Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
11.6.8 Bat activity levels were low across the site, with any impact of pollution predicted to be of a
small magnitude (e.g. through indirect effects on prey availability) and level of effect and
significance is predicted to be slight at most.
Table 11.13 Potential Unmitigated Effects and Associated Level of Effects of Pollution
on Terrestrial Protected Species
Species Sensitivity Magnitude Level of Effect (and significance)
Otter Low Medium Slight (not significant)
Bat species (soprano pipistrelle,
common pipistrelle)
Low Small Slight (not significant)
Badger Low Negligible Negligible (not significant)
Damage and Disturbance to Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats
11.6.9 Other than the habitat loss that will occur to facilitate the operation of the wind farm (dealt
with separately under operational effects below), the construction of the wind farm will result
in a degree of habitat disturbance and change in community composition. This can occur
through physical damage with very wet habitats, including marshy grassland, and habitats
which occur on very shallow substrates especially sensitive to disturbance. As the presence
of these sensitive habitats is very limited on site and it is likely that only small amounts of
habitats around works areas would be affected (see Table 11.16), the overall effect has been
assessed accordingly. Coniferous plantation woodland will be the habitat exposed to the
highest level of disturbance and has therefore been assigned a large magnitude of effect,
with a moderate to slight level of effect predicted. The potential effect of this disturbance is
shown below in Table 11.14.
Table 11.14 Potential Unmitigated Effects and Associated Level of Effects of Damage
and Disturbance on Terrestrial and Aquatic Habitats
Habitat Type Sensitivity Magnitude Level of Effect (and
Significance)
Coniferous plantation woodland Low Large Moderate to slight (not significant)
Broadleaved woodland Low Small Negligible(not significant)
Wet modified bog High Small Slight (not significant)
Marshy grassland Low Small Negligible(not significant)
Semi-improved acid grassland Low Small Negligible(not significant)
Watercourses Low Small Negligible(not significant)
Disturbance, Displacement and Injury of Terrestrial Species during Construction
11.6.10 Overall, construction related disturbance would be relatively localised and reasonably shortterm
in nature, lasting approximately 6 months. There is the potential for construction
activities on the site to cause disturbance to protected mammal species present. This can
be caused through various activities including, the presence of people on the site causing
visual and olfactory disturbance, and from noise and vibration caused by the operation of
construction machinery. Regarding the susceptibility of the receptors to disturbance, otters,
March 2013 11-31 ES Chapter 11
Terrestrial Ecology
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