Further information (Addendum) - SSE

98 Pages·2012·0.59 MB·English

Strathy North Wind Farm
Further Information

Prepared for:
SSE Renewables
Prepared by:
ENVIRON
Edinburgh, UK
Date:
October 2010
Project or Issue Number:
UK1216079

Contract/Proposal No: UK1216079

Issue: 5

Author Kate Ruddock
(signature):

Project Manager/Director Nathan Swankie
(signature):

Date: 13th October 2010

This report has been prepared by ENVIRON with all reasonable skill, care
and diligence, and taking account of the Services and the Terms agreed
between ENVIRON and the Client. This report is confidential to the client,
and ENVIRON accepts no responsibility whatsoever to third parties to
whom this report, or any part thereof, is made known, unless formally
agreed by ENVIRON beforehand. Any such party relies upon the report at
their own risk.
ENVIRON disclaims any responsibility to the Client and others in respect of
any matters outside the agreed scope of the Services.

Version Control Record
Issue Description of Status Date Reviewer Authors
Initials Initials
1 First Issue to Client 03/09/2010 NS KR
1A Second draft 19/09/2010 NS KR
2 Second Issue to Client 16/09/2010 NS KR
3 Third Issue to Client 06/10/2010 NS KR
4 Fourth Issue to Client 07/10/2010 NS KR
5 Fifth Issue to Client 13/10/2010 NS KR

Supplementary Environmental Report
SSE Renewables Strathy North

Contents
List of Figures ii 
List of Appendices iii 
1  Introduction 1 
2  Scope of this Report 3 
3  Site Context 5 
3.1  The Site 5 
3.2  The surrounding area 6 
4  Consultation since the 2007 Section 36 Application 7 
5  Description of Development 21 
5.1  Design Evolution since the 2007 Section 36 Application 22 
5.2  Construction Phase 23 
5.3  Operation Phase 24 
6  Site Environmental Management Plans 27 
6.1  Introduction 27 
6.2  Pollution Prevention Plan 29 
6.3  Drainage Management Plan 32 
6.4  Abstractions 34 
6.5  Water Quality Monitoring Plan 34 
6.6  Slope Stability Monitoring 36 
6.7  Waste Management Plan 37 
6.8  Excavated Materials and Re-instatement Plan 37 
6.9  Ecological Protection Plan (and Ecological Clerk of Works) 37 
6.10  Archaeological Clerk of Works 40 
6.11  Geotechnical Clerk of Works 41 
7  Topics where further information has been requested 43 
7.1  Introduction 43 
8  Excavated Materials and Reinstatement 45 
9  Peat depth and peat stability 51 
9.1  Peat stability 51 
9.2  Peat depth 52 
10  Ornithology 55 
10.1  Introduction 55 
10.2  Background information 58 
10.3  Baseline data collection 59 
10.4  Collision Risk Modelling for target species 60 
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10.5  Impacts on the qualifying interest of the SPA 61 
10.6  Access track breeding bird assessment 73 
10.7  Cumulative Effects 73 
11  Impacts on peatland habitats qualifying interests of the SAC and Non SAC blanket
bog 75 
11.1  Impacts on peatland habitats qualifying interests of the SAC 75 
11.2  Potential impacts on Non SAC blanket bog 76 
12  Deer 79 
13  Fish 81 
13.1  Introduction 81 
13.2  Summary of Baseline Information 81 
14  Effect of design changes on conclusions of Environmental Statement 87 
14.1  Landscape Character 87 
14.2  Visual 87 
14.3  Ecology 87 
14.4  Birds 87 
14.5  Noise 88 
14.6  Cultural Heritage 88 
14.7  Soil and Water 88 
14.8  Roads and Traffic 88 
14.9  Other Issues 88 
List of Figures
Figure 1 – Site location
Figure 2 – Site location within context of designations
Figure 3 – Site layout
Figure 3a – Typical Access Tracks
Figure 3b – Switching Station
Figure 3c – Typical Turbine Foundation
Figure 3d – Typical Crane Pad
Figure 4 – Phase one of harvesting removal plan
Figure 5 – Phase two of harvesting removal plan
Figure 6 – Preliminary habitat management plan compartments
Figure 7 – Combined peat risk assessment
Figure 8 – Site Boundary & Wind Farm Infrastructure
Figure 9 - Strathy North Access Track NVC Communities

