A LANDSCAPE expert has told the triple wind farm inquiry that despite proposed turbines at Moorsyde having a 'significant' impact on the landscape, this would not be unacceptable.
Kay Hawkins, a chartered landscape architect and expert witness for Moorsyde Wind Farm Ltd, gave her evidence on Friday, the third day of the inquiry.
She said: "There is significant potential for change in views to occur, with clear views of th
e turbines from within 7km."
However, she added that the turbines would not be 'overbearing' and would not 'dominate views to an extent that is overwhelming.'
She also said the turbines would add 'focus' to the landscape and would enhance rather than detract landscape features such as the Cheviots.
Ms Hawkins was asked by Moorsyde Wind Farm Ltd's advocate Elizabeth Dunn to comment on the earlier criticisms levelled at photomontages of the proposal.
Ms Hawkins replied that there had been errors made initially with images, adding: "Many were different in terms of the location of turbines and in some cases turbines had been shown too big, and in other cases shown too small."
However, she said that had she assessed the proposal from the old montages, it would not have changed her view of how significant the impact of the turnines would be on the landscape.
Following discussion on Thursday at the inquiry over evidence that a study by consultants Arup into the broad area of least constraint had not taken into account individual properties, Ms Hawkins was able to clear the problem up in her evidence to the satisfaction of all parties and the inspector.
Ms Hawkins said: "My understanding of the way Arup took properties into account is that they essentially plotted every property with a UK postcode and plotted a 600m buffer round them, and looked upon properties as being physical constraints."
She did add that Arup had not gone to each individual property and assess the impact of the turbines on them individually however.
Speaking in relation to the impact of the proposed seven turbines at Moorsyde on the Cheviots, Ms Hawkins said that the Cheviots would be 'one of the key elements' seen in the landscape if the wind farm was given the go ahead.
She added that it would be impossible to develop a wind farm in the north Northumberland 'broad area of least constraint' without affecting views of the Cheviots.
Planning inspector Ruth MacKenzie told the inquiry that she intended to spend two to three hours driving around the area to familiarise herself with the geography and also pay an unaccompanied visit to Duddo stones on Monday.
The inquiry will resume hearing evidence on Tuesday.
