1 Introduction. Introduction. Environmental Context. Environmental Sensitivity. Site Location and Surroundings

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1 Inverclyde Wind Farm Inverclyde Renewables LLP 1 Introduction Introduction 1.1 This (ES) is submitted in support of a full planning application made by Inverclyde Renewables LLP ( the Applicant ) for permission under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 as amended by The Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 to install ten wind turbines and associated infrastructure and ancillary development at a site situated to the south of Greenock in Inverclyde (referred to throughout this ES as the proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm ). This ES has been prepared in accordance with the requirements set out in the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations This chapter provides a summary of the environmental context, application details, details of the applicant and the project team, and a summary of the structure and content of the ES. Environmental Context Site Location and Surroundings 1.3 The proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm is located on the northern edge of the Renfrewshire Hills immediately south of urban area of Greenock. The centre of Greenock lies approximately 2.4 km to the north of the site boundary (measured from Greenock Central train station). The eastern site boundary extends to meet the unclassified Dougliehill Road, adjacent to the junction with Devol Road and Dubbs Road on the south side of Port Glasgow. The centre of Kilmacolm is approximately 5.5 km to the south east of the site boundary. The site location is shown in Figure 1.2 and the site boundary is shown in Figure The site surrounds the high ground of Corlic Hill (303 m) and includes parts of Burnhead Moor, Moukinhill Moor and Devol Moor. The site is bisected by the B788 road, which runs between Greenock in the north, and meets the A761 road on the south side of Kilmacolm. The site to the west of the B788 is largely unimproved upland moorland grazed by sheep and cattle, comprising mainly heather and grassland vegetation separated by fences and drystane walls. The site to the east of the B788 is predominantly semi-improved and improved pasture. 1.5 A number of small watercourses arise on Corlic Hill and radiate out from the site, draining into the Gryfe Reservoirs approximately 175 m to the south of the site, Knocknair s Hill and Harelaw Reservoirs 250 m to the north of the site and the River Clyde Estuary approximately 2 km north of the site. A full description of the surface water catchments is provided in Chapter 10: Geology, Hydrology and Hydrogeology. 1.6 There is a large electricity substation located adjacent to and to the east of the B788, close to the southern boundary of the site. Several sets of overhead transmission and distribution power lines lead to and from this substation. 1.7 The unclassified Loch Thom Road leads westwards from the B788 to the south of the Gryfe Reservoirs. To the west of Garshangan Bridge, the road is unsurfaced and leads through a stand of plantation forest to join the Old Largs Road at the western end of Gryfe Reservoirs. Environmental Sensitivity 1.8 There are no international or national landscape designations within the site. The site does lie within the northern extreme of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park is located approximately 10 km to the north. Further details on landscape designations are provided in Chapter 6: Landscape and Visual. 1.9 There are no sites designated for ecological or ornithological importance within the site. The nearest International, European or National ecological designation is the Knocknairs Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) located approximately 750 m to the north of the site. In addition, the Inner Clyde Ramsar 1 / Special Protection Area (SPA) / SSSI is location 1.7 km north-east of the site, and the Shielhill Glen SSSI is located 4.2 km west of the site. A number of other non-statutory designations are located within the surrounding area. Further details on ecological designations are provided in Chapter 7: Ecology and Chapter 8: Ornithology There are no Scheduled Monuments within the site. There are two Scheduled Monuments located immediately north of the site: Lurg Moor Hut circle and a Roman Fortlet and associated section of Roman Road. There are no Listed Buildings within the site, and no part of the proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm would lie within a Garden and Designed Landscape, Historic Battlefield, Conservation Area, or Non-Inventory Designed Landscape. There are a number of National Monuments, Scottish Sites and Monuments records, and Non Statutory Records sites within the site boundary and in the surrounding area. Further details on the historic environment baseline are provided in Chapter 9: Historic Environment The Gryfe Water, located 175 m south of the site, has its confluence with the River Gryfe near Kilmacolm, 6.5 km to the south-east of the site. The River Gryfe is classified as a drinking water protection zone, as are the nearby Knocknair s Hill, Harelaw and Gryfe Reservoirs. These waterbodies are used by local angling clubs and the River Gryfe is designated under the Freshwater Fish Directive. A number of local properties in the area of the proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm are served by private water supplies, drawing their drinking water from local borehole or spring abstractions. Further details on the water environment are provided in Chapter 10: Geology, Hydrology and Hydrogeology The site boundary crosses the B788 and connects with Devol Road and Dubbs Road in the east. Further details on the potential effects of traffic are provided in Chapter 11: Traffic and Transport. 1 Ramsar: sites designated as part of a network of wetlands which are of international importance for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits/services URL: (accessed ) Chapter 1: Introduction 1-1 ENVIRON

