Solar farm and battery storage LVIA
Landscape and visual evidence for solar and BESS schemes, from site selection to planning conditions
Why landscape matters for solar and BESS
Solar farms and battery storage sites are usually large, low and spread across open farmland, often on the edge of settlements or close to valued landscapes. The landscape and visual case is often one of the main things a council will look at, and getting it right early saves time later.
We provide Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and Landscape and Visual Appraisal for solar farms, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and co-located schemes, for both EIA and non-EIA applications.
What we look at
How the scheme fits with the landscape character, field patterns and hedgerow network
Views from public rights of way, roads, homes and nearby settlements
Effects on designated landscapes, such as National Parks and National Landscapes, and their settings
Cumulative effects with other solar, BESS and grid schemes nearby
How effects change over time as mitigation planting establishes, assessed at Year 1 and Year 15
What’s included
Early landscape input on site selection and layout, so the scheme is shaped around the most sensitive views
ZTV mapping, viewpoint selection and agreement with the council
Winter viewpoint photography and photomontages, produced in-house
The LVIA or LVA report, or an ES chapter
Mitigation and enhancement planting proposals
Landscape Management Plans to discharge planning conditions
Why Terra Loci
We work on renewable energy schemes regularly, and we know the questions councils and consultees tend to ask. Our reports are proportionate to the scheme, clearly written, and built to hold up if the application goes to appeal.
Planning a solar or BESS scheme?
Send us a site plan and red line boundary, and we’ll come back with a fee proposal within two working days.