A toolkit to assist landscape-scale spatial planning in relation to landscape capacity for renewable energy installations

John Martin, Bryony Fowler, Roger English

Research output: Contribution to conferenceAbstractpeer-review

Abstract

Planning plays a key role in supporting the delivery of renewable energy throughout the UK; striking the balance between the need for energy security with the management of landscape quality is vital for the transition to a low carbon future. A toolkit was developed to provide methodology for assessing landscape sensitivity and capacity to onshore wind turbines and large scale photovoltaic development. The purpose of the toolkit was to ultimately produce landscape scale spatial plans that can be applied and replicated throughout the UK and used to guide future planning decisions with regards to onshore renewable energy installations.
A case study area, The South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, was used to implement the methodology and guide areas for further development. Stakeholder engagement proved to be valuable due to the subjective nature of past assessments; public consultation methods were developed using geocaching and image-based photo interpretation to increase the public awareness of landscape in line with the European Landscape Convention. Methodology also ensured the impact of development on landscape character and the visual impact were considered independently though the use of visual impact assessments and carefully defined sensitivity criteria.
Monitoring methods were also developed to promote the longevity of the assessment and the viability of the landscape strategies over time through the use of a continued assessment of landscape change, cumulative impact and public perception.
The toolkit provides a simple and transparent approach to assessing the impacts of renewable energy development in protected and non-protected landscapes throughout the UK and promotes the use of applicable, long-term landscape scale spatial plans.

Conference

ConferenceEnergy Landscapes: Perception, Planning, Participation and Power
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityDresden
Period16/09/1518/09/15
Internet address

Keywords

  • landscape sensitivity
  • renewable energy
  • strategic spatial strategies
  • landscape capacity
  • wind turbines

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