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| CORE POLICIES & PROPOSALS & SUPPORTING TEXT | |||
| 7 - INFRASTRUCTURE | |||
| Policy I1 | Renewable Energy | ||
| Policy I2 | Combined Heat and Power | ||
| Policy I3 | Other Renewables | ||
| Policy I4 | Water and Sewerage | ||
| Policy I5 | Flooding and Water Quality | ||
| Policy I6 | Sustainable Urban Drainage | ||
| Policy I7 | Utilities | ||
| Policy I8 | Telecommunications | ||
| Policy I9 | Consultation Zones and Corridors | ||
| RENEWABLE ENERGY | |||
| Policy I1 | A range of technologies for renewable energy generation will be encouraged. Renewable energy developments will be supported provided that: | ||
| (a) | there is no significant adverse impact on local communities and/or the built and natural environment; and | ||
| (b) | they provide employment opportunities, particularly diversification of the rural economy; and | ||
| (c) | they make use of brownfield or contaminated land, where possible. | ||
| All proposals will be required to provide detailed information on associated infrastructure required, including roads and grid connections, impact during construction and operational phases of the development, including visual impact, noise and odour issues and provisions for the restoration of the site. | |||
| Justification: The sources of potential commercial renewable energy are likely to be in the rural areas of the Plan area and have to be considered in the context of the Plan's natural environment policies. Within this context, the Council will take a positive view of renewable energy proposals, recognising the wider benefits inherent in the development of renewable energy technology and the employment and economic benefits which they may bring. Any commercial renewable energy project will usually require connection to the electricity distribution grid. This can involve the siting of overhead cables or the laying of cables underground. In both instances, visual amenity and protection of the environment will be primary considerations, paying particular regard to the terms of the Fife Landscape Character Assessment 1999. | |||
| The exploitation of energy crops and forestry and farm waste are also likely to require countryside locations, both for the crop itself and the associated generating plant as there are benefits of co-locating crops and combustion plants. Such uses may be appropriate in the countryside subject to detailed consideration of their visual impact, noise, traffic generation and pollution control. Where timber is the energy crop full account must be taken of the Indicative Forestry Strategy. Combined heat and power combustion plants remote from crop growing areas may be supported. | |||
| All proposals
will be assessed against the policy protection given in the Plan to
the natural and built environment. In the specific case of wind generation,
the visual impact or noise impact on residential or other noise-sensitive
premises will also be taken into account, as well as the effect on
wildlife. As regards commercial wind farms, the entire Local Plan
area is initially being considered to be a broad area of search, with
the exception of the highest/most-prominent hills which are the areas
around the eastern and western ends of the Ochil Hills and the area
around Largo Law and the most-sensitive coastal landscape areas i.e.
the undeveloped coast. In this context, land within settlement boundaries
is regarded as being outwith the broad area of search for commercial
wind farm proposals. A further, more-detailed, examination of preferred
areas for commercial wind farms within this broad area of search will
be carried out as the Local Plan progresses. The Council's Planning
Customer Guidelines on Renewable Energy provide additional guidance. See also paragraph 1.53 of the Plan Statement |
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| COMBINED HEAT AND POWER | |||
| Policy I2 | Proposals for combined heat and power plant will be supported where: | ||
| (a) | the heat or electricity generated meet the on-site requirements; | ||
| and | |||
| (b) | any surplus heat or electricity can make a contribution to the wider energy grid or other consumers. | ||
| Justification:
Conventional fuel combustion electricity generating units, or heat
only industrial operations, are not energy efficient. Their efficiency
can be significantly improved by using heat, for example for space
or water heating purposes. In formulating proposals for fossil fuel
powered combustion operations, developers should fully evaluate the
potential for utilising heat energy released. See also paragraph 1.53 of the Plan Statement |
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| OTHER RENEWABLES | |||
| Policy I3 | Proposals for combustion of biomass, composting, landfill gas and other technologies will be supported where: | ||
| (a) | they make use of brownfield or contaminated land; or | ||
| (b) | they provide rural employment opportunities. | ||
| Biomass fuel processing and energy production facilities will be encouraged where it can be demonstrated that generating efficiency will be enhanced by co-location and, subject to transportation impact, siting and design. | |||
| Proposals to abstract geothermal energy from groundwater and other sources will be supported throughout Fife provided the drilling, engineering and abstraction operations do not: | |||
| (a) | cause unacceptable impacts on the built and natural environment, and residential and other sensitive properties; and | ||
| (b) | do not cause pollution of groundwater. | ||
| Proposals for hydro power developments will be supported throughout the Fife river network provided they do not cause damage to fisheries, fish and other aquatic life within the river catchment. | |||
| Proposals for utilising solar panels will be supported provided they comply with Development Plan policy and Planning Customer Guidelines. | |||
| Justification:
There is currently a wide range of different renewable technologies
addressed in NPPG6 which may well develop within the Plan period.
