General

Primary

Trenchless technology (e.g., horizontal directional drilling (HDD)) will be utilised at the following sections along the cable route to avoid impacts on sensitive receptors:

• Landfall;
• The East Coast Main Line;
• The A1 trunk road;
• Existing 132kV cables south of the onshore substation; and
• Scheduled Monument at Castledene.

Design

Primary

A cable bridge crossing will cross over the Braidwood Burn, the final solution and detailed design of the crossing will be confirmed and agreed with Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Design, Pre-Construction

Secondary

Details of the final design of all components of the substation are proposed to be agreed with ELC following award of planning permission.

Design

Tertiary

The final solution and detailed design for all water crossings will be addressed through an appropriately worded condition in order to ensure that the works comply with the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 (also known as the Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR)).

Design

Tertiary

The onshore substation welfare facilities will be connected to a filtration system for foul drainage, which will be maintained by a licensed contractor and the contents disposed of at a licensed off-site location.

Operation

Tertiary

The Applicant will produce a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP), which will include measures to avoid, reduce or offset environmental effects of the construction works, and will include the following:

• detailed project description with maps of construction and operational activity, all cabling and transport routes and all legislative requirements;
• programme of work;
• summary of Environmental Management Procedures including roles and responsibilities, sub-contractors and evidence of training, awareness and competence of on-site personnel;
• procedures for communication; and
• details of environmental management plans including but not limited to the following:
• Access Management Plan;
• Noise and Vibration Management Plan;
• Drainage Strategy;
• Dust and Air Quality Management Plan;
• Habitat Management Plan;
• Pollution Prevention and Contingency Plan;
• Site Waste Management Plan;
• Soils Management Plan;
• Species Protection Plan;
• Water Quality Management Plan; and
• Written Scheme of Investigation.

Construction

Tertiary

A Proposed Development Communication Plan will:

• Develop and implement a stakeholder communications plan that includes community engagement before work commences on site.
• Display contact information of the head or regional office, or person(s) accountable on the site boundary.

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

Trenchless technology along the route will be in operation for 24 hours a day, with the exception of at the Scheduled Monument. Normal construction hours for all other construction activities will be Monday to Sunday 07.00-19.00; any exceptions to this will be agreed in advance with ELC.

Construction and Decommissioning

Tertiary

A Decommissioning Plan will be in place in the event of permanent cessation of the installed infrastructure.

Decommissioning

Landscape and Visual

Primary

The site selection process considered constraints relating to physical landscape elements (including woodland, trees and hedgerows), landscape character and visual amenity, together with other environmental and technical constraints.

The close proximity of existing industrial development and land uses, combined with existing electricity generation and distribution sites, provide a context of electrical infrastructure within the immediate setting of the Proposed Development.   This context was considered during the site selection process.

Design

Primary

The siting of the substation, landfall(s), access tracks and cable route has been selected with the sensitivity of landscape and visual resources in mind to help avoid or reduce the potential impacts.

Design

Primary

As far as reasonably practicable, hedgerow and tree loss will be reduced along the onshore cable corridor through careful siting of the works areas.

Design

Primary

The specification and design of permanent security fencing at landfall Transitional Joint Bays shall be consistent with the coastal and agricultural setting, where possible, to reduce effects upon visual amenity in this location.

Design

Primary

Colour and finish of onshore substation buildings specified during the detailed design process shall be consistent with the vernacular of large-scale agricultural buildings within the context of the site.

Design

Secondary

To avoid or reduce landscape and visual effects for the onshore substation l andscape mitigation proposals would be developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including ELC, local landowners and Transport Scotland. The following outline principles are considered to be appropriate:

• Proposed native species woodland to the north, west and south of the onshore substation to be planted to assist in mitigating visual effects from the A1 trunk road southbound, Innerwick and nearby properties and the minor road network west and south of the site;
• Proposed native species woodland to the east of the onshore substation to be planted to help mitigate visual effects from the A1 trunk road northbound, the ECML and aid in visually integrating the Proposed Development, as far as possible, within inland views from coastal areas;
• Understorey of native species woodland to be sown with a locally appropriate meadow wildflower mix or species rich coastal grassland;
• Extend and strengthen the existing coniferous screen planting on the margins of the A1 trunk road carriageway to reduce the potential for successive visibility of the onshore substation by road users, travelling in both directions, as they pass the site;
• Proposed native species hedgerows to onshore substation boundaries to complement existing hedgerows which, in conjunction with proposed woodland planting, would help to mitigate visibility of the onshore substation and increase habitat connectivity across the site; and
• Proposed areas of locally appropriate meadow wildflower mix, species rich coastal grassland and wet meadow habitat to enhance biodiversity.

