Forest of Bowland AONB Renewable Energy Position Statement

Forest of Bowland AONBRenewable Energy Position Statement

Background (1)

• UK Government has set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and producing power from renewable sources.

• Reduce dependency on fossil fuels.

• Forest of Bowland AONB has not been identified as an ‘exempt’ area.

2Environment Directorate, Lancashire County Council

Background(2)Some fundamentals:

• The AONB’s landscape will be affected by climate change.

• The AONB covers nearly a third of Lancashire and is rich in renewable resources, particularly wind. Lancashire will struggle to meet its climate change obligations and targets if such a large area of the County is excluded.

• The AONB should play its part in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through, inter alia renewable energy schemes.

• The AONB will be increasingly targeted by renewable energy developers.


Planning Policy(1)

• Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas: “Nationally designated areas comprising...Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), have been confirmed by the Government as having the highest status of protection in relation to landscape and scenic beauty. The conservation of the natural beauty of the landscape and countryside should therefore be given great weight in planning policies and development control decisions in these areas”“Major developments should not take place in these designated areas, except in exceptional circumstances”.

• Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy:“Small-scale developments should be permitted within areas such as...Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty...provided that there is no significant environmental detriment to the area concerned”


Planning Policy(2)

• “In sites with nationally recognised designations...(Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty...) planning permission for renewable energy projects should only be granted where it can be demonstrated that the objectives of designation of the area will not be compromised by the development, and any significant adverse effects on the qualities for which the area has been designated are clearly outweighed by the environmental, social and economic benefits”.

• Regional Spatial StrategyPolicy EM17 Renewable Energy : advises that within nationally recognised designations small scale developments may be acceptable “provided there is no significant environmental detriment”.


European Landscape Convention

• The European Landscape Convention (ELC) considers and promotes an integrated approach when dealing with the landscape and provides an international context for landscape, placing this important resource alongside biodiversity and cultural heritage.

• The ELC promotes landscape protection, management and planning. In addition member states are required to, inter alia, acknowledge and recognise landscape as a key element of individual and social well-being and the important part it plays in the quality of life for people.


Forest of Bowland AONBManagement Plan April 2009 – March 2014

The document provides a policy framework

and identifies a 5-year programme of actionsto help guide the work of the AONB partnership organisations towards achievingthe purpose of this plan - to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural beauty of the Forest of Bowland landscape.

Chapter 19, Responding to Climate Change:

“Establish and promote the AONB as a place of ‘best practice’ in responding to climate change”.


Forest of Bowland AONB Renewable Energy Position Statement (1)What is it?

• A positive document which recognises the challengesof responding to climate change and accepts that theAONB has a role to play in tackling this problem.

• It sets out the Forest of Bowland AONB Joint Advisory Committee's position with regard to the siting of renewable energy developments, both within and adjacent to the boundaries of the AONB.

• It provides guidance on the different types of renewable energy generation, the differing scales of development and issues relating to siting.

8Environment Directorate, Lancashire

County Council

Forest of Bowland AONB Renewable Energy Position Statement (2)

• It is envisaged that the position statement will be used to inform planning policy development, supplementary planning guidance, strategies, design guides and assist in the determination of planning applications submitted to the planning departments of local authorities in the AONB partnership.

• The document is also intended to offer advice to potential developers, and any business, community or resident who is seeking to install micro or small scale renewable systems within the Forest of Bowland AONB.


Forest of Bowland AONB Renewable Energy PositionStatement (3)Where does the position statement fit in the scheme of things?

NOT a statutory document.NOT part of the statutory Development Plan.

Sits alongside and should be read in conjunction with:• Forest of Bowland AONB Management Plan (statutory

document).• Forest of Bowland AONB Landscape Character Assessment.• Landscape Sensitivity to Wind Energy Development in

Lancashire.• A Landscape Strategy for Lancashire.• Landscape and Heritage Supplementary Planning Guidance.



This guidance is for micro and small scale schemes only as the Forest of Bowland AONB Joint Advisory Committee will object to all plans to develop medium and large scale renewable energy schemes.

Renewable energy:

• Electricity:Generated by hydro systems (water), photovoltaics (solar) and by wind turbines.

• Heat generation: Heat can be generated via the burning of wood fuel and other biomass products, using anaerobic digestion, solar thermal and by using underground water and air source heat pumps.



Renewable energy typology:


Forest of Bowland AONBRenewable Energy Position Statement (6)

Why object to medium and large scale renewable energy development?

The Forest of Bowland AONB Joint Advisory Committee considers that medium to large scale renewable energy development is not appropriate within the Forest of Bowland AONB (or in locations beyond the boundary where development would affect its setting and character) as it has significant potential to adversely affect the natural beauty of the AONB and to compromise the purpose of the statutory designation.



A practical study – wind energy development

Landscape sensitivity



Landscape characteristics which indicate that medium and large scale wind energy development would not be appropriate for the AONB include:

• considerable sense of remoteness/wildness.• the highest levels of landscape tranquillity

in Lancashire (ref. CPRE).• scarcity of this type of landscape

character/experience.• landscape complexity – incised cloughs

contrasting with moorland plateaux.• the area provides important backdrops to

many areas.• high landscape values – nationally

designated landscape, cultural landscape, recreational uses, tourism.



Potential visibility – 20km radius



Appropriate for the natural beauty of the AONB? Compromise the purpose of the statutory designation?


Thinking further ahead

Wind energy is a rapidly developing industry.

Wind turbines and wind farms are getting much larger greatly increasing the area over which significant landscape and visual impacts could occur.There is a trend towards repowering of existing sites too.

Enercon E-126 wind turbine – 198m high (almost twice the height of Scout Moor wind turbines!)Markbygden Wind Farm, Sweden.1101 wind turbines, 450km² site area


Blackpool Tower

Documents

Forest of Bowland AONB Renewable Energy Position Statement