12.0 TRANSPORT AND ACCESS...

Transcription

1 CHAPTER TRANSPORT AND ACCESS Introduction Methodology Baseline Conditions Assessment of Effects Mitigation Residual Effects and Conclusions Figures (Volume 2a Bound Separately) Figure 12.1 Personal Injury Accident Data A Figure 12.2 Personal Injury Accident Data A LOCH URR WIND FARM 12 - i

2 LOCH URR WIND FARM 12 - ii

3 12.0 TRANSPORT AND ACCESS 12.1 Introduction This chapter of the ES has been prepared to consider the likely significant effects arising from the construction, operation and decommissioning of the Proposed Development in terms of Transport and Access This chapter describes the assessment methodology; the baseline conditions existing at the Site and surroundings; the likely significant environmental effects; the mitigation measures required to prevent, reduce or offset any significant adverse effects; and, the likely residual effects after these measures have been employed. Planning Policy Context A review of key prevailing highways and transport related policies relevant to the Proposed Development is described in the paragraphs below. This review includes guidance set out in both national transport and planning policy and relevant local development plan designations, as well as local transport infrastructure programming envisaged as part of Local Transport Plan schedules. Scottish Planning Policy Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) seeks to encourage development which accords with the sustainable transport objectives of minimising the need for travel, particularly road journeys, and promoting the efficient delivery of goods and supplies. In particular, SPP states: Paragraph 286 Where a new development or a change of use is likely to generate a significant increase in the number of trips, a transport assessment should be carried out. This should identify any potential cumulative effects which need to be addressed. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-1

4 Paragraph 291 Consideration should be given to appropriate planning restrictions on construction and operation related transport modes when granting planning permission, especially where bulk material movements are expected, for example freight from extraction operations. Dumfries and Galloway Local Development Plan The Dumfries and Galloway Local Development Plan was published in September The Plan sets out a series of guiding policies, including a number related to transport, the key ones outlined below: Policy OP1 Development Considerations notes: Development will be assessed against the following considerations where relevant to the scale, nature and location of the proposal: e) Transport and Travel Development proposals should minimise the need for travel by car and encourage active and other more sustainable forms of travel whilst avoiding or mitigating any adverse impact on the transport network or road safety. Policy T1 Transport Infrastructure notes: Proposals for the improvement of existing transport infrastructure and, where appropriate, the provision of new transport infrastructure and/or services will be supported provided they accord with the Regional and Local Transport Strategies; and where it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Council that following appropriate assessment (where needed), the proposal has no adverse effects either alone or in combination on the integrity of any Natura site. Development of facilities for cyclists and pedestrians will be supported. a) Strategic Network The strategic transport network includes the trunk road, motorway and rail networks. Development proposals that have the potential to affect the performance or safety of the strategic transport network need to be appraised LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-2

5 to determine their effects. The national and strategic role of these routes should not be compromised by development which individually or incrementally materially reduces the level of service of a route. b) Regional Network Development which involves a new direct access onto the regional road network should not, individually or incrementally, materially reduce the level of service of a route In addition to the relevant national and local planning policies identified above, there are a number of additional guidance documents which should be taken into account in the consideration of traffic related environmental effects of development: Planning Advice Note (PAN) 75: Transport and Planning (2005), The Scottish Government; Transport Assessment Guidance (2012), Transport Scotland; and, Guidelines for the Environmental Assessment of Road Traffic (1993), Institute of Environmental Assessment (IEA now IEMA). Potential Impacts The purpose of this chapter of the ES is to identify the anticipated highways and transport impacts associated with the Proposed Development. The scope and nature of this chapter reflects the extent of matters which are understood to be of material interest to highways and planning officers following receipt of the formal EIA Scoping Opinion from the Scottish Government Energy Consents and Deployment Unit in April Transport related environmental effects are considered briefly within the Scoping Opinion, which identifies that the EIA should address any access issues, particularly those which impact upon the trunk road network. In addition the Opinion notes: Where potential environmental impacts have been fully investigated but found to be of little or no significance, it is sufficient to validate that part of the assessment by stating in the report: the work has been undertaken, e.g. Transport Assessment; LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-3

