6.12.2.              Tier 2 Cumulative Assessment

  1. As described previously in the cumulative methodology, within section 6.9.2, a comprehensive list of projects that have the potential to contribute to the cumulative effects of the Proposed Development has been compiled, with the long list presented in Volume 4, Appendix 2.4 and shown on Figure 2.4.1 In addition to this, the LVIA has undertaken a further preliminary assessment of the shortlisted tier 2 cumulative projects based on professional judgement, assessment rationale and guidance relevant to landscape and visual impacts. The preliminary cumulative assessment in Table 6.13 below has determined that the application stage SPEN Eastern Link Project and SPEN Branxton Grid Substation developments have the potential to give rise to significant cumulative effects as a result of the addition of the Proposed Development and consequently require detailed assessment.
  2. The cumulative effects presented and assessed in this section have been selected from the details provided in Volume 1, Chapter 2 of the Onshore EIA Report as well as the information available on other projects and plans, to inform a ‘maximum design scenario’. Effects of greater adverse significance are not predicted to arise should any other development scenario, based on details within the Project Design Envelope, to that assessed here, be taken forward in the final design scheme.

 

Table 6.13:
Shortlist of Cumulative Projects resulting from the screening process within Volume 4, Appendix 2.4.

Table 6.13: Shortlist of Cumulative Projects resulting from the screening process within Volume 4, Appendix 2.4.

Cumulative Development Description

Branxton Grid Substation
  1. The proposal for the Branxton Grid Substation incorporates a 400kV gas insulated switchgear (GIS) building in close proximity to the existing cable sealing end compounds at Branxton and Thornton Bridge.  The Proposed Development onshore cable corridor would join this substation, as would the Eastern Link project. The Branxton Grid Substation proposal whilst close to the existing cable sealing end compounds at Branxton and Thornton Bridge would increase the influence of electricity infrastructure to neighbouring fields at higher elevation and would involve large scale earthworks in its creation. 
  2. Should it be consented, the Branxton Grid Substation is anticipated that construction would take place over 2 years (2023 to 2025) and begin operation by the end of 2026.
Eastern Link
  1. The proposal for the Eastern Link project includes 176 km of marine cabling to link East Lothian with County Durham to aid the distribution of green energy between Scotland and England.  The Eastern Link marine cable would make landfall south of Torness Power Station, on the coast east of Linkshead.  The onshore cable corridor would then travel east to Old Branxton, joining the Branxton Grid Substation south of Thornton Law.  From this point the Eastern Link cable corridor would follow broadly the same route as the onshore cable corridor of the Proposed Development before branching north-east to the proposed converter station, close to the Dunbar ERF on the northern side of the A1 trunk road.  The proposed converter station would constitute two, large-scale buildings enclosing the necessary ‘stepping down’ electrical infrastructure.  The site has been selected due to its existing industrial environment.
  2. Should it be consented, the Eastern Link project is anticipated to start construction during 2024 and begin operation during 2027.  The Proposed Development is expected to begin construction during 2025 and begin operation 40 months later, meaning there is the potential for both cable corridors to be under construction within the LVIA study area at the same time.

Receptors Considered in Detail within the Tier 2 Cumulative Assessment

  1. An assessment description of the likely significance of the cumulative effects of the Proposed Development upon landscape and visual receptors is given below. However, in order to establish which landscape and visual receptors have the potential for significant cumulative effects, each of the receptors considered to have potential for significant effects against the existing baseline are reconsidered in the preliminary assessment in Table 6.14 below to establish which require to be assessed in a detailed cumulative assessment.
Table 6.14:
LVIA Receptors in Relation to Tier 2 Cumulative Assessment

Table 6.14: LVIA Receptors in Relation to Tier 2 Cumulative Assessment

Tier 2 Detailed Cumulative Assessment

  1. Detailed baseline descriptions and sensitivity assessments have been provided in section 6.11.4 (Landscape Character Assessment) and 6.11.6 Visual Effects Assessment.  To avoid duplication of reporting, these assessments are referenced for each receptor included below.  Potential construction and operational cumulative effects as a result of the onshore substation are assessed and reported together to avoid a similar repetition of reporting.

