Environmental Statement Non Technical Summary. Liverpool Waters September 2010

Transcription

1 Environmental Statement Non Technical Summary Liverpool Waters September 2010

2 Contents Section A Introduction Part 1 Background Part 2 Environmental Assessment Part 3 Site Description Section B The Proposals Part 1 Background and Need Part 2 Alternatives Part 3 Description of the Development Part 4 Construction Section C Consultation Section D Environmental Impacts Part 1 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Part 2 Landscape and Visual Impact Part 3 Lighting Part 4 Ecology and Nature Conservation Part 5 Surface Water, Flood Risk, Drainage and Water Demand Part 6 Ground Conditions and Underground Water Part 7 Air Quality Part 8 Noise and Vibration Part 9 Traffic and Transport Part 10 Socio-economics Part 11 Microclimate - Daylight and Sunlight Part 12 Microclimate - Wind Part 13 Waste Section E Further Information Cover: Artist s Impression of the proposed development at Bramley Moore Dock

3 Introduction Section A Section B

4 Aerial view of the site looking south

5 Introduction Background This document summarises the Environmental Statement (ES) which accompanies the planning application by the Peel Group for the proposed Liverpool Waters development to regenerate part of Liverpool s historic docklands. The development will contribute substantially to the growth and economic development of the city, adding to the existing cultural diversity as well as attracting national and international business. This document is a summary of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in non technical language. The main Environmental Statement (ES) (Volume 1) and the supporting Appendices (Volume 2) contains more detailed information on the project and each of the environmental topics considered. View towards the site from Wallasey Town Hall

6 Environmental Assessment EIA is a formal process by which the environmental impacts of a project are assessed, and where there is potential for a significant impact that cannot be avoided, works are identified to lessen the impacts (mitigation). The ES reports on the findings of the EIA and sets out those areas where potentially significant environmental effects have been identified and the mitigation proposed to remedy predicted effects. It forms an important part of the planning application decision making process. The development is considered to fall under schedule 2 (section 10b urban development projects) of the EIA Regulations (The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999). The development is likely to encourage more intensive activities on site, and due to the site s close proximity to environmentally sensitive habitats, and its location being partially within a World Heritage Site (WHS), an EIA is required. The topics to be included within the ES were agreed with the local planning authority, Liverpool City Council (LCC), through a process known as scoping. Scoping involves a consideration of how the development could potentially impact on the local environment, and identifies those areas where those impacts might be significant. LCC considered the scoping report produced for the development, and consulted with statutory bodies such as the Environment Agency. All comments received through the scoping process have been addressed in the ES, or, where relevant, in other documents forming the planning application. The scoping opinion identified that the following topics should assessed as part of this EIA: Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Landscape and Visual Impact Lighting Ecology and Nature Conservation Surface Water, Flood Risk and Drainage Ground Conditions and Underground Water Air Quality and Odour Noise and Vibration Traffic and Transport Socio-economics Daylight and Sunlight Wind Waste

7 The EIA project team has been led by WYG consultants, with input from other specialists within the company together with external consultants, as set out below: Role / Topic ES Management and Co-ordination Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Landscape and Visual Impact Lighting Ecology and Nature Conservation Surface Water Flood Risk Drainage and Utilities Ground Conditions and Underground Water Air Quality and Odour Noise and Vibration Traffic and Transport Socio-economics Daylight and Sunlight Wind Waste Author WYG Peter de Figueiredo / Oxford Archaeology North (OAN) WYG WYG WYG WYG WYG Arup WYG WYG WYG JMP Consultants Limited Regeneris Consulting Limited Arup Arup WYG

8 Liverpool Waters site boundary and local features

9 Site Description The site of Liverpool Waters occupies approximately 60 hectares (ha) to the north of Liverpool s Pier Head, and extends from Princes Dock in the south to Bramley Moore dock in the north. The site extends 2km along the waterfront and also includes the King Edward Industrial Estate. It extends eastwards as far as the dock boundary wall that runs along Bath Street and Waterloo Road. The eastern boundary of the site is defined by the north-south axis of the A5036 carriageway, and the River Mersey defines the site s western boundary. A small portion of the A5046 (at St Nicholas Place) abuts the site to its south, whilst the dock system continues to the site s north towards the boundary with Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council. The majority of the site consists of land reclaimed from the River Mersey, and historically has been used for industrial purposes. The remaining structures on site include the quaysides, dock boundary walls and open dock spaces. Whilst the site is largely unutilised, Princes Dock to the south has been recently developed to create high-rise residential apartments, office blocks, hotel development, a multi-storey car park and other commercial and ancillary uses. In addition to this, low-rise residential accommodation is located to the east of the site (East Waterloo Dock), and a small industrial estate is situated in the south-eastern corner of the site. Over one third of the site consists of open water docks, in addition to former dock areas that have been subject to earlier in-filling, and are now part of the canal system. Previous in-filling of other docks within the site had been extensive, for example to make way for a power station (the last remnants of which were removed in 1994) The site has remained redundant since then. Part of the proposed development site is located within the Liverpool Mercantile City World Heritage Site (WHS), and the remainder is within the WHS buffer zone. The site also includes part of the Stanley Dock Conservation Area, which contains a number of listed structures including the Tobacco Warehouse (outside the site). View of Salisbury Dock

