limekiln wind farm 132 kv grid connection · gis geographic information system gpp guidance for...

Limekiln Wind Farm 132 kV Grid Connection EIA Report - Volume 2 Written Statement

March 2020

Limekiln Wind Farm 132 kV Grid Connection: Environmental Impact Assessment Report Page 1

Volume 2: Contents and Glossary March 2020

CONTENTS

GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATIONS

1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview of the Proposed Development 1-2

1.2 Background to the Proposed Development 1-2

1.3 Legislative Requirements 1-3

1.4 Contents of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report 1-3

1.5 Notifications 1-4

2: ROUTE SELECTION AND ALTERNATIVES

2.1 Introduction 2-2

2.2 Development Considerations 2-2

2.3 Summary of Routeing Process 2-2

2.4 Alternatives 2-4

3: DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT


3.2 The Proposed Development 3-2

3.3 Limits of Deviation 3-3

3.4 OHL Design 3-4

3.5 Construction Programme 3-6

3.6 Construction Environmental Management 3-7

3.7 Construction Practices and Phasing 3-7

3.8 Construction Employment and Hours of Work 3-10

3.9 Construction Traffic 3-10

3.10 Operation and Management 3-13

3.11 Decommissioning 3-14

4: EIA CONSULTATION


4.2 Pre-Application Consultation 4-2

4.3 Scoping 4-3

4.4 Key Scoping Issues 4-4

4.5 Potentially Significant Issues 4-5

4.6 Scoped-out Issues 4-5

4.7 Other Issues 4-9

4.8 Energy Consents Unit Gate Check 4-9

5: EIA METHODOLOGY


5.2 EIA Quality 5-2

5.3 Identification of Baseline 5-2

5.4 EIA Regulations 5-4

5.5 Assessment of Likely Significant Environmental Effects 5-4

5.6 Identification of Mitigation Measures 5-6

5.7 Cumulative Effects 5-6

5.8 Assumptions and Limitations 5-6



6: LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT

6.1 General Introduction 6-2

6.2 Scope of Assessment 6-2

6.3 Method of Assessment 6-3

6.4 Landscape Character 6-5

6.5 Visual Amenity 6-17

6.6 Mitigation Proposals 6-23

7: ECOLOGY


7.2 Scope of Assessment 7-2

7.3 Consultation 7-2

7.4 Methodology 7-4

7.5 Baseline Conditions 7-12

7.6 Potential Effects 7-18

7.7 Ecological Receptors 7-18

7.8 Likely Significant Effects 7-20

7.9 Mitigation 7-21

7.10 Monitoring 7-23

7.11 Residual Effects 7-23

7.12 Cumulative Impacts 7-23

7.13 Summary 7-24

8: ORNITHOLOGY


8.2 Scope of the Assessment 8-2

8.3 Assessment Methodology 8-4


8.5 Issues Scoped Out 8-14

8.6 Potential Effects 8-14

8.7 Assessment of Effects 8-15

8.8 Mitigation 8-21

8.9 Residual Effects 8-22

8.10 Assessment of Potential Cumulative Effects 8-22

8.11 Summary 8-23

9: CULTURAL HERITAGE


9.2 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 9-2

9.3 Sensitive Receptors 9-8



9.6 Potential Impacts 9-10

9.7 Mitigation 9-13

9.8 Residual Impacts 9-14

9.9 Cumulative Effects 9-14

9.10 Summary 9-14



10: HYDROLOGY, HYDROGEOLOGY, GEOLOGY AND SOILS


10.2 Methodology and Approach 10-2


10.4 Good Practice and Embedded Mitigation by Design 10-21

10.5 Assessment of Potential Effects 10-22

10-6 Summary and Conclusion 10-24

11: FORESTRY


11.2 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria 11-2

11.3 Sensitive Receptors 11-8



11.6 Assessment of Effects, Mitigation and Residual Effects 11-12

11.7 Compensatory Planting 11-16

11.8 Summary 11-17

12: SCHEDULE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MITIGATION


Other Volumes

Volume 1 – Non-technical Summary

Volume 3 – Figures

Volume 4 – Technical Appendices



GLOSSARY AND ABBREVIATIONS

132 kV 132 kilovolt (132,000 volt) operating voltage electrical circuit

AA Appropriate Assessment

AADF Average Annual Daily Flow

ADSS All Dielectric Self Supporting

AEP Annual Exceedance Probability

AOD Above Ordnance Datum

ASH ASH design+assessment Ltd

ATV All-terrain Vehicle

AWI Ancient Woodland Inventory

BBS Breeding Bird Survey

BGL Below Ground Level

BGS British Geological Survey

BoCC Birds of Conservation Concern

CAR Controlled Activities Regulations

CaSPlan Caithness and Sutherland Local Development Plan

CDM Regulations Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015

CEMP Construction Environmental Management Plan

CIEEM Chartered Institute of Ecological and Environmental Management

CIfA Chartered Institute for Archaeologists

CO2 Carbon dioxide

COSHH Control of Substances Hazardous to Health

CR Critically Endangered

CRZ Collision Risk Zone

DBA Desk-Based Assessment

DEFRA Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

DfT Department for Transport

DTM Digital Terrain Model

DWPA Drinking Water Protection Area

EC European Commission

ECoW Environmental Clerk of Works

ECU Energy Consents Unit

EEA European Economic Area



EIA Environmental Impact Assessment. A formal process codified by EU directive

