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1 Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Volume 4 - Non Technical Summary Submitted on behalf of RWE NPower Renewables Limited to Burnley Borough Council December 2009

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3 Prepared by:... Checked by:... Mark Herod Paul McQuillan Senior Environmental Scientist Principal Environmental Scientist Approved by: James Smith Regional Director Rev No Comments Checked by Approved by Date 0 Draft for Internal Review PM JS 08/12/ Draft for Client Review SM JS 10/12/ Final for Issue PM JS 16/12/2009 First Floor, One Trinity Gardens, Quayside, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 2HF Telephone: Website: Job No Date Created December 2009 This document has been prepared by Aecom Limited ( Aecom ) for the sole use of our client (the Client ) and in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of preference agreed between AECOM and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by Aecom, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior expenses written agreement of Aecom.

4 Table of Contents 1 Introduction Site Context and Scheme Description Rationale for the Scheme Key Environmental Impacts Conclusion... 12

5 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary 1 1 Introduction RWE Npower Renewables Ltd (RWE NRL) is proposing to construct, operate and decommission a three turbine extension to the existing onshore wind farm, located at Hameldon Hill near Burnley in Lancashire A planning application has been submitted to Burnley Borough Council in accordance with the Town and Planning Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, The regulations require for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to be carried out; and the results of the EIA to be included in an Environmental Statement (ES) to accompany the planning application This document is the Non Technical Summary of the ES. The ES comprises: Volume 1 Environmental Statement Main Volume Text Volume 2 Environmental Statement Figures Volume 3 Environmental Statement Appendices Volume 4 Non Technical Summary The Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment has been included as a supplementary document to the ES. The ES includes a summary chapter that highlights the salient points of the study Printed copies of all the documents (including the Non Technical Summary) may be obtained at a fee of 350. Electronic copies of all documents can be made available at a fee of 10 per CD. Please contact the following: Mark Herod AECOM First Floor One Trinity Gardens Quayside Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2HF mark.herod@aecom.com Alternatively the ES can be consulted at the following location: Burnley Borough Council Development Control Contact Burnley 9 Parker Lane Burnley BB11 2DT

6 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary 2 2 Site Context and Scheme Description 2.1 Site Context The proposed extension to Hameldon Hill Wind Farm is approximately 1km south west of the outskirts of Burnley and 2 km south of the M65 Motorway, within Hapton County Parish, Lancashire. The land available for development amounts to approximately 134 hectares (ha) and is shown below Although the land available for development amounts to 134 ha, the actual land that the wind farm extension will occupy will be a much smaller part of the area with approximately 1.5% of the land available being affected by the development. This is due to the relatively small footprints of the infrastructure and the wind farm design criteria applied throughout the design process. The area of land expected to be affected by the development is approximately 2 ha. The remaining land will be unaffected and could continue to be used as agricultural land The proposed development comprises the construction and operation of three wind turbines, together with the construction of access tracks, crane hard standings, a temporary construction compound and an underground cable network linking the turbines to a newly developed substation. The proposed locations of the turbines, access tracks and other site infrastructure are shown below.

7 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary Scheme Description The proposed development comprises: Construction, operation and eventual decommissioning of three 3-bladed wind turbines. The turbines will be limited to a maximum tip height of 110 m above ground level. Each turbine will have generating capacities of between 2 and 2.5 MW, giving an installed capacity for the site of between 6 and 7.5 MW. Construction of access tracks. A total of 2.9 km comprising approximately 0.4 km of new tracks and 2.5 km of upgrades to existing tracks. Construction of cane hard standings. An underground cable network will link the turbines to a newly developed substation. Creation of a temporary construction compound. 2.3 EIA and the Design Process Good practise and EIA guidance has meant that the design team have employed an iterative approach to the design of the Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension. The design evolved throughout the EIA process as different constraints and adverse and beneficial effects were identified and evaluated. This approach is considered best practise as mitigation measures were integrated into the design throughout the EIA process to alleviate or remove adverse effects and measures were incorporated into the design to enhance positive effects. The illustration below shows how known constraints influenced the layout design process.