10 View of Pier Head looking North towards the site

11 Section A The Proposals Section B Section C creative minds safe hands

12 Illustrative site Masterplan

13 The Proposals Background and Need A decline in port activities during the post war period had a significant negative impact on the economy and population of Liverpool. However, regeneration throughout the city has taken place throughout the last ten years resulting in the creation of employment on a large scale. This has improved the Liverpool City economy by reducing economic inactivity, raising employment rates, and increasing the local population. In spite of these positive improvements there remains a pressing need to ensure that the residents of North Liverpool have better access to the jobs that have been created in the city region. The regeneration of Liverpool has not been uniform throughout the city - North Liverpool has not yet experienced the benefits provided by restructuring the economy of the city, and the area remains deprived in comparison to other parts of the city. This is partly due to its location, which is poorly placed to take advantage of economic opportunities. As such, North Liverpool is unlikely to develop higher value economic activity without significant investment. The regeneration of North Liverpool and in particular Liverpool Waters are identified by the City Council as the next major opportunities for the City to embrace. Securing higher value, higher paid jobs is the key to unlocking productivity, and must be regarded as the primary economic challenge for Liverpool. This requires the development of a high quality commercial environment, in which the premises are filled with nationally and internationally competitive firms. Attracting and retaining highly skilled people to become residents within North Liverpool is essential in order to ensure full economic potential of the regeneration development proposals. In response to these needs, the Liverpool Waters project seeks to provide for the future business and housing requirements of the city in the most suitable location that will provide a new growth focus alongside a strong city centre. It will also enable Liverpool to secure its role alongside Manchester as the driving force in the economy of the North West. In view of the World Heritage Site (WHS) status of part of the site and the location of the remainder in the WHS Buffer Zone, the requirements outlined above have been accommodated in heritage led design proposals.

14 Alternatives The Liverpool Waters site represents a hugely important physical regeneration opportunity on a scale not witnessed in the city since the formation of the docks themselves over 200 years ago. This is clearly recognised by Peel (the applicant), Liverpool City Council and wider partners. The Council have identified this prime waterfront location due to its strong links to the city centre and recognised its potential to bring benefits in terms of higher value jobs which will help transform Liverpool. There are no alternative sites of the scale necessary to facilitate the step change in addressing the required needs of the city. Once the site was selected as the most appropriate location for significant waterside business and residential development for the city, a series of development schemes have evolved to meet the aspirations of Peel and the Council, whilst also ensuring that the development complements the existing city centre. Consultation and engagement of key stakeholders on the development of a masterplan for Liverpool Waters has taken place since Background studies on environmental and socio- economic issues also provided information that has been central to the development of a masterplan. Following this work, a draft masterplan was produced in October 2009, which was shared with the public and stakeholders at two consultation events. As a result of this consultation, the scale of the development was reduced. The revised masterplan has reduced building heights, building numbers and a significant alteration to the layout of key areas of the proposals. The July 2010 masterplan which forms the basis of this application followed further consultation with Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision, CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), the Government Office for the North West, English Heritage and the Environment Agency. Discussing the masterplan at a Liverpool Waters consultation event

15 Description of the Development Drawing on the unique identity of the site and the city, the Liverpool Waters scheme has been divided into five neighbourhoods, or character areas, that focus on the historic names of the docks that sit within these neighbourhoods or have an association with the locality. The five neighbourhoods are: Artist s impression of the proposed development at Clarence Docks Princes Dock (Neighbourhood A); King Edward Triangle (Neighbourhood B); Central Docks (Neighbourhood C); Clarence Docks (Neighbourhood D); and Northern Docks (Neighbourhood E).

16 The amount of floorspace generated for various uses within each neighbourhood varies from approximately 124,000m 2 to 551,500m 2, with the overall total being approximately 1,320,000 m 2. The different land uses of the area once the development is finished will include: Commercial office space; Residential dwellings; Hotel and conference facilities; Shops providing mainly for local daily needs; Banks and building societies; Cafes, bars and restaurants; Culture and leisure facilities; Education, health and religious and community uses; Cruise liner terminal; Car and cycle parking; Servicing areas; and, Roads, paths, central park and other landscaped areas. Due to the scale of the project, the development will be based on a 30 year construction programme starting in 2011 and ending in 2041 (subject to planning permission). Due to the long timescales involved in the project, no element of the project has been designed in full detail, with only certain specific elements of the design being fixed, such as part of the access. Artist s impression of the proposed Central Docks and Canal Link For the purposes of the EIA, maximum building heights, maximum floorspace per land use and per neighbourhood have been used in order to ensure that a robust environmental assessment of the proposals can be undertaken. This will ensure that the assessment of likely significant impacts is set against a number of maximum parameters which cannot be changed without revision to the permission, the EIA and the Council s further approval.

17 Construction Phases Under the current proposed programme (subject to gaining planning permission), construction of Liverpool Waters will take place over a period of 30 years between 2012 and The neighbourhoods will be developed in five phases, with Princes Dock (neighbourhood A) being developed in phase 1, King Edward Triangle (neighbourhood B) being developed in phase 2, Central Docks (neighbourhood C) being developed in phase 3, Clarence Docks (neighbourhood D) being developed in phase 4 and the Northern Docks (neighbourhood E) being developed in phase 5. It is an ambition of the development to promote the use of resources sourced locally where they are available and it is effective to do so. It is also an ambition to use sustainable means of transporting materials and staff to and from site where possible. Construction drainage and surface water protection strategies will be implemented to ensure that water quality is not significantly impacted and that surface water flood risk is reduced. There will be nine main development access points to the site from the east along Waterloo Road and Regent Road, which will be used for construction traffic access during the construction phases of the development. Movements within the site will be controlled along dedicated temporary haulage roads anticipated to run generally along the proposed street patterns of each phase. Any existing pedestrian and cycle routes will remain available or be diverted for the construction and potentially for the operational phase if required. Before construction starts on each phase (or neighbourhood) of development, clearance and levelling will need to take place, including the demolition of some existing buildings on site. Each phase of development will have its own construction compound which will contain temporary site offices, welfare facilities for staff based on site and stores for vehicles and materials. The compounds will be enclosed with security fencing. The construction of the site will generally take place during normal working hours, this will reduce the potential impact from noise and lighting. Artist s impression of the proposed development at Mersey Esplanade

