Marine Aquaculture and the Landscape:

The siting and design of marine aquaculture developments in the landscape

• INTRODUCTION
  • Landscape
  • The Aims of This Guidance
  • The Role of Consultees
  • How to Use This Guidance
• Section 1: CHOOSING A LOCATION
  • National Locational Guidance
  • Framework Plans
  • Designations
  • Landscape Character Assessment
  • Cumulative Impact
  • Remoteness and Wild Land
  • Visual Impact
• Section 2: SITING AND LAYOUT
  • Landscape Character
  • Steep sided, enclosed lochs
  • Sheltered but expansive lochs
  • Coasts
  • Settlement pattern
  • Visual Assessment
• Section 3: DETAIL DESIGN
  • Water-Based Structures
  • Onshore Facilities
• CONCLUSIONS
• Bibliography
• List of abbreviations
• Appendix 1: COMPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTS
• Appendix 2: USEFUL ADDRESSES
• Credits

Section 1: CHOOSING A LOCATION

• National Locational Guidance
• Framework Plans
• Designations
• Landscape Character Assessment
• Cumulative Impact
• Remoteness and Wild Land
• Visual Impact

Scotland is a small country. While its coastline is relatively extensive, it is often intimate in scale and highly visible. A series of small scale developments can quickly make a disproportionately much larger impact in such a landscape. Likewise, even one development located in a landscape valued for its special scenic or wild land qualities, may erode the national resource of these now relatively rare landscapes.

Choosing an appropriate location for development is therefore the first, and perhaps the most important, step in ensuring that aquaculture development fits in well with the landscape.

The location is the general area within which a development will be sited. When first considering aquaculture development, developers should assess a number of potential locations, possibly along a length of coastline and within a number of lochs. This will ensure that at an early stage:

• areas where aquaculture development is inappropriate in principle are identified;
• issues of landscape significance which might indicate the need for an EIA can be identified at an early stage;
• the national and regional significance of the landscape of the area is well understood in relation to potential development.

This section explains the issues which should be addressed when assessing the potential opportunities and constraints of a location. This process should take into account the following issues:

• national locational guidance
• framework plans prepared by Local Authorities
• designations
• landscape character assessment
• cumulative impact
• remoteness
• visual impact

At this stage, Local Authorities and SNH can advise on the possible landscape issues associated with developing certain locations.

National Locational Guidance

The Government has produced draft locational guidance for marine fish farms which takes into account advice about landscape as well as other environmental issues. It categorises the Scottish coastline into:

• Category One Areas, ‘where the development of new or the expansion of existing marine fish farms will only be acceptable in exceptional circumstances’ ¹ ;
• Category Two Areas, ‘where the prospects for further substantial developments are likely to be limited’ ¹ ;
• Other Areas, ‘where there appear to be better prospects of satisfying environmental requirements’ ¹ .

1 Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department Policy Guidance Note ‘Locational Guidelines for the Authorisation of Marine Fish Farms in Scottish Waters.’

Maps and more detailed information about these areas are set out in the Note ‘Locational Guidelines for Government’s Policy Guidance Note ‘Locational Guidelines for the Authorisation of Marine Fish Farms in Scottish Waters’, available from the Fisheries Group at SERAD.

Framework Plans

Non statutory marine fish farm framework plans for parts of the Scottish coastline may be available from Local Authorities.

Framework plans build on the Local Authority policies and seek to balance the needs of competing interests along the coast, although the recommendations specifically apply to aquaculture development.

They are useful for finding out what the Local Authority policy on the location and siting of fish farms is for specific areas, because their policies are linked to geographic areas illustrated in an accompanying map. These zoned policies take into account landscape as well as other interests.

Designations

An area is designated because it contains characteristics or features which are particularly valued. This does not mean that aquaculture cannot take place within a designated area, but it does mean that any development will need to be very sensitive to the interests for which the designation has been put in place.

The most significant designations in relation to landscape are:

• National Scenic Areas (NSAs), which are landscapes designated at a national level because of their outstanding scenic quality - these are areas where the landscape is recognised as being particularly spectacular in a Scottish context;
• regional landscape designations, which are designated by Local Authorities - these are areas which are considered to be regionally important in terms of their character and visual quality;
• in the future - these lochs and stretches of coastline may contain National Parks.

Information on these designations is available from Local Planning Authorities. SNH also has an important role as guardian of NSAs, and the local office will be able to offer advice on proposals which are likely to affect the scenic qualities of individual NSAs.

Aquaculture development may compromise the landscape objectives of a landscape designation. A proposal may adversely impact on the scenic qualities or on the integrity of the specific landscape character which is valued and which has led to the designation being put in place. It is likely that some consultees will object to the proposed development in principle in these circumstances.

Potential developers are therefore strongly advised to seek advice from the Local Authority and SNH at an early stage if a development is likely to impact upon a designated area.

Landscape Character Assessment

Physical character, human activity, visual qualities and experience of place often combine to create a landscape character which is distinct across a geographic area.

