Location
Charnwood, Leicestershire
Client
Severn Trent Water/Galliford Try
Project
Wanlip
Wanlip
Pegasus was appointed to prepare a Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) for a 3.4MW wind turbine (132m to blade tip) on land adjacent to the Wanlip Sewage Treatment Works in Charnwood, Leicestershire.
Our assessment considered the potential impacts on landscape elements, landscape character and visual amenity. Illustrative material including: Zones of Theoretical Visibility (ZTVs), wireframes and photomontages were produced in accordance with published best practice guidance to support the application. A cumulative impact assessment was provided to take account of other nearby windfarm proposals.
Given its urban fringe location, a key consideration was the potential impact on residential amenity. Pegasus therefore undertook a detailed residential visual amenity study of nearby properties.
The application was initially refused planning permission by Charnwood Borough Council and the reasons for refusal included impacts on residential amenity. Pegasus was then appointed to provide expert landscape and visual witness services to Severn Trent Water in relation to an appeal hearing. The appeal was allowed and planning permission was granted in March 2011.
At the time of approval the Wanlip wind turbine was the largest consented onshore wind turbine in England. It has been estimated that the wind turbine will generate approximately 8,935MWh per annum, offsetting approximately 96,050 tonnes of CO2 over the proposed 25 year lifetime of the development, generating electricity equivalent to the average annual domestic needs of approximately 1,901 average UK households (approximately 94% of the households within the Birstall and Wanlip Wards). The turbine is scheduled for construction in 2012.
