Camilty Wind Farm - Partnerships for Renewables

Camilty Wind Farm
• Ornithology – the potential for impacts on species from Westwater Special Protection
Area (SPA), Ramsar site and SSSI and Firth of Forth SPA, Ramsar site and SSSI
would need to be considered;
• Aviation – part of the site is located within the line of sight of Edinburgh Airport Radar
and Lowther Hill radar. Consultation with NATS has been undertaken from the outset
of development to agree a technical solution – this is discussed in the aviation report
submitted alongside the planning application.
3.5.15 All these constraints were considered in the process of developing the design, particularly
during the Design Workshop described below. However, the key constraint considered at
this stage was identified as the SAMs contained within the Initial Design boundary and the
proximity of turbines to them. Consequently, one turbine located very close to Camilty Hill
Roman Fortlet SAM was removed, resulting in a 13 turbine layout. The site boundary was
also redrawn to exclude this area to indicate a standoff from the two SAMs “within” the initial
site boundary.
Consultation
3.5.16 The results of scoping and discussions held primarily with SNH, Historic Scotland and West
Lothian Council and based on the 14 and 13 turbine layouts, established the following key
principles in terms of design:
• Potential impacts on the setting of the SAMs would be of paramount importance to
Historic Scotland. During a site meeting with Historic Scotland (31 May 2012), it was
made clear that turbines which appeared dominant relative to the SAMs would not be
acceptable within the context of the setting of the SAMs. Historic Scotland defined the
setting of the SAMs as predominantly along an east - west axis i.e. broadly parallel to
the course of the A70, and within the limited extent of visibility defined by the existing
forestry clearing i.e. recognising the significant screening afforded from distant views
by existing forestry.
• Potential impacts on the setting of the Harburn House HGDL to the north of the site
would also be of paramount importance to Historic Scotland.
• The proposed development should respect the pattern of development broadly from
the west to east within West Lothian with large-scale wind farm developments not
considered by West Lothian Council as suitable for the area within which the
proposed wind farm is proposed.
• The proposed development should respect the scale and size of other consented
schemes in the vicinity of the site. SNH also stressed the need to develop a design
that showed sufficient separation from the consented schemes and avoided stacking
of turbines from key viewpoints as far as practicable.
• The proposed development should seek to avoid direct impacts upon the Pentland
AGLV and also avoid significant impacts from within.
3.5.17 Together with the key risks identified by the project team, these principles were used to
inform the progression of the design from Initial Design to Intermediate Design and,
ultimately, Final Design. This was achieved through the holding of a design workshop, as
described below.
March 2013 3-11 ES Chapter 3
Design Evolution
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