AMA provide Expert Witness at Wind Farm Planning Inquiry
AMA recently supplied expert witness suport for Renewable Energy Systems (RES) at a Planning Inquiry into the proposed Den Brook Wind Farm, near North Tawton, Devon.
The Inquiry, which ran during the latter part of July 2009, saw AMA's Dr Stephen Holloway giving expert evidence on the effect of wind farms on wildlife, in particular on bats.
Whilst the site is known from AMA's baseline surveys to support several bat species that may be at potential risk from wind farm developments (including Noctule and Pipistrelle), our surveys had shown these to be present at only modest levels and Dr Holloway concluded that this development would pose only a minimal threat to local bat populations.
AMA are currenlty refining the mitigation and monitoring design plan and will present these to the LPA in the form of a Strategy Document at the end of September 2009.