8 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary Construction The starting date for the construction programme is largely a function of the date that consent might be granted but is typically nine months following consent for a scheme of this size. Construction programme length will be subject to variation depending upon the date that planning permission is granted, any requirement to meet certain planning conditions (for example limitation of particular construction activities in particular areas of the site during particular times) and prevailing weather conditions The following enabling works will be undertaken in the post-consent/pre-construction period: detailed site investigations; consultation with regulatory authorities; and any necessary consents (e.g. pipeline crossings, land drainage modifications, etc) The construction process will consist of the following principal activities: Construction activities have been assumed to take place between 07:00-19:00 hours Monday to Sunday although deliveries of plant, material and components will be limited to 07:00 to 19:00 Monday to Friday. Work outside these hours may be necessary, for example to maximise weather windows, however the need for it will be agreed with the local authority in advance of the works. A Construction Management Plan will be prepared by the applicant or their chosen contractor and agreed with the local authority prior to the commencement of any construction activities There is potential for direct jobs to be created in the local area during the construction stage of the project. Staff will be required to complete the earthworks, steel fixing, electrical activities and substation construction and other activities. It is estimated that approximately 20 construction personnel will be required. 2.5 Operation and Decommissioning The wind farm extension will operate for a period of 25 years from the operational date deemed to be when the turbines first export electricity to the national grid. For the purpose of the ES it has been assumed that the wind farm extension will be decommissioned at the end of the operational period. A decommissioning plan will be prepared by the wind farm operator and agreed with the relevant authorities prior to any decommissioning taking account of new legislation, guidance and best practice During the operation of the wind farm extension, ongoing servicing and maintenance of the wind farm could support 1 to 2 staff full time. This work would take the form of routine servicing and unexpected maintenance.

9 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary 5 3 Rationale for the Scheme 3.1 Combating Climate Change Change in global and regional temperatures and precipitation patterns is a natural phenomenon and there have been a number of cooling and warming periods recorded over the last millennium. However in the late 1980s a growing concern emerged that climate change was being influenced by anthropogenic activity beyond the normal fluctuations. The main contributing activities include emissions of the so-called greenhouse gases in particular carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and oxides of nitrogen (NO x ) into the atmosphere and other effects such as land use changes which reduce the ability of the natural environment to recycle these gases. A significant proportion (56%) of the increased greenhouse gas emissions arise from the burning of traditional fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas for energy generation and transportation One of the principal contributors to the build-up of greenhouse gasses is the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation. In the UK, 66% of CO 2 emissions are attributable to electricity and heat production. Reducing the extent to which electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels will reduce the amount of harmful greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere Power from the wind can be harnessed and used to generate electricity. Wind farms offer important advantages. Firstly, the cycle carbon cost of wind power is significantly smaller than that of other forms of conventional and renewable energy production. Secondly they contribute to a reduction in our dependence on the finite reserves of fossil fuels, which are being rapidly depleted and the costs of which are rapidly escalating. Thirdly, they reduce our dependence on oil and gas imports and increase our self-sufficiency in energy production. Additionally, wind farm developments are reversible and a site can be decommissioned to the extent that no visible trace of them existing is apparent In 2000, the UK Government launched the UK Climate Change Programme to facilitate a means to achieve their international and domestic obligations and targets. However, under the UK Climate Change Programme the UK Government set itself targets beyond those of its legal commitments under Kyoto. The UK pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including CO 2, to 20% below 1990 levels by Furthermore, in the 2003 Energy White Paper, the UK Government set a target of a 60% reduction in CO 2 emissions over 1990 levels by The programme encourages the use of new and more efficient sources of energy generation, including renewable power generation, and set a target of 10% of all electricity to be generated from renewable resources by 2010, with 15% to be generated by Interim targets have been devised by the UK Renewable Energy Strategy to ensure that sufficient progress is made each year to remain on track to achieve our 2020 target. Under the Renewable Energy Directive, the UK has interim targets to achieve the following shares for renewables in the energy mix: 4.0% in ; 5.4% in ; 7.5% in ; and 10.2% in The earliest interim target is widely understood to the most challenging target to achieve due to planning, financial and construction constraints (The UK Renewable Energy Strategy, 2009) The Planning Statement, submitted with the planning application, outlines the guidance and policies directly relating to the proposed extension of the Hameldon Hill Wind Farm. 3.2 The Local Challenge The Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) for the North West provides the framework for development and investment in the North West region for the period 2008 to The RSS complements national policy as outlined in Planning Policy Statements (PPSs), circulars and White Papers. It brings an understanding of the North West region to target the delivery of such policy and address specific challenges and opportunities The RSS states that renewable energy technologies must now be developed to support an increasing proportion of the Region s capacity for generating electricity Indicative regional sub targets for onshore wind farms in 2010 and 2015 are given in Table 3.1.

