EHG6252 - DBA and walkover survey - proposed Strath Oykel Wind Farm

A desk-based assessment and field survey were carried out by Wood Group plc to establish the archaeology and cultural heritage baseline within the site and in the wider landscape (15km Study Area) of a proposed wind farm in Strath Oykel. One heritage asset was identified in the DBA within the site boundary, an undated enclosure. An assessment of the identified cultural heritage resource and consideration of the current and past land-use within and in the immediate vicinity of the site boundary, indicated that there was a low probability of hitherto unidentified archaeological remains present within the Site. Mitigation of adverse direct effects would be provided by the agreement of a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) with The Highland Council Archaeologist. This scheme would allow for the identification and recording of archaeological features within the proposed site boundary which would otherwise be affected by the proposed scheme. The layout of the proposed development had been designed to avoid direct effects on the identified heritage assets within the site boundary. There is the possibility of a minor or negligible magnitude direct impact on the remains of assets of low sensitivity, potentially resulting in an effect of minor/negligible significance, which is not significant in EIA terms. There were two Category A Listed Buildings, 19 Category B Listed Buildings and 17 Category C Listed Buildings located within the 15km study area. A total of 21 scheduled monuments, one Inventory Historic Battlefield are also located within 15km of the proposed development. There are no Inventory Gardens and Designed Landscapes, Conservation Areas or World Heritage Sites within 15km of the site Impacts affecting the settings of heritage assets in the surrounding landscape would give rise to effects that are of either minor or moderate/minor significance, and not significant in EIA terms. Indirect effects on the setting of the identified designated assets would cease following the decommissioning of the wind farm and the removal of the turbines. The possibility of cumulative effects, the potential for cumulative change, resulting from the effects of the proposed development, in combination with other operational, consented or proposed wind farms has also been considered with no effects of this kind likely. <1>