One of the aims of locating and designing a development with care, is to ensure that the proposal does not undermine characteristics which contribute most significantly to the landscape character of an area. Where possible, new developments should relate to the key characteristics of an area. The process by which these key characteristics are identified and assessed is called landscape character assessment.

A national programme of landscape character assessment has been undertaken by SNH which now covers the whole of Scotland. Individual landscape character assessment reports (LCAs) are available from SNH.

The LCAs aim to provide a greater understanding of landscape character through providing information about landscape character in distinctive geographic areas. Using LCAs, potential developers should be able to identify the landscape character type of their potential sites, and consider how their development will affect the key characteristics. LCAs also offer guidance on how development may relate to the key characteristics of an area.

When choosing a location, potential developers should find LCAs particularly helpful in assessing the sensitivity of different landscape character types to changes brought about by new developments and changes in land use. In addition, LCAs which cover coastal areas may offer specific advice about the siting and design of aquaculture developments in relation to coastal landscape character types.

Cumulative Impact

Where there is existing aquaculture, both new proposals and extensions to existing developments may be difficult to accommodate within the landscape. LCAs may indicate which landscape character types cannot easily accommodate cumulative aquaculture development.

It may be that there are apparently no aquaculture developments near the sites being considered. However, the Crown Estate can provide information on both existing leases for development which may have not yet been developed, and also applications which are under consideration.

Remoteness and Wild Land

Areas which are distant from settlements and obvious human activity often have qualities of remoteness which may be reinforced by the lack of accessibility. These qualities are increasingly rare and frequently contribute significantly to both the scenic quality and the landscape character of a place. They are valued by both residents and visitors alike.

Some areas are increasingly valued because of their wild land qualities. This sometimes, but not always, coincides with a degree of remoteness, and can certainly be linked to inaccessibility. It is reinforced by a sense of sanctuary and solitude, and a high degree of naturalness. Wild land qualities are engendered through the experience and perception of a place, not simply a physical separation from human settlement. LCAs may identify landscape character types which possess qualities of wild land or remote character.

Aquaculture development can be accessed by sea, and therefore can be proposed for relatively undeveloped areas, with little or no direct road access. The very inaccessibility of such areas may reinforce qualities which create either a sense of remoteness or wild land.

In such areas, it is likely to be inappropriate to introduce any aquaculture development. This is because it is not just the visual impact of the proposal which is likely to be of concern. It is also the movement, noise of boats and generators and ongoing management activity which will affect the experience and perception of such areas.

Onshore facilities, access tracks and power supplies as well as water based structures are also likely to impact upon a sense of wildness. It may be that in some cases, the water based element of a proposal can be accommodated, whilst road access or a shore base cannot without unacceptable adverse impacts.

Any developer considering locating structures in an area of remote or wild land character should contact the Planning Authority and SNH at an early stage.

Visual Impact

Structures in and on the water are often very visible due to:

• the contrast in texture between the cages or lines and the smooth, reflective surface of the water, particularly in calm weather;
• the contrast between the vertical sides of cages and infrastructure and the flat water surface;
• the constant changes in light conditions which one moment can cast a structure into shadow, and the next reflect bright light upon it;
• the changes in sea colour and tone which can often camouflage the structures one moment, but then emphasise the structure in dramatic contrast the next;
• the contrast between the often very regular and geometric shape and alignment of cages or lines and the more organic shape of the landform and coastline.

As a result, water based development will often be difficult to miss, reinforcing the need to choose an appropriate location. This does not mean that structures should always be removed from view, but an assessment of visual impact should be an integral stage of choosing a preferred location for development. To do this, the extent of visibility of potential locations for both water based and if necessary, onshore facilities, should be identified using maps and site survey.

The impact of potential onshore and water based developments from significant viewpoints should also be considered. Significant viewpoints include:

• views from a popular road or a route promoted as a tourist attraction;
• established settlements;
• well used vantage points;
• coastal footpaths;
• popular ferry routes;
• sites or villages of historic, architectural or cultural importance where the setting is important for visitor experience.

In some circumstances it may be inappropriate to locate any development within sight of a significant viewpoint. This can only be determined on an individual case basis. If in doubt, potential developers should consult with the Planning Authority, SNH or Historic Scotland as appropriate at an early stage.

For further information on undertaking visual assessment see Chapter 2.

When choosing a location for development, a developer should consider, and where necessary obtain advice from the Crown Estate, on the process by which the need for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) may be established. It is likely that any significant adverse impacts on landscape associated with the location of a development will lead to a request for an EIA.

Guidance on the preparation of an EIA can be found in the publication ‘Environmental Assessment Guidance Manual for Marine Salmon Farmers’, available from the Crown Estate. Copies of the EIA Regulations, which set out the statutory requirements, are available from the Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department .

A checklist of steps to be considered when undertaking the landscape component of an Environmental Impact Assessment is given in Box 1 below.

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