Client
3R Energy
Size
14 Turbines 20MW Storage
Local Authority
South Lanarkshire Council
Sectors
Energy & Waste
Key Project Information
- The repowering application demonstrated that it was a good design and that it had sought to minimise its environmental effects, and won approval from the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit.
- The scheme had local support, with no objection from the Local Planning Authority, gained following pro-active efforts made by both the client and Pegasus Group to liaise with the nearby Local Authorities and SNH during the application process, along with the Scottish Government themselves.
- The scheme was due to deliver up to six times the amount of renewable electricity and 14 times the community benefit of the existing wind farm, from just over half the number of turbines.
Hagshaw Hill Wind Farm in South Lanarkshire was Scotland’s first commercial windfarm, with planning permission granted in 1994 for 26no. 600kW turbines, 57m in height to blade tip.
In February 2020 a planning application for repowering was approved, seeking its replacement with 14no. turbines up to 200m in height, plus 20MW of energy storage.
We provided landscape and visual services resulting in an increase in installed capacity of the site, from 15.6 MW to around 84 MW.
We began by undertaking assessments to inform scheme option discussions and then provided advice and guidance throughout the design iteration process, helping to shape the development towards its final scale and extent. This included gaining an understanding of the potential relationships between the prospective turbines and the grain and scale of the landscape, its character and its relationship with the settled lowlands and valleys.
This initial understanding of the opportunities and constraints was fundamental to the appropriate shaping the project in its later stages. Following the Design Freeze, the scheme then moved to assessment stage, where Pegasus Group provided a detailed and robust Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) Chapter, for inclusion in the submitted EIA Report.
This included a detailed consideration of residential visual amenity matters and the potential impacts of the visible aviation lighting associated with the turbines. Both of these matters were addressed through separate and detailed standalone Reports provided as Appendices to the LVIA.