Function
Human impact studies assess the impact that a proposed floating offshore wind farm may have on the community living in and around the coastal area.
What it costs
About £520,000 for a 450 MW floating offshore wind farm.
Who supplies them
ERM, Hayes Mackenzie, Hoare Lea, LUC, Royal HaskoningDHV, RPS and SLR.
Key facts
Visual assessments comprise 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 floating offshore wind farm is within the guidance of relevant noise standards. Other areas studied include fisheries and archaeology.
The socioeconomic study assesses the impacts of a floating offshore wind farm or coastal infrastructure, for example a port, on 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
- Consultation
- Surveys