Thorn Turn Waste. Non-Technical Summary. Central Bedfordshire Council. 10 May Central Bedfordshire Council

Transcription

1 Thorn Turn Waste Park Non-Technical Summary Central Bedfordshire Council 10 May

2 Notice This document and its contents have been prepared and are intended solely for Central Bedfordshire Council s information and use in relation to the proposed, Houghton Regis, Bedfordshire. Atkins Ltd assumes no responsibility to any other party in respect of or arising out of or in connection with this document and/or its contents. This document has 16 pages including the cover. Document history Job number: Document ref: Non- Technical Summary Revision Purpose description Originated Checked Reviewed Authorised Date Rev 1.0 Draft for review AA MR PB PB 24/04/15 Rev 2.0 Submission Document AA MR PB PB 07/05/15 Client signoff Client Central Bedfordshire Council Project Document title Non Technical Summary Job no Copy no. Rev 2.0 Document reference 2

3 Table of contents Chapter Pages Introduction 4 Scope and Content of the Environmental Statement 4 The Site and Its Setting 6 Committed Development within the Area 7 Description of the Proposals 8 Vehicle Access 8 Waste Transfer Station 8 Needs and Alternatives 11 Strategic alternatives 11 Assessment of the Likely Environmental Effects 12 Traffic and Transportation 12 Air Quality 12 Noise and Vibration 13 Landscape and Visual Impact 13 Ecology 14 Water and Drainage 14 Summary and Conclusions 15 Figures Figure 1 Site Location... 6 Figure 2 Current site condition... 7 Figure 3 3D model of proposed Waste Park

4 Introduction Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) is seeking planning permission to develop a Waste Park at Thorn Turn, north west of Houghton Regis. Figure 1 shows the location of the application site. CBC has a responsibility to arrange for the disposal of any household waste collected within the Council boundary. It also needs to provide a place for the public to take their waste. These sites are known as Household Waste Recycling Centres, or more locally as Tidy Tips. It is anticipated that the enabling works will begin in autumn 2015, with the main construction phase commencing in early 2016 for a period of 12 months. The initial enabling works will involve the construction of the site access road, the establishment of temporary office and welfare facilities. Scope and Content of the Environmental Statement The Environmental Impact Regulations sets out the types of development for which an Environmental Impact Assessment should be carried out. The proposed development falls under the regulations as a facility for the disposal of waste (2(11)). The outcomes of the Environmental Impact Assessment are reported in the Environmental Statement (ES). The 2011 EIA Regulations provide details on what information the ES must contain. Structure of the Environmental Statement Chapter Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The site and its setting Chapter 3: Description of the development Chapter 4: Need and Alternatives Chapter 5: Traffic and transportation Chapter 6: Landscape and visual Impact Content Includes the introduction and background to the site and development. It sets out the statutory requirement for an ES, including the scope, content, structure and associated documents that support the planning application. A description of the scoping consultation process detailing what environmental aspects have been included within the EIA and the environmental aspects that have been scoped out. Provides a description of the site location and a summary of the site s current physical and environmental characteristics. Provides a description of the proposed waste management processes involved and the likely construction development. A summary of the need for the scheme in terms of the strategic planning context and the practical needs of the Council to manage their future waste generation is given here. A description of alternative sites considered in the decision making process for the development is also given as is the iterative process at the site to develop the optimum design. Provides an assessment of the effects of these vehicle movements associated with the proposed development on the existing road network. It includes an assessment of the effects that additional movements will have on driver and pedestrian delay. Information pertaining to pedestrian amenity, fear and intimidation of road users together with accidents and safety information are also included. A landscape character and visual amenity assessment which describes the existing features within the identified study is made in this chapter. Consideration of the quality of the landscape, sensitivity to change and the magnitude of the likely change are assessed, as well as an assessment of the significance of effects on the landscape 4

