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Structure Plan Chapter 3 - Caring for the Environment

3.14 - Renewable Energy

3.14.1: The planning system has a significant role to play in supporting the UK Government’s policy for the development of renewable energy and the Scottish climate change programme. The Scottish Renewables Obligation requires the power supply companies to obtain an increasing percentage of electricity from renewable sources. NPPG 6 Renewable Energy Developments encourages these moves towards energy production from renewable sources, so contributing to reducing the production of ‘greenhouse gases’, which aggravate climate change and are partly produced by the burning of fossil fuels to generate heat and electricity. Equally important in this regard are energy conservation and the scope to improve the energy efficiency of new developments. The Structure Plan encourages renewable energy developments in locations where there would be no significant loss of amenity, and the setting and integrity of features of importance for their scenic, conservation and heritage value would not be harmed.

Policy ENV14 - Renewable energy and energy-efficient development

In the interests of sustainable development the Councils and the National Park Authority will, subject to conformity with other relevant Structure and Local Plan policies, support:
1. developments required for the generation of energy from renewable sources and fuels; and
2. integration of renewable energy generation and utilisation into new developments.
Development proposals must demonstrate that energy conservation and efficiency are integral to the design, and to the layout of new buildings.

See also: SD1, ENV1, ENV2, ENV3, ENV4, ENV5, ENV6

3.14.2: The generally supportive approach will not be at the expense of the environment. Policies specific to renewables developments do not contain explicit reference to all potential constraining factors but other Structure and Local Plan policies and supplementary advice will detail all technical, planning and conservation factors relevant to the consideration of whether any particular development proposal will be acceptable.
3.14.3: Most renewable energy technologies are tied by their very nature to particular locations or types of location. Hydro power generation requires particular combinations of topographical features. Larger-scale schemes may have significant impacts upon landscape and conservation interests. Wind turbines, energy production from biomass and some waste-based technologies are less constrained and locational guidance is provided for these types of development. Wind turbines will now operate over a wide range of wind exposures and speeds and, given their current pre-eminence in meeting short to medium term renewable energy targets set by the Scottish Executive, the principal guidance relates to wind turbines (It is intended to cover all proposals subject to discretionary EIA in Schedule 2 of the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999). Biomass production (mainly in the form of coppiced tree crops and forestry residues) and smaller scale hydro-electric schemes may also have significant potential in the Structure Plan area.

Policy ENV15 - Energy from hydro sources

Hydro power developments, including enhanced output from existing installations, will be supported subject to detailed assessment and mitigation of adverse environmental impacts;
Developments involving impoundment, major channel alteration, new vehicular access routes or overground grid connections will not normally be acceptable in National Scenic Areas, and in the Park area developments should demonstrate that the objectives of the designation of the Park and the overall integrity of the area will not be compromised;
All proposals will also be assessed according to their cumulative impact on the river system concerned, in terms of water quality, nature conservation, flood risk and fisheries.

Policy ENV16 - Wind energy

The strategic location and design of wind energy developments will be assessed against the following principles:-

For overriding landscape character, built heritage and natural heritage conservation reasons, siting of wind turbines will not normally be acceptable in National Scenic Areas, in Green Belts or in the areas shown on the Structure Plan Renewable Energy Supplementary Key Diagram as ‘Exclusion Areas’. These areas are:
- The Ochil Hills escarpment
- The Touch – Gargunnock – Fintry Hills escarpments (including Lewis Hill)
- The Campsie Fells escarpments
- Queen’s View ( Auchineden)
- Kippen Muir view
- The settings of Abbey Craig - Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle, Bannockburn Memorial and battlefield, and Sheriffmuir battlefield
- Flanders Moss
The remainder of the Structure Plan area will be regarded as an ‘area of search’ for development opportunities. Scope within the National Park is expected to be limited and developments there should demonstrate that the objectives of the designation of the Park and the overall integrity of the area will not be compromised (see 3 below).
Within the ‘area of search’ it will be for Local Plans, the National Park Plan and Supplementary Advice to set out all relevant consultation requirements and constraints. Local Plans will also further define the ’Exclusion Areas’ and give guidance regarding development opportunities in ‘buffer zones’ around NSAs.
The relationship of new proposals to established and approved developments and those that are currently the subject of undetermined applications. Proposals will not normally be acceptable where they would result in an adverse effect upon amenity, or features of scenic and/or heritage value, by reason of cumulative visual impact.

See also: ENV1, ENV2, ENV3, ENV4, ENV5, ENV6

3.14.6: The cultivation of crops and harvesting of forest products for biomass may not raise planning issues and can bring economic and environmental benefits. However, the infrastructure requirements of biomass fuel collection, processing and energy production complexes are planning considerations. Industrial-style processing and energy production facilities may be difficult to accommodate in rural areas, but the Planning Authorities do recognise that the viability of biomass power generation may depend upon the co-location of fuel sources, processing and energy generating plant.

Policy ENV17 - Energy from biomass

Where a biomass resource is available in a rural area, and if it is demonstrated that generating efficiency will be enhanced by co-location, the Councils and the National Park Authority will, subject to satisfactory siting and design, accept biomass fuel processing and energy production facilities as being development potentially justifying a Countryside location.