Environmental Considerations

LUC has been commissioned as the independent environmental consultant for this project, to carry out studies to identify the environmental considerations that should inform the design of the energy park. These are still ongoing and are expected to complete in summer 2025.

In the upcoming months, the environmental considerations will continue to be reviewed and will continue to inform the design as the project evolves.

Environmental appraisals will be prepared to accompany the application for consent. For topics where mitigation is needed, relevant proposals will be agreed on with statutory consultees; a mitigation plan outlining the mitigation proposals will be produced and will accompany the application for consent.

Landscape and Visual

There are no national or local level landscape designations across the site. The Lammermuir Hills Special Landscape Area (SLA), a local level landscape designation, lies approximately 2.7 km north-east of the site.

The following Viewpoints have been identified for the assessment based on a Zone of Theoretical Visibility Map:

• VP1 SUW near Fordswell
• VP2 SUW near Wanton Wall
• VP3 Core Path near Muircleugh
• VP4 Core Path south of Lauder Barns

Ecology and Ornithology

• The surveyed area is mostly comprised of arable grassland, which provides limited suitable habitat for protected species.
• Breeding bird surveys will be carried out between April and June 2025 to establish the presence of birds on the site.

Cultural Heritage

• Both a desk-based assessment and a walkover survey have been undertaken, having been informed by Historic Environment (HER) data from the Scottish Borders Council.
• There are no designated heritage assets within the site, however a few non-designated heritage assets are noted.
• Construction techniques will be adopted to avoid impacts to historic features where practicable.

Transport

• Traffic changes related to Woodheads Energy Park will be temporary and limited to the construction phase; there will be minimal traffic to site during the operational lifetime. Further work is still to be undertaken to provide detail of the access junction layout and the route to the site.
• The findings and assessment of this will be set out in a Transport Statement, and any mitigation will be set out in a Construction Traffic Management Plan.

Hydrology, Hydrogeology and Peat

• A hydrology walkover has been carried out at the site. The nearest mapped watercourse to the site is the Lauder Burn, (c. 180 m to the west of the site).
• A peat survey study also confirmed the presence of peat to the south west of the site. The site design will avoid this area completely to avoid direct impacts on peat.
• The site is not predicted to be at risk of flooding however a Drainage Strategy will be prepared to manage the impact of the increase in impermeable area associated with the infrastructure.

Noise

• External background sound monitoring has been undertaken at two measurement locations to represent the two main clusters of properties located to the north and south of Woodheads Energy Park.
• The impact due to construction noise and vibration is limited to the duration of the construction phase. Noise during construction will be managed through the adoption of best practice measures incorporated through the Construction Environmental Management Plan.
• An assessment of the impact of operational noise from the Proposed Development will be submitted with the forthcoming application for consent, ensuring all applicable noise limits are complied with.