6 what this has shown i.e. what impact if any has been identified; and, why it is not significant With the above in mind, the assessment of traffic related environmental effects has been undertaken entirely within this chapter of the ES Transport related environmental effects are typically associated with changes in traffic on the highway network, both in terms of total number of vehicles and the type of vehicles generated e.g. the proportion of HGVs. Key impact types to be considered in traffic related environmental assessment are as follows: changes in development traffic impacting on prevailing highway safety conditions, accident risk and, network congestion and delay on key links in the immediate vicinity of the Site and further afield; changes in development traffic impacting on other local road network users and the immediate community, resulting in a reduced amenity (e.g. community severance, pedestrian delay / intimidation, etc.); changes in development traffic resulting in noise and vibration effects at surrounding / frontage properties to key access road corridors; and changes in development traffic and congestion resulting in local air quality effects at key local network links and junctions Transport related environmental effects also vary over the different stages of the development lifetime. Typically a full assessment of transport effects considers both: Construction & Decommissioning Traffic Effects i.e. the extent of additional vehicle movements that would take place to and from site during construction and decommissioning phases. It should be noted that any environmental effects associated with construction and decommissioning related traffic are generally only temporary in nature (occurring for the extent of the project build period only) and are rarely constant over the full construction or decommissioning period. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-4

7 Operational Traffic Effects i.e. the day to day transport impact of the operation of the Site - associated with typical staff and HGV demand It should be noted that the key aspect of much of the above policy and guidance relates specifically to those developments which are anticipated to generate or attract a material quantum of traffic. Wind farm developments in general do not generate any meaningful levels of traffic during their operational period traffic during this period is likely to be limited to occasional maintenance vehicles or, in rare cases, replacement of turbine components such as blades. The peak traffic generating stages of the development life would occur during construction. With this in mind this section of the ES specifically concentrates on traffic related effects associated with the construction of the Proposed Development. Furthermore, it should be noted that the traffic related effects of the decommissioning stage have not been subject to detailed assessment given the unknown conditions of the highway following the 25 year life cycle of the wind farm. However, in general terms it is considered that fewer traffic movements would likely be generated during decommissioning than during construction as below ground infrastructure would remain in situ, as may some access tracks. Accordingly the magnitude of any change would likely be less than during construction, particularly against a background of increased future baseline traffic flows. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-5

8 12.2 Methodology The assessment of transport impacts has been carried out through the consideration of core network operational factors (network capacity, congestion and delay) and the potential for transport environmental impact (severance, vulnerable users, etc.) The assessment of traffic related environmental effects for the Proposed Development has been based upon a review of the anticipated change in network traffic conditions arising from the scheme. Transport Related Environmental Assessment The potential highways and transport related environmental effects of the Proposed Development have been assessed via reference to the methodology set out in the Institute of Environmental Assessment (now Institute of Environmental Management & Assessment - IEMA) document Guidelines for the Environmental Assessment of Road Traffic. The IEMA guidelines were prepared to inform the environmental assessment of road traffic associated with major new developments and are designed to be applied to off-site traffic impacts. Alternative guidelines and established procedures exist for the environmental assessment of new road / highway infrastructure (as set out in Design Manual for Roads and Bridges). However, such procedures are not directly relevant to the case of this development which does not involve any new off-site road construction. Assessment Criteria Reference to the IEMA guidelines for the assessment of road traffic suggests the following general rules of thumb when considering the initial appraisal or screening of environmental effects and the identification of where more detailed analysis of specific environmental effects might be required: Rule 1: Include highway links where traffic flows will increase by more than 30% (or the number of heavy goods vehicles will increase by more than 30%) Rule 2: Include any other specifically sensitive areas where traffic flows have increased by 10% or more LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-6

9 With respect to Rule 1 (30% threshold), IEMA guidance notes that traffic forecasting is not an exact science and that it is generally accepted that accuracies greater than 10% are not achievable. Day-to-day variation of traffic on a route corridor is frequently at least + or 10% of data recorded on a single survey date. The IEMA guidelines therefore suggest that, at a basic level, projected changes in traffic of less than 10% would create no discernible environmental effect IEMA guidance further notes that the most discernible environmental effects of road traffic are considered to be noise/vibration, severance and pedestrian delay and intimidation. In terms of these potential effects, IEMA guidance states the following: In general, people are unable to perceive a change in noise nuisance for changes in noise levels of less than 3dB(A), such changes requires a doubling or halving in the level of traffic ; At low flows, increases in traffic of around 30% can double the delay experienced by pedestrians attempting to cross a road; and Severance (community disruption) and intimidation are much more sensitive to traffic flow and DfT suggest 30%, 60% and 90% changes in traffic levels should be considered as slight, moderate and substantial impacts respectively Other environmental impacts (e.g. pollution, ecology, etc) are considered to be less sensitive to traffic flow changes, and IEMA guidelines recommend that, as a starting point, a 30% change in traffic would represent a reasonable threshold for the need to undertake a more detailed assessment of environmental conditions Guidance with respect to IEMA Rule 2 (10% threshold) identifies that the assessor should consider the inclusion of any other locations or network links where a 10% change in traffic is predicted in specific environmentally sensitive areas. Suggested locations highlighted in the IEMA guidelines which could be considered to represent a sensitive receptor include accident blackspot locations, conservation areas, hospitals, links with high pedestrian flows, etc. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-7