Whilst some technologies will be suitable for sites within built-up
areas (e.g. industrial estates) others will be constrained in their
location (e.g. landfill gas). There is potential to develop further
hydro powered schemes within the Fife river network and potential
for abstracting energy from a range of sources of geo-thermal energy.
See also paragraph 1.53 of the Plan Statement |
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| WATER AND SEWERAGE | |||
| Policy I4 | If a public sewer connection is available at any development site then this must be utilised. Development proposals involving the provision of private waste water treatment plant, biodiscs, septic tanks or similar, will only be supported where: | ||
| (a) | the site is not served by the public sewerage system and it cannot be connected to the public system at reasonable cost; and | ||
| (b) | there is no additional detrimental effect to groundwater resources; and | ||
| (c) | the proposed septic tank, biodisc or similar, and associated soakaway is within the application site, is no less than 15 metres from adjoining habitable properties, is no less than 5 metres from the application site boundaries for a single house; and | ||
| (d) | the developer enters into a Section 75 Agreement to cover ownership and maintenance where shared drainage systems are involved. (This agreement should also secure connection with public infrastructure if and when that becomes available). | ||
| Justification:
Private drainage systems, septic tanks and bio-discs have traditionally
been important for new development in locations outwith public-sewered
areas. Private drainage systems, particularly small treatment plants,
have been increasingly viewed as a means of overcoming development
constraints affecting public sewerage systems in towns and villages.
There is concern, however, over the potential for pollution and environmental
hazard. The general approach adopted will be to discourage private
sewerage systems in areas served by a public sewerage system regardless
of whether or not there is capacity within the system. See also policies E1, E21, E23, E25, I5 and I6. |
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| FLOODING AND WATER QUALITY | |||
| Policy I5 | Development will not be supported if; | ||
| (a) | it would increase the risk of flooding; | ||
| (i) | by reducing the capacity of flood storage or conveyancing areas or by altering the flow characteristics of a river channel, or increasing flows within an area known to flood; or | ||
| (ii) | through the discharge of additional surface water; or | ||
| (iii) | by harming flood defences; or | ||
| (b) | it would be at risk from flooding; and | ||
| (c) | adequate provision is not made for access to watercourses for maintenance; | ||
| all unless adequate mitigation measures can be secured by conditions attached to a planning permission or a Section 75 Agreement. | |||
| In areas at known risk from tidal flooding and coastal erosion development will not be supported unless it is related to coastal defence works. | |||
| In all instances, developers will be required to provide both flood risk appraisals, in support of applications for development in low and medium-to-high known flood risk areas, and drainage impact assessments. Developers will be required to provide or contribute towards costs associated with flood management works. Further guidance is provided in SPPG 7 Planning and Flooding. In addition, the Fife Flood Appraisal Group is currently preparing a guidance note for use in assessing development proposals. The terms of policy I6 in relation to SUDS are also applicable. | |||
| Justification: Government guidance in SPP 7 (Planning and Flooding) emphasises that the susceptibility of land to flooding is a material consideration in planning decisions. Development of an area which is exposed to frequent or extensive flooding is likely to be unsuitable and should be avoided. In making decisions regarding possible flood risk, the Council will apply the precautionary principle; that is, taking action now to avoid possible environmental damage even when the evidence for acting may be inconclusive but the potential impact could be great. Comprehensive information on areas susceptible to flooding is not available at present but, if and when it becomes available, the Council will incorporate it into the Local Plan at the earliest opportunity. | |||
| Proposals that
include flood mitigation measures will be considered in light of the
expected life span of the development and may require provision by
the developer for the continued maintenance of these measures. A planning
approval will not imply the absence of flood risk. Where there is
a perceived risk of flooding, the Council will require to be satisfied
that adequate mitigation measures can be put in place to avoid or
minimise such risk. Developers will be required to submit a Flood
Risk Assessment. See also policies E25, I4 and I6. |
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| SUSTAINABLE URBAN DRAINAGE | |||
