Environmental planning and landscape architecture news

Friday 11th April 2008
Overby Ridge Habitat Network
Stephenson Halliday is currently developing an innovative strategy for the long term management of six mineral sites to create a habitat network within West Cumbria. The strategy considers the restoration of the sites in a holistic manner, focusing upon enhancing the connectivity between habitats, increasing biodiversity and strengthening links to localised wildlife sites. Further habitat creation and improved land management form part of the network proposals which respond the Cumbria and UK Biodiversity Action Plans. When completed the habitat strategy will form part of a legal agreement between Cumbria County Council and Thomas Armstrong Ltd. The legal agreement also provides for road improvements on the route to Overby Quarry and additional footpaths in the surrounding area. The completion of the agreement will allow the planning permission for the extensions to the quarry to be issued. Two lateral extensions to the quarry have been approved which will secure the long term future for the quarry with combined permitted reserves of 4.5 million tonnes.

Monday 7th April 2008
Time and Tide Project, Grange-over-Sands
The practice has been commissioned to provide landscape design and management services for the Time and Tide project in Grange over Sands, Cumbria. We will be working with John Coward Architects, Archaeo-Environment archaeologists, local project group 3Ps and South Lakeland District Council to prepare a Stage 1 Heritage Lottery Fund bid for the restoration of the Promenade, Ornamental Gardens and Park Road Gardens. These areas form the estuary frontage of this elegant seaside town and contribute to its distinctive character. Their restoration will play an important part in driving the regeneration of the town as an attractive leisure and holiday destination.

Friday 21st March 2008
Bishopwood and Woodlane Wind Farms, near Selby
Stephenson Halliday are assisting North Energy and Prowind with the landscape and visual assessment in connection with two potential sites undergoing detailed Environmental Assessment. Initial consultation is taking place and at this stage the number and size of turbines has yet to be determined and we will be assisting with the design and mitigation of the proposal.

Wednesday 5th March 2008
Kirkby Thore Gypsum Plant, Appleby
Due to a significant increase in the amount of recycling carried out at the British Gypsum Plant at Kirkby Thore near Appleby, Stephenson Halliday have been commissioned to assist with planning and landscape services in connection with the surrender of their landfill license.

Wednesday 27th February 2008
Presentation to the Institute of Quarries, Lancashire Branch
Peter Stephenson (Director) and David Forsythe (Landscape Architect) gave a presentation to the Institute of Quarries Lancashire Branch on Quarry Restoration and Planning. The presentation focused upon planning policy in relation to restoration, as well as the role of restoration within the quarry development process. Other key topics included the design of quarry restoration schemes and the implementation of restoration and aftercare. Please follow this link to access the presentation.

Friday 15th February 2008
The Firs Caravan Site, Derbyshire
Stephenson Halliday assisted The Caravan Club in obtaining planning consent for the redevelopment of this site, which will provide new reception and toilet block facilities and 82 caravan pitches, opening in August 2008. Proposals for the replacement and management of extensive areas of existing tree cover within the site were an essential aspect of the application.

Monday 4th February 2008
Elterwater Quarry Visitor Centre
Burlington Slate Ltd have commissioned the practice to design visitor facilities adjoining the active working areas of Elterwater Quarry in the Lake District National Park, working with local architects Hanson Marston Mellor. ‘The Slate Story’ project will provide access to historic underground quarry workings, outdoor seating, education and display areas, as well as outlook points for visitors to observe the active quarry workings.

Thursday 31st January 2008
Griffin Wind Farm Consented by Scottish Government

We are delighted to announce consent of the Griffin Wind Farm, near Aberfeldy in Perthshire, comprising 68 no 3MW turbines giving a total generating capacity of 204 Megawatts (MW), the third largest wind farm in Scotland to have been consented. We have enjoyed working closely with Green Power assisting in Landscape and Visual Assessment (LVIA) including presentation of LVIA evidence at the public inquiry in October 2006. In announcing the decision earlier today the Scottish Government Energy Minister Jim Mather said:

"The decision to approve Griffin windfarm is an important milestone in the Government's energy strategy for Scotland -which will include the whole renewable mix - from biomass to the energy
we can generate from wave and tide. This wind farm will have the capacity to meet electricity demand for more than 100,000 homes - further demonstration of Scotland's vast renewable energy potential. There is no doubt that this country can become the green energy capital of Europe."

