Faray Seals - how do they factor into the planning application?

We’re reaching the end point of our pre-application consultation period for our Faray project – the closing date for comments is 12:00 on Monday 30 November – and we’ve had a great response so far, in terms of the number of comments and queries submitted to us. We’d like to thank all the folk who’ve taken the time to do that – it really is appreciated and will help us shape the final planning application documents.

One key concern that has been raised directly with us (and indirectly on social media) is the potential effect of the project on the seal population around Faray. Consideration of potential impacts on the seal population will feature heavily in our Environmental Impact Assessment for the planning application – but in the meantime here are the facts:

• When investigating a site for a wind farm development, several factors are taken into account when designing the project and making decisions about where exactly to place the turbines within the site. This includes factors like the landscape of the site, the potential for noise and shadow flicker impacts on nearby properties, archaeology and cultural heritage, telecommunications links, aviation - and the local ecology and wildlife.

• Parts of Faray are designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI), due to the significant grey seal breeding population who frequent the coastline, using it as a haul out location, particularly during the important pupping season (generally September to December). It’s important to note here that it’s primarily the coastline of Faray that’s the designated area, though land behind the shore on the west and the northern tip are included in the designated area, as seals also use these areas (all of the Holm of Faray is included in the designated area). In our proposed placement of the turbines on the island, we’ve been able to avoid being too close to the coastline and also the SAC and SSSI land areas - as you can see in the map below.

• In investigating the site, we have carried out a programme of surveys to identify the seals’ use of the coastline and any particularly sensitive areas. The surveys were carried out over the course of a year by three independent and suitably qualified ecologists and this has provided us with valuable data for assessing the potential impact on seals. We will provide details of these surveys in our Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

• The EIA will assess the potential impacts on grey seals and propose mitigation, where appropriate. This will include a commitment to not carry out construction work during the pupping season and it is likely that other protection measures will be put in place through the rest of the year. At this time we think it’s unlikely that there will be significant impacts on the seal population during the operational phase of the project, but this will be fully considered as well.

We expect to be submitting a planning application in early 2021. You can keep up with the latest developments on the project via this blog, on our Facebook page and through the project webpages on the Council’s website https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Council/C/orkneys-community-wind-farm-project.htm

If you have any queries, please contact Kirsty Groundwater (Project Officer – Communications and Engagement) on Kirsty.groundwater@orkney.gov.uk or by phone on 07818 508 323

Any comments submitted up to November 30 will be included in our pre-application consultation report, which is submitted as part of the planning application. The report will detail what we did to consult with the public and other stakeholders, the information we provided, the responses or comments that we received, and how these comments shaped the final project proposals. This report is published alongside the other planning documents on the Council’s online planning portal – and will also be published on the Scottish Government’s website, if the application is called in.

The comments received during the pre-application period come to us as The Applicant for the project. When the planning application is submitted people can, and should, make their views known directly to the consenting authority, too.