Parc Adfer Energy Recovery Facility, Deeside Industrial Park, Flintshire. Volume 3 NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY. August 2014 SLR Ref:

Transcription

1 Parc Adfer Energy Recovery Facility, Deeside Industrial Park, Flintshire Volume 3 NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY August 2014 SLR Ref: Wheelabrator Technologies Inc.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Contents Introduction... 1 Application Submission Package... 1 Planning and EIA... 2 The Site... 2 Land Use... 4 Sensitive Receptors... 4 The Proposed Development... 4 Policy Background... 8 Air Quality... 8 Landscape and Visual Impact... 9 Transport Noise and Vibration Geology and Water Ecology Cultural Heritage Socio Economic Climate Change Cumulative Impacts Alternatives Conclusion... 17

3 INTRODUCTION 1. This document comprises a Non Technical Summary ( NTS ) and has been prepared by (SLR) on behalf of WTI UK Limited Limited (the applicant). The NTS is part of a package of documents being submitted to Flintshire County Council in support of a planning application in respect of land at Deeside Industrial Park, Flintshire. The planning application is for the construction and operation of an Energy Recovery Facility (referred to as an ERF ) and ancillary facilities, comprising offices and welfare facilities, visitor centre, bottom ash recycling and maturation facilities, access roads and weighbridge facilities, electrical compound, together with peripheral landscaping and security fencing. The proposals also make provision for a rail connection, sidings and associated infrastructure. 2. The proposed ERF has been called Parc Adfer: Adfer translated to English means regeneration/renewal/recover. Throughout this ES the term Parc Adfer and the ERF are synonymous. APPLICATION SUBMISSION PACKAGE 3. This NTS comprises Volume 3 of a larger multi volume submission to accompany the planning application. In addition to the formal planning application forms and certificates, the full submission comprises: Volume 1: Waste Policy Assessment; Volume 2A: Environmental Statement (main text); Volume 2B: Environmental Statement (Technical Appendices); Volume 3: A Non Technical Summary of the ES; and Volume 4: Design and Access Statement. 4. The NTS has been produced as a separate document to accompany the planning submission, being a mandatory part of the Environmental Statement ( ES ). This provides, in non-technical language, a brief summary of the likely significant effects that the proposed changes to the approved development would have on the environment. 5. Paper copies of the ES can be obtained from at the following address: Aspect House Aspect Business Park Bennerley Road Nottingham NG6 8WR 6. The ES, along with the other Volumes, are available in both paper and CD Rom formats, for which a charge of 200 and 25 is applicable respectively. A copy of the NTS is available free of charge on request. The application documents will also be available to download from the council s web site. 1

4 PLANNING AND EIA 7. The European legislation (the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive or EIA Directive for short) requires that, before granting development consent for projects authorities should carry out a procedure known as environmental impact assessment (or EIA ) of any project which is likely to have significant effects on the environment. In the UK, development consent includes the grant of planning permission. 8. An ES is a report of an EIA that is required to be submitted with a planning application. 9. Under the EIA legislation, the planning application for Parc Adfer is to be accompanied by an ES. 10. The extent and detail of the studies to be undertaken as part of the EIA has been agreed with Flintshire County Council through a process known as scoping. This is explained in more detail in Chapter 1 of the ES. THE SITE 11. Land upon which Parc Adfer would be constructed (referred to as the application site) is located within the Deeside Industrial Park, within the eastern part of Flintshire. Flintshire lies within the eastern part of the North Wales Region, bordering England. A plan (based on OS mapping) showing the location of Parc Adfer is provide on Drawing PA 2/1 in Chapter 2 of the ES, an extract of which is provided in Figure 1 below. 12. The Deeside Industrial Park is located some 10.5km to the northeast of Mold and northwest of Chester respectively. More specifically, the application site is located to the north of the River Dee approximately 2.3km north of Connah s Quay and similar distances to the west-southwest of Puddington and south-southwest of Burton. The Deeside Industrial Park lies within an area bounded by the River Dee to the south, the A548 to the west and north and the A494 to the east. 13. The application site extends to around 10.5 hectares in area and is broadly triangular in shape. It has been previously developed forming part of a steelworks site which has subsequently been demolished following it s closure in the late 1970 s, early 1980 s. The application site lies to the east of Weighbridge Road and west of a railway line, with the former Gaz de France (GDF) power station to the south. 14. The locality within which Parc Adfer would be sited is industrial in character, with several significant industrial plants in the vicinity, including TATA (formerly Corus) steel works to the southwest and UPM Shotton Paper Mill to the west. National Grid has obtained planning permission for, and has begun works on, a new converter station on the site immediately to the south of the GDF power station (planning permission ref ), which will further consolidate the industrial nature of the location. 2

