Michael Fenny
Principal Planner
Heathland Wind Farm
RPS was appointed by PfR to undertake the EIA and Section 36 application to Scottish Ministers for a proposed 17 turbine wind farm development on the National Forest Estate near Forth in South Lanarkshire / West Lothian. This work included managing the layout and design iteration process for the proposed wind farm.
The wind farm was granted section 36 consent and deemed planning permission by Scottish Ministers in October 2018. EDF Renewables have now acquired the project from PfR and will be responsible for taking forward this development.
Key details
Project name
Heathland Wind Farm
Client
Partnerships for Renewables (PfR) / EDF Renewables
Location
South Lanarkshire / West Lothian
Services provided
- Planning
- EIA
- Landscape and visual
- Archaeology and cultural heritage
- Ecology and ornithology
- Noise
- Hydrology and hydro-geology
- Peat management
- Transport
- Socio-economic
Challenge
The key design constraint at the Heathland site was identified at an early stage as the potential for significant adverse cumulative landscape and visual effects with the existing seven turbine Pates Hill Wind Farm to the east, the 15 turbine Tormywheel Wind Farm immediately to the north-west, the Black Law Wind Farm (and extensions) approximately 4.0 km to the west and the Muirhall Wind Farm (and extensions) approximately 5.3 km to the south-east.
The ability to minimise significant cumulative impacts was made even more challenging by the large-scale of development required by the developer in order to ensure that the project would be commercially viable to operate in a subsidy free marketplace.
Solution
Through careful attention to the layout and design of the proposed wind farm and through extensive pre-application design consultation with both planning authorities and Scottish Natural Heritage, RPS was able to avoid any objections to the project from statutory consultees. Both planning authorities also supported the development.
Project Statistics
68MW
approximate generation capacity
Over 35,000
homes that this will be able to power
45,600 tonnes
estimated C02 emissions savings per year
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