East Anglia ONE Offshore Windfarm Landscape Management PlanWork No 38 to 41
August, 2016
3 Design and Management Objectives 3.1 Context 12. The design and management objectives for the landscape proposals for the substation are:
To provide appropriate visual screening of the substation building, compound, fencing and other elements of the onshore substation.
To create a robust and resilient soft landscape proposals. To create a landscape that is easily maintained by future landowners and is also sustainable. To provide elements of enhanced habitat opportunities in selected and appropriate locations.
3.2 Baseline conditions and landscape character areas 13.
The site is well screened with surrounding woodlands and interlocking hedges and hedgerow trees that intervene to provide effective screening from views into the site. The topography in the surrounding area of the site is gently undulating which, in combination with existing mature vegetation, further restricts views into the site.
14.
The area surrounding the site is predominantly rural in nature. However, areas adjacent to the site do exhibit some urban characteristics due to the existing National Grid electrical substation, transmission lines and pylons. These industrial energy infrastructure features significantly intrude upon the predominately rural character of the site and surrounding area.
15.
Most of the roads and public footpaths in the surrounding area are lined with mature hedgerows. As a result, sweeping views of the landscape from vantage locations are limited and where available provide views of established woods, mature hedgerows and open spaces interspersed with farm houses and residential areas.
16.
It is noted that the local woodlands have a high proportion of Ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) which are susceptible to Ash dieback. This is a disease of ash trees caused by a fungus, Chalara fraxinea. It causes leaf loss, lesions on the bark and dieback of the crown of the tree. It is anticipated that many of the Ash trees in the area will be prematurely lost in the near future. This would potentially reduce the amount of vegetation available to provide visual screening of the substation.
17.
The UK Government introduced legislation on Monday 29 October 2012 that restricts imports of ash plants and seeds to those originating in pest-free areas. Because no country has declared a pest-free area for Chalara fraxinea, this effectively means a total ban on imports and movement of ash trees and seed for planting within Britain until a pest-free area is declared. Therefore, at the moment of writing the specifications and schedules, woodland tree mixes do not include Ash trees.
18.
Additionally, with Chalara fraxinea in mind as well as other potential pests and diseases which may affect trees, the intention is to create a resilient soft landscape by increasing the species numbers used within woodland plant mixes. Therefore, where possible, the specification includes a variety of woodland to achieve, hopefully, a strong ecological resilience for the long term future of the woodlands.
East Anglia ONE – EA1-CON-F-GBE-008554
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