5 15. Chapter 2 within the ES provides further information on the application site and its environs. Figure 1: Site Location Park Adfer 3

6 Land Use 16. The application site does not have any current land use; it comprises an area of vacant brownfield (previously developed) land. The site comprises a mosaic of unimproved grassland, tall weedy vegetation and ephemeral/short perennial vegetation, with areas of scattered scrub, bare and disturbed ground. There are currently no buildings within the application site. 17. Historically the application site formed part of a steelworks which has subsequently been demolished. 18. Within the current Development Plan 1 Policy EM1 General Employment Land Allocations continues the previous allocation of the 10 hectare area of land to the east of the Shotton Paper Mill (i.e. the application site) as a general employment site (allocation EM1(11) on the proposals Map). Allied to this, the application site is also listed within Policy EWP6 of the Development Plan ( Areas of Search for New Waste Management Development ) as Land to the East of Shotton Paper, Deeside Industrial Park. 19. In the wider context, to the west of the application site lies the UPM Shotton Paper Mill with associated biomass CHP plant. The paper mill comprises a large industrial complex with a number of buildings of varying height, together with a flue stack (understood to be around 60m in height). To the south is the former GDF Power Station, with its two flue stacks; it is understood that this facility is in the process of being decommissioned and removed from the site. To the south west is the TATA steelworks, again being a series of large buildings. SENSITIVE RECEPTORS 20. The application site is remote from any large areas of residential development or other sensitive uses, such as schools, hospitals and care homes; it is also similarly remote from any individual dwellings. The nearest residential areas are located in Connah s Quay more than 2km away to the south (in the vicinity of the B5129); Garden City (off Sealand Avenue) to the southeast. The villages of Puddington and Burton, which are within England, are also more than 2km away to the northeast and north respectively. 21. In terms of areas designated for the environmental importance, a number of internationally and nationally important ecological designations are located in close proximity to Parc Adfer, mainly associated with the Dee Estuary. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT 22. The proposed development comprises a new road (and potentially rail) connected Combined Heat and Power (CHP) enabled energy facility, referred to in this Volume as the Parc Adfer Energy Recovery Facility, or ERF for short. 1 Flintshire Unitary Development Plan, Adopted September

7 23. The proposed ERF would recover value (primarily in the form of energy, but also recycled materials in the form of incinerator bottom ash (IBA) and metals recovered from the IBA) from up to 200,000tpa of residual waste 2 ; the majority of the imported waste would be residual Municipal Solid Waste ( MSW ) collected by the five authorities 3 making up the North Wales Residual Waste Treatment Project. The balance would comprise residual commercial and industrial (C&I) waste, collected by private waste management companies, or other MSW contracts. Collectively, the MSW and C&I wastes are referred to as the feedstock for the ERF. 24. The ERF would also include a facility to treat and recycle the Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA). This is the residue from the combustion of the waste and can be processed to produce a secondary aggregate. Ancillary to the ERF and IBA facility would be roadways, weighbridges, reception building, electricity substation and peripheral landscaping, and security fencing. 25. The development proposals also make provision for rail sidings and associated unloading infrastructure. The proposed ERF would initially operate as a road only facility, with all feedstock imported via the road network, predominantly being the A55, A494 and A548 corridor. By incorporating rail infrastructure within the design, feedstock may in the future be imported via the rail network, allowing the option for a multi-modal approach to transportation should opportunities arise. 26. A full description of the proposed development, including the processes to be undertaken, is included in Chapter 3 of the ES. Figures 2 and 3 overleaf provides an architectural impression of the proposed facility, whilst Figure 4 illustrates the landscaping proposals for Parc Adfer (without the rail infrastructure). 2 Residual waste is the faction that is left after re-use and recycling has taken place 3 Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd and Isle of Anglesey 5