Design, Pre-construction & Construction

Secondary

Trees will be protected during the construction phase where appropriate. Reinstatement or replacement will occur of removed trees (where reasonably practicable) and sections of hedgerow.

Construction

Tertiary

Restoration will occur of all temporary construction, material storage and laydown areas to reinstate ground cover and return to previous land-use, where practical.

Construction

Ecology and Ornithology

Primary

The onshore cabling will be installed alongside tracks and/or field margins wherever possible to minimise habitat loss and/or disturbance.

Design

Primary

Proximity to watercourses has been avoided wherever possible.

Design

Primary

Areas considered to be more sensitive in terms of protected habitats such as semi-natural woodland, wetland habitats, and coastal habitats have been avoided wherever possible.

Design

Primary

Trenchless technology (e.g., Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)) is to be used to install sections of the onshore cable including at the landfall within Barns Ness Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This method is an alternative to open trenching techniques and will minimise habitat loss and/or disturbance.

Design and Construction

Primary

Watercourse crossings will be designed to enable passage by mammals where reasonably practicable.

Design and Construction

Tertiary

A suitably qualified Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) will be appointed. The ECoW will be present and oversee all construction activities as well providing toolbox talks to all site personnel with regards to priority species and habitats, as well as undertaking monitoring works and briefings to relevant staff and contractors as appropriate.

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

To protect habitats within Barns Ness SSSI, protective fencing and signage will be installed as necessary, under the supervision of the ECoW, to delineate the edge of the designated to Site and prevent movement of plant and personnel, or storage of materials, within the SSSI.

Pre-Construction

Tertiary

A pre-construction survey for badger, otter and bats will be carried out. Preconstruction surveys will be undertaken in advance of works commencing on site. The ECoW will survey the footprint of works and an appropriate buffer to update the baseline survey results and identify any new ecological constraints.

Pre-Construction

Tertiary

If there is a risk that works are likely to be within 10 m of stands of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), an INNS plan will be produced to prevent the spread of these species within and off the Site. The management plan will include suitable precautions to prevent spread of plant fragments/seeds including exclusion zones, biological control, on-site treatment or removal by an approved company that specialises in non-native species disposal.

Pre-Construction

Tertiary

The ECoW will search for any bird nests ahead of the commencement of works scheduled to take place during the breeding bird season and where appropriate implement working buffers around active nests.

Pre-Construction

Tertiary

The ECoW will supervise the clearance of any dense areas of scrub, bracken and ruderal vegetation to ensure that any badger setts or otter resting sites (where clearance works are along watercourses) are identified and protected.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary

A Species Protection Plan (SPP) will be produced as part of the CEMP. The SPP will detail measures to safeguard protected species known to be in the area and will include for pre-construction surveys for protected species as well as ensuring the use of best practice measures during all construction activities.

The SPP will describe the process to be followed in the case that new protected species are recorded on site that will therefore also need to be protected during construction works, as well ensuring the implementation of effective toolbox talks to raise awareness of site personnel to sensitive ecological receptors on site.

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

Best practice techniques to prevent pollution of watercourses within the site will be employed. These may include use of buffer strips, infiltration trenches, settlement swales or lagoons.

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

To prevent great crested newts moving into the works area, barrier fencing will be installed in advance of works commencing on the site, where works are required within 500m of a confirmed breeding pond.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary

Opportunities for biodiversity enhancements, such as planning species-rich hedgerows and establish and manage species-rich grasslands, within the site will be identified.

Design

Tertiary

A proposed planting scheme, as part of a Habitat Management Plan (HMP) will be implemented on the completion of construction at the site. The planting will involve the creation of native grassland, hedgerow and woodland habitats and will be used to screen the margins of the A1 trunk road and surround the onshore substation.