10 IEMA guidance notes that it would not normally be appropriate to consider links where traffic flows have changed by less than 10% unless there are significant changes in the composition of traffic, e.g. a large increase in the number of heavy goods vehicles. It is of key importance to note that the assessor is charged with using their professional judgement to determine the level of sensitivity of any location and consequently whether further assessment of the environmental effects is necessary in such cases. Key Considerations Reference to the IEMA guidance document identifies a number of additional factors which should be borne in mind by the assessor when considering the impact of development. These additional considerations form a basis for ensuring that the impact of development is assessed against the most appropriate baseline conditions, giving due regard to the potential for other developments on the network, and the effect of variations in background traffic levels over time. To this end Paras 3.12 and 3.13 of the guidance respectively state: 3.12 It will also be necessary to make an assumption with regard to other Proposed Developments and forecasted changes in the highway network that could occur over the time period. These assumptions will need to be based on best judgement taken in consultation with the Local Planning Authority. Any changes in ambient environmental characteristics should also be taken into account As stated previously, a traffic engineer may be principally interested in evaluating a situation when traffic flows are at their greatest. This may involve looking at a period some time in the future when traffic from the development is added to traffic flows on the surrounding network which has itself increased due to natural traffic growth. Such a situation clearly presents the critical traffic pattern, but the natural increase of traffic will generally have the effect of diluting the environmental impact of a development. The greatest environmental change will generally be when the development traffic is at the largest proportion of the total flow. It is therefore recommended that the environmental assessment should be undertaken at the year of opening of the development of the first full year of its operation. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-8

11 With the above considerations in mind, the approach adopted within this assessment incorporates a detailed appraisal of future baseline traffic conditions, having due regard for general background network traffic growth. Additionally the core assessments of the traffic related environmental effects are undertaken for the time period of peak construction impact i.e. the first year in which construction of the Proposed Development is commenced (2017). Accordingly this assessment should provide a comprehensive and robust appraisal of the traffic related environmental effects of the development proposals. Level of Effect / Significance Criteria The level of effect attributed to each impact identified has been assessed based upon the magnitude of change due to the delivery of the development proposals, and the sensitivity of the affected receptor/receiving environment to change. Magnitude of change and the sensitivity of the affected receptor and receiving environment are both assessed on a scale of major, moderate, slight and negligible as set out below The following terms have been used to define the level of effect of the impacts identified: Major impact: where the Proposed Development could be expected to have a very substantial impact (either positive or negative) in traffic terms. Moderate impact: where the Proposed Development could be expected to have a noticeable impact (either positive or negative) in traffic terms. Slight impact: where the Proposed Development could be expected to result in a small, barely noticeable impact (either positive or negative) in traffic terms. Negligible: where no discernible impact is expected as a result of the Proposed Development in traffic terms Impacts classified as Major are considered to be Significant. Typically changes in baseline traffic demand of less than 30% due to development are LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-9

12 not anticipated to result in readily perceived traffic related environmental effects In the event that a potentially material impact is identified at any sensitive highway network location, the IEMA Guidelines set out a list of environmental effects which should be assessed for their significance as part of a more detailed appraisal of potential environmental impact. Definitions of each of the core effects identified in the IEMA Guidelines are set out below along with explanatory text relating to assessment criteria. Pedestrian Delay: Delay occurring to pedestrians as a result of traffic demand impacting upon their ability to cross the carriageway. The provision of crossing facilities, the geometric characteristics of the road and the traffic volume, speed and composition are all factors that can determine delay. The IEMA Guidelines advise that quantitative thresholds should be avoided, with professional judgement to be used in its place; Pedestrian Amenity: The term pedestrian amenity is described broadly as the relative pleasantness of a journey. It is considered to be affected by traffic flow, speed and composition as well as footway width and the separation/protection from traffic. It encompasses the overall relationship between pedestrians and traffic. There are no commonly agreed thresholds for quantifying the significance of changes, although the IEMA Guidelines tentatively suggest that where the traffic flow (or its HGV component) doubles, a significant effect is likely to arise; Severance: The perceived division that can occur within a community when it becomes separated by a major traffic artery. Severance is difficult to measure and by its subjective nature is likely to vary between different groups within a single community. In addition to the volume, composition and speed of traffic, severance is also likely to be influenced by the geometric characteristics of a road, the demand for movement across a road and the variety of land uses on either side. In general terms, according to the IEMA Guidelines, changes in traffic flow of 30, 60 and 90% are regarded as producing slight, moderate and substantial changes in severance respectively; LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-10