Visit this project in our portfolio - Griffin

Tuesday 22nd January 2008
Auchtermuchty Wind Farm
Closing statements at the Public Inquiry for the wind farm near Auchtermuchty in Fife will be heard today. Ken Halliday appeared as the Expert Witness for Landscape and Visual Amenity and Nick Edwards appeared as the Planning Expert Witness on behalf of Energiekontor UK, the developer for the site.

Friday 18th January 2008
Clochnahill Wind Farm Granted Permission
Permission has been granted for a 4 turbine wind farm in Aberdeenshire south of Stonehaven. Nick Edwards appeared at the Public Inquiry in December as the Planning Expert Witness on behalf of the Firm of Hugh Gordon which will develop the scheme.

Tuesday 15th January 2008
Fairburn Wind Farm Permission Granted
Permission has been granted for this site of 20 turbines capable of producing 35-40MW in Ross-shire near Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, subject to final legal agreements. We assisted Scottish and Southern Energy with the design, mitigation and landscape and visual assessment within the ES submitted in May 2005 and we have been involved in extensive consultation to date. Visit this project in our portfolio – Fairburn.

Thursday 20th December 2007
Dusty Drum Wind Farm
The practice has been commissioned by A7 Energy to prepare a detailed landscape and visual assessment for the proposed wind farm at Dusty Drum comprising 3 No. turbines with an overall height of 110m to blade tip. The site is located in Angus District, to the west of Arbroath.

Thursday 20th December 2007
Bradleys Sand Pit, Preston
Stephenson Halliday has coordinated and submitted on behalf of J A Jackson a planning application and accompanying Environmental Statement to extend the existing sand quarry, located near Preston, Lancashire westwards over some 10.2ha, amend the restoration scheme and continue the recycling and waste transfer activities for a period of 12 years. In tandem with developing the extension proposals we were asked to consider the long term after uses for the site after restoration complete. This provided an opportunity to develop a detailed masterplan incorporating formal and informal recreation facilities as well as enhance the nature conservation interests of the site. It is anticipated the application will be determined early 2008.

Monday 17th December 2007
Achany Wind Farm Permission Granted
Permission has been granted for this site of 40MW (23 turbines) outside Lairg in the Scottish Highlands following a Public Inquiry earlier this year. We assisted Scottish and Southern Energy with the design, consultation and landscape and visual assessment within the ES submitted in October 2005. Construction is due to start in 2008 and should be fully commissioned in 2010.

Monday 6th August 2007
Newbiggin Mine, Long Marton, Appleby, Cumbria
Stephenson Halliday have been producing draft restoration schemes for the recently closed mine in consultation with the British Gypsum, the Church Commissioners, Cumbria County Council, local land agent and tenant farmer. Once the restoration scheme has been agreed, the final earthworks and landscaping will begin.

Monday 6th August 2007
Peel Place Sand and Gravel Quarry, Gosforth, West Cumbria
Significant areas of restoration have been progressing with tonnes of soil being moved to achieve the first phases of restoration. 4ha of the quarry is being returned to agriculture and nearly 800m of hedges will be planted in the winter of 2007/8.

Monday 6th August 2007
Brightenber Wind Farm
Stephenson Halliday have recently been commissioned to prepare an Environmental Statement for a proposed wind farm at Brightenber in Craven District.

Monday 16th July 2007
Logiealmond Wind Farm, Perthshire
The practice has completed the Landscape and Visual assessment as well as cumulative assessment for a proposed wind farm in Perthshire for fourteen 2.5MW turbines on behalf of Amec Wind Energy. The submission of the Environmental Statement will follow the recent public exhibitions held this month. The practice has worked closely with Amec, Perth and Kinross Council and Scottish Natural Heritage to design a sensitive layout which fits well into the landscape.

Tuesday, 9th July 2007
Somervell Steps, Kendal
The practice has been commissioned by Kendal Civic Society and Kendal Town Council to design and implement a prominent town centre riverside public open space. Somervell Steps will form a small but important link in the sequence of parks and open green spaces along the River Kent and provide much needed disabled access to the riverside walk. Local dressed limestone will be used for steps and walls with swathes of bulbs and wild flower planting providing seasonal interest and colour. Work will be financed by the Somervell Trust, which has strong connections with the industrial history of Kendal’s K Shoes Factory.