18 Princes Dock Neighbourhood This phase of development will see the remaining vacant plots at Princes Dock brought forward to complete this waterside quarter. New commercial buildings are proposed along the eastern and western edges of the dock, bringing commercial uses from the established city centre down to the River Mersey. Cafes and local retail uses will be concentrated around openings in the dock boundary wall, focusing activity around pedestrian links back to the city centre and to the River Mersey. A 55 storey tower known as Shanghai Tower will house commercial office space and a hotel on the lower floors with residential above and will further reinforce the existing City Centre commercial core cluster of tall buildings. King Edward Triangle Neighbourhood The King Edward Triangle will provide a cluster of commercial buildings to enable an expansion of the city s commercial core. The proposed commercial buildings will have residential towers above. The neighbourhood will contain car parking, a local supermarket, cafes and restaurants focussed around new public space. Artist s impression of the proposed development at King Edward Triangle Artist s impression of the proposed development at Princes Dock

19 Central Docks Neighbourhood The Central Dock will contain a new public park fronted by landmark buildings housing offices, homes, shops, cafes and leisure facilities and will act as the gateway to Liverpool Waters from the east. It will also be the location of a new cruise liner terminal. Clarence Docks Neighbourhood The Clarence Docks neighbourhood will be a mainly residential and leisure quarter designed along pedestrian friendly principles. The layout of buildings and the open space will seek to respect and draw out the historic dock pattern that has been lost over time. Buildings set around the Clarence Graving Docks will be in scale with the surrounding buildings. The addition of pocket parks together with other public space will help to ensure that this creates a unique sense of place. Artist s impression of the proposed development at Central Park Artist s impression of the proposed development at Clarence Graving Docks

20 Northern Docks Neighbourhood The Northern Docks neighbourhood will contain new residential buildings set around the historic dock spaces. The neighbourhood will accommodate a range of community and leisure focused uses. Artist s impression of the proposed development at Nelson Dock Other elements of the scheme include: Transport Improvements - a range of improvements are proposed to enhance the connectivity of the site to the wider area for pedestrians and cyclists, to address future traffic growth and provide for improved public transport access. As it is envisaged that the development will be complete by 2042, a long way into the future, much is likely to change in terms of transport policy and practice, as well as economic growth, and environmental and technological development between now and then. At this stage an illustrative example programme of improvements has been put together to provide an indication of the locations and form of improvements which might be appropriate based upon a situation in which current transport policy and economic/population growth projections remain in force. In reality, the transport consequences of the development will need to be monitored over the development period, with a view to an evolving set of measures being put in place by the relevant bodies, as determined at appropriate future dates, within a framework agreed at this stage. For more detailed information on these improvements see Chapter 12 of the main ES (Volume 1), and Appendix 12.2 (Volume 2). Services - New services infrastructure needs will be provided on a phased basis. This will include the plant/facilities, easements and connections in respect of energy, waste, water, telecommunications and other infrastructure. To achieve this in a sustainable manner the Liverpool Waters proposals will aim to adopt best practice and be ambitious in its targets for a development that aims to reduce its energy use and carbon footprint.

21 Section B Consultation Section C Section D

22 Consultation Consultation has taken place with Liverpool City Council and other statutory bodies including English Heritage, the Environment Agency and the North West Development Agency, throughout the pre application planning process. These discussions with consultees have been used to inform the proposals, determine the need for an EIA and the topics that should be covered by the assessment. A full breakdown of the consultation process can be found in Liverpool Waters Statement of Community Involvement (WYG, September 2010) which accompanies the planning application. This document sets out the consultation process in full. A public exhibition was held between 10am - 5pm on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th January The purpose of the exhibition was to raise awareness of the Liverpool Waters proposal within the local community, to provide feedback and discuss the emerging proposals with the Liverpool Waters team. The public exhibition was held at 9-11 Whitechapel in Liverpool city centre. Liverpool Waters consultation event Consultation has been an integral part of the process of undertaking the EIA. Prior to the formal request for a scoping opinion, a number of the technical chapter authors contacted relevant specialist bodies directly, as part of the baseline and scoping research undertaken for the topic. For example; the EA Fisheries Team leader was contacted for information on fish in the River Mersey and LCC s Development Team and LCC s Environmental Health Department were approached for their informal scoping comments on the air quality and noise issues.

23 Environmental Impacts Section D Section C Section E

24 Environmental imapcts Archaeology and Cultural Heritage A detailed assessment was undertaken on behalf of Peel of the likely significant effects of the proposed Liverpool Waters development on the heritage environment of the application site and the surrounding area. The assessment was informed by a baseline study drawn up on the basis of desk-based assessment and walkover surveys of the study area in consultation with English Heritage and Liverpool City Council. The proposed development involves land either within the boundary of the Liverpool World Heritage Site (WHS) or the buffer zone around it. Designation of a WHS denotes its outstanding universal value (OUV) internationally as a heritage asset. A special assessment of the impact of the scheme on the OUV has also been carried out. The site includes a large number of heritage assets - parts of the historic environment that have significance because of their historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest. These include the docks and dock walls, buildings, bridges, railways, gates and other street furniture. An index was compiled with details of the 67 heritage assets on the development site and 40 heritage assets in the wider study area. Because of the international significance of the site the majority of the assets within the Liverpool Waters site are of high or very high sensitivity and similarly, the sensitivity of heritage assets in the outer parts of the study area is also relatively high. In addition the importance of the site also derives from the In accord with good practice, the EIA was integrated into the design of the proposals. This enabled problems to be identified at an early stage and the design changed to reflect the heritage context. Some examples of where changes have been made include : North of Clarence Graving Docks the layout follows the historic building pattern of rectangular structures running parallel to the edges of the water spaces. In the Central Docks its former layout is reflected in the proposals with taller buildings being sited to the east of the current canal link in the vicinity of a former power station which featured three tall chimneys. The development of the central and northern portions of the site will allow accessibility to numerous areas that are currently inaccessible The design of the indicative floor plans have been orientated to avoid impacts to below ground features of heritage value in some areas.

