Landscape Character:
The Scottish Borders Structure Plan states that proposals for wind energy developments will be assessed against the landscape character of the area (I20). The Local Plan states that ‘locations within large scale landscape settings defined as Upland type […] will normally be more acceptable, and locations where there is surrounding landform that minimises the external visibility of the development, where there is no interference with prominent skylines or where there is no conflict with sensitive habitats will be looked on more favourably than other locations(Policy D4). The area in question can be defined as small scale coastal moorland and coastal farmland. PMRs own application admits that the effects on the landscape character ‘remain major and significant’ and that the windfarm will have a ‘significant effect on the host landscape’ (ES Addendum 10.5.3).
Drone Hill (Coldingham Moor) is classed as “open land/ agricultural Land/ coast line” in both the Structure Plan and Local Plan for this area and is clearly not zoned for wind farm development. Although Drone Hill does not have any “sensitive” or “potentially sensitive” designations within the footprint of the development, therefore classifying it as a “preferred area” for wind farm development, the local area has a sensitive SPA and SAC, and lies within the proximity of a sensitive AGLV, many SSSI’s and a NNR. The cumulative weight of all the above designations in the locality suggests the area is of high natural heritage and a wind farm development would at the very least harm the settings of these designations.
Drone Hill is NOT classified within “large scale landscapes settings defined as upland type” which is the preferred landscape type for wind farm development, it is “coastal moorland” (landscape type 21- Borders Landscape Assessment 1998). Also SNH states that “impacts on the small scale and settled coastal farmland landscape character type which is in close proximity to the development site and is highly sensitive to large, built structures” ( Scottish Natural Heritage Drone Hill planning response to Scottish Borders Council 26/05/05 paragraph 7).
The Drone Hill location does NOT accommodate the development, as there will be high external visibility, as described by Alistair Lorimer (at the time Assistant Head of Development Control, SBC) to PI Renewables (PMR) in his letter 30/01/04, Coldingham Moor was described as “an area of lesser scale, coupled with much reduced screening provided by the surrounding landform” reducing “the ability of the landscape to successfully accommodate the scale of the development” when comparing to other wind farm development sites in the Scottish Borders. He also states “the extent to which the turbines will be visible from sensitive receptors has the potential to be significantly intrusive”. These comments by A. Lorimer were regarding the previous application, but PMR have admitted that with the amended design “the visibility of the wind farm is largely similar in occurrence to the original application” and “The revision of the wind farm has not significantly reduced the visibility of the turbines from key viewpoints” (Drone Hill Revised Non Technical Summary – Landscape and Visual Assessment). The scale and scope of the development hasn’t changed, and the fact that the application has been submitted under the same application clearly shows that the Planning Authority does not view this application as being materially different and the comments by Lorimer remain pertinent to this application.
In Scottish Natural Heritage’s response to SBC 03/02/06 paragraph 4, they state “SNH identifies that wind turbines bigger than 70m to blade-tip would not be appropriate at Drone Hill. The scale of the landscape here will not be able to accommodate larger wind turbines” and “We consider that wind turbines greater than 70m would not be of appropriate scale in this location”. The revised application of 22 turbines at 76m ignores SNH advise and the development would “not be of appropriate scale” for Drone Hill.
There will also be highly significant interference with the prominent skyline of the East Berwickshire coastline as the site is a “coastal plateau landscape bounded by steep cliffs” and “Distant expansive views are frequently obtained out to sea, and to the adjoining farmland” (Borders Landscape Character Assessment 1998).
Scottish Natural Heritage then go on to ignore their own advice regarding the height of the wind turbines. In their final response to the Scottish Borders Council 07/05/07 they state that the height of the turbines "could be revised to 76m due to the lack of commercial availability of turbines of 70m, and the availability at that time of models of up to 76m" (SNH response to SBC 07/05/07 Appendix A).