements are visible in the far distance but the
prominence of the pylons and the associated cables dominate the view across the sky as
illustrated by Figure 13.6.
13.73 At a greater distance from residential properties (R10, R14 and R15) the foreground of the view is
dominated by the flat open character of the agricultural land. The developments within
Stallingborough Industrial Estate and Immingham Dock, together with the pylons, form strong
vertical elements in the composition of these views and often form a continuous backdrop. The
fragmented vegetative features (formed by boundary delineations) provide some visual ‘break up’
of the industrial aspect of the view and also screening of the lower limits of these developments in
some locations.
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