LCT 277: Coastal Margins – Lothians

Baseline and sensitivity
  1. Please refer to section 6.11.5 (Detailed Landscape Character Assessment). The LCT is deemed to be of medium value and medium susceptibility and the sensitivity of the receptor considered to be medium.
Eastern Link

Magnitude of change

  1. The Eastern Link cable corridor could be under construction within this LCT within the same time period as the Proposed Development, with a shared stretch of cabling construction activity between Branxton and the onshore substation. 
  2. While the processes involved in excavating land, storing material and installing cabling are not considered to be wholly out of context with the agricultural practices that are a key character of the LCT, the construction of both developments simultaneously would increase the presence of this development type for a short period of time. The introduction of the Eastern Link converter station to the cumulative context would in itself increase the presence of industrial built form within this LCT, however, it is located in an area of the LCT that is already characterised by industrial developments including the operation quarry at Dunbar Cement Plant, Dunbar Energy Recovery Facility and Dunbar Landfill.  The Eastern Link development would therefore slightly increase the industrial backdrop of development already experienced within this LCT. The addition of the Proposed Development to a scenario that includes the Eastern Link development would further increase the influence of industrial development on this LCT, however, there would be minimal cumulative interaction between these developments due to the physical and visual separation afforded by the A1 trunk road corridor.
  3. The cumulative magnitude of change is therefore considered to be low during construction, year 1 and in year 15.

Significance of the cumulative effect

  1. The cumulative effect would, therefore, be minor and not significant during construction, year 1 and year 15.  Construction effects are direct, adverse, reversible and temporary.  Operational effects are direct, adverse and permanent.

LCT 269: Upland Fringes – Lothians

Sensitivity of the receptor
  1. Please refer to section 6.11.5 (Detailed Landscape Character Assessment). The LCT is deemed to be of medium-high value and medium-low susceptibility and the sensitivity of the receptor is considered to be medium.
Branxton Grid Substation

Magnitude of change

  1. The Branxton Grid substation would increase the presence of electricity infrastructure within a localised part of the LCT that is already characterised by this kind of development.  In itself, the effect of the Branxton Grid substation upon the key characteristics of this LCT are considered to be limited by its location and the containing influence of surrounding topography. Cumulative interaction between the Branxton Grid substation and the Proposed Development substation would also be limited by the same topographical and locational characteristics. The Proposed Development onshore cabling works would have limited influence on the characteristics of this LCT as described in section 6.11.3, and the cumulative interaction is also considered to be minimal and short term.   
  2. From the western edges of this LCT within the eastern Lammermuirs, the Branxton Grid substation would be viewed from an elevated position, however, a degree of separation exists in these views between this development and the Proposed Development onshore substation such that cumulative interaction is minimal when considering the key characteristics overall. The Proposed Development would also be experienced in distant views within the context of other industrial and electrical development already present within the Coastal Margins LCT 277.
  3. The addition of the Proposed Development to a scenario that includes the Branxton Grid substation development would therefore have minimal cumulative interaction and the cumulative magnitude of change is therefore considered to be low during construction, year 1 and in year 15.

Significance of the cumulative effect

  1. The cumulative effect is considered to be minor and not significant in EIA terms during construction, year 1 and in year 15. Construction effects are direct, adverse, reversible and temporary.  Operational effects are direct, adverse and permanent.

Viewpoint 3: John Muir Link, Skateraw Harbour

Sensitivity of the receptor
  1. Please refer to section 6.11.7 (Detailed Visual Effects Assessment). The viewpoint is deemed to be of high value and medium susceptibility and the sensitivity of the receptor is considered to be medium-high.
Eastern Link

Magnitude of change

  1. The Eastern Link converter station would be partially visible from this location. The screening influence of intervening restored landform, at Dunbar Landfill, mature woodland  and Skateraw Farm restricts potential views, however, the upper parts of the development would be visible above the intervening trees.  The Eastern Link cable corridor would be screened from view by the Proposed Development with limited opportunities for it and the onshore cable corridor to be viewed in combination. The Eastern Link Convertor Station would occupy a different part of panorama than the Proposed Development onshore substation and their locations would be further separated by the mature trees within the intervening landscape that appear to form a break in the view.
  2. The addition of the Proposed Development to a scenario that includes the Eastern Link development would therefore have minimal cumulative interaction given the visual separation and limited visibility of the Eastern Link development. The cumulative magnitude of change is therefore considered to be low during construction, year 1 and in year 15.

Significance of the cumulative effect

  1. The cumulative effect is considered to be moderate-minor and not significant in EIA terms during construction, year 1 and in year 15. Construction effects are direct, adverse, reversible and temporary.  Operational effects are direct, adverse and permanent.

