Landscape and Visual Mitigation & Monitoring

Mitigation measures were negotiated with various Government departments including Marine
Department and Civil Aviation Department, where safety issues required certain lighting and
marking schemes, but where all parties agreed to balance visual impacts (i.e. use short range
lighting and not having too much orange on the turbines for example).

Summary of Landscape and Visual Mitigation Measures:

Construction Phase mitigation measures will comprise the following
  • Reduction of Construction period to practical minimum.
  • Control night-time lighting and glare by hooding all lights;
  • Reduction of number of construction vessels and vessel movements to practical minimum;
  • Painting Research Mast in visually neutral / recessive colours.  Consistent with safety
    requirements, minimise area of each turbine treated with bright colours;
  • Consistent with meeting safety requirements, minimise numbers of safety lights and their
    intensity on Research Mast.

Operational Phase mitigation measures will comprise the following
  • OM1 - Use a matt or semi-matt off-white finish to turbines and Research Mast to reduce
    albedo (reflectivity).  Consistent with safety requirements, minimise area of each turbine
    treated with bright colours;
  • OM2 - Consistent with meeting safety requirements, minimise numbers of safety lights and
    their intensity;
  • OM3 - Ensure non-reflective materials used in construction of Offshore Transformer Station
    and Research Mast.  Finishes should be neutral and visually recessive (pale grey / blue or
    off-white);
  • OM4 - Employ regular patterns of turbines to create a balanced, controlled appearance, as
    opposed to random or clustered groups;        
  • OM5 - The design of turbine tower, above the platform, should be slender and elegant.