We carried out a landscape and visual impact assessment of a 2MW solar photovoltaic development which successfully gained planning consent, the first in Wales, and has now been constructed. This beat the first Feed in Tariff change deadlines and was partly made possible by the speed of our assessment and careful liaison with the planning authority.

Key issues were the potential visual effects on the nearby Preseli Hills which are located in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, footpaths and dwellings and also landscape effects on the area’s character and listed buildings. Mitigation through sensitive location of arrays and screening by hedgerows was applied. Tools, such as iterative digital zones of theoretical visibility, photomontages (see left) and glare analysis were also used to provide a comprehensive assessment of the development.

Client: Western Solar Ltd