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SSE Renewables Strathy North

List of Appendices
Appendix 1 (Please note Appendix 1 is provided as a separate volume, Volume 2)
Appendix 1.1: Report 1: Compilation of Historical and 2003-09 Bird Data for Strathy North,
and Collision Risk Predictions from 2003-08 Vantage Point Data, RPS 2010
Appendix 1.2: Report 2 Forest Clearance and Habitat Management at Strathy North: An
Assessment of the Effects on Birds Connected with the Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands
Special Protection Area, RPS 2010
Appendix 1.3: Report 3 Theoretical Collision Risk Modelling for Greenshank and Golden
Plover at Strathy North Wind farm, RPS 2010
Appendix 1.4: Report 4 An Assessment of Impacts from Strathy North Wind farm on the
Qualifying Birds of the Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands SPA, RPS 2010
Appendix 1.5: Report 5 An Assessment of Impacts of Access Track Construction and Deer
Grazing on the Caithness and Sutherland Peatlands Special Area of Conservation, RPS
2010
Appendix 2
Appendix 2.1:SSE Renewables Template Site Environmental Management Plan
Appendix 2.2 SSE Renewables Template Waste Management Plan
Appendix 2.3 SSE Renewables Template Excavated Materials and Reinstatement Plan
Appendix 2.4 Mouchel Framework Site Environmental Management Plan and Pollution
Prevention Planning
Appendix 2.5 Mouchel Framework Waste Management Plan
Appendix 2.6 Mouchel Estimated Peat Excavation Volume and Potential Reuse
Appendix 2.7: Mouchel Stream Crossings Assessment
Appendix 2.8: Mouchel Peat Stability Risk Assessment
Appendix 2.9 Sediment Management Technical Note
Appendix 3
Appendix 3.1: A response to the Scottish Executive and Northern District Salmon Fishery
Board comments on aquatic biology, Waterside 2008
Appendix 3.2: Scottish Executive (FRS) response to Waterside Report
Appendix 3.3: Hydrochemical interpretation and recommendations for future baseline
monitoring, Headley 2008
Appendix 3.4: SEPA response to Strathy North proposals – Aquatic biology and
hydrochemistry
Appendix 4
Appendix 4.1: Brief from The Highland Council Archaeological unit on the scope of the
Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed wind farm at Strathy North
Appendix 5
Appendix 5.1: Consultation Responses
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1 Introduction
SSE Renewables is seeking consent for the development of a wind farm at a site known as
Strathy North, located within the Strathy North forest block approximately 5 km south of
Strathy Village, Sutherland.
The proposal includes the erection of wind turbines and associated infrastructure, including
on site tracks, borrow pits, meteorological masts, electrical connection works, a control
building, a substation and associated works (hereafter, ‘the proposed wind farm’).
SSE Renewables submitted a Section 36 Application to the Energy Consents Unit of the
Scottish Government in January 2007 (‘the Section 36 Application’). An Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) was undertaken in relation to the proposed wind farm in
accordance with the Electricity Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland)
Regulations 2000, as amended and an Environmental Statement1 (ES) was submitted
alongside the application.
Following the submission of the Section 36 Application and ES, and further consultation with
the Scottish Government and statutory consultees, including, in particular, the Scottish
Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Forestry
Commission Scotland, additional survey and assessment work was undertaken and
consequently minor changes to the proposed wind farm design were made.
A set of amended application drawings together with associated supporting and illustrative
material is being submitted to the Scottish Government in October 2010.
The EIA team has reviewed the scheme design changes as presented in the amended
application drawings to assess their impacts on the findings of the January 2007 ES. The
conclusions of this exercise are that the January 2007 ES continues to provide an accurate
assessment of the significant environmental effects of the proposed wind farm.
However, this report is provided to present the findings of the additional survey, assessment
and design work that has been undertaken since the submission of the January 2007 ES
and provides a summary of the consequent changes in the ES to assist in considering the
environmental effects of the amended proposed wind farm.
This report is presented as two Volumes. Volume 1 contains the main report, and technical
appendices 2 – 5. Volume 2 contains technical appendix 2 which contains all RPS Reports
1 – 5.

1 Scottish and Southern Energy, January 2007. Strathy North Wind Farm, Environmental Statement
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2 UK1216079 Issue: 5