Non Technical Summary - Partnerships for Renewables

Landscaoe and Visual – Chapter 9 continued >
• 10km from the proposed development for assessment
of effects on local landscape character and the majority
of visual receptors. This is referred to as the detailed study
area and covers nearly all the areas of the Island from
where the proposed turbines would be potentially visible;
• 20km from the proposed development for assessment
of effects on settlements, National Trails and national
landscape designations; and
• 40km from the proposed development for
cumulative effects.
A cumulative scoping exercise was carried out which
identified three wind energy developments and a biomass
CHP plant with a tall chimney stack to be included in the
cumulative assessment.
The development site is not located within any national
or local landscape planning designations and is located
approximately 2.5km from the Isle of Wight Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and approximately 8km
away from the New Forest National Park which is located on
the mainland.
The Isle of Wight Council has undertaken detailed studies
which have characterised the different landscapes of the
Isle of Wight. The proposed turbines are located within the
Northern Woodlands’ landscape character type (LCT) which
extends across Parkhurst Forest and some of its adjacent
fields and the surrounding area is defined as Traditional
Enclosed Pasture Land LCT or Calbourne Farmland
Landscape Character Area (LCA).
The development site is located on the eastern side of the
395ha Parkhurst Forest which comprises of mature, mixed
broadleaf and conifer woodland which extends around the
development site’s western and northern edges. Another
mature woodland, Noke Plantation, forms the development
site’s eastern edge providing it with a strong sense of
enclosure. To the south is a valley containing a number of
unkempt pasture fields which separate it from the HMP
Isle of Wight site including Camp Hill, Albany and Parkhurst
Barracks. Parkhurst Forest contains a number of trails which
are open to public use but there is no public access to the
site itself or in its immediate vicinity. There are moderate
levels of public access approximately 1km from the
proposed development.
In the wider context there are ten long-distance trails mostly
concentrated in the southern part of the island with the
exception of the Isle of Wight Coastal Path which skirts the
whole perimeter. These have been assessed and there will
be no “substantial adverse” or “very substantial adverse”
effects experienced at any of these receptors. The centre
of Newport, the island’s largest town, lies some 2.8km to
the south-east and its northern suburb of Parkhurst extends
along the A3020 approximately 1km to the east. The small
towns of Cowes and East Cowes also lie within 5km.
Otherwise the prevailing settlement pattern in the detailed
study area is of small settlements distributed in a medium
density interspersed with farmsteads and isolated or small
clusters of residential properties. There are also a number
of holiday parks and tourist attractions 1.5km from the
proposed development site and beyond.
In terms of effects on the receptors mentioned above
during the construction and de-commissioning phases both
landscape and visual effects are considered to be temporary
in nature and short term. This results in landscape and
visual effects being not significant although there would
be a limited number of visual receptors likely to sustain
moderate adverse levels of visual effect during the shortlived
period when the turbines are actually being erected by
crane and their rotor blades attached. During construction
and de-commissioning this relatively low level of landscape
and visual effect is mainly due to the low numbers of close
distance visual receptors and the screening of all ground
level construction activities by the surrounding woodlands.
During the 25-year operational period no significant effects
have been identified that would be greater than “moderate
adverse” on any landscape elements, character areas or
types or upon landscape designations. Moderate adverse
landscape effects have been identified for the Northern
Woodlands LCT within which the wind energy development
would be sited and the aforementioned surrounding
Traditional Enclosed Pasture Land LCT and Calbourne
Farmland LCA. In the areas from which the turbines could
potentially be seen, the separation distances from and the
most valued attributes of the AONB and Heritage Coasts are
assessed in detail and it is concluded that landscape effects
would be no more than “slight adverse”. Consequently, no
significant effects were identified for the Isle of Wight AONB,
the Heritage Coast or the New Forest National Park.
In addition to the nineteen agreed visualisation viewpoints
the visual assessment included 118 individual or, more
usually, groups of visual receptors located on the island
and within 10km of the proposed development site. Of
these visual receptors it is concluded that nine individuals
or groups would be likely to sustain “substantial adverse”
visual effects and a further twenty-four individual or groups
would be likely or certain to sustain “moderate adverse”
visual effects. However, no visual receptors would sustain
“very substantial adverse” visual effects. These relatively
low numbers of instances where “moderate” or “substantial”
adverse visual effects would be experienced is due to the
fact that there is, in fact, a relatively small number of visual
receptors located in close proximity to the development site.
Furthermore, screening provided by the high level of tree
cover nearby will help to foreshorten many potential views
for residents in properties such as those at the western
end of Noke Common and Mark’s Corner. The aspect and
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