2 Inverclyde Renewables LLP 1.13 Glasgow Airport is situated approximately 17 km to the south-east of the site and Glasgow Prestwick Airport lies approximately 46 km to the south of the site. Potential effects on operations at Glasgow Airport through the proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm being visible in radar systems are considered in Chapter 12: Aviation There is no settlement within the site; however the southern fringe of Greenock to the north and a number of other scattered rural residential properties are located within 1 km of the site. Further details on the potential for effects on the amenity of these properties are provided in Chapter 13: Noise and Chapter 15: Shadow Flicker The site lies within the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park. Clyde Muirshiel is Scotland's largest regional park, designated primarily for informal recreation under the Wildlife and Countryside (Scotland) Act There is a network of paths and tracks both through and around the site, which form part of Inverclyde Council s core path network 2. A track leading from Burnhead (a ruinous property) northwards to Greenock crosses the western edge of the site. Another track roughly follows the southern boundary of the site from Mansfield Bridge, Loch Thom Road, to the highest point on the site, the summit of Corlic 3 Hill at 303 m Above Ordnance Datum (AOD). Potential effects on recreational amenity are considered further in Chapter 6: Landscape and Visual and Chapter 14: Socio-economics. Chapter 14 also provides further detail on the potential for economic impacts. Planning History 1.16 The site was previously the subject of an application by Airtricity for a wind farm (known as Greenock Wind Farm ) in 2003 under Section 36 of the Electricity Act The proposed Greenock Wind Farm comprised 23 turbines and associated infrastructure and ancillary development. A subsequent amendment to the application in 2005 removed one of the proposed turbines. The final proposed scheme comprised MW turbines with a total maximum generating capacity of approximately 55 MW. This application was ultimately refused at appeal following a Public Local Inquiry (PLI) The PLI Report 4 concluded that there would be no significant effects in relation to ornithology, ecology, hydrology and noise. No evidence was required in relation to traffic and transport and archaeology. The PLI Report also concluded that the impacts on settings of sensitive cultural heritage sites would not be significant Key reasons given for refusal in the PLI Report were the effects of the 22 turbine scheme on the landscape character of Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park; and potential impacts on operations at Glasgow Airport. Application Details Inverclyde Wind Farm 1.19 The Applicant is making an application for planning permission to Inverclyde Council for permission to construct a wind farm comprising 10 horizontal axis wind turbines on land within Ardgowan Estate, near Greenock, Inverclyde, with associated infrastructure and ancillary development including; turbine installation hardstanding areas, access tracks, a network of underground cabling, transformers and site substation and control room facilities. The proposed site layout is shown in Figure Each turbine would have three blades attached to a rotor hub, mounted on a tapered tubular tower. The hub height would not exceed 65 m, and the overall height to blade tip would not exceed 110 m. This maximum turbine size has been selected following a thorough site selection and design evolution process that is outlined in detail in Chapter 3: Design Evolution and Alternatives. Further details on the proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm are presented in Chapter 4: Description of Development The planning application for the proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm does not include the grid connection; however it is anticipated that an underground cable connection would be made into Devol Moor 132/33 kv substation, located adjacent to site, next to the crossing of the B788 road. The grid connection is not considered further in the technical chapters (Chapters 6-15). About the Applicant 1.22 The application is submitted by Inverclyde Renewables LLP (or 'the Applicant') with an address at Clyde View (Suite F3), Riverside Business Park, 22 Pottery Street, Greenock, PA15 2UZ Inverclyde Renewables LLP is a limited liability partnership comprising 2020 Renewables Limited and Ardgowan Estate Renewables Ltd was set up in 2010 to develop onshore wind projects principally in Scotland. Based in Greenock, Inverclyde, the company has developed a portfolio of projects with a total capacity of over 450 MW Renewables Ltd is part of the Velocita Group. Velocita was established in early 2011 in partnership with Riverstone Holdings to finance the development, construction, ownership and operation of utility-scale wind energy projects in several countries in Europe. About the Project Team 1.25 The Applicant appointed a project team to assist in the development of the proposals to the point of a planning application and to prepare the ES. The members of the project team and their respective roles are presented in Table URL: (accessed 17th April 2013) 3 NB. Spelled as Corlick Hill on ordnance survey map, but known locally as Corlic Hill. 4 (accessed on 21 December 2012) ENVIRON 1 2 Chapter 1: Introduction