Post-Construction

Tertiary

Protection of breeding bird nests from damage and/or destruction during the breeding season in accordance with the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended by the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004). Wherever reasonably practicable, all vegetation clearance will occur outside the bird breeding season (i.e. between September – mid-March, inclusive), to avoid damage to or destruction of active nests by the proposed works. If work is required after the mid (15th) March, the ECoW will search areas of clearance in advance of works and recommend a buffer around active nests as appropriate. This would include any areas of clearance and vegetation removal for access tracks, compounds or onshore substation areas due to the populations of ground nesting birds on and around the site.

Construction

Noise

Primary

Quieter equipment will be selected where reasonably practicable.

Design

Primary

Equipment will be located to take advantage of screening inherent in the design, i.e. from the substation hall(s) or control room buildings where reasonably practicable.

Design

Secondary

Based on noise modelling results, where noise has the potential to cause disturbance the use of mufflers, acoustic barriers and screening will be considered.

Construction and Decommissioning

Secondary

Measures will be adopted within the CEMP to ensure that the potential for disturbance from construction activities is minimised. The mitigation measures will include the provision of localised noise barriers to specific items of construction plant and/or the boundary of compounds where necessary.

Construction

Secondary

Operational noise from the onshore substation will be limited to a noise rating level of no greater than 5dB above the representative background. During detailed design of the onshore substation, mitigation strategies, such as the use of landscaped bunds, equipment selection to reduce/eliminate tonality, provision of barriers and/or enclosures and to reduce overall noise level of each contributing item of equipment, will be developed to ensure the operational noise commitment will be met.

Operation

Tertiary

The construction and decommissioning works would use Best Practicable Means (BPM) to limit the impacts of noise at sensitive receptors.

Construction and Decommissioning

Tertiary

Acoustic enclosures and barriers will be installed.

Construction

Tertiary

Exhausts/outlets for air handling/cooling units will be silenced.

Operation

Tertiary

Noise related complaints will be monitored.

Construction and Operation

Air Quality

Tertiary

A Dust and Air Quality Management Plan will be included within the CEMP and will include best practice measures in accordance with the Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) recommended guidance.

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

The Contractor will, in line with the Proposed Development Communication Plan:

• Record all complaints, including dust and air quality, identify cause(s), take appropriate measures to reduce emissions in a timely manner, and record the measures taken.
• Make the complaints log available to ELC when asked.
• Record any exceptional incidents that cause dust and/or air emissions, either on- or off-site, and the action taken to resolve the situation in the logbook.
• Aim to hold regular liaison meetings with any other high-risk construction sites within 500 m of the site boundary to ensure plans are co-ordinated and dust and particulate emissions are minimised with particular attention to off-site transport/deliveries which may use the same strategic road network routes.

Construction

Tertiary

The Contractor will undertake air quality monitoring by:

• Regular site inspections to monitor compliance with the Dust and Air Quality Management Plan, record inspection results, and make an inspection log available to ELC when asked.
• Increased frequency of site inspections by the person accountable for air quality and dust issues on site when activities with a high potential to produce dust are being carried out and during prolonged dry or windy conditions.
• Where possible commence baseline monitoring at least three months before work commences.

Construction

Tertiary

Measures to prepare and maintain the site will be detailed within the CEMP and may include:

• Plan site layout so that machinery and dust causing activities are located away from receptors, as far as possible.
• Dust suppression techniques will be utilised, or screens or barriers will be erected around dusty activities or the site boundary that are at least as high as any stockpiles on site, and where there is a high potential for dust production and the site is active for an extensive period.
• Avoid site runoff of water or mud.
• Keep site fencing, barriers and scaffolding clean using wet methods.
• Remove materials that have a potential to produce dust from site as soon as possible, unless being re-used on site.
• Cover, seed or fence stockpiles to prevent wind whipping.

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

Site operations will:

• Ensure all Non-Road Mobile Machinery (NRMM) is compliant with the engine emission regulations in place at the time of use on site.
• Only use cutting, grinding or sawing equipment fitted or in conjunction with suitable dust suppression techniques such as water sprays or local extraction, e.g. suitable local exhaust ventilation systems.
• Ensure an adequate water supply on the site for effective dust/particulate matter suppression/mitigation, using non-potable water where possible and appropriate.
• Use enclosed chutes and conveyors and covered skips.
• Minimise drop heights from conveyors, loading shovels, hoppers and other loading or handling equipment and use fine water sprays on such equipment wherever appropriate.
• Ensure equipment is readily available on site to clean any dry spillages and clean up spillages as soon as reasonably practicable after the event, using wet cleaning methods.
• Avoid bonfires and burning of waste materials.