10 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary 6 Table 1.3 Indicative Sub-Regional Breakdown of Target for Total Generating Capacity for Onshore Wind Farms in 2010 (including existing schemes) Onshore Wind Farm Target for Total Onshore Wind Farm Target for Total Region Generating Capacity in 2015 (MW) Generating Capacity in 2010 (MW) Cheshire Cumbria Greater Manchester Lancashire Merseyside Warrington & Halton Total Source: North West RSS, BWEA Lancashire has an onshore wind energy target of MW by Table 1.4 shows the current deficient for the Lancashire region. Table 1.4 Lancashire onshore wind energy target against current generating potential Onshore Wind Farm Target for Total Generating Capacity in 2010 (MW) Operational (MW) Consented (MW) Planning (MW) Lancashire Source: North West RSS, BWEA November If approved, the proposed wind farm extension at Hameldon Hill could account for up to 7.5 MW, a material contribution to the Lancashire target If these targets are to be met, a quick, sustained and substantial acceleration is needed in the development of renewable energy projects, with onshore wind energy making a very substantial and indeed critical contribution. The proposed development of the Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension can make a key contribution to achieving the targets.

11 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary 7 4 Key Environmental Impacts The scale of the proposed development means that there is the potential for significant effects to arise. An EIA was therefore carried out to assess the potential impacts on key environmental receptors. Consultation was undertaken with statutory authorities to help define the scope of the EIA, the outcome of which is presented within the ES The following sections provide summaries of the findings of the technical investigations of the EIA. 4.2 Landscape and Visual The design of the wind farm extension has been optimised by taking into account the other environmental and technical constraints. The result of this is a layout which produces the most optimal balanced group of turbines when seen from most locations in the vicinity and cumulatively with the existing turbines on Hameldon Hill In terms of landscape character, significant cumulative effects on landscape character will occur during the operational phase, however, these will be confined to parts of two National Character Areas: the Lancashire Valleys, and the Southern Pennines. Within each of these areas, at least half of each area will be unaffected as a result of a lack of visibility of the proposed extension With regard to the Southern Pennines, the proportion of the area which will be unaffected is much greater and the presence of significant effects is owing principally to the development being sited within this area. At a Local Authority level, significant effects on landscape character will occur during the operational phase and will be confined to parts of two Landscape Types; Industrial Foothills and Valley and Enclosed Uplands and their corresponding Character Areas; Calder Valley and Rossendale Hills For all areas, the nature of significant cumulative effects upon landscape character will be neutral. This is due to the views being associated with settled and urban areas and/or larger scale rural areas and/or where existing turbines are already present; the addition of the wind farm will not alter the key characteristics The short duration and generally low-level nature of the construction phase will ensure that effects upon landscape character are minimised Significant cumulative effects on the visual amenity of residential receptors and recreational facilities and routes will occur during the operational phase and are predicted to occur at distances of up to 3.7km away. Significant cumulative effects will include Thorny Bank, parts of Burnley, Hapton and Padiham, as well as parts of the Burnley Way as it passes close to the west and south of the site. Significant cumulative effects on the visual amenity of roads and railway routes were identified at the A679, adjacent to the Hapton Inn Public House to the north The short duration and generally low-level nature of the construction phase will ensure that effects upon the visual amenity are minimised The removal of the existing turbines at Hameldon Hill during the final years of the proposed wind farm extension will constitute a return to the current baseline conditions of three visible turbines, but within a different position and for an extended period of time. With the exception of Thorny Bank and adjacent properties in close proximity to the proposed turbines, the majority of viewpoints will experience no more than a slight or not significant effect There are three national statutory landscape designations which fall within the study area and include the Yorkshire Dales National Park, Peak District National Park and Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The study area also contains a number of local landscape designations and Registered Parks and Gardens. There are no significant effects predicted on any of these designations as a result of the proposed extension Finally, all changes will be reversible and the proposed extension will be for a temporary period of 25 years, after which time the effects upon landscape fabric, landscape character and visual amenity will be negligible, as the site will be restored to the conditions prior to the development.