5 Chapter Chapter 7: Water and flood risk Chapter 8: Noise and vibration Chapter 9: Air quality Chapter 10: Ecology Chapter 11: Cultural Heritage Chapter 12: Agricultural Land Assessment Chapter 13: Waste and Materials Chapter 14: Summary of effects Chapter 15: Conclusions Content character and the visual amenity receptors. The chapter considers mitigation measures to address any potential landscape and visual effects. Contains a detailed review of the hydrogeological and hydrological conditions at the site, including water abstractions, water balances/catchments, drainage, pollution and flood risks. An assessment of the impacts of the development during operation and construction on the water environment and estimation of significance of the effects has been made. The chapter specifies mitigation measures to address any potential impacts on the water environment are provided. Identifies noise sensitive receptors including residential developments. It provides a description of the potential noise impacts during the construction and operation of the proposed Facility on the surrounding area, including vibration impacts during the construction and traffic impacts. It reports on the noise effects and their significance based on the likelihood of perceptible changes in noise compared with the existing baseline and the likelihood of noise complaints. An assessment of the effects of the construction and operation of the proposed Facility on local air quality, including a quantitative assessment of the effects of odour emissions from the storage of residual waste and from the construction and operational traffic on nearby sensitive receptors. Provides details of the desk study, Phase 1 walkover survey and locally held records together with an assessment of the effects of the proposed development on local ecological receptors and protected species. An assessment will consider the location, extent, nature and date of any archaeological features or deposits present. It also covers the integrity and state of preservation of any archaeological features or deposits which may be present. A soil survey of the site will be carried out to assess the Agricultural Land Classification. The results of which will feed into a report on the soils and Agricultural Land Classification of the site and a Soil Handling and Management Plan. The report will also review cumulative impacts of loss of agricultural land, in relation to planned developments on neighbouring rural land. Contains details of the material produced during the excavation and construction phases of the development. The report will also consider the potential impacts on local waste management capacity. This chapter provides a summary of the residual effects and consideration of whether the effects are direct or indirect, the geographical level of importance (national, regional or local), short or long term, temporary or permanent. It also provides a summary of the mitigation measures proposed within the technical chapters. Overall conclusions of the assessment presenting the key positive and negative impacts of the proposed development. Potential effects are concluded to be of negligible, minor, moderate or major significance. Moderate and major significance effects are considered to be significant in terms of EIA guidance. This document provides a non-technical summary of those assessments and by extension the ES. 5

6 The Site and Its Setting The Waste Park at Thorn Turn, near Houghton Regis will comprise a waste transfer station (WTS), split level Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) and resale shop together with a purpose built access road from Thorn Road. Figure 1 shows the area of land to which this application relates. The closest settlements to the planning application site boundary are Houghton Regis (1.5km SE), Toddington (3.0km) and Tilsworth (2km NW) with the larger area of Dunstable being located 3km to the south east. There are two statutory designated wildlife sites within 2km of the study area. The nearest is the Houghton Regis Marl Lake Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which is 470m from the southern site boundary, and Totternhoe Chalk Quarry SSSI is located approximately 1.7km to the south-west of the site. There are 5 non-statutory designated wildlife sites within 1km of the study area. The sites include one Roadside Nature Reserve and 4 County Wildlife Sites. The application site is currently used as agricultural land (Figure 2). Figure 1 Site Location 6

7 Figure 2 Current site condition Ouzel Brook flows in an east west direction on the northern boundary of the site. To the north west of the site is an area currently used as a shooting range, beyond which is an area of agricultural land, which runs to Thorn Road. The Dunstable Waste Water Treatment Works is located to the east of the application site, beyond which lies arable farmland. Immediately south of the application site is an area of vacant agricultural land. The A5 borders the site to the west, this lies between 9m and 12m above the proposed application site, the road is separated by an embankment which is planted with mature woodland. Committed Development within the Area Consideration has been given to other planning applications and sites that have been granted planning permission in the local area. When taken with the proposed development, these sites could give rise to greater impacts on the local environment and this has been assessed through the planning application. Land immediately to the north and south of the application site will be the subject of two separate planning applications. A highways depot and salt storage barn (to allow for road gritting) is proposed on the land to the south of the application site. A new area of commercial development is proposed on the land to the north. The wider area also has a number of planning applications which are either being decided or have been decided, these relate to areas of proposed residential and other uses e.g. business, leisure and employment sites. Beyond these application sites, to the north of the application site is the A5-M1 link road scheme. This project has recently begun construction. 7