13 Driver Delay: Delay generally occurs at junctions where there are opposing movements and where vehicles are required to either give or receive priority. Delay is only likely to be significant when demand exceeds or is approaching capacity, i.e. the Ratio of Flow to Capacity (RFC) exceeds 0.85; Road Safety: Assessments have incorporated a review of collision data and the local circumstances prevailing, in particular traffic speed, flow and composition as well as vehicle conflict and pedestrian activity. Professional judgment is used to determine the significance of the effect; Noise and Vibration: The environmental implications of noise and vibration arising from changes in traffic flow; Air Pollution & Dust and Dirt: The air quality effects of the development proposals arising from traffic flow and the environmental implications of dust and dirt being generated by the traffic movements. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-11

14 12.3 Baseline Site Location & Highway Network Connections The Site is located approximately 22km to the northwest of Dumfries, and 11km to the east of New Galloway. In total the Site covers an area of approximately 1,474ha, and lies within the administrative authority of Dumfries and Galloway Council The main delivery access to the Site is proposed to be provided via the consented Blackcraig wind farm access which is to be constructed to the north of the minor road leading from the A712 to the Site. Turbine components would be transported from the docks at Ayr to the Site via the routes of the A79, A713, A712 and Blackcraig Road. On the outskirts of Ayr the route of the A713 forms a 4-arm roundabout junction with the Trunk Road route of the A Whilst traffic to or from the Site would not utilise the route of the A77 itself, by virtue of passing through this junction they would utilise part of the Trunk Road network. The A77 falls under the control of Transport Scotland and is managed by Scotland Transerv. Consideration of the potential effects at this junction will be required, therefore, in order to provide reassurance that the proposals would not give rise to any significant effects on the Trunk Road network The A713 forms the bulk of the route that turbine component vehicles would use, with traffic travelling along approximately 52km of route between Ayr and New Galloway, before turning on to the A712 for just 6km. Whilst the route of the A713 passes through a number of settlements, it is understood that the route has previously been utilised for the transportation of wind turbine components, with future use proposed by other already consented schemes in the surrounding area, including the Blackcraig scheme to the immediate west of the Loch Urr site. As such, its capability to accommodate large turbine component HGVs is already established. Further, and as set out in Chapter 5.0 Scheme Description and Construction Methods, it is likely that any minor modifications such as strengthening of culverts / cattle grids etc. would be undertaken in advance of the Loch Urr scheme, as the proposed route is LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-12

15 identical to that of the Blackcraig project which is due to commence construction prior to the anticipated start date for the Loch Urr scheme Whilst the route of turbine components can readily be identified, traffic routing in relation to other construction traffic, such as concrete HGVs is more difficult to predict and cannot fully be determined until such time as the construction contract has been secured. Therefore, in order to account for the potential for traffic to route from alternative locations, this assessment considers two scenarios; Scenario 1 assumes that all traffic arrives to the site from the north, along the proposed abnormal load route; Scenario 2 assumes that some concrete delivery HGVs would route from the south. Given the location of Dumfries to the southeast, it is considered most likely that such vehicles would route from that urban area, and would therefore travel along the A712 and A75 to the southeast. Traffic figures for Crofts and Brae, respectively, have been utilised for the assessment of this second scenario. Personal Injury Accident History A brief desktop review of historical Personal Injury Accident (PIA) data has been undertaken using Crashmap.co.uk, which provides PIA data collected by the police. This data is approved by the National Statistics Authority and reported on by the Department for Transport each year. Data has been reviewed for the most recent five year period of 1 January st December This desktop review has identified that the PIA history of the route between Ayr and the Site, which predominantly comprises the A713, appears entirely typical for such rural distributor routes, and it is therefore not anticipated that there are any specific prevailing concerns which would likely be exacerbated by the construction of the Proposed Development. Nonetheless, more detailed consideration of the PIA history has been undertaken, in the assessment of effects outlined at Section 12.4, for any areas of the highway network where a potential impact is noted. Observed Traffic Background traffic flows along the identified haul route to the Site have been obtained from the Department for Transport s (DfT) online Traffic Counts LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-13

16 database service. This database holds Annual Average Daily Flow (AADF) count information for thousands of locations on the highway network nationally, including Scotland and Wales Interrogation of the database for the three administrative areas that the haul route passes through South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and Dumfries & Galloway has identified the following AADF levels for the most recent years for which data is available: Table 12.1 DfT/Transport Scotland Recorded Annual Average Daily Flow 2011/2012 Count Location Grid Coordinate AADF Total Traffic AADF HGV Traffic A79 Ayr * , A713 Approach to A77 Junction * , A713 Patna * , A713 Dalmellington * , A713 Carsphairn * , A713 St. John s Town of Dairy * A713 at Junction with A712 A712 E of Balmaclellan A712 E of Balmaclellan , , , A712 Crofts A75 Brae , * - denotes 2012 data - denotes 2011 data Most notably the above table includes the A713 approach to its roundabout junction with the A77 Trunk Road. As such, review of the traffic related effects at this location should provide a reasonable consideration of the impact of the construction of the Proposed Development on the A77 Trunk Road. No traffic data is available for the minor road leading to the site from the A712. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-14