12 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary Noise The Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension has been designed to comply with the operational noise limits that are in place for the existing Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Predicted wind farm immission levels and background noise levels indicate that for all dwellings neighbouring the proposed site, wind turbine noise will meet the Amenity Hours and Night-time Noise limits at all wind speeds The wind farm operator will have to operate the wind farm within noise criteria defined in the planning conditions. If the criteria are exceeded, the operator will have to instigate noise control measures such as curtailing specific turbines during particular wind speeds and directions to prevent exceedences. This can be controlled through the imposition of an appropriate planning condition or conditions. 4.4 Ecology The following work was carried out to inform the Ecological Impact Assessment: Desk-based assessment and data search Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey including Preliminary Faunal Investigations Bat activity and habitat surveys The results of the desk-based assessment and the baseline surveys have been used to identify any significant impacts that may arise from the scheme and to identify mitigation measures to reduce the significance of any possible adverse impacts. The significance of these impacts has been reduced through amendments to the scheme design or by developing methodologies or general principals to be followed during wind farm construction and operation The findings of the desk-based assessment showed that the proposed wind farm extension will not have any adverse effects on designated wildlife sites such as Sites of Special Scientific Importance (SSSI), Special Protection Areas (SPA) or Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) There will be some minor adverse impacts on a number of habitats that are common, widespread and of low biodiversity value. These include primarily the loss of small areas of improved and semi-improved grassland habitat to make way for wind farm infrastructure and disturbance or damage to these habitats during the construction and decommissioning phases of the wind farm extension. None of the more species-rich or unmanaged/unimproved habitats will be affected. There will be no loss of woodland habitat or scattered trees and scrub associated with the proposed development There will be very few adverse effects on any of the fauna that inhabit or potentially inhabit the site The majority of adverse impacts identified will be on bats, however most of these are no more than slight adverse. The majority of these potential impacts have been mitigated or partially mitigated through design of the wind farm extension The overall residual impact of the wind farm extension on ecology is assessed as Slight Adverse. 4.5 Ornithology Data searches and detailed ornithological surveys were carried out in support of the Ecological Impact Assessment for the Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension. The following surveys were undertaken: Wintering and breeding bird census Vantage point surveys to assess the use of the wind farm airspace by breeding peregrine The baseline data were used to inform the ornithological impact assessments. The assessment included analysis of the predicted mortality of peregrine associated with collision with rotating turbine blades, estimated using a Collision Risk Model.