2011/92/EU, and subsequently amended by Directive 2014/52/EU. The national

regulations are set out in The Electricity Works (Environmental Impact

Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. The EIA process is set out in

regulation 4(1) of the regulations and includes the preparation of an EIA Report

by the developer to systematically identify, predict, assess and report on the

likely significant environmental impacts of a proposed project or development.

EMF Electromagnetic Field

EMI Electromagnetic Interference

EN Endangered

ESQCR Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations

FCIWEM Fellow Member of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental

Management

FCS Forestry Commission Scotland

FISA Forest Industry Safety Accord

GCR Geological Conservation Review

GEMPs General Environmental Management Plans

GIS Geographic Information System

GPP Guidance for Pollution Prevention

GPS Global Positioning System

GVLIA3 Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 3rd Edition

GWDTE Groundwater Dependent Terrestrial Ecosystems

GWP Global Warming Potential

GYC General Yield Class

Ha Hectare, an area of 10,000 square metres

HER Historic Environment Record

HES Historic Environment Scotland

HET Historic Environment Team (The Highland Council)

HGV Heavy Goods Vehicle

HV High Voltage

HwLDP Highland-wide Local Development Plan

Hz Hertz, a measure of frequency

ICF Institute of Chartered Foresters

ICNRIP International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection

IEMA Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment

IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature



JNCC Joint Nature Conservation Committee

LBAP Local Biodiversity Action Plans

LCT Landscape Character Type

LDP Local Development Plan

LIS Land Information Search

LOD Limit of Deviation

LSE Likely Significant Effect

LTR Long Term Retention

LVIA Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment

MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

MW Megawatt

NHZ Natural Heritage Zone

NR Nationally Rare (within Chapter 7)

NR Natural Reserve (within Chapter 11)

NRPB National Radiological Protection Board

NS Nationally Scarce

NVC National Vegetation Classification

OC Operational Corridor

OHL Overhead Line. An electric line installed above ground, usually supported by

lattice steel towers or wooden poles.

OS Ordnance Survey

PAN Planning Advice Note

PAWS Plantation on Ancient Woodland Sites

PCH Potential Collision Height

PPG Pollution Prevention Guidance Notes

Proposed Development The Proposed Development is taken to be the description of: the location of the

development; the physical characteristics of the OHL, proposed access

arrangements and any associated construction activities and land-use

requirements.

PWS Private Water Supply

RAF Royal Air Force

RAG Red, Amber, Green

RFI Radio Frequency Interference

RSPB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds



SAC Special Area of Conservation – designated under Directive 92/42/EEC on the

Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (known as – The

Habitats Directive)

SBL Scottish Biodiversity List

Section 37 An application for development consent under Section 37 of the Electricity Act

1989

SEPA Scottish Environment Protection Agency

SF Scottish Forestry

SHE Transmission Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission plc – part of Scottish and Southern

Electricity Networks, and the transmission licence holder for the transmission of

electricity in the north of Scotland

SHEP Scottish Historic Environment Policy

SLR SLR Consulting Ltd

SM Scheduled Monument

SNAWI Semi-natural Ancient Woodland Inventory

SNH Scottish Natural Heritage

SNIFFER Scotland and Northern Ireland Forum for Environmental Research

SPA Special Protection Area – designated under Directive 2009/147/EC on the

Conservation of Wild Birds (the Birds Directive)

SPP Scottish Planning Policy

SPPs Species Protection Plans

SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest – designated by SNH under the Nature

Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004

SuDS Sustainable Drainage System

THC The Highland Council

TMP Traffic Management Plan

TS Transport Statement

TV Television

UKBAP UK Biodiversity Action Plans

UKTAG UK Technical Advisory Group

VORs Valued Ornithological Receptors

VP Vantage Point

VU Vulnerable

WEWS Water Environment and Water Services

WFD Water Framework Directive

WLA Wild Land Area



ZTV Zone of Theoretical Visibility – the computer generated theoretical visibility of an

object in the landscape

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