Viewpoint 6: Blackcastle Hill

Sensitivity of the receptor
  1. Please refer to section 6.11.7 (Detailed Visual Effects Assessment). The viewpoint is deemed to be of medium-high value and medium susceptibility. The sensitivity of the receptor is therefore, considered to be medium-high.
Eastern Link

Magnitude of change

  1. The introduction of the Eastern Link converter station to the cumulative context would increase the presence of industrial built form within an area that is already characterised by industrial developments including the operation quarry at Dunbar Cement Plant, Dunbar ERF and Dunbar Landfill.  The converter station would slightly increase the presence of industrial development within successive views to the north-west. The cumulative interaction between the converter station and the Proposed Development would however be marginal due to the context of existing industrial development in proximity to the converter station site, distance from the view and the visual separation of these sites is also evident from this viewpoint.
  2. Construction of the cable corridor for the Eastern Link would be visible across the central portion of the lower lying landscape in the view, including the connection point to the Convertor Station on the Coastal Margins. The construction activities associated with the Eastern Link cabling works would be viewed in close context to the Proposed Development cable corridor for a short distance south of the onshore substation.
  3. The construction activities for both the Eastern Link and the Proposed Development could also be viewed together and at a similar time period.  While the processes involved in excavating and storing land and installing the onshore cable corridor are not considered to be wholly out of context with the agricultural land use, the construction of both developments simultaneously would increase the presence of this development type for a short period of time. 
  4. When considering the addition of the Proposed Development onshore substation to a scenario that includes the Eastern Link Convertor Station, minimal cumulative interaction is predicted given the visual separation and existing industrial backdrop. When considering the addition of the Proposed Development to a scenario that includes the Eastern Link cabling works there is potential for the effect of construction activities to be visible in more areas than that of either development on its own and also potentially more intensive within the same time period. These construction activities are however still considered to be short term and temporary and for the most part similar in scale to other agricultural practices seen from this viewpoint throughout the year.
  5. Taking all of this into account, the overall cumulative interaction is considered to be minimal resulting in a low magnitude of change during construction, year 1 and in year 15.

Significance of the cumulative effect

  1. The cumulative effect would, therefore, be moderate-minor and not significant in EIA terms during construction, year 1 and year 15. Construction effects are direct, adverse, reversible and temporary.  Operational effects are direct, adverse and permanent.

6.12.3.              Proposed Monitoring

  1. No monitoring to test the predictions made within the CEA section of the LVIA chapter is considered necessary.

6.13. Inter-Related Effects

  1. A description of the likely inter-related effects arising from the Proposed Development on the landscape and visual resource is provided in Volume 4, Appendix 15.2 of the Onshore EIA Report. Table 6.15 below provides a summary of inter-relationships with other chapters.
Table 6.15:
Inter-relationships Between the LVIA and Other Chapters

Table 6.15: Inter-relationships Between the LVIA and Other Chapters

6.14. Summary of Impacts, Mitigation Measures, Likely Significant Effects and Monitoring

6.14.1.              Landscape

  1. The landscape would be directly affected by the Proposed Development.  The onshore substation site is not located within a designated landscape and lies within a landscape that exhibits a coastal and underlying rural character across sloping landform that transitions from upland fringes to the coastal lowlands of East Lothian.  Open and unobstructed coastal views are a characteristic feature of the coastline and the inland Lammermuir Hill fringe, which are locally designated as SLAs.  The landscape of the LVIA Study area is principally in agricultural land use, however, a portion of the coastline north of the Proposed Development contains a range of industrial developments that are prevalent features of this part of the East Lothian coast.
  1. The siting and design of the Proposed Development has sought to minimise the removal of landscape elements and physical landscape effects would be reduced as far as reasonably practicable so that the character of the area is retained for future benefit.  The LVIA found no likely significant effects on physical landscape elements.
  2. Change resulting from the construction of the cable corridor and landfall are limited to the physical extent of the cable route and are on the whole, reversible.  Disturbed agricultural land and sections of removed hedgerow would be reinstated on completion of the construction phase, resulting in temporary and short-term effects.  During construction of the landfall, changes to the key characteristics of the beach and seascape would be restricted to very localised and temporary disruption, within a single field boundary, for a short duration.  No physical disturbance to the beach, foreshore or rock platform is required including the intertidal area. 
  3. Landscape character effects would be experienced as a result of the onshore substation.  The open coastal plain offers a degree of containment to the scale and mass of the proposed onshore substation resulting in likely significant landscape character effects upon LCT 277: Coastal Margins – Lothians, to a localised range of 1km, during construction and year 1, reducing to not significant by year 15 as a result of the establishment of planting as mitigation.
  4. The LVIA has also identified likely significant effects upon the key characteristics of LCT 269: Upland Fringes – Lothians in a northern localised area of the LCT in close proximity to the proposed onshore substation (within 1km) during construction and at year 1, reducing to not significant by year 15 as a result of the establishment of planting as mitigation. 