13 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary The majority of species that regularly use the site are of negligible conservation value. The impacts of most of the construction, decommissioning and operation of the wind farm will have no more than slight adverse impacts on these species, resulting in impact assessments of Neutral for most species and most of the predicted impacts However there are a number of species of low, medium and high conservation value that will be subject to some slight adverse impacts associated with the proposed wind farm extension. Such impacts include disturbance of breeding and wintering birds during construction, displacement of wintering and, more significantly, breeding birds due to the presence and operation of the turbines. The species affected include a number of ground-nesting birds and some of the woodland birds that form the assemblage recorded in Thorny Bank Wood. The effects of displacement on breeding skylark are predicted to by slight-moderate adverse, with up to five breeding pairs displaced The most significant ornithological species of the wind farm extension site is breeding peregrine. The adult pair is likely to be resident and site-faithful, holding a regular territory and nesting site all year round through intermittent presence over winter. Siting and design of the proposed wind farm extension will successfully eliminate any adverse impacts on this species that might have occurred through disturbance during construction and decommissioning and/or displacement from the breeding territory. The potential impacts of collision mortality are slight adverse, however the Collision Risk Model probably over-estimates collision mortality because it does not take into account the distribution of observed flights and the apparent habituation of the resident peregrines to the existing turbines Mitigation has been proposed that is expected to be effective for most impacts and most species. Key mitigation includes the proposed wind farm extension siting and design, which has been informed on an ad hoc basis by, among other things, the results of the baseline ecological and ornithological surveys. In the case of peregrine mortality, it is difficult to propose any additional mitigation that will prove effective in the further reduction of this impact The overall impact of the wind farm extension on ornithological interests is predicted to be slight adverse. 4.6 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage The archaeological and cultural heritage assessment examines the known archaeology and built heritage of the proposed extension to Hameldon Hill Wind Farm The scope of the assessment was to: Determine the presence of known archaeological and built heritage sites that may be affected by the proposed development. Assess the likely potential of finding previously unrecorded archaeological remains during the construction programme. Identify impacts upon archaeological features. Identify potential impacts upon the setting of known archaeological sites in the surrounding area. Suggest mitigation measures based upon the results of the above research The archaeological assessment identified 113 previously recorded sites of archaeological and cultural heritage assets and established that the area has seen prolonged human exploitation from the medieval period onwards. Earlier activity is not apparent to any great degree although this may be due to a lack of systematic archaeological investigations rather than a real absence of human exploitation during this timeframe The archaeological sites are predominately medieval and post-medieval in date, leaving a series of earthworks, cropmarks and agricultural or industrial related sites including Hapton Tower. Hapton Tower had become derelict by 1725 and no visible remains are present today. Archaeological fieldwork noted several previously unrecorded earthworks during the erection of wind turbines adjacent to the land currently available for development. It is likely that additional earthworks or subsurface features may exist within the proposed development area.

