F E AT U R E By Simon White
Seascapes and offshore wind power Seascape sensitivity studies are playing an important role in guiding offshore wind energy at a strategic level, but they need to be applied effectively to help avoid delay to suitable developments which combat climate change and its related impacts.
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ffshore wind energy production is a major contributor to mitigating climate change, so it deserves support from the profession. However, these developments are huge in terms of height of turbine and areas covered (illustration 2). They will be visible over very long distances, and some are likely to cause cumulative impacts with existing developments. In achieving energy production targets, can we (and should we) also protect the character and special qualities of our most valued seascapes? There is a strong case to do so, but to achieve this we need a more effective strategic planning approach. The Crown Estate facilitates offshore wind development by periodically leasing defined areas of seabed. They have just completed Round 4 allocations, and are now considering deep waters in the Celtic Sea. In this instance, various consortia bid for the development rights within defined bidding and wind farm extension areas, and they then try to resolve seascape issues as part of the consenting process (using seascape and visual impact assessment (SVIA)). This can lead to conflict, especially where sites are allocated near nationally designated landscapes (illustration 1). The recent LI publication responding to the climate crisis, Landscape for 2030, states that strategic landscape and seascape planning are an essential part of renewable energy placement and viability. So, how to achieve this? Seascape sensitivity studies are playing an important role at both a national and a regional/local level. Current national policy statements drive decision-making and these
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lay emphasis on avoiding compromising the purposes of national landscape designations. Research for Natural Resources Wales (NRW)1 analysed all available UK SVIAs to arrive at a consensus on the magnitude of visual effects for different sizes of wind turbine at different distances. This was used to define visual buffers to optimise the distance for different heights of turbine for different sensitivities of seascapes. This appears to have influenced the location of Round 4 projects in the Northern Wales and Irish Sea area, but should it not be used at an earlier stage in the Celtic Sea to avoid significant effects on the Pembrokeshire Coast? A UK Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment background paper2 expanded on and refined the NRW research. It combined this with analysis of Met Office data over 10 years on the frequency of visibility distance out to sea and other information to recommend refined buffers for different sensitivities of seascape. Around the same time, an approach for assessing seascape sensitivity was developed for the Marine Management Organisation3. Both these documents inform both strategic and specific development assessments. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is the Government body (since 2009) responsible for “protecting and enhancing our marine environment, and support UK economic growth by enabling sustainable marine activities and development.” The MMO licenses and advises on development of offshore wind installations.4 The MMO are creating marine plans for all English seas and coasts and