3 Inverclyde Wind Farm Inverclyde Renewables LLP Table 1.1: Project team and specific technical contributions 1.28 (i.e. this document) is structured as follows: Company ENVIRON UK Ltd Optimised Environments Ltd (OPEN) RPS CFA Archaeology Wallingford Hydro Solutions Ltd Role Design and EIA co-ordination and management; Author of: Non-technical summary (NTS) Chapter 1: Introduction; Chapter 2: EIA Process and Methodology; Chapter 3: Design Evolution and Alternatives (with OPEN); Chapter 4: Description of the Development; Chapter 5: Construction and Environmental Management Chapter 15: Shadow Flicker Chapter 16: Summary of Mitigation Turbine layout design; Chapter 6: Landscape and Visual Chapter 7: Ecology; Chapter 8: Ornithology Chapter 9: Historic Environment Chapter 10: Geology, Hydrology and Hydrogeology, inputs on hydrology and private water supplies Chapter 1: Introduction provides a brief introduction to the scheme, the applicant and the structure of the ES and presents the rationale for the project; Chapter 2: EIA Process & Methodology sets out the broad method of approach that has been used in the EIA for the proposed scheme; Chapter 3: Design Evolution and Alternatives outlines the design strategy, layout constraints and modifications to the layout and describes the site selection process; Chapter 4: Description of Development provides a detailed description of the scheme; Chapter 5: Construction and Environmental Management outlines the proposed programme of site preparation, construction and decommissioning works for the proposed wind farm site and the management controls that would be implemented during these phases; Chapters 6-15 contain the detailed technical assessments of the proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm covering descriptions of the baseline conditions, identification of likely significant environmental effects during construction, operation and decommissioning, outline mitigation to avoid, reduce or offset these effects, and assessment of the significance of any identified residual effects on the environment; and Chapter 16: Summary of Mitigation presents the predicted significant effects and proposed mitigation measures. SBA Chapter11: Traffic and Transport Osprey Consulting Chapter 12: Aviation Hayes Mackenzie Partnership Ltd Chapter 13: Noise BiGGAR Economics Chapter 14: Socio-economics Turleys Associates Planning Statement SLR Consulting Design of track layout, borrow pit assessment and assessment of peat stability. Structure of the 1.26 The ES comprises four volumes: Volume 1: Non-Technical Summary Volume 3: Landscape and Visual Figures Volume 4: Technical Appendices 1.27 presents an assessment of the likely significant environmental effects of the proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm. Figures are presented at the end of each chapter, with the exception of Chapter 6: Landscape and Visual, where the figures are provided in a separate volume. The Non-technical Summary (Volume 1) and Technical Appendices (Volume 4) are also presented as separate volumes. Chapter 1: Introduction 1-3 ENVIRON

4 Inverclyde Renewables LLP Inverclyde Wind Farm ENVIRON 1 4 Chapter 1: Introduction

5 Crown copyright, All rights reserved Licence number Legend Site Boundary Kilometers ± A3 1:50,000 Figure 1.1: Site location Site: Proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm Client: Inverclyde Wind Farm Ltd Date May 2013 Drawn by DD Project No. UK Issue 1 7 Walker Street, Edinburgh EH3 7JY Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0)

6 Crown copyright, All rights reserved Licence number Legend Turbine Layout Link track (to core paths network) Passing Place Access Track Permanent Crane Hardstanding Substation / Control Building Hardstanding Permanent Car Parking Site Boundary ± A3 1:12,500 Figure 1.2: Site layout Site: Proposed Inverclyde Wind Farm Client: Inverclyde Wind Farm Ltd Date Drawn by June 2013 DD/PB Project No. Issue UK Meters , Walker Street, Edinburgh EH3 7JY Tel: +44 (0) Fax: +44 (0)