14 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary The impact from the erection of new wind turbines and associated access tracks on recorded archaeological sites is limited to a single site identified during the walkover survey. The access tracks predominantly keep to existing tracks although it is likely these will have to be upgraded. Impacts upon the setting of cultural heritage sites from the turbines are considered to be moderate adverse at worst due to the proximity and vantage point of Hapton Tower which is located just to the south of the proposed turbines Due to the nature of the proposed development, there are no mitigation measures that can be introduced to reduce the visual impacts upon archaeological and built heritage sites. Use of planted screening may itself impact on the setting of the cultural heritage features and is therefore not considered as a suitable form of mitigation The overall significance of impact of the proposed development is considered to be slight adverse. 4.7 Traffic and Transport The main transport effects will be associated with the movements of commercial Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and abnormal loads to and from the site during the construction phase of the development. Once the wind farm extension is operational, it is envisaged that the amount of traffic associated with the scheme will be minimal, comprising service and maintenance visits. Occasional visits may also be made to the site for more extensive maintenance/repairs or for management/compliance purposes. The vehicle used for maintenance visits is likely to be a 4x4 (e.g. Land Rover or similar) and there may be an occasional need for HGV deliveries or road-going cranes to access the site for heavier maintenance and repairs. It is considered that the effects of such operational traffic will be negligible The proposed access route for delivery vehicles is from Aldam Terminal via the A161 Normandy Way and A614 to Junction 36 of the M62. Then from Junction 18 of the M62, onto the M66, and via the A56 and A679 that runs across the north-western part of the site. The existing access point from the A679 into the site, will be updated. The proposed route is illustrated on Figure 9.1 within Volume 2 of the ES The main traffic impacts are associated with the increase in vehicle movements along the A679 during the construction stage of the project. At worst, the frequency of vehicle movements is expected to be one every six minutes on the three individual days on which concrete for the turbine foundations is delivered to site. At other times during the construction programme the worst anticipated frequency of vehicle movements is approximately two per hour Consideration has been given to the effect the increased traffic flow might have on Severance, Driver Delay, Pedestrian Delay, Pedestrian Amenity, Fear and Intimidation, and Accidents and Safety, and all impacts upon these issues are considered Not Significant with the exception of a potentially significant impact on pedestrian fear and intimidation of the three days on which concrete is delivered to site A Traffic Management Plan (TMP) will be developed and agreed with the relevant stakeholders in order to control and mitigate impacts associated with vehicle movements. 4.8 Existing Infrastructure, Telecommunications, Television Broadcasting, Aviation and Military Interests Wind turbines have the potential to interfere with the operation of radiocommunication equipment such as point to point links, television reception and radar systems. It is therefore necessary to design a wind farm to avoid such impacts The assessment of potential impacts of the proposed wind farm extension on radiocommunications, telemetry and utilities were based on consultations with the organisations identified to have an interest in the area The consultation process identified potential impacts from the development to infrastructure and communication links. However, these have been accounted for in the site design process and no residual impacts from the proposed Hameldon Hill Wind Farm extension are predicted 4.9 Shadow Flicker Under certain combinations of geographical position, time of day and year, wind speed and wind direction, the sun may pass behind the rotor and cast a shadow over neighbouring buildings windows. When the blades rotate, and the

15 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary 11 shadow passes a window, to a person within that room the shadow appears to flick on and off; this effect is known as shadow flicker. It only occurs inside buildings where the shadow passes across a window opening, and it can only affect buildings within 130 degrees either side of north relative to a turbine A shadow flicker analysis has been undertaken for four dwellings within 870 m of the proposed turbine locations. It has been shown that for the worst case conditions, the maximum occurrence of shadow flicker amounts to 53 hours per year for one of the identified dwellings. This is increased to 203 hours per year when completing the cumulative assessment, which incorporates the proposed and existing turbines. However, it should be noted that the actual amounts will be significantly less than the model has predicted It has been demonstrated that the frequency at which shadow flicker will occur is significantly less than the frequency at which photosensitive epilepsy is triggered. It is therefore considered shadow flicker from this scheme will have no adverse health effects If shadow flicker is shown to cause a nuisance, an appropriate mitigation strategy can be investigated for the affected dwelling and can be controlled through the use of a suitable planning condition.

16 AECOM Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension Non Technical Summary 12 5 Conclusion The potential effects of the proposed Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension have been assessed in accordance with regulatory requirements and good practice. The ES incorporates technical assessments of the proposed development based on the requisite legislation and the relevant planning policy framework. The EIA has demonstrated that environmental impacts associated with the construction and operation of the proposed wind farm extension can be avoided or minimised through the use of the iterative design process and with the application of mitigation measures The extension to the existing Hameldon Hill Wind Farm will provide a number of benefits. The scheme will result in a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity generating industry by harnessing wind as an alternative to the burning of fossil fuels in line with the Government s national energy goals. It will provide a significant contribution to the Lancashire 2010 target for the provision of renewable electricity generation The ES concludes that the Hameldon Hill Wind Farm Extension will have few residual adverse effects particularly when balanced against its compatibility with national, regional and local planning policy.