Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
if there was a possibility that their view would be compromised, given the distance from these
settlements and on the basis of the various surveys on the effects of wind farms on tourists
identified above, it is considered that the number of such visitors would be small. It is also
expected that any losses incurred in this way would be compensated for, to some degree if
not completely, by an increase in accommodation demand during the construction and
decommissioning periods (as a result of contractors outwith the area that require
accommodation). The magnitude of this effect is therefore considered to be small.
15.4.39 Overall the proposed wind farm is therefore anticipated to have a slight or negligible negative
effect on tourist accommodation providers.
Access and Recreation
15.4.40 Public access to the site in general is afforded by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. The
site of the proposed wind farm is not considered to be well used for outdoor access purposes
and the sensitivity of this receptor is therefore considered to be low. Construction and
decommissioning activities on the site would inevitably result in a loss of public access to
parts of the site where turbines are being installed and materials and equipment stored for
health and safety reasons. However, given this loss would only be for a short term temporary
period, given such closures would not apply to the wider application site or tracks within it and
given short closures for health and safety reasons already commonly occur during harvesting
operations, the magnitude of this change is considered to be small. Overall, the proposed
wind farm is therefore anticipated to have a slight or negligible negative effect with regards to
on-site public access during the construction / decommissioning phases.
15.4.41 By making the site more accessible through the construction of access tracks for the
proposed wind farm and upgrading existing forestry tracks to create circular routes from the
Shear Bridge car park , it is possible that the site may become more popular for public access
during the operational phase. Given the site is not considered to currently be well used for
outdoor access, the sensitivity of this receptor is considered to be medium. However, given
the limited extend of footpaths that will be created and the fact that these footpaths do not link
to any other wider access networks, the magnitude of this change is therefore considered to
be small. Overall, the proposed wind farm is therefore anticipated to have a slight positive
effect with regards to on-site access during the operational period.
15.4.42 Outwith the site, the most sensitive receptor to the proposed wind farm is the Pentland Hills
Regional Park given its importance as an established and popular recreational resource and
its relatively close proximity to the site. The sensitivity of the Regional Park is therefore
considered to be High.
15.4.43 The Zone of Theoretical Visibility for the proposed wind farm demonstrates that visibility of
the proposed turbines would be predominantly confined to the western parts of the Regional
Park (to the west of Mid Hill) and to the northern parts of the Regional Park to the south-east
of Balerno and Currie. As illustrated in the Pentland Hills Visitor Survey (TNS, 2006) , the far
west of the Regional Park is generally far less used as a recreational resource than other
parts of the Regional Park and is therefore considered to have a reduced sensitivity as a
recreational resource.
15.4.44 The landscape and visual impact assessment (ES Chapter 9) identifies that from the western
parts of the Regional Park, the proposed wind farm would have an indirect impact on the
landscape and visual character and qualities of the area. Viewpoints 11 Harperrig Reservoir
(Figure 9.14/11) and 12 West Cairn Hill (Figure 9.14/12) are considered to be representative
March 2013 15-25 ES Chapter 15
Socio-Economics, Tourism, Land-Use and Recreation
Copyright Partnerships for Renewables Development Co. Ltd 2013 ©