Construction

Tertiary

The Contractor will:

• Ensure all vehicles switch off engines when stationary.
• Avoid the use of diesel- or petrol-powered generators and use mains electricity or battery powered equipment where practicable.
• Issue all suppliers and contractors with delivery routes and access times/restrictions.
• Re-vegetate earthworks and exposed areas/soils stockpiles to stabilise surfaces as soon as practicable.
• Use Hessian, mulches or tackifiers where it is not possible to re-vegetate or cover with topsoil, as soon as practicable.
• Only remove the cover in small areas during work and not all at once.
• Avoid scabbling (roughening of concrete surfaces) if possible.
• Ensure sand and other aggregates are stored in bunded areas and are not allowed to dry out, unless this is required for a particular process, in which case ensure that appropriate control measures are in place.
• Ensure bulk cement and other fine powder materials are delivered in enclosed tankers and stored in silos with suitable emission control systems to prevent escape of material and overfilling during delivery.
• For smaller supplies of fine powder materials ensure bags are sealed after use and stored appropriately to prevent dust.
• Use water-assisted dust sweeper(s) on the access and local roads, to remove, as necessary, any material tracked out of the site. This may require a sweeper being continuously in use.
• Avoid dry sweeping of large areas.
• Ensure vehicles entering and leaving sites are covered to prevent escape of materials during transport.
• Inspect on-site haul routes for integrity and instigate necessary repairs to the surface as soon as reasonably practicable.
• Record all inspections of haul routes and any subsequent action in a site logbook.
• Implement a wheel washing system (with rumble grids to dislodge accumulated dust and mud prior to leaving the site where reasonably practicable).

Construction

Cultural Heritage

Primary

Landscaping mitigation will take account of the settings of designated heritage assets.

Design

Primary

Avoidance of Scheduled Monuments by design where possible, including a buffer of at least 10   m. Fencing off, of designated extents of Scheduled Monument to ensure no risk of accidental damage to the scheduled monuments during construction works.

Design, Pre-Construction and Construction

Secondary

Set piece excavations may be required where heritage assets (including buried archaeological remains) cannot be avoided.

Construction

Secondary

Watching briefs/archaeological monitoring may be required in archaeologically sensitive areas during topsoil stripping and construction works as required under planning conditions.

Construction

Tertiary

Trial trench evaluation at areas of archaeological sensitivity, as identified through the results of geophysical surveys, will be undertaken.

Pre-construction

Tertiary

A Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) will be included in the CEMP laying out the scope of archaeological works, the scope of which will be agreed in advance prepared in consultation with ELCAS.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary

A professionally qualified archaeological contractor would be appointed to act as an Archaeological Clerk of Works (ACoW) during construction phase.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary

Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC) will be sought to enable trenchless technology (e.g., HDD) beneath the Castledene Enclosure (SM 5849).

Pre-Construction

Tertiary

Construction phase archaeological guidelines will be provided to the Principal Contractor for dissemination to all construction contractors, advising on the need to avoid adverse effects on buried archaeological remains and to inform the ACoW if any suspected archaeological remains are uncovered.

Construction

Tertiary

Fencing off/marking out areas of constraint, including the designated extent of Scheduled Monuments, for avoidance during the construction phase would be carried out, where there are upstanding earthwork remains that require preservation.

Construction

Tertiary

Post-excavation analysis and reporting of any new discoveries made during set piece excavations or archaeological monitoring would be carried out to the satisfaction of ELCAS and in compliance with any planning conditions.

Construction

Geology, Hydrology, Soil & Flood Risk

Primary

Where practicable a 50m buffer will be implemented around all watercourses considered to have continuous flow throughout the year. Where it is not possible to maintain a 50m buffer i.e. where a watercourse will require to be crossed, these works will be regulated under the Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR) licensing regime and necessary licences will be sought from SEPA prior to construction works.