8 Figure 2 Architectural Impression (oblique) of the proposed ERF viewed from northwest Figure 3 Architectural Impression (oblique) of the proposed ERF viewed from southwest 6

9 Figure 4 Landscaping Masterplan (non rail option) 7

10 POLICY BACKGROUND 27. The Welsh Government is committed to a plan led system, with the Development Plan forming the basis of all planning decisions. Legislation confers a presumption in favour of development proposals which accord with the Development Plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. 28. The planning application will be determined in accordance with prevailing policies at national and local level. National planning policies are contained in the Planning Policy Wales (Edition 7, July 2014) and the Technical Advice Notes, or TAN for short. Local policies translate national strategic issues into site specific proposals through the Flintshire Unitary Development Plan (often referred as the UDP ), which was adopted in September Whilst published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change, National policies on energy (contained in the National Planning Statements EN-1 and EN-3) are also relevant to the proposed development. National energy policy and guidance indicates that obtaining energy from waste falls within the scope of low carbon and renewable energy, which forms an integral part of the government s overall energy strategy. 30. Land use constraints have been identified in paragraph 20 above. The application site is free from any international or national land use constraints; however, as noted above there are internationally and nationally important ecological areas close by. 31. The UDP, in common with national planning policy, seeks to reconcile the development needs of society against safeguarding the environment and amenity of local communities. In so doing, it sets out a series of policies which seek to guide developments in terms of acceptable limits and design, whilst ensuring interests of archaeological, cultural heritage, ecological interest and importance are protected, and that the local amenity and environment of communities are not derogated through pollution to air, land or water. 32. The UDP also seeks to provide guidance on the location of new development. It specifically allocates the application site for employment uses, and as being suitable for new waste management facilities, including energy recovery. 33. Through the EIA process, it has been able to demonstrate that the development proposals would not conflict with the stated aims and policies of the UDP and national policy. Allied to this, the generation of low carbon energy is consistent with the Welsh Government s aims of addressing climate change, as advocated in national planning guidance. AIR QUALITY 34. An assessment of the air quality impacts associated with the Parc Adfer has been undertaken and reported in Chapter 6 of the ES. The assessment has focussed on the principal emissions to air, including: 8

11 pollutants from vehicle exhausts; pollutants from point sources such as the ERF stack; dust and litter emissions during the construction and operational phases; and odours and bioaerosols arising from the operational phase. 35. Due to the low additional number of lorry trips during the construction and operational phases, there is predicted to be a negligible impact on air quality from road vehicle exhaust emissions. 36. The assessments of dust, litter, odour and bioaerosols during the construction and operation of Parc Adfer have been undertaken qualitatively and have found that the risk of significant generation of emissions is low, and considered to be negligible. These issues would also be regulated by the Environmental Permit. 37. The magnitude of short term impacts at the location of maximum ground level concentration for all pollutants is assessed as negligible. The magnitude of long term impacts at the location of maximum ground level concentration for all pollutants is also assessed as negligible. All short and long term impacts are regarded as insignificant when background levels are taken into account. Furthermore, the assessment assumes that the ERF emits at the maximum allowable limit on a continuous basis and research indicates that this would not be the case. Notwithstanding these points, these issues would be regulated by the Environmental Permit. 38. The impact of emissions on sensitive ecosystems are not predicted to be significant as process contributions are a very small increase on current levels, typically less than 1% of the applied critical level or load when typical operating hours and emissions are considered. 39. In summary Parc Adfer is not predicted to give rise to significant adverse air quality effects for either human or ecological receptors. 40. The EIA Regulations require a description of the likely significant effects of the development on the environment, which should cover the direct effects and any indirect, secondary, cumulative, short, medium and long-term, permanent and temporary, positive and negative effects of the development. The proposed ERF is not predicted to result in any likely significant effects in relation to air quality once mitigation is in place. LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT 41. A landscape and visual assessment of the development of Parc Adfer has been completed in accordance with accepted guidance, and is presented in Chapter 7 of the ES. 42. The assessment includes a baseline study of the existing site and its surroundings, a study of the landscape and visual characteristics of the development and an assessment of the residual landscape and visual impacts likely to be generated after mitigation has been considered and their significance. 9