6.14.2.              Intertidal Area

  1. As trenchless technology (e.g. HDD) will be employed to bring the offshore export cable ashore, no physical disturbance of the beach or intertidal area is predicted and as a result, there would be no physical landscape effect on the intertidal area. The intertidal area lies within Seascape Character Area SA17: Eyebroughty to Torness Point. The LVIA identified that due to intervening built form, topography and woodlands, that other built elements of the Proposed Development (including the onshore substation) would have no potential for significant effects.

6.14.3.              Visual

  1. The Proposed Development may intrude into existing views experienced by users of the LVIA Study area, changing their views.  The open and unobstructed views attained across the coastal plain, combined with the scale of the proposed onshore substation, gives rise to likely significant visual effects.  These effects would be experienced within the existing industrial context of the immediate setting of the proposed onshore substation, most notably the large stack and plume of Dunbar Cement Works (2.5km to the north-west) and the distinctive Torness Power Station (located 1.2km north-east of the onshore substation and 900m east of the landfall location).
  2. Likely significant visual effects as a result of the construction activities associated with the onshore export cable and landfall are found for those receptors within close proximity to the cable corridor (see Table 6.16 and 6.17 below).  These significant effects have been identified at:
  • A localised section of the John Muir Link, 500m either side of the cable corridor (see visual assessment at viewpoint 3); and
  • The individual property at Castledene due to close proximity to the cable route and associated trenchless technology (e.g. HDD).
    1. Likely significant visual effects as a result of the onshore substation are found during construction and year 1 operation for:
  • Viewpoint 1: A1, Skateraw Junction – road users and recreational;
  • Viewpoint 2: Innerwick – residential, road users and recreational;
  • Viewpoint 3: John Muir Link near Skateraw Harbour – recreational; and
  • Viewpoint 6: Blackcastle Hill – recreational;
  • Core Path 18, North of Innerwick: recreational, for a section of 140m in close proximity of the onshore of the onshore substation; and
  • Railway Cottage, Skateraw Gate: due to the close proximity of the onshore substation.
    1. By year 15, once mitigation planting has matured, significant residual visual effects would remain for:
  • Viewpoint 1: A1, Skateraw Junction – road users and recreational;
  • Viewpoint 2: Innerwick – residential, road users and recreational;
  • Viewpoint 6: Blackcastle Hill – recreational; and
  • Railway Cottage, Skateraw Gate: due to the close proximity of the onshore substation.

6.14.4.              Cumulative

  1. The Berwick Bank Wind Farm offshore infrastructure has been considered in the cumulative assessment as a whole project Tier 1 cumulative assessment. In order to focus the cumulative assessment on the potential for significant cumulative effects, the LVIA has undertaken a process of scoping out projects and activities from this list where it is assessed there would be no potential for a significant cumulative effect as a result of the addition of the Proposed Development. A comprehensive list of developments that have the potential to contribute to the cumulative effects of the Proposed Development has been compiled in Appendix 2.4. Those shortlisted cumulative developments to be taken into the CEA identified in Appendix 2.4 and that lie within the LVIA study area have been considered in the LVIA cumulative assessment. Of these cumulative developments, Branxton Grid Substation and Eastern Link have been considered in detail in a Tier 2 cumulative assessment (application scenario). Cumulative effects have been found to be significant when considering the whole project effect (i.e. the total effect of the Berwick Bank onshore elements and the Berwick Bank Wind Farm offshore elements) on localised parts of the landscape around the onshore substation where there are also sea views to the Berwick Bank offshore elements. This assessment is described in full in Chapter 15: Seascape, Landscape and Visual of the Offshore EIA Report and summarised in the LVIA. None of the key landscape and visual receptors are assessed as having significant cumulative effects as a result of other developments in the study area. Where cumulative developments are visible from key landscape and visual receptors, they would have limited cumulative interaction with the Proposed Development or the cumulative effect would be minimal, short term and temporary, substantially limiting their cumulative influence when considering the additional effect of the Proposed Development.

