Scottish Planning Policy (2014)

Scottish Planning Policy (2014) lists planning considerations in paragraphs 169 and 170.  They are as follows:

---

  169.    Proposals for energy infrastructure developments should always take account of spatial frameworks for wind farms and heat maps where these are relevant. Considerations will vary relative to the scale of the proposal and area characteristics but are likely to include:

• net economic impact, including local and community socio-economic benefits such as employment, associated business and supply chain opportunities;
• the scale of contribution to renewable energy generation targets;
• effect on greenhouse gas emissions;
• cumulative impacts - planning authorities should be clear about likely cumulative impacts arising from all of the considerations below, recognising that in some areas the cumulative impact of existing and consented energy development may limit the capacity for further development;
• impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including visual impact, residential amenity, noise and shadow flicker;
• landscape and visual impacts, including effects on wild land;
• effects on the natural heritage, including birds;
• impacts on carbon rich soils, using the carbon calculator;
• public access, including impact on long distance walking and cycling routes and scenic routes identified in the NPF;
• impacts on the historic environment, including scheduled monuments, listed buildings and their settings;
• impacts on tourism and recreation;
• impacts on aviation and defence interests and seismological recording;
• impacts on telecommunications and broadcasting installations, particularly ensuring that transmission links are not compromised;
• impacts on road traffic;
• impacts on adjacent trunk roads;
• effects on hydrology, the water environment and flood risk;
• the need for conditions relating to the decommissioning of developments, including ancillary infrastructure, and site restoration;
• opportunities for energy storage; and
• the need for a robust planning obligation to ensure that operators achieve site restoration.

---

170.  Areas identified for wind farms should be suitable for use in perpetuity. Consents may be time-limited but wind farms should nevertheless be sited and designed to ensure impacts are minimised and to protect an acceptable level of amenity for adjacent communities.