Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
• Impact on aviation and defence interests, particularly airport and aerodrome
operation, flight activity, tactical training areas, aviation and defence radar and
seismological recording;
• Impact on broadcasting installations, particularly maintaining transmission links.
3.2.5 Paragraph 190 of SPP, relating to identification of areas with potential constraints to wind
farm developments notes that “ the existence of these constraints on wind farm development
does not impose a blanket restriction on development. and ..(Development plans).. should be
clear on the extent of constraints and the factors that should be satisfactorily addressed to
enable development to take place. Planning authorities should not impose additional zones of
protection around areas designated for their landscape or natural heritage value”.
Scottish Government Planning Advice - Onshore Wind Turbines
3.2.6 SPP should be read with Scottish Government Planning Advice ”Onshore Wind Turbines”
(2011 - last updated 24 October 2012); which contains some detailed planning advice and
technical information which has further assisted in the site selection process. This online
advice is not site specific, but is intended to provide a user-friendly resource offering
guidance on new technologies and processes, with clarification of the roles of planning
authorities, consultees and developers in enabling development.
3.2.7 In considering the landscape impacts of wind farms when determining planning applications,
the guidance recognises that the receiving landscape features and the design of the
development can play a significant role in ensuring the proposals are integrated into the
landscape setting. It states that “the ability of the landscape to absorb development often
depends largely on features of landscape character such as landform, ridges, hills, valleys
and vegetation. This can also be influenced by careful siting and the skills of the designer.”
3.2.8 Other criteria identified in the guidance to be assessed in the determination of wind farm
proposals include impacts on communities (as a result of shadow flicker, noise, electromagnetic
interference and ice throw), aviation and other defence matters, road traffic impacts
and cumulative impacts. These issues should also be considered by Planning Authorities
when drafting Development Plan Policy and throughout the planning process.
Development Plan Policy
3.2.9 Development Plan policies relevant to site selection and design include West Lothian Local
Plan (WLLP) Policies NWR29, which identifies preferred areas for wind farm developments in
West Lothian and NWR26 which provides that in determining any proposal for a wind farm,
the council shall have specific regard to specific site planning considerations, including
turbine colour schemes and other design issues.
3.2.10 In addition, West Lothian Council has produced a Landscape Capacity Study for Wind
Energy Development in West Lothian, which is currently at Consultative Draft stage. The
primary purpose of the study is to advise West Lothian Council on the best strategic
approach for accommodating future wind energy developments within the context of West
Lothian’s landscape and settlement pattern. Once approved, this landscape capacity study
will underpin the council’s interim planning guidance for wind energy developments and
subsequent policy inclusion in the emerging Local Development Plan. The landscape
capacity study for wind energy development is limited to landscape and visual amenity issues
only.
March 2013 3-3 ES Chapter 3
Design Evolution
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