8 Description of the Proposals Vehicle Access A purpose built access road will be constructed from Thorn Road. Vehicles will travel down the access road, once over the Ouzel Brook, operational waste vehicles for the WTS will enter and leave the site via the northern access road which runs parallel to the brook. Vehicles will access via a weighbridge area with 2 No. weighbridges, one for waste vehicles coming into the site and one for vehicles leaving the site. Weighing the vehicles onto and off the site enables a calculation of the amount of waste each vehicle carries. Waste Transfer Station The WTS will consist of a large building for waste storage. The WTS building on the site will be made of steel walls and concrete flooring, the building will be clad with steel material coloured grey. It will be 102 metres in length and 36 metres in width. The building will be 11.8 metres tall to the top of the roof and 9 metres to the top of the walls. The WTS will accept both residual waste and dry recyclate which is collected at the kerbside. The total tonnage of material accepted in any one year is 98,000 tonnes. On the southern side of the building, which opens out onto the outdoor operations area, there will be 6 large roller shutter doors for the waste vehicles to enter and exit the building. These will be closed whenever a waste vehicle is not driving in or out, to keep any dust, odour or noise inside the building as so far as possible. Vehicles will use the yard area to manoeuvre and will then reverse into the building. Refuse collection vehicles and similar will access the building to offload the waste that they have collected from the kerbside collections. Material will be offloaded inside the vehicle. The waste will be tipped onto the WTS floor and will then be pushed into one of the bays within the building using a loading shovel. Once a sufficient quantity of material has built up within the bay it will then be moved off site. Articulated wagons will be loaded inside the building before material is taken off site either to a treatment facility for the residual waste or to reprocessors for the recyclate. All waste loading and unloading will take place inside the building. Motorised air vents in the roof will enable air circulation within the building and there will be a misting system inside which will be used, if needed, to damp down the waste to reduce dust and odour. The receipt and removal of waste and outputs shall take place between the following hours, however vehicles movements will generally be much reduced after 4.30pm and on Sundays and Public Holidays. 8

9 The WTS will be open between 6.00am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 6.00am to 1.00pm on Saturdays and 6.30am to 5.00pm on Sundays (requested receipt of bulky waste only, normally closed). The facility will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year s Day. Outside of the building there will be two large tanks which store water for the firefighting sprinkler system and a pump room to pump water from the water storage tanks to the sprinkler system in case of a fire. A Sustainable Drainage System will be in place at the site. Any water from the building roofs or off the pavement areas will drain to a surface attenuation pond to the north of the site. This will discharge at an agreed rate to the Ouzel Brook. Any foul water e.g. from the buildings or trade effluent from the operational areas will be discharged to sewer. This will be pumped south down the site where it will join an existing Anglian Water manhole before being taken for treatment at the adjacent waste water treatment works. The Waste Park will employ 15 members of operational staff. Household Waste Recycling Centre The HWRC will enable the general public to dispose of waste. The site will replace the existing HWRC at French s Avenue, Dunstable. There will be also be a resale store, which will accept materials from householders which are suitable for reuse. The HWRC will accept up to 7,721 tonnes of waste per year. This will be made up of Residual (black bag) waste; Glass; Cardboard; Green garden waste; Plastics; Wood; Paper; Metals; Waste Electrical and Electronic Items; Textiles; Plasterboard; and Household furniture including carpets. 9