17 Key Assessment Parameters It is anticipated that commencement of construction at the Site would occur during Accordingly a 2017 year of construction has therefore been utilised for core traffic demand assessments. Estimates of future year traffic have been determined in line with current Transport Scotland guidance through the application of regional growth factors derived from the Scotland Trip End Program (STEP). As outlined above, recorded traffic data for Dumfries and Galloway is only available up until 2011, whilst data for South and East Ayrshire is available for As the route passes through three administrative areas it has been necessary to apply three separate growth factors in order to derive future traffic flow estimates for the construction year of Table 12.2, below, illustrates the anticipated growth in traffic along the route between the base year and year of assessment: Table 12.2 STEP Growth Forecasts 2011/2012 to 2017 Year Location Growth Factor A79 Ayr A713 Approach to A77 Junction A713 Patna A713 Dalmellington A713 Carsphairn A713 St. John s Town of Dairy A713 at Junction with A A712 W of Balmaclellan A712 E of Balmaclellan A712 Crofts A75 Brae These forecasts suggest of the order of just % growth on the local highway network between the 2011/2012 background traffic data years and the 2017 year of anticipated site construction. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-15

18 Baseline Traffic Conditions Application of the future network growth factors identified in Table 12.2 above, to the background traffic data illustrated in Table 12.1, provides the network traffic flows which form the basis of assessment. These are illustrated in Table 12.3 below: Table 12.3 Baseline Annual Average Daily Flows 2017 Count Location AADF Total Traffic AADF HGV Traffic A79 Ayr 20, A713 Approach to A77 Junction 11, A713 Patna 3, A713 Dalmellington 1, A713 Carsphairn 1, A713 St. John s Town of Dairy A713 at Junction with A712 A712 W of Balmaclellan A712 E of Balmaclellan 1, , , A712 Crofts A75 Brae 8, LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-16

19 12.4 Assessment of Effects Anticipated Construction Traffic Levels Chapter 5.0 of the ES describes the construction process and includes an indicative construction programme. Table 12.4 outlines the anticipated construction related traffic movements across the full construction period Review of Table 12.4 identifies that peak construction related traffic movements are anticipated to occur during Month 10 of construction. During this period up to 1,674 two-way traffic movements are predicted to occur, of which up to 750 could be HGVs, with the remainder comprising LGVs. Assuming an average of 21 working days per month this level of traffic equates to approximately 80 two-way movements per day, of which 36 could be HGVs and 44 LGVs As outlined above it is proposed to assess two scenarios; Scenario 1 with all traffic assumed to route from the north; and Scenario 2 with concrete delivery HGVs assumed to route to the Site from the south, with all other traffic routing from the north. Review of Table 12.4 identifies that traffic associated with the construction of the turbine foundations, which would largely comprise concrete delivery HGVs, would likely stand at 460 two-way movements during the peak month of construction traffic impact. Based on an average of 21 working days per month this would equate to 22 concrete delivery HGV movements per day Traffic related environmental effects, arising from both Scenario 1 and Scenario 2 conditions, have been assessed for the peak month of construction traffic movements. Accordingly the results of each assessed scenario represent the potential worst case effects of the construction phase of development. Traffic related effects during the remaining 24 months of construction would therefore be less, and in some instances substantially so As described in Chapter 3.0 the access road from the local highway to the main development area would follow the line of the consented access road for the Blackcraig Wind Farm. It is anticipated that this would be constructed in advance of the commencement of the Loch Urr scheme and as such and vehicle movements associated with this element of construction would have already occurred. On this basis these vehicle trips are not accounted for in LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-17

20 Table 12.4 below. In the event that the access road into the site needs to be constructed as part of the Loch Urr scheme it is anticipated that this would occur in advance of the main construction programme shown in the Table 12.4 below The construction of the access road would take approximately 6 months and would require import of some construction stone. There would also be a requirement to export some of the soils excavated as part of the construction. These works would result in circa 1,649 monthly HGV movements and 500 LGV and car movements. Assuming an average of 21 working days per month this level of traffic equates to approximately 103 two-way movements per day, of which 79 could be HGVs and 24 LGVs. In calculating these figures it is assumed that all vehicles that would bring stone to the site would leave empty, in reality these vehicles may be used to export soils from the site, significantly reducing the number of vehicle movements involved in the construction. However, for the purposes of a robust assessment this conservative assumption has been applied. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-18