Design

Tertiary

The draft CEMP will include a detailed drainage strategy and pollution prevention plan which will be implemented in accordance with the SEPA’s guidance. This is anticipated to include, but is not limited to:

• A contact list for emergency services, the relevant environmental regulators, the local water supply and sewerage undertakers, the Health and Safety Executive and specialist clean up contractors.
• Requirement for the induction of contractors to include a specific session on good practice to control water pollution from construction activities. The responsibility for protecting the water environment will be shared with all staff on the site with an appropriate level of support from construction managers to achieve this.
• Details of how surface water arising during construction will be dealt with, taking into consideration site-specific ground conditions.
• Abidance by the best practice outlined in the Pollution Prevention Guidelines (PPGs), the Guidance for Pollution Prevention (GPPs) and CAR Regulations.
• Implementation of temporary SuDS during construction to manage surface run-off which may include cut-off ditches, settlement lagoons/ponds, sacrificial ditches and silt filter fences during construction to manage surface run-off.
• Details of measures to manage run-off and discharge water from the excavation sites.
• Full inspection of temporary construction SuDS periodically, in particular after periods of heavy rainfall. Maintenance will be undertaken in periods of dry weather where practicable/necessary.
• Management of dewatering activities through dewatering permits and method statements. The ECoW will be consulted and agree pumping and associated mitigation measures prior to commencement of works.
• Prevention of loose material discharging into the local water environment by using appropriate drainage/silt fencing.
• Monitoring of all work within or adjacent to watercourses or the sea will be by the ECoW.
• Appropriate construction compounds design, which will include fuel, oil and chemical storage situated on an impervious base with an impermeable bund, waste to be stored in a designated area and removed at appropriate intervals and minimisation of hardstanding where possible.
• Positioning of interceptor drip trays under any stationary mobile plant to prevent oil contamination of the ground surface or water.
• Careful consideration will be given to the location of topsoil and subsoil storage areas, ensuring that they are located on flat areas away from the watercourses, or that cut-off drains are placed between the watercourses and the storage areas.
• Full training on spill kits and absorbent materials and their appropriate use.
• Regular checks of vehicles for leakages and, with the exception of emergency repairs, all maintenance to be undertaken offsite.
• Authoring of a method statement for the laying of concrete foundations. The Applicant will seek to carry out concrete batching offsite however this will be determined as the project develops.
• Any connection to the Scottish Water clean water network or sewage network will be undertaken by appropriately licenced and trained contractors appointed by Scottish Water.

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

A Water Quality Monitoring Programme will be implemented before and during construction to record the pre-existing water conditions and ensure that no deterioration occurs during construction.

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

The CEMP will contain a Soils Management Plan which will include, but not be limited to, the following measures:

• All earthmoving works will be carried out in accordance with BSI Code of Practice for Earth Works BS6031:2009.
• An earthworks method statement where more than 50 m 3 of spoil is to be excavated.
• Avoid stripping soil following periods of heavy rainfall when practicable.
• Keep areas of exposed ground to a practicable minimum.
• Segregate top and subsoil stockpiles.
• Handle soils carefully to minimise potential soil structure damage.
• Keep temporary stockpile heights as low as possible given space restrictions.
• Minimise run-off from stockpiles.
• Protect stockpiles to minimise erosion losses and weed infestation if storage is to be longer than 6 months (e.g., seeding or light compaction).
• Protect stockpiles (e.g., using berms) from flooding to avoid soil losses.
• Keep traffic off soil stockpiles, as much as possible, throughout the period of soil storage.
• Display clear and unambiguous signage to notify site personnel of the presence of different types of soil stockpiles.
• Avoid reinstating soils following periods of heavy rainfall when practicable.
• Reinstate subsoil to maintain natural drainage patterns and avoid settlement.
• Reinstate topsoil by rendering into a loose and workable condition as well as contouring to maintain the profile with the adjacent undisturbed area.
• Implement effective temporary and / or permanent soil erosion control measures, where necessary.
• Implement and maintain suitable, adequate and effective control measures to prevent run-off from stockpiles contaminating surface waters.
• Land clearance and occupation would be limited to the necessary works areas. The site and temporary construction compound will be kept in a tidy and contained condition.
• Existing trees within the Site which do not require removal as part of the Proposed Development would be protected during the construction phase for their future retention.
• Disturbed areas and mounds of topsoil/subsoil will be re-graded to blend with the surrounding landform.

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

Preparation of a surface water drainage strategy to include appropriate SuDS measures to manage surface water runoff from the permanent infrastructure.

Operation

Tertiary

Preparation of a foul water drainage strategy to safely manage foul water arisings from the operational development.

Operation

Traffic and Transport

Primary

The site entrances will be designed and constructed in accordance with ELC and Tr ansport Sc otland (TS) design guidelines.