25 The applicant is committed to a number of overall safeguards designed to ensure that heritage assets and wider heritage interests are respected within the detailed design, construction and management of the site. These safeguards include: More detailed studies to ensure heritage interests are protected. Management plans to ensure protection of heritage assets during construction Setting the principles for protecting heritage assets when installing services and roads Making arrangements for removing contamination without harm to heritage assets and Making arrangements to pay appropriate attention to possible and unknown underground remains. Without mitigation, two main forms of impact potentially may affect heritage assets negatively during construction. The first of these is direct damage to heritage remains as a result of ground works, vibration or displacement. Visible and obscured elements of heritage assets might be disturbed during construction. For example, former buildings, dock furniture, historic surfacing, and rail tracks might be adversely affected and walling associated with Prince s, Waterloo and Trafalgar Docks. It is proposed that the risk of such damage will be addressed, and fully mitigated, by a management protocol comprising a series of overall safeguards. The second form of potential impact is a temporary reduction in the quality of the setting of sites, such as the presence of cranes. Overlaps in the anticipated phasing of development means that construction potentially may be undertaken within distinct areas concurrently. This would increase temporary visual impact. However, the intensity of the indicative phasing programme reduces the overall duration of construction and, therefore, is likely to minimise the duration of such temporary impacts. Positive impacts include the demolition of a number of incongruous buildings that are detrimental to the historic character of the area and the removal of demolition and fly-tipping deposits which contribute to a sense of neglect and dereliction in parts of the site. Archaeological investigations will also enable new information relating to the construction and use of the docks to be gained and public information on the historic environment provided. There is the potential for two main forms of negative impact on heritage assets during operation of the site (that is, after completion of construction). First there is the potential for direct damage to heritage remains from the growth of tree roots. Second, there may also be negative impacts on the setting of heritage assets as a result of buildings that obscure views of them or which conflict with their setting and this has been considered in detail in the OUV assessment summarised later below. Without mitigation, the severity of potential impacts would be increased.

26 Within the docks as a whole, substantial vehicle movement has been a feature since they were first established. Traffic will not, therefore, represent a negative impact on the heritage assets in the study area. Underground parking will negate the potential visual impact of parked cars. Substantial positive impacts on the understanding of the historic context of former docks (Princes Dock, Clarence Dock, Victoria Dock and Trafalgar Dock) would be attained by the exposure and potential public access to any surviving remains which might exist. More broadly, the proposed development will enable public accessibility to the docks and the potential for public understanding of them to be increased significantly. This is planned as an integral part of the proposals. A detailed evaluation was undertaken of the likely significant effects of proposed development on the OUV of the WHS. It followed a methodology produced by the Council in conjunction with English Heritage which considered 6 tests to evaluate the proposals on physical impact, impact on views and settings of landmark buildings, character areas and key views, compliance with LCC s planning guidance and against the matters which provided the basis of the WHS designation. The evaluation was generally positive as long as the measures for safeguarding described above are implemented.. In a small number of cases, low negative impacts appear likely for example changes in views of the Stanley Dock tobacco warehouse and of the Liver Building. In response to the potentially negative impacts of the development mitigation is proposed by the applicant to prevent, reduce or offset potentially adverse effects. These mitigation measures are of three main kinds: i) Mitigation by Design: ii) The proposals have been designed specifically to be heritage-based. Mitigation through Overall Safeguards: Overall safeguards are an integral part of the proposals. Conditions attached to a planning permission by the Council are expected to be imposed that include: submission of detailed masterplans for each phase of the scheme; the need for reserved matters approval by the Council on the detailed design of all elements; further archaeological evaluation at the reserved matters stage prior to excavation; mitigation relating to the provision of roads and services to avoid heritage assets; the potential marking of the extents of the former Clarence, Trafalgar, and Victoria Docks within the pattern of proposed surfacing and exposure of any existing dock-wall capping stones; a more detailed archaeological survey/audit of historic features and fabric; and a heritage management protocol to be agreed with the Council ensuring the reasonable care and protection of surface features identified in the above audit during construction and operation of the development.

27 iii) Mitigation in Response to OUV Assessment: The OUV assessment indicates that in a small number of cases, low negative impacts appear likely (11 out of 118 assessments). The conclusion has been drawn that these low negative impacts are outweighed by the many positive heritage impacts of the proposals and that they cannot be mitigated without such a radical change in the proposals that it would undermine its overall viability. Accordingly, on the basis of the strong balance of advantage favouring the merits of the proposals, no mitigation is proposed in respect of these low impacts. Liverpool Waters is set within a wider site of great heritage value in international and national terms. The assessment has identified, on the one hand, a large number of positive benefits of the proposal but, on the other a significant number of potential negative impacts unless mitigation forms an integral part of the proposals. With mitigation through design, overall safeguards and mitigation in response to the OUV Assessment, it is to be concluded that the potential for negative impact can be controlled satisfactorily, that it is in accord with relevant policy standards, and that any residual negative impacts are low and strongly outweighed by the many positive heritage impacts identified.

