Function
Human impact studies assess the impact that a proposed wind farm may have on the community living in and around the coastal area near the wind farm including assessing visual and socio-economic impacts.
What it costs*
About £770,000 for a 1 GW offshore wind farm.
Who supplies them
Suppliers include BizGive, ERM, Hayes Mackenzie, Hoare Lea, LUC, Royal HaskoningDHV, RPS and SLR.
Key facts
Visual assessments comprise of photomontages from specific viewpoints of what the proposed wind farm will look like. Noise assessments assess that potential noise impacts and determine whether the impact of the proposed wind farm is within the guidance of relevant noise standards. Other areas studies include fisheries and archaeology.
The socio-economic study assesses the impacts of a wind farm or coastal infrastructure, for example a port, such as changes in employment, transportation or recreation, or changes in the aesthetic value of a landscape. It estimates the impacts on the local society, not only of these socio-economic changes, but also of the composite of biological, geological, and physical effects caused by the proposed change on the local area.
Socio-economic studies include a mix of objective and subjective data. Objective data can include statistics on age, income distribution, ethnicity, mortality, housing type and occupancy, and education. Subjective data can be derived from surveys and observations. These are used to provide systematic estimates of the ways in which various groups perceive their socio-economic environment and thus the impact of the proposed change. Studies consider the onshore cable route and substation.
What’s in it
- Surveys
- Consultation