| Policy I6 | Development proposals involving surface water run-off will only be supported where Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) or similar appropriate measures are undertaken. SUDS or similar appropriate measures should: | ||
| (a) | maintain public safety; and | ||
| (b) | provide or enhance wetland habitat; and | ||
| (c) | provide sufficient attenuation to surface water flows as appropriate; and | ||
| (d) | ensure there is adequate treatment of surface water flows such that there is no diminution in quality of any receiving watercourse. | ||
| Agreement on the design and long-term maintenance of SUDS will be required prior to the commencement of development. | |||
| Justification:
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), which has responsibility
for controlling the quality of run-off into open watercourses, is
promoting new techniques to reduce pollution in watercourses. These
techniques, named SUDS, will be used to achieve attenuation on sites
where downstream flooding may be an issue, to improve the quality
of water being discharged, and to introduce diverse wildlife habitats
into newly created ponds and wetland areas. Development will not be
permitted to commence until full details of any SUDS scheme is approved.
The use of SUDS techniques will be required for new developments.
Specific guidance on appropriate measures and best practice is available
from SEPA, or refer to CIRIA publication "Sustainable Urban Drainage
Systems Design Manual for Scotland and Northern Ireland", and Scottish
Water's proposed "SUDS for Scotland". See also policies E25, I4 and I5. |
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| UTILITIES | |||
| Policy I7 | In circumstances where established utility sites and their associated land holdings are no longer required for their original purpose, the Council will positively consider change of use or new development proposals in light of other development plan policies and the surrounding land uses. | ||
| Justification: A range of essential services is provided within the Plan area such as energy, telecommunications, water supply and sewerage. Often these are in specialised buildings, e.g. telephone exchanges, and protected by wayleaves which safeguard tracts of land from encroaching development. Fife Council recognises, however, that advances in technology and new practices in resource management often result in the original land requirements becoming surplus to requirements. The Local Plan policy framework guides re-use. It is also recognised that changes in operational requirements should not reduce service provision or potential investment in respect of essential services. Accordingly, providers of essential utilities should continue to invest in infrastructure improvements with a view to improving service provision, having regard to the environmental consequences of such developments. | |||
| TELECOMMUNICATIONS | |||
| Policy I8 | Proposals for the installation of telecommunications masts and related infrastructure will be supported, provided that: | ||
| (a) | they cause minimal adverse effects on the character and appearance of the surrounding area; and | ||
| (b) | it can be demonstrated that the environmental impact will be minimised by: | ||
| (i) | use of the least obtrusive infrastructure necessary to satisfy the operators' network requirements; and | ||
| (ii) | consideration of opportunities to share existing masts or telecommunications sites; and | ||
| (iii) | consideration of opportunities to locate on existing buildings or other structures; and | ||
| (iv) | consideration of opportunities to conceal or disguise the installation; and | ||
| (v) | the siting, scale, design and colour of the installation, taking account of townscape, landform, built and natural features-with particular reference to the impact on the skyline or horizon, ridges and hilltops; and | ||
| (vi) | its relationship to the natural and built heritage; and | ||
| (vii) | in the case of equipment replacing existing installations, ensuring that the replacement infrastructure will be less visually intrusive than the existing installation. | ||
| Note: | Applications for planning permission are to be accompanied by a statement on each of the above clauses. Applications for radio telecommunications must also include a declaration that the equipment and installation is in accordance with the Government's guidelines for public exposure to radio frequency radiation. | ||
| Justification: For effective operational purposes, telecommunications antennae require relatively clear lines of sight. This has led to a proliferation of masts in environmentally sensitive locations. The challenge is to balance this operator requirement with the need to ensure that new telecommunications development is an unobtrusive feature of urban and rural areas. This requires sensitive, imaginative and creative design and siting solutions with full consideration of the options available, as set out in PAN 62 Radio Telecommunications. | |||