12 43. In the context of landscape impacts the proposed site would in the most part be seen as having a beneficial effect, with the ecological bias of the landscape proposals. This type of landscape provision is not commonplace within the surrounding industrial areas, and as such this aspect of the development is likely to be seen as positive. Wider perceived impacts relating to landscape would relate to the change in the aesthetics of the site i.e. the appearance of a built form; given the context of the effects on landscape character would be minimal, and potentially seen as being beneficial in light of the landscape scheme, which would introduce new landscape qualities to the site. 44. There would also be limited effects on other landscape related designations such as the Green Barrier (in Flintshire) or Green Belt (in Cheshire) given that the development would not directly infringe upon these designations. Any cumulative impacts would relate to the perceived effect on the landscape and the cumulative contribution that the buildings make, which is likely to be minimal, particularly when taking into account the presence of existing power stations and other large industrial units such as the TATA Steel works which arguably increase the capacity of the landscape to accommodate changes. With regard to the ongoing dynamics of the area the Employment Zone status means that the application site and its surrounding plots irrespective of the proposals. 45. The potential visual impacts caused by the proposed development vary a great deal, but in no instance would be deemed as significant. In total, following agreement with Flintshire County Council, twelve viewpoints located around the application site at varying distances were assessed. The worst case visual impacts being recorded as minor/moderate for views from: Garden City; Mold Road, Wepre; Wepre Lane; Northop Hall; Weighbridge Road (A548); and Nessholt. 46. In many cases the level of impact being elevated slightly in response to the fact that they represent sensitive visual receptors (i.e. residents our users of prominent recreational resources) or with regard to the viewpoint on weighbridge road, proximity. In all cases the proposed development would be seen in combination with other industrial development, and as illustrated by the Ghost Montages within the ES would manifest as one of the smaller scale developments within the Deeside Industrial area. TRANSPORT 47. Chapter 8 of the ES presents an assessment the potential traffic and transportation effects of the proposed development considering the potential for impact on highway capacity, driver delay, road safety and pedestrian/cyclist/public transport amenity. The assessment has been conducted having regard to recognised guidance issued by the Welsh 10

13 Government and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). 48. Existing highway conditions and accident records have been assessed and the current highway layout is considered to be suitable for the purposes of the proposed development. 49. The accessibility appraisal undertaken with respect to sustainable methods of transport for future employees/visitors has shown that the location of Parc Adfer is such that it offers reasonable opportunities to access the site via public transport, foot and bicycle. 50. In terms of impact on the strategic network, it is noted that traffic associated with the residual waste that would be managed by Parc Adfer is already on the wider and local network. Therefore the proposals result in localised impact as a result of the redistribution of existing trips, rather than new traffic. 51. Robust junction capacity assessments have also demonstrated that the proposed traffic would only have a minor impact on the operation and delay of the local highway and is unlikely to be perceptible. 52. The accident data has demonstrated that there are no incident patterns within the study area attributed to highway layout which could potentially be exacerbated by the proposals. 53. The proposed access arrangements and internal layout of the proposed facility has been reviewed and is considered to be designed to a suitable standard. 54. Mitigation measures have been recommended in order to further minimise traffic impact, impact on amenity and disruption to other highway users. 55. Consequently, it is considered that the proposed development would not discernibly or materially worsen the existing or proposed operation of the highway network. 56. The proposed development has therefore been found to be acceptable in traffic and transport terms. NOISE AND VIBRATION 57. The ES has considered the potential for both the construction and operation of the proposed ERF to give rise to noise and vibration impacts at the closest noise-sensitive receptors. 58. The noise assessment (refer to Chapter 9 of the ES) has used measured background noise levels at four locations around the application site and made a series of noise level predictions based in accordance with British Standards and guidelines issued by the Welsh Government. The predicted noise levels have then been assessed against criteria in accordance with recognised guidance. 11