21 Table 12.4 Anticipated Construction Related Traffic Activity HGVs Site Access Site Tracks Misc. Deliveries Bridge Const. Foundations Misc. Concrete Steel Met Mast Cabling Abnormal Loads Soil export Stone export Site Mobilisation / fuel, misc. waste Forestry HGV Totals LGVs Cars/Vans Monthly Total Traffic Total LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-19

22 Impact on Highway Network Scenario The maximum impact of construction related traffic, under Scenario 1 assumptions, has been considered against the likely prevailing background network traffic flows at the time of construction, as identified in Table Table 12.5 below, identifies the proportional impact that construction traffic would have, during the peak month of construction related traffic movements. Table 12.5 Estimated Maximum Daily Construction Traffic Impact Scenario 1 Count Location AADF Total Traffic Estimated Const. Traffic % Increase AADF HGV Traffic Estimated Const. HGVs % Increase A79 Ayr 20, A713 Approach to A77 Junction 11, A713 Patna 3, A713 Dalmellington A713 Carsphairn A713 St. John s Town of Dairy A713 at Junction with A712 A712 W of Balmaclellan A712 E of Balmaclellan 1, , , , , A712 Crofts A75 Brae 8, Review of Table 12.5 identifies that, for the most part the anticipated quantum of construction related traffic under Scenario 1 assumptions is unlikely to give rise to any notable impact on the local highway network. Maximum overall traffic impact is noted as being significantly less than the IEMA Rule 1 threshold of 10%, whilst increases in HGV traffic would be below the Rule 2 LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-20

23 threshold of 30% on all highway links bar the A712 near Balmaclellan. Accordingly, it is considered that under Scenario 1 assumptions the level of effect of the construction related traffic impact would be negligible on the routes of the A79 and A713. As a result it is concluded that the impact of construction traffic under Scenario 1 conditions would not be considered to be significant However, with regard to the A712 the proportional impact near Balmaclellan is anticipated to exceed the IEMA Rule 1 threshold to the west of the village and both the IEMA Rule 1 and Rule 2 thresholds to the east. It is considered that this is almost entirely due to the prevailing low traffic flows on the route. Indeed, in terms of highway capacity and safety this level of traffic increase would be unlikely to give rise to any notable effects whilst the proportional impact is noted as exceeding IEMA thresholds, the combined total traffic on the route would still be well within the typical range of vehicle flows for an A- road Moreover, it should be noted that any envisaged increases in traffic as a result of construction would be strictly temporary in nature. Further review of the anticipated construction traffic outlined in Table 12.4, when set against the prevailing traffic flows, would suggest that increases in HGV traffic would exceed the IEMA Rule 2 threshold of 30% during 15 months of the programmed construction period (months 1, 2, 6-11 & 16-22) Despite the considerations outlined above, given that increases on the A712 near Balmaclellan are anticipated to exceed both Rule 1 and Rule 2 guidance thresholds under Scenario 1 assumptions, for some months of the construction programme, a detailed assessment of environmental conditions has been undertaken for this section of the local network. Traffic Related Environmental Effects on the A712 Near Balmaclellan As noted above, the assessment of proportional impact of both general and HGV construction related traffic on highway network links has identified that the A712 route corridor near Balmaclellan would potentially experience traffic increases above both the IEMA Rule 1 and Rule 2 thresholds, under Scenario 1 assumed conditions. Detailed core impact issues are therefore considered further below. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-21

24 Pedestrian Delay: The A712 is a rural distributor route and serves little in the way of frontage development, save for the occasional property. The closest settlement to the route is the village of Balmaclellan, which lies to the north of the carriageway, and at much lower level. There are no footways present along any section of the A712 near Balmaclellan, nor for some distance beyond, reflecting the rural distributor nature of the route. Pedestrian demand levels are therefore likely to be extremely low, if not non-existent. Given the nature of the route it is therefore considered that the impact of construction related traffic on pedestrian delay would be negligible. Severance: As outlined above, the A712 serves little in the way of frontage development, and does not pass through any settlements the largest settlement of Balmaclellan lies entirely to the north of the A712. On this basis it is anticipated that the impact of construction related traffic on community severance issues would be negligible. Pedestrian Amenity: Again, as outlined above the A712 serves little in the way of frontage development, and does not pass through any settlements. In addition there are no footways present along any section of the A712 near Balmaclellan, or beyond. Given these characteristics and the rural distributor route nature of the A712, pedestrian demand levels are therefore likely to be extremely low, if not non-existent. Accordingly it is therefore considered that the impact of construction related traffic on pedestrian amenity would be negligible. Driver Delay: This chapter has outlined that, whilst the proportional increase in traffic relating to construction activities would exceed IEMA Rule 1 and Rule 2 thresholds, the combined total traffic volumes on the A712 would not present any issues in terms of highway capacity. It is therefore anticipated that construction related traffic would not result in driver delay issues on the A712 corridor. The impact on driver delay is therefore anticipated to be negligible. Road Safety: As outlined at , in order to determine the impact upon highway safety, a brief desktop review of historical Personal Injury LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-22

