EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overview
Berwick Bank Wind Limited (the Applicant) is proposing the development of the Berwick Bank Wind Farm (the Project) in the outer Firth of Forth and Firth of Tay, 39.2 km east, at its closest point, of the East Lothian coastline. The export cables will make landfall on the East Lothian coast, at Thorntonloch and/or at Skateraw Harbour. From here, the onshore cable route will connect to a proposed substation and then onto Scottish Power Transmission’s 400kV Grid Substation located at Branxton, south of Torness Power Station.
This document requests an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Opinion from East Lothian Council (ELC) in consultation with statutory and non-statutory consultees in relation to the scope of the EIA (for the Onshore Transmissions Works [the Proposed Development] associated with the Project). It provides the background to the Project and the Proposed Development and legislative context, an overview of the site selection and development design, a summary of the proposed EIA methodology including cumulative assessment, the proposed receptors and impacts to be included (scoped in) and excluded (scoped out) from the EIA, and a preliminary list of tertiary mitigation measures.
A separate Offshore EIA Scoping Report (and associated Offshore EIA Report) relating to offshore infrastructure will be submitted to Marine Scotland in support of the offshore Proposed Development consent Application. Where there is an overlap in jurisdiction in the intertidal area between Mean High Water Spring and Mean Low Water Spring of the onshore and offshore consenting and regulatory regimes, both the Onshore Scoping Report and the Offshore Scoping Report presents the relevant technical assessments. The proposed method for cumulative assessment addresses this overlap and the potential for cumulative effects from both the offshore and onshore Project infrastructure.
Key Scoping Outcomes
Key potential impacts on receptors which have the potential to result in significant effects, beneficial and adverse, from the construction, operation or decommissioning of the Proposed Development, following the proposed implementation of tertiary mitigation, have been identified and scoped into the Onshore EIA Report for further assessment. Generally, these include:
- Landscape and visual – landscape and visual impacts on receptors as a result of the substation’s construction, operation and decommissioning; and impacts from the landfall(s) and cable route during construction only.
- Ecology and ornithology – impacts on nature conservation designations, coastal habitats and woodland during construction only; impacts on field boundaries and protected species including birds during construction and decommissioning; and impacts from invasive species during construction, operation or decommissioning.
- Noise - impacts on receptors as a result of traffic noise, substation vibration activities, landfall(s) and cable route noise and vibration activities during construction only; and impacts on receptors from substation noise activities during construction and operation.
- Cultural heritage – impacts on the setting of heritage assets (within 5km of the Proposed Development) during construction and operation; and direct effects on heritage assets from the landfall(s) and cable route, and substation during construction only.
- Geology, hydrology, flood risk and soils – impacts on statutory designated sites, soil erosion, flood risk and private water supplies during construction only.
- Traffic and transport – impacts from construction traffic only.
- Socio-economics - direct, indirect and induced employment impacts and gross value added impacts during construction, operation and decommissioning.
- Land use, recreation and tourism – direct impacts on land use, recreation and tourism receptors during construction; and indirect impacts on recreation and tourism receptors during construction and operation.
The technical topics of air quality and electric and magnetic fields have been scoped out of further assessment. It is anticipated that through the implementation of identified tertiary mitigation measures any potential effects would be reduced to non-significant.
How to Get Involved
If you would like more information on the Project or Proposed Development please visit https://www.sserenewables.com/berwickbankandmarrbank or email enquiries to berwickandmarr.enquiries@sse.com.
Next Steps
Following submission of this Onshore Scoping Report to ELC, the Applicant will undertake further consultation with statutory and non-statutory consultees where necessary, undertake environmental surveys and studies, finalise the design of the Proposed Development and submit a planning application to ELC accompanied by the Onshore EIA Report. Submission of the application is anticipated to be towards the end of 2021.
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
Acronym | Definition |
|---|---|
AADT | Annual Average Daily Traffic |
AAWT | Annual Average Weekday Traffic |
ACoW | Archaeological Clerk of Works |
APR | Annual Progress Report |
AQMA | Air Quality Management Area |
AQS | Air Quality Standard |
ASA | Archaeologically Sensitive Area |
AWI | Ancient Woodland Inventory |
BCT | Bat Conservation Trust |
BGS | British Geological Society |
BPM | Best Practicable Means |
BSI | British Standards Institution |
BTO | British Trust for Ornithology |
CAR | Controlled Activities Regulations |
CBC | Common Bird Census |
CEMP | Construction Environment Management Plan |
CIEEM | Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management |
CTMP | Construction Traffic Management Plan |
DECC | Department of Energy and Climate Change |
DEFRA | Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs |
DfT | Department for Transport |
DMRB | Design Manual for Roads and Bridges |
EcIA | Ecological Impact Assessment |
ECML | East Coast Main Line |
ECoW | Ecological Clerk of Works |
EIA | Environmental Impact Assessment |
EIAR | Environmental Impact Assessment Report |
ELC | East Lothian Council |
ELCAS | East Lothian Council Archaeological Service |
EMF | Electric and Magnetic Fields |
EPUK | Environmental Protection UK |
GDL | Garden and Designed Landscape |
GIS | Gas Insulated Switchgear |
GLVIA | Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment |
GPP | Guidance for Pollution Prevention |
GPS | Global Positioning System |
GVA | Gross Value Added |
HDD | Horizontal Directional Drilling |
HER | Historic Environment Record |
HES | Historic Environment Scotland |
HGV | Heavy Goods Vehicle |
HLA | Historic Land-Use Assessment |
HVAC | High Voltage Alternating Current |
HVDC | High Voltage Direct Current |
IAQM | Institute of Air Quality Management |
IEFs | Important Ecological Features |
IEMA | Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment |
ITPE | ITPEnergised |
JNCC | Joint Nature Conservation Committee |
LAQM | Local Air Quality Management |
LB | Listed Building |
LBAP | Local Biodiversity Action Plan |
LCS | Landscape Capacity Study |
LCA | Land Capability for Agriculture |
LCT | Landscape Character Type |
LDV | Light Duty Vehicle |
LVIA | Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment |
MLWS | Mean Low Water Spring |
NCR | National Cycle Route |
NIDL | Non-Inventory Designed Landscape |
NOx | Nitrogen Oxide |
NO2 | Nitrogen Dioxide |
NnG | Neart na Gaoithe |
NPF | National Planning Framework |
NRC | National Cycle Route |
NRHE | National Record of the Historic Environment |
NRMM | Non-Road Mobile Machinery |
NVC | National Vegetation Classification |
OHL | Over Head Line |
OnTW | Onshore Transmission Works |
OSEC | Outline Schedule of Environmental Commitments |
PDT | Passive Diffusion Tube |
PiC | Property in Care |
PM10 | Particulate matter with a diameter of less than 10 micrometres |
PM2.5 | Particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres |
PPG | Pollution Prevention Guidelines |
PPV | Peak Particle Velocity |
PRoW | Public Rights of Way |
SEPA | Scottish Environment Protection Agency |
SSER | SSE Renewables |
SSSI | Site of Special Scientific Interest |
SLA | Special Landscape Area |
SM | Scheduled Monument |
SNH | Scottish Natural Heritage |
SPG | Supplementary Planning Guidance |
SPA | Special Protection Area |
SPP | Species Protect Plan |
SUDS | Sustainable Urban Drainage System |
SWT | Scottish Wildlife Trust |
WeBS | Wetland Bird Survey |
WFD | Water Framework Directive |
WQMP | Water Quality Monitoring Programme |
ZAP | Zone Appraisal and Planning |
ZDA | Zone Development Agreement |
ZTV | Zone of Theoretical Visibility |