28 Landscape and Visual Impact A Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) has been carried out in accordance with national guidelines in order to determine the potential landscape and visual impacts that may arise as a result of the proposed Liverpool Waters development. Following a desk based study, preliminary site assessment and consultation a selection of 10 viewpoints were identified within the study area; these form the basis of the locations for the LVIA assessment. The development will be constructed over a 30 year period. This will mean that construction impacts, which are generally considered temporary in nature, will occur in varying locations and extents for a long period. Construction activities, particularly the erection, use and dismantling of tower cranes, large piling machinery and other large construction machinery, will be visible above the site hoardings. These activities will be most noticeable from Wirral Bank and other locations in Birkenhead. The proposed development would result in a notable change in the landscape of the site and in views gained from the surrounding area as a result of the proposed development. In general, landscape and visual impacts throughout the construction phase are considered to be adverse in nature due to the presence of construction plant, machinery and site operations. The impact of construction on views from Pier Head towards the site is considered to be a significant adverse impact as the scale of the construction would detract from the frontages of the Three Graces which would be seen side by side from this important viewpoint. This adverse impact is generally reduced upon the completion of the phased construction operations. When taking into account measures to reduce impacts, the identified landscape impacts are either not significant or beneficial due to the overall improvements that would be experienced through the comprehensive regeneration of the site from one of derelict docklands to a contemporary, accessible mixed use development designed to be sensitive to the historical use of the area. Management and maintenance strategies will be implemented for the development. This will reduce the visual impacts from a number of viewpoints and additionally, some effects will be significantly beneficial, for example, the views from Birkenhead across the Mersey. There will be a substantial change in the local view experienced of the open space at the Pier Head with the scale of the new build and modern construction types involved in the proposals, including Shanghai Tower. This change will be less noticeable and softened following the growth of existing trees at Pier Head. Moreover, the wide range of design safeguards that will be implemented through conditions attached to a planning permission will lead to high urban design and architectural quality that will potentially provide an attractive, complementary backdrop to the Pier Head buildings, a change which is not significant (and potentially beneficial).

29 View towards the site from Everton Park IMAGE NEEDED View towards the site from Pier Head

30 Lighting An assessment of the impact of the lighting associated with the proposed Liverpool Waters development on the local environment was undertaken as part of the EIA. Existing significant sources of lighting in the area surrounding the development were identified as part of the initial assessment, which also included taking measurements of lighting levels in order to quantify the existing light conditions. The initial baseline survey enabled an environmental zone designation of the site to be established in line with guidance issued by the Institute of Lighting Engineers. Locations considered sensitive to changes in lighting on the site were identified for consideration within this assessment. These included existing residential and commercial uses surrounding the proposed development that may be sensitive to changes in artificial lighting, such as those on Beetham Tower and Waterloo Warehouse (East Waterloo Dock). They also included potentially sensitive ecological sites such as the Mersey Narrows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). An assessment was also made of potential impacts of lighting associated with the proposed development on the sensitive uses once the development was up and running (the operational phase). During the operational phase of the scheme, potential impacts of lighting are not predicted to be significant, again this is mainly due to the distance between the development and the sensitive locations. East Waterloo Dock adjacent to the site An assessment was made of the potential impacts of lighting associated with the construction of the proposed development. In particular lighting from the construction compounds is considered to be the most significant potential source of artificial light. However, because of the likely distance between the light sources and the sensitive uses as well as the potential shielding effects of existing residential and commercial uses, the effects of lighting during the construction phase is not predicted to be significant.

31 Ecology and Nature Conservation A desk-based study was carried out to identify features of ecological importance within the study area and wider study area (within 15km of the project site). Consultation was undertaken with Environment Agency, Natural England and Merseyside Environmental Advisory Service (MEAS) during the course of the project. A Phase 1 Habitat survey and bat and breeding bird surveys were undertaken in The Liverpool Waters site supports semi-natural habitats including limited areas of grassland and scrub (natural colonising shrubs), with larger areas of water, hardstanding and buildings. The habitats are largely unsuitable for species protected by law. There are no trees on site. No bat roosts were identified on site, but low numbers of pipistrelle bats were recorded feeding in northern part of the site. The site supports low numbers of waterbirds, notably a small high tide roost of oystercatcher and redshank at Waterloo Dock. Cormorant has also been recorded. Nine breeding bird species were confirmed from the site, including seven species of conservation concern (Red and Amber list species). Red and Amber list species are species which the UK s leading bird organisations consider have suffered significant declines in UK populations warranting an increasing level of conservation concern. In addition, one Schedule 1 species (black redstart) was recorded as holding territory on site. Schedule 1 species receive special protection under the law and receive full protection under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). In addition, peregrine (a Schedule 1 species) bred adjacent to the site. Victoria Tower with scattered scrub The adjacent Mersey Estuary supports four migratory fish species (salmon, sea lamprey, river lamprey and sea-trout) which pass adjacent up and down river adjacent to the site. In addition there are records of bottle-nosed dolphin, common porpoise and grey seal from the river.

32 The main potential significant effects arising at a local level during the construction phase considered within this assessment are as follows: Loss of areas of scrub, plant colonisers of disturbed ground (ruderals) and short patchy low-growing plants typical of derelict urban sites (short perennial) vegetation; and The effect of the loss of habitat on all species of breeding birds. The scheme does not impact directly upon and therefore affect any site designated for its nature conservation value. A number of measures to prevent or reduce ecological impacts will be implemented. These will be revised over the lifetime of the scheme. Due to the long-term nature of the scheme proposals, both the status and location of species (e.g. bats and birds) are likely to change across the site over time. The measures will include Clearance of areas suitable for birds will take place outside the breeding season; Provision of nest boxes for Black Redstart; Islands or floating pontoons for nesting in the northern docks; The use of noise mufflers on piling rigs to reduce impacts on waterbirds; Planting of natural areas The resultant operational impacts of the proposed scheme on ecology, taking into account all the measures proposed, are not significant. Regular surveys for legally protected species will undertaken throughout the construction period in order to update baseline biological information. Surveys will be timed to ensure any mitigation strategies can be amended as required; Artificial bat roosts will be incorporated into suitable buildings; Sympathetic lighting will be incorporated into buildings that have potential bat roosts; Ephemeral/Short Perennial Grassland