25 Accident (PIA) data has been undertaken using Crashmap.co.uk, which provides PIA data collected by the police. Figure 12.1 to this ES illustrates the search history for the immediate highway network in the vicinity of Balmaclellan and identifies that 5 incidents have been recorded in the last five years. Review of the more detailed information associated with each incident outlines that all were single vehicle accidents and all appeared to involve a loss of control either on bends in the carriageway or in freezing conditions. There is no evidence within the detailed information to suggest that there are any prevailing specific highway geometry issues which directly give rise to a highway safety concern. Whilst any increase in traffic on a route could statistically increase the risk of accidents occurring, it is considered that construction related traffic would not unduly raise that risk beyond the norm. Moreover, there are very few sensitive receptors located along the route and therefore very few predicted non-motorised users. As such the accident history demonstrates a clear trend of PIAs typically only involving single vehicle loss of control incidents. Accordingly it is considered that the impact of construction related traffic on highway safety would be negligible. Noise and Vibration: The noise generated by a stream of vehicles is related logarithmically to the number of vehicles, a doubling of traffic flow produces an increase of 3dB(A). The predicted increase in total vehicles is significantly less than a doubling in numbers with the total increase in traffic flows being circa 10%. As such the increase in noise levels generated from construction traffic would be less than 3dB(A), which as noted in is unlikely to result in a perceivable difference in noise effects. On this basis it is considered that the impact of traffic related noise would be negligible. Air pollution dust & dirt: Given the short time period over which the increase in traffic is likely to occur, the relatively low background traffic levels and the relatively low increase in additional traffic numbers it is unlikely that there would be a material effect in air quality related to vehicle emissions or generation of fugitive dust. Furthermore, the air quality LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-23

26 assessment guidance contained within the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) screens out the requirement for air quality assessment where the daily HGV traffic flows change by less than 200, as such it is considered that the impact of traffic related air quality effects would be negligible In summary it is considered that construction related traffic movements would have only a negligible impact upon the A712 near Balmaclellan and thus are not considered to be significant. Impact on Highway Network Scenario The maximum impact of construction related traffic, under Scenario 2 assumptions, has been considered against the likely prevailing background network traffic flows at the time of construction, as identified in Table Table 12.6, below, identifies the proportional impact that construction traffic would have, during the peak month of construction related traffic movements. Table 12.6 Estimated Maximum Daily Construction Traffic Impact Scenario 2 Count Location AADF Total Traffic Estimated Const. Traffic % Increase AADF HGV Traffic Estimated Const. HGVs % Increase A79 Ayr 20, A713 Approach to A77 Junction 11, A713 Patna 3, A713 Dalmellington A713 Carsphairn A713 St. John s Town of Dairy A713 at Junction with A712 A712 W of Balmaclellan 1, , , , , LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-24

27 Count Location AADF Total Traffic Estimated Const. Traffic % Increase AADF HGV Traffic Estimated Const. HGVs % Increase A712 E of Balmaclellan A712 Crofts A75 Brae 8, Review of Table 12.6 identifies that the anticipated quantum of construction related traffic under Scenario 2 assumptions is unlikely to give rise to any notable impact on the majority of the local highway network. Maximum overall traffic impact is noted as being significantly less than the IEMA Rule 1 threshold of 10%, whilst increases in HGV traffic would be below the Rule 2 threshold of 30% on all highway links bar the A712 near Crofts. Accordingly, it is considered that under Scenario 2 assumptions the level of effect of the construction related traffic impact would be negligible on the routes of the A79 and A713. As a result it is concluded that the impact of construction traffic under Scenario 2 conditions would not be considered to be significant However, with regard to the A712 the proportional impact near Crofts is anticipated to exceed the IEMA Rule 2 threshold. As with Scenario 1, it is considered that this is almost entirely due to the prevailing low traffic flows on the route. In terms of highway capacity and safety this level of traffic increase would be unlikely to give rise to any notable effects whilst the proportional impact is noted as exceeding IEMA thresholds, the combined total traffic on the route would still be well within the typical range of vehicle flows for an A- road Again, as with Scenario 1, it should also be noted that any envisaged increases in traffic as a result of construction would be strictly temporary in nature. Further review of the anticipated construction traffic outlined in Table 12.4, when set against the prevailing traffic flows, would suggest that increases in HGV traffic under Scenario 2 conditions would exceed the IEMA Rule 2 threshold of 30% during only three months of the programmed construction period (months 10,16 & 17). These months correspond directly with the peak periods of concrete delivery to the site for foundations. LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-25

