EHG3730 - DBA and walkover survey - Beauly-Denny overhead line replacement

Desk-based assessment and field survey of the route of a new 400kV overhead transmission line and the dismantling of the existing 132kV overhead transmission line between Beauly and Denny were carried out in several phases by GUARD between June 2004 and June 2005 for inclusion in a wider Environmental Statement for Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission Ltd. In addition the assessment of effects on the setting of cultural heritage features was carried out as a joint assessment by GUARD and Wardell Armstrong, and comprised desk-based assessment and ground-truthing in the field. As part of the routeing study, the initial desk-based assessment covered an area defined by the route options. This also included the majority of the existing 132kV line. Where the existing line deviated outwith the DBA corridor for the 400kV line, the DBA assessment corridor was 250m either side of the existing line. Once the route had been defined, the DBA encompassed a corridor 250m either side of the propsed route and the existing route to be dismantled (a corridor width of 500m) and 500m around the substation locations. The field survey involved assessment of the known archaeological sites identified through the DBA. It also identified any previously unrecorded sites and areas where unknown, sub-surface remains might have been affected. It comprised a 50m wide corridor either side of the proposed route, resulting in a 100m wide survey corridor and a 100m zone around the proposed and existing substations. Field survey of the existing 132kV line to be dismantled only took place where it fell within the same field survey corridor as the propsed 400kV overhead transmission line. In total 408km of the proposed route and route options were surveyed. This comprised of approximately 209km of the proposed route for areas not surveyed and 199km of route options. High vegetation growth during the summer made some areas impenetrable. This resulted in one section at Inchnacardoch Forest not being surveyed. Other areas were not surveyed due to dense forestry. <1> The database of all the sites from the DBA and survey. <2>