Design and Construction

Primary

Trenchless technology ( e.g., HDD) will be utilised for cabling under the East Coast Main Line (ECML) and A1. This will ensure that there is no adverse impact on the ECML or A1 as a result of cabling activities.

Design and Construction

Tertiary

A Construction Traffic Management and Routeing Plan (CTMRP) will be developed and implemented during the construction phase. The CTMRP would be agreed with ELC prior to construction works commencing. Measures will be adopted to ensure that construction traffic associated with the Proposed Development is efficiently managed. These will likely include:

• Road upgrades along the routes;
• Route condition survey;
• Route management;
• Vehicle details;
• Abnormal load assessment;   
• Vehicle routing;
• Escort strategy;
• Contingency plan; and
• Traffic impact mitigation measures.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary

An Abnormal Load Transport Management Plan (ALTMP) will be developed and implemented during the construction phase. The ALTMP would be agreed with ELC prior to construction works commencing.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary

A Core Path Management Plan (CPMP) will be developed and implemented during the construction phase. The CPMP would be agreed with ELC prior to construction works commencing.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary

The Applicant proposes to enter into a Section 96 agreement to cover wear and tear on the public road deemed to have occurred as a result of the Proposed Development.   This would be informed by pre-construction and post-construction condition surveys. Any repair works would be undertaken at the Applicant’s expense, rather than by the local authorities.

There would be a regular road review and any debris and mud would be removed from the carriageway using an onsite road sweeper to ensure road safety for all road users

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

The hours of construction will be managed to mitigate the impact on sensitive receptors, with the construction access route chosen to minimise the impact on residential properties adjacent to the route, as far as possible.

Construction

Socio-economics

Tertiary

A Supply Chain Engagement Plan setting out initiatives to enhance opportunities for procurement from Local and Scottish suppliers and to drive the investment in new facilities will be implemented.

Pre-Construction

Tertiary

A Local Recruitment Plan will be implemented setting out initiatives to ensure Local residents are aware of and given opportunity to access employment opportunities. This will include a Local Skills Plan setting out opportunities and actions for engagement to enable Local residents and training providers to prepare for anticipated employment opportunities.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary

A Berwick Bank Community Benefit Fund would be established in partnership with Local stakeholders. The details of the Community Benefit Fund would be established after a consent determination has been made for both offshore and onshore aspects of the Project. Ahead of establishing any formal Fund, the Project team are keen to support Local initiatives where possible and have invited Local stakeholders to discuss opportunities directly with the Project team.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Land Use, Tourism and Recreation

Primary

The building materials for the onshore substation will be of a colouring that are sympathetic to the surrounding landscape and aid in visually blending the buildings into the background and ensuring the Proposed Development is visually attractive. The height of the onshore substation and its location within the landscape mean the Proposed Development will minimise the disruption to view beyond the Site.

Design

Primary

The footprint of the Proposed Development has been refined and minimised through the design work to date to ensure that temporary and permanent direct impacts on land use are minimised.

Design

Primary

It is proposed that trenchless techniques (i.e. HDD) will be used to install the cables at landfall to minimise the impact on coastal habitats and the John Muir Link Path.

Design

Tertiary

An Access Management Plan will be developed in consultation with ELC and be included within the CEMP. It will include measures to minimise temporary disruption to pedestrian access and include requirements for signage

Pre-construction and Construction

Tertiary

The Applicant will consult with local tourism receptors, so they are aware of timing and duration to construction works in the area.

The Applicant will work with ELC to promote other attractions and areas for recreation to visitors.   This will minimise public use of recreational/tourist areas within the vicinity of the site during construction.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary

Temporary screening will be erected at localised locations and specific items of construction plant during construction to minimise disruption from construction activities.

Pre-Construction and Construction

Tertiary  

Agricultural land not required through the operational phase will be reinstated to ensure it can return to agricultural use.

Operation

EMF

Primary

The cables will be insulated, installed within sheaths, and primarily buried underground, offering screening to EMFs.

Design

Tertiary  

A perimeter fence will be erected around the substation which will offer screening to EMFs generated by the equipment within the substation.

Design

Tertiary

Construction and operation of the Proposed Development would be in compliance with The Control of Electronic Fields at Work Regulations (2016).

Construction and Operation