33 Surface Water, Flood Risk, Drainage and Water Demand Surface Water Quality The River Mersey (tidal stretch) is located adjacent to the western site boundary. Ten former docks run along the approximate 2km extent of the site. In addition to the docks, the British Waterways Board has constructed an extension to the Leeds Liverpool Canal (known as the Leeds Liverpool Canal Link) through the network of existing docks between Stanley Dock and Canning Dock. This now provides a more direct and protected route for canal craft arriving at the northern limit of the Leeds Liverpool Canal. The quality of the surface water environment has been determined as being particularly sensitive to pollution from the development. A number of potentially significant environmental impacts have been identified as a result of undertaking the assessment which can be summarised as follows: Potential adverse impacts on surface water quality as a result of construction albeit the impacts are temporary and the environment will recover. Potential adverse impacts on surface water quality in the docks during the lifetime of the development from: the disposal of site surface water from surfaces and from activities associated with the development such as maintenance and cleaning activities. Drainage The proposed foul sewerage and surface water runoff discharge for both the construction and operational phases will adopt the existing discharge routes where possible. The majority of surface water runoff will discharge into the Docks and River Mersey with the foul sewerage for the neighbourhood areas discharging into the United Utilities combined sewers, ultimately discharging to Sandon Dock Treatment Works and then entering the River Mersey after a high level of treatment. United Utilities have been consulted with regards to the acceptance of the proposed foul sewerage discharges from the development and have agreed, in principle, to the proposed foul discharges originating from the early phases of the development. For the remaining phases, United Utilities believe that the sewer system will require improvements and updating to cope with the development. A solution will be required to allow for the wider economic development in Liverpool and this is not expected to pose a constraint to the development in the long term. The water environment can readily receive the surface water discharge from the development without any significant impact. Other surface water quality impacts of lower consequence were also identified.

34 Flood Risk The assessment concludes that the proposed development site is considered to be suitable for the proposed development use. The assessment also concludes that the site is at low risk of flooding from rainfall, groundwater and sewer overflow flooding. There is one sewer located on the southern boundary and the risk to the proposed adjacent plot from this will be minimised by adopting measures to reduce the impacts. The drainage strategy proposed will ensure that any surface water run-off does not increase flood risk elsewhere and there are no significant effects from flood risk. The assessment recommends that all development ground floor levels and emergency access routes are to be constructed above a minimum level agreed with the Environment Agency. This level will help ensure the development will be at a low risk of being flooded. There are some limitations to this assessment which the Environment Agency are aware of, as a result of this each detailed application will require revised study, with flood resilient construction measures introduced on a plot by plot basis provided if necessary. Water Demand United Utilities have identified the potential need for improved water supply infrastructure to secure future water supply at the site. Liaison will be required at all future detailed design stages with United Utilities to ensure suitable infrastructure is in place as the development progresses. The proposed development will include provision of a large number of new residential units and space for other land uses including office, retail, hotel, culture and education. Therefore, the proposed development will have a high demand on water resource provision. This is despite the small proportion of this demand in relation to the regional demand. The development will be constructed to a high level of sustainability and will include water efficiency measures to reduce demand. The impact on water demand is not considered significant. Off site Impacts The assessment has identified the potential for off site impacts in terms of water, some of which are ultimately good in relation to the improvements to and creation of additional off site infrastructure works that may be required in the future, in part as a direct consequence of Liverpool Waters, but also due to general population growth. The impacts arising during construction of these works will be controlled. There is considered to be the potential for long term benefit from upgrades to sewage treatment facilities.

35 Ground Conditions and Underground Water The potential effects of the development on the ground and groundwater (underground water) have been assessed following a baseline assessment of the current conditions at the site. At the construction stage, the potential significant environmental impacts mainly arise from the disturbance and movement of contaminated soil around or onto the site, the use and maintenance of the equipment used to carry out such operations, disturbance of existing ground contamination, ground stability and disturbance to the local groundwater. Overall, the potential effects at the construction stage include several potential impacts and risks that are likely to be significant or unacceptable, but the measures that will be implemented to control the construction operations will in the majority of cases reduce these effects to a tolerable, or non-significant level. Such measures are likely to include clean up or remediation strategies and plans governing the movement or storage of soil, the quality of the soil retained on or brought to site with respect to contamination, the storage of fuels and other chemicals used in the construction operations etc. Ground stability and groundwater control will also be assured through suitable design and construction measures for excavations. Current site use at Clarence Graving Docks Post construction, the potential effects of the development on ground and groundwater are expected to be non-significant and tolerable. Any such effects are likely to arise from a limited range of situations, such as spillages of chemicals or fuel, maintenance of infrastructure such as site drainage or permanent installations for the control of residual contamination hazards.

36 Air Quality An air quality and odour assessment has been undertaken that included a review of the sources of potential pollution in the vicinity of the site and an examination of predicted background air pollutant concentrations. Sites and locations that may be sensitive to changes in air pollution during the construction and operational phases of the proposed scheme have also been identified. An assessment was made of potential air quality impacts associated with the construction of the proposed development. These were considered to include the generation of dust from construction phase activities and exhaust emissions by construction phase road traffic and plant on-site. Providing that good practice measures are implemented, impacts associated with the provision of heat and power during the operational phase of the proposed development are not predicted to be significant. Impacts of the operational phase road traffic in terms of air quality were predicted using a computer model for both the phase 1 opening year 2016 and the mid-point development build out year The impact of the operational road traffic was not predicted to be significant in any modelled example. Providing that good practice measures are implemented, the most significant air quality impacts potentially arising as a result of the construction phase are identified as dust generation in close proximity to sensitive users or occupiers e.g. residential areas. Residual impacts associated with all other identified construction phase activities aree not predicted to be significant. An assessment was made of potential air quality impacts associated with the operational phase of the proposed development. These were identified to include emissions associated with the provision of heat and power (new power generation), and operational phase road vehicle exhaust emissions. Aerial view of Sandon Sewage Treatment Works north of the site

