Moore Environment has helped secure planning permission for a 300kW wind turbine in Herefordshire, one of the first commercial scale machines to be proposed in the County.
The turbine would measure 66.7 metres to blade tip and the project also includes ancillary features - an access track, substation building and temporary wind monitoring mast. Herefordshire Council requested a full Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) to be carried out following concerns about the potential impact of the proposal on the landscape.
The LVIA was carried out in accordance with guidance published by the Landscape Institute (LI) and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) and included:
· interpretation of a 15 kilometre Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV) and 25 photomontage viewpoints
· an assessment of alternative proposals considered
· baseline survey of landscape character and environmental assets
· an assessment of the sensitivity and capacity of the landscape to accommodate the proposed turbine and the identification of any significant effects, taking into account best practice guidance published by the Countryside Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage
· a visual impact assessment for receptors including dwellings, communities, public rights of way, heritage features such as Scheduled Monuments and Parks and Gardens, and local roads
· the development of a mitigation strategy including turbine colour, location and design of ancillary features and measures to restore and enhance local landscape character.
Extract from the Landscape Features and Visual Receptors Plan showing three stage ZTV, 2.5km radius, properties with and without views, photomontage viewpoints and heritage features
It is predicted that this turbine could generate enough electricity to supply 188 homes each year, contributing to the Herefordshire’s renewable energy targets.