Wednesday, 4th July 2007
The Caravan Club
Stephenson Halliday has assisted The Caravan Club with planning issues on sites in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park and Derbyshire. Sensitive planting proposals have resolved overlooking problems and integrated the sites within the wider landscape.

Monday 2nd July 2007
Auchtermuchty Wind Farm Planning Appeal
Stephenson Halliday has been engaged to assist Energiekontor in fighting their appeal against the failure of Fife council to determine their application at Auchtermuchty. The proposal at Auchtermuchty was for five wind turbines and was submitted in July 2006. By March 2007 there had still been no decision on the application and Energiekontor decided to appeal against non-determination. The appeal will be dealt with by public inquiry later this year and Stephenson Halliday will be presenting landscape and planning evidence.

Monday 2nd April 2007
High House Sand and Gravel Quarry Planning Approval
Following submission of a planning application and Environmental Statement in 2006 for a large extension, planning permission was granted by Cumbria County Council in March 2007 for some 1.4 million tonnes of sand to allow the quarry to continue to 2021. For our clients, D A Harrison, it was important to obtain further reserves for a significant period, which will ensure the security of their concrete business, the supply of aggregate materials and employment in West Cumbria.

Thursday 7th June 2007
Landfill Restoration Assessment Report
Regulations came into force last year to allow local authorities to charge for making visits to sites to monitor their progress and ensure compliance with conditions attached to planning permissions. As a means of examining their own compliance with planning conditions, Cumbria Waste Management engaged Stephenson Halliday to assess the restoration progress at the Distington, Flusco and Hespin Wood landfill sites. The report summarising this assessment was completed in June 2007.

Thursday 31st May 2007
Snowhill Farm Quarry Planning Approval
The practice submitted an application for an extension to this building stone quarry in \March 2007. The extension was designed to provide an additional 120 000 tonnes of reserve whilst minimising the visual impact of the proposals given the site location close to the boundary of the Lake District National Park. The proposals received planning permission on 31st May 2007.

Wednesday 30th May 2007
Gathercauld Wind Farm Environmental Statement Submission
Extensive design work following consultation on landscape and visual issues as well as radar, hydrogeological and technical matters has been carried out, resulting in a compact, cohesive layout of five turbines for this site in Fife. The scale of this settled and cultivated landscape has been reflected in the choice of turbine size, and the potential visual effects experienced from a number of sensitive locations have influenced the proposal which was submitted to Fife Council in May 2007.

Wednesday 11th April 2007
Withernwick Wind Farm Environmental Statement Submission
The practice has co-ordinated and submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment for another wind farm in the East Riding of Yorkshire Borough Council on behalf of EnergieKontor. This proposal is for nine 2.0/2.5 MW turbines near the village of Withernwick near Aldbrough, south of Hornsea near the East Yorkshire coast. We prepared the planning case as well as the landscape and visual assessment and all of the visualisations including photomontages. This proposal would save over 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over the 25 year life of the wind farm.

Wednesday 7th March 2007
Ironbridge to Halesfield 132KV Transmission Line
The identification of preferred corridors and routes for this proposed new transmission line has been carried out by assessing the landscape, visual, ecological and archaeological effects of the alternatives on behalf of Central Networks. Stephenson Halliday are working with Erinaceous Planning (formerly Dunlop Haywards), ecologists ERA Partnership and archaeologists Map Archaeological Consultancy on the Environmental Impact Assessment of this project, preparing an Environmental Statement for submission by the end of 2007. The identification and mitigation of landscape and visual effects within a study area which includes the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site forms the major part of the work, including the preparation of detailed visualisations in the form of photomontages to aid decision makers and inform the general public.

Monday 19th February 2007
Monkwith Wind Farm Environmental Statement Submission
The practice has co-ordinated and submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment which accompanies the planning application submitted by EnergieKontor to East Riding of Yorkshire Borough Council for seven, 2.0/2.5 MW turbines on the coast near Tunstall, north of Withernsea. The seven turbines would generate enough electricity in a year for around 8,000-10,000 homes, saving between 600k – 800k tonnes of CO2 over the 20 year lifespan.

Friday 2nd February 2007
Newbiggin Mine Restoration
We have been commission by British Gypsum Ltd to prepare restoration proposals for an Anhydrite Mine near Newbiggin. Our work will include balancing the cut and fill requirements and a full landscape restoration scheme for approval by Cumbria County Council. We will then prepare contract documents to implement the restoration and oversee the 5 year maintenance contract.