28 Despite the considerations outlined above, given that increases on the A712 near Crofts are anticipated to exceed the IEMA Rule 2 guidance threshold under Scenario 2 assumptions, for three months of the construction programme, a detailed assessment of environmental conditions has been undertaken for this section of the local network. Traffic Related Environmental Effects on the A712 near Crofts As noted above, the assessment of proportional impact of both general and HGV construction related traffic on highway network links has identified that the A712 route corridor near Crofts would potentially experience traffic increases above the IEA Rule 2 threshold, under Scenario 2 assumed conditions. Detailed core impact issues are therefore considered further below. Pedestrian Delay: The A712 is a rural distributor route and serves little in the way of frontage development, save for the occasional property. There are no footways present along any section of the A712 near Crofts, nor for some distance beyond, reflecting the rural distributor nature of the route. Pedestrian demand levels are therefore likely to be extremely low, if not non-existent. Given the nature of the route it is therefore considered that the impact of construction related traffic on pedestrian delay would be negligible. Severance: As outlined above, the A712 serves little in the way of frontage development, and does not pass through any settlements. In particular, at Crofts, there is little other than a farm and small number of residential properties set some distance to the east of the carriageway. On this basis it is anticipated that the impact of construction related traffic on community severance issues would be negligible. Pedestrian Amenity: Again, as outlined above the A712 serves little in the way of frontage development, and does not pass through any settlements. In addition there are no footways present along any section of the A712 near Crofts, or beyond. Given these characteristics and the rural distributor route nature of the A712, pedestrian demand levels are therefore likely to be extremely low, if not non-existent. Accordingly it is LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-26

29 therefore considered that the impact of construction related traffic on pedestrian amenity would be negligible. Driver Delay: This chapter has outlined that, whilst the proportional increase in traffic relating to construction activities would exceed IEMA Rule 2 thresholds, the combined total traffic volumes on the A712 would not present any issues in terms of highway capacity. It is therefore anticipated that construction related traffic would not result in driver delay issues on the A712 corridor. The impact on driver delay is therefore anticipated to be negligible. Road Safety: As outlined at , in order to determine the impact upon highway safety, a brief desktop review of historical Personal Injury Accident (PIA) data has been undertaken using Crashmap.co.uk, which provides PIA data collected by the police. Figure 12.2 to this ES illustrates the search history for the immediate highway network in the vicinity of Crofts and identifies that 7 incidents have been recorded in the last five years. Review of the more detailed information associated with each incident outlines that the majority were single vehicle accidents and all appeared to involve a loss of control either on bends in the carriageway or in dark and damp conditions. There is no evidence within the detailed information to suggest that there are any prevailing specific highway geometry issues which directly give rise to a highway safety concern. Whilst any increase in traffic on a route could statistically increase the risk of accidents occurring, it is considered that construction related traffic would not unduly raise that risk beyond the norm. Moreover, there are very few sensitive receptors located along the route and therefore very few, if any, predicted non-motorised users. Accordingly it is considered that the impact of construction related traffic on highway safety would be negligible. Noise and Vibration: The noise generated by a stream of vehicles is related logarithmically to the number of vehicles, a doubling of traffic flow produces an increase of 3dB(A). The predicted increase in total vehicles is significantly less than a doubling in numbers with the total increase in LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-27

30 traffic flows being 3%. As such the increase in noise levels generated from construction traffic would be less than 3dB(A), which as noted in is unlikely to result in a perceivable difference in noise effects. On this basis it is considered that the impact of traffic related noise would be negligible. Air pollution dust & dirt: Given the short time period over which the increase in traffic is likely to occur, the relatively low background traffic levels and the relatively low increase in additional traffic numbers it is unlikely that there would be a material effect in air quality related to vehicle emissions or generation of fugitive dust. Furthermore, the air quality assessment guidance contained within the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) screens out the requirement for air quality assessment where the daily HGV traffic flows change by less than 200, as such it is considered that the impact of traffic related air quality effects would be negligible In summary it is considered that construction related traffic movements would have only a negligible impact upon the A712 near Crofts and thus are not considered to be significant. Traffic Related Environmental Effects on the minor road leading from the A712 to the site entrance It should be noted that due to a lack of existing traffic data a qualitative assessment of traffic levels on the minor road leading to the site has not been undertaken. However, it is reasonable to assume that baseline traffic levels would be very low, with few HGV movements other than local deliveries, farming and forestry vehicles. As such the incremental increase of HGVs and other traffic during the construction period is likely to exceed the IEMA 30% and 10% thresholds along this road The only residential property along the route is Blackcraig and there is no formal pedestrian access along this road. The HGV traffic levels predicted during the peak period of construction would be 31 HGV movements per day. HGV movements would only be at this level for a small proportion of the construction phase. A combination of this relatively short term exposure, the LOCH URR WIND FARM 12-28