An onshore wind farm in Wales, the 57.4MW Brechfa Forest West wind farm, has generated its first power after LUC helped secure consent for the site in 2013.

LUC inputted to the siting and design of this Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project on behalf of RWE npower renewables Ltd (now Innogy SE), using 3D software to test the siting of turbines to achieve the most visually balanced layout while taking into account the many on-site constraints and ensuring satisfactory energy yields.

LUC coordinated all aspects of the environmental impact assessment, produced the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA), visualisations, and the Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) which was informed by extensive baseline ecology surveys and stakeholder consultation.  In addition, LUC produced assessments on aviation, telecommunications, shadow flicker, socio-economics and recreation and land use. We provided the Landscape and Ecology Expert Witnesses, who successfully defended the scheme during the Examination, and also helped to discharge the Requirements, for example through the production of a Landscape and Habitat Management Plan.

For more information on our LVIA and photomontage work, click here. To learn more about how our ecologists can support your developments, click here.