Tuesday 23rd January 2007
Ochil Hills Wind Farm Conjoined Public Inquiry
The public Inquiry held in Glenfarg, Perthshire for a proposed wind farm at Little Law, where Ken Halliday is appearing as an expert Landscape Witness on behalf of Green Power (International) Ltd. The Inquiry will be re-convened in Perth for the second part where the cumulative issues will be heard regarding the 4 proposed wind farms within the Ochil Hills. Ken Halliday will appear for the Little Law Wind Farm Proposal regarding the potential cumulative effects of the operational, consented and all other proposals in the vicinity. We also prepared the Landscape and Visual Assessment as part of the Environmental Statement, submitted in 2004.

Monday, 13th November 2006
Work in progress
The practice has been engaged by EnergieKontor to prepare the Environmental Impact Assessment for their latest wind energy scheme in Fife. The project at Gathercauld involves the development of up to 13 wind turbines on land to the east of the village of Ceres. Stephenson Halliday are lead consultants providing detailed landscape and visual assessment, a planning statement and overall coordination of the preparation of the Environmental Statement.

Friday, 3th November 2006
Griffin Forest Wind Farm Public Inquiry
The Public Inquiry held at Amulree, Perthshire into a proposed wind farm of 204MW has concluded and the result is expected in the next few months. Ken Halliday appeared as the Landscape Expert Witness on behalf of Green Power (International) Ltd, the developers of the proposed scheme comprising 68 no. turbines up to 124m high located within Griffin Scotstoun and Ballinloan Forest, north west of Perth. We also prepared the Landscape and Visual Assessment as part of the Environmental Statement, submitted in 2004.

Monday, 30th October 2006
Roan Edge Planning Approval
Cumbria County Planning and Development Committee have approved the application for the landfill of inert waste and recycling operations at Roan Edge Landfill Site, Killington. The Roan Edge site is an integral part of the recycling and waste management operations carried out in South Lakeland. We produced the Supporting Statement to accompany a planning application and carried out discussions with the Planning Authority. At the same time as making the application to extend the timescale the submitted Supporting Statement amends the proposals to better accommodate the increase in recycling operations which has occurred over recent years. The engineering of void space to accommodate the recycling and processing operations would provide additional landfill capacity lengthening the life of the site.

Thursday, 28th September 2006
Blaze Fell Planning Approval
Cumbria County Planning and Development Committee have approved the application for the opening of a quarry some 0.5 hectares as an extension to an adjacent disused quarry worked up until the 1920’s near Armathwaite, north of Penrith. We produced the supporting statement to accompany a planning application for the small sandstone quarry. The siting, design and restoration proposals for the quarry were carried out in response to the ecology of the site, which includes Great Crested Newts. The approved scheme provides enhanced woodland planting with the restoration proposals returning the site to lowland heathland.

Monday, 03 July 2006
Work in progress
Wind farm assessment work continues apace; we are currently assisting Amec Border Wind with the assessment of a revised layout for Lewis Wind Farm, which at 181 turbines, remains the largest wind farm proposal in Europe. We are presently preparing Landscape and Visual Amenity evidence for presentation at forthcoming Public Inquires into wind farm proposals in Perth and Kinross, the Ochils and Ayrshire.

Monday, 26 June 2006
Auchtermuchty Planning Application Submission
We have recently completed the Environmental Statement (ES) on behalf of Energiekontor UK Ltd to accompany their Planning Application for a five turbine wind farm near Auchtermuchty in Fife. We provided detailed landscape and visual analysis, planning statement as well as coordination and production of the ES and are continuing our discussions with the statutory consultees.

Tuesday, 28 March 2006
Scottish Renewables Annual Conference
We shall be attending the Annual Conference in Glasgow this week, and hope to see you there.

Monday, 27 March 2006
New Appointment
Tom Esslemont has just joined us to strengthen our graphics team. He has been lecturing at the University of Central Lancashire but has been tempted into private practice to specialise in visualisations for many of our wind farms projects. He will soon be appearing in our staff pages.

Tuesday 14 March 2006
Ackron Wind Farm, Scottish Highlands
We are currently assisting Scottish and Southern Energy with a wind farm proposal for around 13 turbines in Sutherland near Melvich on the north coast. The application is due to be submitted in the spring 2006.

