Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
9.2.34 The potential for effects to occur in views from roads, railways and rights of way is restricted
to views that occur when travelling towards the proposed wind farm. Although there is
potential for views towards the proposed wind farm from roads and the railway in the local
area, much will depend on local circumstances including the extent to which roadside/rail
side vegetation or forestry filter or screen views towards the site.
9.2.35 The roads assessed in the sequential assessment are the A70 between Windy Green and
Camilty Plantation and between Auchnnon and Camilty Plantation, the B7008 between West
Calder and the A70 and the A70 and the Roman Fortlet adjacent to the site, the Lockerbie to
Livingston railway between Auchengray and Harburn and Livingston and Harburn and The
Cauldstane Slap/Old Drove Road/Thieves Road path. Occupiers of vehicles and trains in
these locations would be receptors of medium sensitivity. Walkers using the footpaths would
be of high sensitivity to sequential effects on views.
Cumulative Effects
9.2.36 Cumulative effects are the effects of the proposed wind farm in combination with other
existing and proposed wind farms in the study area.
9.2.37 As with the assessment of landscape effects, cumulative landscape effects can either be
directly on the physical fabric of the landscape, or indirectly on the character of the
landscape.
9.2.38 Cumulative effects on visual amenity can be experienced either from static viewpoints, where
two or more developments can be seen from a single location (combined visibility); or
sequentially, where in the process of moving along a route, two or more proposals are visible.
9.2.39 Combined visibility is experienced either in combination, where more than one wind farm is
visible within the same field of view, or in succession, where only by turning to face another
direction is any other wind farm visible. The proposed turbines in this instance are over 100
m high, for which the SNH cumulative assessment guidance of March 2012 recommends a
minimum study area of 60 km radius, with a detailed assessment to focus on schemes within
a 35 km radius.
9.2.40 The assessment of cumulative effects uses the same visualisation tools available for the
assessment of landscape and visual effects. ZTVs, wireframes, and photomontages have all
been used as part of this assessment. Detailed cumulative methodology for the assessment
is discussed later in this Chapter from paragraph 9.9.1 onwards, given the detailed and
discrete nature of the assessment.
9.2.41 An initial list of all proposals within 60 km of the proposed wind farm was prepared based on
information derived from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and RenewableUK (RUK) (formerly
BWEA) and the local authorities listed above. This was sent to the various council regions in
which the proposals are based for comment.
9.2.42 The assessment of cumulative effects describes in detail the effects of each individual wind
farm proposal within 35 km of the proposed wind farm, and with which it interacts, including
supporting graphics such as cumulative ZTVs. Cumulative wireline visualisations include all
schemes within 35 km. The study of the detailed 35 km radius area (Figure 9.3) includes a
discussion of the overall capacity of the receiving landscape to accommodate wind farm
development.
March 2013 9-7 ES Chapter 9
Landscape and Visual
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