10 The HWRC will be open to the public between 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Sunday 362 days a year. The facility will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year s Day. Figure 3 presents a visualisation of the how the waste site will look once built. Figure 1-3D model of proposed Waste Park 10

11 Needs and Alternatives Strategic alternatives A wide ranging site search exercise was carried out for Bedfordshire County Council in 2005 to identify potential sites for an Integrated Waste Management Facility. The study was a two-stage process: Stage 1 Appraisal of 95 potential sites which were compared against a number of planning and environmental constraints; and Stage 2 identification of preferred waste sites for waste management. The report concluded that the major constraint on the site identified in the initial site selection of 2005 was that it was situated in the Green Belt. However, it went on to say that should the Site continue to be promoted as a strategic waste site through the emerging Waste and Minerals DPD, then this major constraints would be removed. An update to the site search exercise was undertaken to support this application. This site search has re-assessed the 95 potential sites that were initially identified. As the initial assessment was carried out before the Councils in the area were devolved, sites in all three constituent Borough and District Council authority areas. For this application any sites located outside of the CBC administrative boundary were rejected. The remaining alternative sites were then appraised against the following criteria: Size; Availability; Ownership; and Location. The site search did not find any sites that could be taken forward as preferable to the Thorn Turn site, that are also located within the appropriate area, or that meet the selection criteria and are outside of the Green Belt. 11

12 Assessment of the Likely Environmental Effects An assessment has been carried out to determine the likely significant effects on the environment of the construction and operation of the Waste Park. Traffic and Transportation Access to the site is from a purpose built access road. In order to understand the existing traffic flow, assessment of the conditions close to the site and traffic modelling was undertaken to calculate the likely impacts was also carried out. All HGVs and vans associated with the construction of the store will be expected to enter and leave the site via the main access which links to Thorn Road, as will HGVs delivering RCBs to the store. Contractors personnel working on the construction will also utilise this access. A Transport Assessment was carried out to support the application. The modelling for this assessment uses baseline traffic data and then considers how traffic levels are likely to increase in the area over the next 11 years. The findings of the submitted TA demonstrate that with the development fully occupied in the growth year 2026, the site access junction would operate within capacity. It also shows that the local highway routes are not expected to experience any capacity issues during the operational phase of the proposed development. There will be no significant effects from the predicted change in total traffic and HGV flows during the construction or operation of the proposed development. The site lies in a sustainable location and opportunities for sustainable travel have been used for mitigation purposes. The local highway network will continue to operate within capacity in the growth year 2031 with the development fully occupied. Air Quality This deals with the general air quality issues that may potentially arise, including dust and traffic generated emissions. An initial baseline survey was carried out through site visits. This also included testing the baseline odour levels in the area given the proximity of the waste water treatment works. An assessment was carried out in line with relevant guidance of the potential dust generation and effects on PM 10 concentrations. The following mitigation measures are proposed; Production of a dust management plan; All roads to be hard surfaced; Vehicle loading and unloading will take place within the WTS building; and Dust suppression system within the WTS. 12

13 Specific mitigation measures for the construction phase will include; Sheeting vehicles carrying dusty materials to prevent materials being blown from the vehicles whilst travelling; Dampening down of surfaces prior to their being worked; Storing dusty materials away from site boundaries; and Not loading spoil into dump trucks from an excessive height. The assessment identified that given the lack of human and ecological receptors within the vicinity of the site boundary there are not anticipated to be any significant effects arising from dust. The potential effects from increased traffic movements has also been assessed. This modelling demonstrated that concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, PM 10 and PM 2.5 will remain below the strategic air quality objectives at all existing and proposed receptors in The potential impact is therefore considered to be negligible. Consideration of potential impacts on the local SSSI has been carried out. The results showed that there are not predicted to be any significant impacts on the SSSI due to NOx and nutrient and acid nitrogen deposition. The assessment concludes that the overall operational air quality impacts of the proposed Development are considered to be insignificant. Noise and Vibration The noise assessment has concluded that the potential impacts on local residents from vehicle movements both in terms of the construction and operational phases will be negligible. During construction, the modelling demonstrates that there may be an effect in terms of noise levels on the northern façade of the proposed extension to Chalk Hill Farm (which is the nearest receptor), however given the use proposed for this side of the building (based on planning submission), it is not considered to give rise to a significant impact. During operations, the assessment shows that the noise impacts at the residential receptors in proximity to the site would not be subject to significant impacts and there would be negligible effects on these properties. An assessment of the road traffic during both the construction and operation of the facility also demonstrated that noise impacts are predicted to be negligible at all receptors. Landscape and Visual Impact A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment has been undertaken in connection with the proposed development. The LVIA considered the landscape resource, character and visual amenity effects of the proposed development. 13

