Project Details  152 turbine on-shore wind farm 
Location  Southern Upland Hills between Biggar and Moffat, South Lanarkshire 
ClientSSE Renewables 
ECoW Land Use Consultants (LUC) 
Sensitive Ecological / Environmental Features  Βlanket Bog, Dry and wet dwarf shrub heath, Unimproved acid grassland, Watercourses, Otter, Badger, Mountain hare, Red squirrel.
ECoW Context   LUC provided full-time ECoW services during construction of Clyde Wind Farm. This represented a natural extension of LUC’s work in providing ecological assessments of the project during the EIA and pre-construction phases. 
ECoW Role During construction, LUC ECoWs worked closely with SSE Renewables engineering teams and contractors to monitor impacts on watercourses and water-dependent habitats, to provide guidance on best working practices and ongoing drainage design revisions, and to help resolve ecological and environmental concerns as they arose. ECoW tasks included: Checks for sensitive habitats (in particular blanket bog) and protected species (otter, red squirrel, badger, reptiles and mountain hare) immediately in advance of soil stripping during access track and turbine base installation;

Monitoring of nesting birds (carried out alongside the Ornithological Clerk of Works for the project);

Establishment and monitoring of safeguard zones around otter shelter locations, red squirrel dreys and badger setts, with application for licensing from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) as required;

Minimisation of impacts on sensitive habitats such as blanket bog, by advising on appropriate micro-siting of wind farm infrastructure, within the permitted 50m tolerance zone;

Advising on minimisation of disturbance to peat habitats, by guiding work teams during stripping of track routes and turbine base areas, and reinstatement of areas adjacent to works;

Coordination of environmental monitoring and mitigation activities between SSERenewables, contractors and consultants, and liaison with regulators including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and SNH;

Production of monthly reports highlighting ecological and environmental concerns on site, and measures taken to resolve these; and

Liaison with the Habitat Management Plan officer for the site, to ensure that reinstatement of works areas was consistent with long-term management plans for the site.