6.14.5.              Proposed Monitoring

  1. No monitoring to test the predictions made within the LVIA chapter is considered necessary.

6.14.6.              Conclusion

  1. The LVIA has considered the potential effects that the Proposed Development could have on the existing landscape resource of the onshore LVIA Study area and the visual amenity of potential visual receptors.
  1. Construction of the landfall and onshore cable corridor would not give rise to significant physical landscape or landscape character effects and that likely significant construction effects would be localised, temporary and limited to visual effects upon high sensitivity receptors in close proximity to the construction activity. No significant seascape character effects have been identified for the intertidal area and due to trenchless technology (e.g. HDD) being proposed at the landfall, no physical disturbance of the beach or intertidal area or physical effect would occur.
  2. For the onshore substation, significant effects upon the landscape character of the LVIA Study area have been identified during construction and year 1 to a localised range of 1 km within both the host Coastal Margins landscape character type and a small area of the neighbouring Upland Fringes landscape character type within 1km of the onshore substation. The LVIA found that the onshore substation would give rise to significant visual effects during construction and year 1 within around 1 km and from elevated inland hill fringes within 2.5km. Significant residual visual effects at year 15 following establishment of mitigation planting have been identified within around 750m and from elevated inland hill fringes within 2.5km.
  1. The industrial character of the coastal landscape is a notable influence on the landscape and visual resource within the immediate context of the Proposed Development at Torness Power Station, Dunbar Cement Works, Dunbar Landfill Site and Dunbar Energy Recovery Facility.  Whilst the scale of the Proposed Development, in conjunction with the broad and open character of the coastal plain, give rise to significant residual effects, these effects will be experienced within the context of nearby industrial development and within a very localised part of the study area, in the immediate landscape and visual context of the Proposed Development.

 

 

Table 6.16:
Summary of Potential Likely Significant Environmental Effects and Mitigation

Table 6.16:  Summary of Potential Likely Significant Environmental Effects and Mitigation


Table 6.17:
Summary of Potential Likely Significant Cumulative Environment Effects and Mitigation (Tier 2 assessment)

Table 6.17:  Summary of Potential Likely Significant Cumulative Environment Effects and Mitigation (Tier 2 assessment)

 

6.15. References

East Lothian Council (2010).  Core Paths Maps.  Available at: https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210569/countryside_and_wildlife/12044/core_paths.  Access on: February 2022.

East Lothian Council (2018).  Local Development Plan.  Available at: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210547/planning_and_building_standards/12242/local_development_plan

East Lothian Council (2018).  Local Development Plan: Countryside and Coast Supplementary Planning Guidance. Available at: https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210547/planning_and_building_standards/12242/local_development_plan/5

East Lothian Council (2018). Landscape Development Guidelines. Available on request from Landscape Section of ELC’s Planning Service: http://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/trees or landscape@eastlothian.gov.uk

Forth and Tay Offshore Wind Developer Group (2011).  Regional Seascape Character Assessment Aberdeen to Holy Island.  Available at: www.marine.gov.scot

Landscape Institute and IEMA (2013). Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment: Third Edition (GLVIA3). Routledge.

NatureScot (2005). An assessment of the sensitivity and capacity of the Scottish seascape in relation to offshore windfarms. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.103 (ROAME No. F03AA06).

NatureScot (2010).  National Coastal Character Map.  Available at: https://www.nature.scot/doc/national-coastal-character-map. Accessed on: February 2022.

NatureScot (2011).  Barns Ness Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest Citation. Available at: https://sitelink.nature.scot/site/153

NatureScot (2021). Assessing the Cumulative Impact of Onshore Wind Energy Developments.  Available at: https://www.nature.scot/doc/guidance-assessing-cumulative-landscape-and-visual-impact-onshore-wind-energy-developments

NatureScot (2017) - Visual Representation of Windfarms, Guidance (Version 2.2). Available at: https://www.nature.scot/doc/visual-representation-wind-farms-guidance

NatureScot (2019).  National Landscape Character Assessment.  Available at: https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/landscape/landscape-character-assessment/scottish-landscape-character-types-map-and-descriptions.  Accessed on: January – February 2022.

Scottish Borders Council (2012). Local Landscape Designations Supplementary Planning Guidance. Available at: https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/downloads/download/413/planning_guidance_local_landscape_designations

Scottish Borders Council (2016). Local Development Plan. Available at: https://www.scotborders.gov.uk/info/20051/plans_and_guidance/121/local_development_plan

Scottish Government (2023). National Planning Framework 4. Available at: https://www.transformingplanning.scot/national-planning-framework/adopted-npf4/

Scott, K.E., Anderson, C., Dunsford, H., Benson, J.F. and MacFarlane, R. (2005). An assessment of the sensitivity and capacity of the Scottish seascape in relation to offshore windfarms. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.103 (ROAME No. F03AA06).

Planning Inspectorate (2018) Advice Note Nine: Rochdale Envelope. Available at: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/legislation-and-advice/advice-notes/advice-note-nine-rochdale-envelope/

 

[1] NatureScot (2005). An assessment of the sensitivity and capacity of the Scottish seascape in relation to offshore windfarms. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.103 (ROAME No. F03AA06).