14 The assessment found that the long term impact of the proposed development on landscape elements would not be significant and any existing vegetation that needs to be removed to allow the construction of the development will be replaced. It is considered that in the long term the majority of receptors will experience no adverse effect on their visual amenity. There will be a greater impact on the views from the public right of way, however planting along this edge will be retained and this will seek to limit direct views into the site. Ecology An Ecological Impact Assessment has been undertaken. The assessment recognises that there are areas of habitat on the site which do have conservation value, however the value is not significant when considered on a wider scale. As well as the loss of local habitats, the assessment highlighted that there is also potential for a number of protected species to be affected, further surveys will be carried out to identify the potential impacts. Mitigation measures will be employed as appropriate and the assessment concluded that with such measures the impacts on the conservation status of protected species can be avoided or reduced to a negligible level. Compensation planting will be provided in the north of the Site in the form of additional planting and seeding to create woodland as well as the development of species-rich grassland habitats. With the mitigation and compensation measures implemented, the EcIA concludes that no residual impacts on ecological features are expected. Water and Drainage The site is underlain by the West Melbury Chalk Formation (Lower Chalk) which is classified by the Environment Agency as a Principal Aquifer. These are layers of rock that have high permeability, which means they usually provide a high level of water storage. The closest surface watercourse is located immediately to the north of the waste park (Ouzel Brook). Flood maps for the site indicate that a proportion of the north end of the site is within Flood Zone 3. This means that there is a 1% chance of the site flooding in any given year. There is the potential for the construction and operation phases to impact on the water quality in the area. However, it is considered that this potential risk can be managed by the implementation of good practice and the development of a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) which will seek to minimise potential impacts arising during the construction phase. With appropriate mitigation, the assessment concludes that overall the proposed development is not considered likely to result in significant adverse effect on the water quality within the area. 14

15 The assessment concludes that there is only a low risk of flooding to the development from Ouzel Brook, with flows contained within bank for the 1 in 100 year event and the proposed Development will have no impact on the existing floodplain extents. There is a risk of localised flooding from groundwater, however the site levels will be raised to minimise the potential for this risk. Overall there are not considered to be any significant impacts to the water quality or flood risk from the proposed development. PROW There is the potential that the public right of way which runs to the west of the site will be affected by the proposed development in terms of visual impact and noise both during the construction and development phases. Design considerations have sought to ensure the buildings are sympathetic to the landscape and perimeter landscaping will be retained where possible, particularly along the route of the bridleway. To the north of the site, additional compensatory planting will be carried out. A key aspect in regards to the bridleway is the potential for noise impacts, given the proposed nature of the facility there may be loud sharp noises emanating from the facility. Signs will be erected warning of this activity along the bridleway. Summary and Conclusions The impact assessment has sought to understand both the direct and indirect environmental effects of the waste park during the construction and operation phases. Generally, the environmental impact assessment has determined that during the construction and demolition phase there will be some minor adverse effects relating to noise and landscape. However these all arise from short term impacts typical of activities on construction sites and mitigation measures will result in the development having no significant effects. During the operational phase there is considered to be no likely significant effects from the proposed waste park. 15

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