Thursday, 2 March 2006
Whinash Wind Farm, Cumbria
We have been surprised and disappointed by the refusal of the proposed wind farm at Whinash in Cumbria on 02 March 2006. We would have liked to see England’s largest wind farm built on our doorstep. We will be studying this decision over the coming weeks on how this may affect other projects in England and the UK. For more information on the decision, see the Department of Trade and Industry website.

February 2006

The practice has recently assisted AMEC Wind with the landscape and visual assessment for proposed 60MW wind energy project at Ray Forest in Northumberland, and the planning application was submitted in December 2005.

On 30 January 2006 Cumbria County Council granted planning permission to our client British Nuclear Group Ltd for a temporary extension in respect of the storage of containers at their low level waste facility at Drigg in Cumbria. We coordinated the information required for the Environmental Statement, prepared a detailed landscape and visual assessment of the proposal and acted as planning advisors for the project.

We are currently assisting EnergieKontor with coordination of an Environmental Statement for a proposed wind farm at Auchtermuchty in Fife.

The practice has recently been successful in obtaining planning permission for a new Liquid Waste Acceptance Facility for Cumbria Waste Management Ltd at their Distington Landfill site. The new facility will allow the direct treatment of liquid wastes through the sites leachate treatment system. This is an important asset for the site as the provisions of the landfill regulations will bite next year banning the disposal of liquid wastes to landfill.

We are currently working on two major extensions to sand and gravel quarries in north Cumbria. Both projects require full Environmental Impact Assessment. We are carrying out the project design, landscape and visual assessment and planning work, as well as coordinating all other assessment work.

October 2005

The practice has been commissioned to prepare landscape proposals for a major Distribution Centre expansion for Lakeland Limited on the northern fringe of Kendal, working with local architects Hanson Walford Marston and engineers R.G. Parkins. Visual issues and sustainable drainage requirements are shaping the proposals.

We have now extended our capability in LSS software by investing in training for more staff members, and have committed ourselves to using LSS in our quarry and landfill designs. This will enable us to produce accurate volume predictions along with 3-D visualisations to assist both the design and the submission of Planning Applications. These models can be passed on to clients who wish to use them for long term management and restoration of the site. For more information on LSS, see the website at http://www.mccarthytaylor.com

Scottish and Southern Energy have recently submitted a planning application and ES for 23 turbines producing 40MW of electricity near Lairg, about 60km north of Inverness. We were pleased to assist with the preparation of the Landscape and Visual Assessment including photomontage visualisations.

September 2005

A new Landscape Architect and Cad Technician have joined our practice. David Forsyth has come to us from Capita’s Carlisle office, to strengthen our landscape design and assessment team and Rosie English has joined us to explore advanced visualisation techniques.

We have been watching the Whinash Windfarm Public Inquiry with great interest, since it was on our door step and look forward to a decision in the near future.

We have had good news in the last couple of months, with a grant of planning permission for the Sand and Gravel Quarry Extension at Peel Place, Gosforth, West Cumbria. We wish Tendley Quarries Ltd. a successful and smooth 6 years of operation.

We have been involved with a planning submission for a proposed wind farm near Contin, north of Inverness, on the Fairburn Estate above Orrin Reservoir. Scottish and Southern Energy have submitted an ES for Fairburn Windfarm, 20 turbines with a capacity of 35MW. For more information, follow this link for the Non Technical Summary:
http://www.scottish-southern.co.uk/ssegroup/
GenerationDocs/Volume%201%20Non%20
Technical%20Summary.pdf

We have recently assisted BNFL with a planning submission including environmental assessment for temporary increased stacking in Vault 8 of the Low Level Waste Repository at Drigg in West Cumbria near Sellafield. We look forward to working with them in future developments.

We have recently completed a Landscape and Visual Assessment of the proposed Aire & Calder Windfarm located in the East Riding of Yorkshire on behalf of E-ON UK Ltd.

November 2004

In the last twelve months we have moved into larger premises and three new staff have joined us in both landscape and planning.  

Kelly Anderson, a chartered landscape architect joined us 12 months ago to strengthen our landscape planning and design team.

Six months ago, Nick Edwards, a Principal planner, joined us from Cumbria County Council to take on waste management and minerals planning. Very recently Paul Redshaw joined us to strengthen our landscape team.

We moved premises on the 1 st of October into more spacious accommodation.   Our new offices are adjacent to our former premises, so the move has been very smooth.