Environment

 

We have considered extensively the impact that a wind turbine would make. The last thing we want is to adversely affect the very regeneration of the area that we are trying to achieve.

 

Visual Impact

 

A landscape and visual assessment shows that the site does not lie within any designated landscape areas. It was found that the proposed wind turbine will become a defining characteristic of the landscape on the site and local area within up to 2km. The viewpoint analysis and assessment of effects on visual amenity suggests that significant effects on visual amenity would be limited to within approximately 2.5km of the turbine for residents where properties have an open view of the site. However, the nature of the topography, the screening effects of intervening woodland blocks, roadside vegetation and garden vegetation, plus the varying orientations of individual properties means that there would be very few residential properties within 2.5km that would gain open views of the proposed turbine. Overall, the assessment concludes that the visual effects would be limited and that the proposal would have an obvious and directly functional relationship with the nature of the local landscape where its purpose to harness the wind would be clearly evident.

 

Noise:

 

A noise report predicts that the proposals would give rise to noise levels of less than 35dB(A) at all the closest neighbouring properties for wind speeds up to 10m/s. Indeed, the report finds that the noise levels would be comfortably within the limits stated by noise guidance, as such there will be no significant noise impacts from the turbine.

 

Wildlife and Ecology:

 

An ecological assessment has been undertaken. This included bird habitats survey and bat surveys. Given the scale of the proposal and the nature of the site it found that the development of the Selbrigg Farm Turbine is predicted to have no significant impacts on valued ecological interests.