37 Noise and Vibration An assessment of the potential impact of the proposed development scheme with regard to noise and vibration during both the construction and operational phases has been undertaken as part of the EIA. Consultation has been undertaken with the Environmental Health Officer at Liverpool City Council to agree an appropriate scope of the assessment. At this early stage of the proposed development, specific details with regard to the location and type of noise and vibration generating sources can only be estimated. On this basis, the assessment has been undertaken to determine areas which need consideration during later design stages and so that appropriate mitigation measures are included within the scheme design. Potential impacts during the construction phase and operational phase have been assessed in a mainly qualitative manner. A quantitative road traffic noise assessment has been undertaken. The locations of existing sensitive uses and occupiers have been identified; these include the locations associated with committed developments and uses and occupiers associated with the proposed development. The identified sensitive uses and occupiers include, but are not limited to, residential premises which are located within Princes Dock (Neighbourhood A) in the southern part of the proposed development site and within proximity to proposed Neighbourhoods A C, in particular Waterloo Warehouse and Waterloo Apartments (East Waterloo Dock). At further distances from the site, uses and occupiers which are located adjacent to roads which could experience changes in traffic flow or road layout in the future have also been considered. During the construction phases, suitable techniques will be adopted in agreement with LCC to ensure that potential increases in noise level or the potential for vibration to be perceived will not be unacceptable. Appropriate design methods will be adopted to ensure that damage to buildings or structures will not occur. With regard to the operational phases, there is the likelihood that an adverse noise impact associated with potential on-site noise generating sources could occur at residential premises located within close proximity to the site if not suitably considered. The impact at commercial and industrial premises will be of less significance. Potential noise generating sources include fixed plant, deliveries, as well as noise associated with entertainment premises and activities associated with the proposed marina. It is widely accepted that if it is determined that an unacceptable impact could occur, the impact from such sources can generally be controlled to an acceptable noise level, through consideration within the detailed design and Planning consent conditions.

38 Traffic and Transport The traffic and transport assessment for Liverpool Waters has considered the potential impacts of the development on traffic and transport at the construction and operational phases of the development. For the construction phases; potential impacts resulting from changes in lorry traffic and parking requirements are assessed. For the operational phases; the potential impacts of development on traffic delay, the separation of communities by roads and accidents are assessed. A computer based transport model of the Liverpool Waters study area has been used for the purpose of the assessment, in addition to goods vehicle construction information and injury accident data. In terms of goods vehicle construction traffic it is considered that there is sufficient capacity on the highway network to accommodate the level of predicted movements and the traffic will not have a significant impact. Temporary provision will be made within or near to the development site or off site to accommodate parking for construction workers. The level of potential changes in delay for drivers at 85 junctions in the Liverpool Waters study area has been assessed using a computer based traffic model for the development. Taking into account the proposed road improvement works outside the site which are assumed to be in place as the development comes forward, the development will not have a significant adverse impact on driver delay in the 2024 and 2041 assessment years. For three junctions within the network, driver delay will be reduced below the current levels, which is regarded as a significant benefit. The development will not have a significant adverse impact on the separation for pedestrians or cyclists caused by the changes in the road network. As part of the development, a scheme of improvements to roads outside the site will take place. These works will improve pedestrian and cycle accessibility in the general area of the site. The traffic model has been used to assess the risk of increased accidents using as a result of the development. The development will not lead to a significant increase in accident risk. Waterloo Road (Outside Costco)

39 Socio-economics Socio-economic impacts have been assessed for the construction phase of Liverpool Waters and for when business start to occupy space at the development up to the year Estimates of the employment, employment income and wealth creation or Gross Value Added (GVA) that will be generated by the years 2015, 2020, 2031 and 2041 have been made for the following areas: (i) Liverpool; (ii) Greater Merseyside; and (iii) North West England. GVA mainly comprises earnings made by employees and profits made by businesses and provides a measure of an economy s output and wealth. Put another way GVA is the value of goods and services produced in a particular area minus the costs of raw materials and other inputs. It has been necessary to make a number of detailed assumptions about the way in which the proposed developments will impact upon the economies of Liverpool, Greater Merseyside and the North West. It is also necessary to make a number of assumptions about the role that Liverpool Waters will play in the long-term development of office and other property markets across the region and in meeting the needs of the economy over the short, medium and long terms. The assessment has found that Liverpool Waters can be expected to be home to 1,500 full-time jobs (includes part time jobs which have been treated as a fraction of a full time position) by 2015, rising to 3,300 in 2020, 11,000 in 2031 and 14,800 in By this point the scheme will be generating 631m in GVA and income to employees of 412m. The impact of the development goes beyond what happens on site and so the effect on employment and economic activity in the rest of the economy has been estimated. To properly estimate the difference that Liverpool Waters will make to Liverpool, Merseyside and the North West it is also important to estimate the following effects: the extra spend that will come about as new employees and businesses spend earnings and buy goods from local suppliers what would happen on the site if the scheme did not go ahead the economic activity that would have otherwise been generated elsewhere in Liverpool, Merseyside and the North West (e.g. if firms or employees locating at Liverpool Waters would have located somewhere else in one of the three areas covered by this analysis). This allows for an estimation of what is termed the net additional economic impact of Liverpool Waters, which is predicted to be 300 full-time jobs by 2015, rising to 1,000 by 2020, 5,800 by 2031 and 8,700 by This equates to 352m in GVA (4.3% of the current Liverpool level) and income to employees of 238m (an average of 27,400 per full time employee compared to the average of 22,970 for all Liverpool residents).