| Masts/antennae should be located where they cause the least environmental impact. Low profile locations on or adjacent to existing telecommunications apparatus, on other isolated structures such as electricity pylons or on high structures such as chimneys are preferred. Only where operators demonstrate that such opportunities are not possible or where these are not the most sensitive environmental options will the Council consider the case for new ground based masts. | |||
| It is often possible to conceal apparatus from public view by the use of small-scale equipment, the judicious use of buildings or landscape features and disguise. PAN 62 gives extensive advice on these matters. | |||
| Particular attention has to be paid to the siting and design of telecommunications networks and infrastructure where they affect Areas of Great Landscape Value, coastal areas, public open space, green corridors, nature conservation sites, wildlife sites, historic gardens and designed landscapes, conservation areas, listed buildings and scheduled monuments. Operators should refer to the relevant policies within the Plan if any of the above are likely to be affected. | |||
| Where new masts must be provided, they should avoid visually prominent locations. Masts that are sited on ridges or hilltops or that break the skyline are not generally desirable and should be viewed as a last resort. Within urban areas, industrial and commercial, as opposed to residential, locations are likely to be more acceptable. | |||
| Masts should be slim and simple in form and disguised within the landscape or townscape. Large lattice towers should only be used as a means to secure mast sharing. | |||
| Site boundaries and landscaping should be designed in a sensitive manner and be sympathetic to local topography and local building and planting traditions. | |||
| Where existing
equipment is being replaced, the Council expects that the new infrastructure
will be less visually intrusive. When equipment becomes redundant,
it must be removed and the site left in good order at the operators'
expense. See also paragraph 1.52 of the Plan Statement and proposal 25. |
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| CONSULTATION ZONES AND CORRIDORS | |||
| Policy I9 | Development proposals within the safeguard consultation zones and pipeline consultation corridors identified on the Proposals Map will be determined in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive and the facility's operators/owners. | ||
| Justification: Certain sites and pipelines are designated as notifiable installations by virtue of the quantities of hazardous substance present. The siting of such installations will be subject to planning controls, for example under the Town and Country Planning (Hazardous Substances) (Scotland) Regulations 1993, aimed at keeping these separated from new development with which such installations might be incompatible from a safety viewpoint. In accordance with Circular 5/93, Fife Council will consult the Health and Safety Executive, as appropriate, about the siting of any proposed notifiable installations. Fife Council and operators prepare emergency contingency plans in respect of these hazards, and have regard to the terms of the Planning (Control of Major Accident Hazards)(Scotland) Regulations 2000. | |||
| These installations are subject to the Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999 (COMAH), the Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996, and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. There are likely to be severe restraints on certain types of development. The Health and Safety Executive operates a precautionary policy in assessing risks, consequences and tolerability of risks; and in doing so has regard to the terms of its own document, 'Risk Criteria for Land Use Planning in the vicinity of Major Industrial Hazards' in giving its advice. | |||
| The area covered by this Plan contains a number of installations handling notifiable substances, including pipelines. Whilst they are subject to stringent controls under existing health and safety legislation, it is also a requirement of European Council Directive 96/82/EC (Seveso II) to control the kinds of development permitted in the vicinity of these installations. For this reason the Planning Authority has been advised by the Health and Safety Executive of consultation distances for each of these installations. In determining whether or not to grant planning permission for a proposed development within these consultation distances the Planning Authority will consult the Health and Safety Executive about risks to the proposed development from the notifiable installation in accordance with Circular 5/1993. This will take account of the requirements of the Seveso II Directive to maintain appropriate distances between establishments and residential areas, areas of public use and areas of particular natural sensitivity or interest, so as not to increase the risks to people. | |||
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