character type and development opportunities
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SPATIAL FRAMEWORK FOR SMALL/MEDIUMSCALE WIND TURBINES (35 - 50M TO BLADE TIP)
1: 225,000Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey map with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty'sStationary Office Crown Copyright 2014The Moray Council 100023422
Areas of Search are areas with thegreatest scope for furtherinvestigating the feasibility ofdeveloping a wind farm. Areas ofSearch status does not imply apresumption in favour of grantingplanning consent. When assessingproposals regard will be had to theDevelopment Plan policies, spatialframeworks, developmentguidelines, additional guidance andthe Moray Wind Turbine LandscapeCapacity Study.
Reproduced from the Ordnance Survey map with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office Crown Copyright 2014The Moray Council 100023422
Character Type and DevelopmentOpportunities
4. Coastal FarmlandThere is some scope to accommodate thesmall-medium typology (35-50m) in thislandscape. Turbines could be sited in lessdensely settled areas, set below low ridgelines to benefit from some back-cloth ofrising ground which would reduceprominence and apparent height to somedegree. Turbines of this size should not besited on, or nearby, the landmark hills in thisand adjacent character types, and withinareas with a more complex smaller scalerolling landform. They should also be sitedto avoid intrusion on the setting ofsettlements, historic and archaeologicalfeatures and designed landscapes.
Capacity is likely to be quickly reached inthis open landscape where inter-visibilitybetween developments (and the well-settled nature of this landscape) increasespotential for significant cumulativelandscape and visual effects to occur.Periodic monitoring will be essential toconsider cumulative landscape and visualeffects in detail within this character type.
8. Upland Farmland There is limited scope for the small-mediumtypology (turbines 35-50m) to beaccommodated in this character type.Turbines of this size should be located onbroad, more gently undulating slopes,avoiding impact on the landmark hills andbeing sited away from the smaller hills andridges which form occasional landformfeatures within this landscape. The potentialfor cumulative effects with transmissionlines and operational and consentedturbines and with any potential wind farmdevelopments is likely to severely restrictopportunities for this typology. The evendistribution of settlement across thislandscape also offers a potential constraintgiven the significant cumulative effects if anumber of farms/land holdings featured aturbine of this size. Periodic monitoringshould be undertaken to review cumulativeeffects and gauge potential limits ofcapacity.
10b. Open Uplands with settled glensTurbines should be located on lower hillslopes at the transition between the uplandridges and the farmed land, along gentleslopes and sited to avoid overwhelming thescale of small buildings and clusters ofdevelopment.