40 The socio-economic assessment also concluded that Liverpool Waters will make a number of significant important contributions to economic development and regeneration in Liverpool and the City region in particular over the short and longer term, including: Driving employment, income and wealth generation in both the construction period, when built and when assessed alongside other major proposed developments Meeting the office needs of the sub-regional and regional economy over the short and longer terms and accommodating growth and change in the economy, particularly as the supply of office employment sites in Liverpool is constrained Helping to accelerate economic growth by attracting new investors providing a prime location of national and international significance and attracting and retaining skilled workers to inner Liverpool, strengthening its appeal to investors Delivering a step change in the volume of economic activity in North Liverpool, supporting wide ranging job opportunities at various skills levels and within a range of sectors and supporting a population influx. There is scope to significantly enhance the positive socio-economic impacts of Liverpool Waters within Liverpool and Greater Merseyside, both in the long-term construction programme and when the development is operational. Potential measures to maximise impacts within Liverpool and particularly within regeneration priority areas such as Liverpool Waters include: Continuing to work together with key partners to inform the planning, design and delivery of services to help maximise local economic impact Support to help local businesses access supply chain opportunities at Liverpool Waters Training and employability support, provided through public sector agencies and with the support of developers and occupiers, to assist local residents in deprived communities to access the jobs being created within Liverpool Waters (both during construction and amongst the developments occupiers) The development of specific social and community facilities and related infrastructure in particular locations, to support the development of a mixed and sustainable community within Liverpool Waters The development and implementation of marketing strategies for promoting the Liverpool Waters scheme to investors, developers and occupiers. If successful these measures would be likely to have a significant positive impact on the distribution of the socio-economic benefits that will arise at Liverpool Waters, allowing more benefit to be retained in North Liverpool and Liverpool more widely.

41 Microclimate - Daylight and Sunlight The Liverpool Waters site is currently mainly unutilised with some recent development around Princes Dock and East Waterloo Dock and industrial development at King Edward Industrial Estate which will change significantly under the proposed development. There are a number of existing residential properties within the borders of the proposed development. The daylight and sunlight assessment work has assessed the impact of the proposed development on daylight and sunlight levels for existing and new residential properties, as well as overshadowing of external spaces. This has shown that, once measures to reduce impacts (mitigation) have been taken into account, impacts on properties at East Waterloo Dock, Waterside Apartments, Beetham Tower, Beetham Tower West and Alexandra Tower will not be significant. Significant impacts have been identified on some properties in the City Lofts building, William Jessop Way even with mitigation measures taken into account: The impacts concern daylight only, sunlight access remains in excess of guideline levels. The impacts affect a limited number of properties within the building, large parts of this building will continue to enjoy generous daylight and sunlight access. City Lofts William Jessop Way East and South Facades, Compliance (red) and non compliance (blue) with recommended standards for daylight levels when the proposed development is in place There is a degree of uncertainty in the assessed impacts in that they are based on indicative layouts. At the reserved matters stage a more detailed assessment will be made. Further assessment, once more detailed surveyed information is available, may well show a lesser impact. These impacts will be investigated further as part of the detailed design of the development No overshadowing of existing outside communal space in the site from the proposed development was identified and only a small number of locations will require further design details to satisfy

42 Microclimate - Wind The highly exposed site location at Liverpool Waters plays an important role on wind conditions across the site. In its current condition, the site is largely open. The proposed development includes a number of tall buildings, some of which are immediately on the waterfront. As would be expected, buildings immediately on the waterfront are most exposed and create some of the highest wind conditions in their surroundings. Wind conditions generally improve further away from the water s edge, except in areas around tall buildings. Overall the incorporation of the proposed detailed design improvements outlined should reduce potential impacts to levels that are not significant. Some areas are likely to experience high wind conditions due to their exposed location, or to the proposed building heights. It is likely that conditions in most of these areas can be improved to accepted standards through design and use of local improvement measures, such as canopies, planting and perforated wind breaks, which need to be considered in the detailed design stage of each part of the site. Some of the existing buildings will remain in parts of the proposed site. Conditions around the existing buildings have generally been improved due to increased shelter created by the new developments, particularly to the eastern side of the site. Wind conditions in the summer are generally calmer and the significance of these impacts is lower as a result. Local improvement measures at detailed design stages will improve local conditions even further. Existing tall buildings around Princes Dock

43 Waste The Liverpool Waters development will generate a wide range of wastes both during the construction phases and the operation of the development. The types of waste generated during construction will include demolition waste, soils, steel, cladding, timber, inert waste such as concrete and brick, together with packaging, most of which will be recycled. The types of waste generated once the site is operational will be a mixture of household and commercial waste. One of the potential environmental effects that has been identified is the spread of uncontained construction and operational waste and fly tipping, that could pollute local waters and damage wildlife habitats and present hazards to human health. To ensure this does not happen, the construction and operational phases will strictly adhere to the applicant s management procedures regarding sustainable waste management practices, and will also ensure that the Duty of Care is maintained and all relevant waste legislation is met. A second potential environmental effect is the quantities of waste produced during operation of the development and the impact this has on local waste facilities, in particular, the amount of household and commercial waste produced by the development. As far as possible, construction waste will be managed on site, being reused wherever practical. Where it is necessary to manage waste off-site, the waste assessment has identified that there are a number of local facilities which are readily available to accommodate the predicted quantities of waste. The developer will comply fully with the legislation governing construction in the form of Site Waste Management Plans. The waste minimisation elements of the design are set out in the Site Waste Strategy (included in Volume 2). When considering operational waste, the applicant aims to work closely with LCC to encourage waste minimisation and recycling by providing residents and businesses with suitable recycling containers. As far as possible, the remaining waste will be managed in accordance with good waste management practices (reduce, reuse, recycle and recover). It is the aim of the applicant to help LCC achieve its Northwest regional target of 70% recycling by The applicant will commit to reasonable conditions to ensure that good waste management practices are followed on the site both during construction and operation. Overall taking account of these measures it is considered that the site could be developed without causing significant waste impacts.

44 View of the site in the middle foreground in the context of the Mersey Estuary