14 59. In relation to noise from construction operations the assessment has shown that noise levels at the nearest receptors would be considerably below the relevant noise criterion adopted for the assessment (which is based on published guidance). As such, no mitigation would be necessary. 60. Vibration levels during construction operations are unlikely to be perceptible at any of the locations assessed due to the distance between piling operation locations and the nearest receptors. Vibration level would not cause structural damage to any of the properties assessed. 61. In relation to the operation of Parc Adfer, the assessment has shown that during both the daytime and the night-time the predicted levels are below the prevailing background noise levels at all of the nearest noise-sensitive receptors assessed. Having regard to recognised guidance, this provides an indication that complaints would be unlikely at all locations during the day and night, with the exception of Buryon Mere House and Barn Farm, where on Sunday, the assessment shows the impact is between a marginal significance and an indication that complaints would be unlikely. At no time does the assessment show a significant impact. 62. The cumulative assessment shows that, at worst, there could be a 0.1dB increase in the prevailing ambient noise levels at times at the nearest receptors; this is an increase which would not be noticeable above everyday fluctuations in the ambient noise levels in the area. 63. The cumulative assessment on nearby internationally designated ecological sites has shown that noise levels are well within the recognised guidance noise levels. 64. The increase in ambient noise levels due to operations at the proposed Parc Adfer ERF would have a negligible impact at worst. 65. Based on the results of the assessment, the overall conclusion is that noise should not pose a material constraint for the proposed Parc Adfer ERF GEOLOGY AND WATER 66. The groundwater and surface water regimes at the application site have been assessed with reference to information held by the British Geological Survey, the EA, Natural Resources Wales, the Local Authority (Flintshire County Council) and others. This information has been supplemented with site specific investigation information and a site walkover survey. 67. The application site is located in close proximity to a number of environmentally sensitive receptors associated with the River Dee, its estuary and the surrounding salt marshes. 68. The assessment has shown that groundwater is present at depth (~6m bgl / 4.5m AOD). 69. A drainage channel is located on the north eastern site boundary. This drainage channel flows southeast adjacent to the application site within a shallow but defined channel (~1m deep) before entering a culvert beneath 12

15 the railway line and discharging into a second large drainage channel serving the wider area and which discharges to the River Dee some 3.3km downstream. Review of the Development Advice Maps for Wales confirms the application site to be in Flood Zone A which means that the site is Considered to be at little or no risk of fluvial or coastal / tidal flooding. 70. The potential impacts of the proposed development upon the hydrogeological and hydrological environments have been identified and assessed, and where appropriate, mitigation measures have been incorporated into the design of the development. The assessments have included consideration of possible impacts on water quality, flooding and water resources. Further mitigation measures have been proposed to ensure that development and operation of the site would be in accordance with best practice guidance. These measures are summarised in Table and Technical Appendix 10/1 (a stand alone Flood Consequences Assessment). 71. As a consequence of the site design many potential effects on the water environment have been avoided. Examples include locating the waste bunker above the local water table, making space for the control and attenuation of storm water runoff and providing hard standing and rainwater harvesting. 72. The surface water management plan for the construction and operational phases of the proposed development would incorporate measures to prevent pollution of both groundwater and surface water receptors. 73. Overall the assessment indicates that the proposals would not have any significant impacts upon the water environment. ECOLOGY 74. An ecological impact assessment has been undertaken following published guidelines on the likely effects upon flora and fauna and is reported in Chapter 11 of the ES. 75. The ES describes the baseline ecological conditions at Parc Adfer and provides an evaluation of the ecological resources that occur within the site or have potential to be affected by operations within it. The assessment also describes in detail the potential ecological impacts resulting from the proposed scheme and describes the mitigation and avoidance measures that are required to reduce the magnitude of these effects. 76. The ecological receptors that have been identified include nationally/internationally designated sites associated with the Dee Estuary; local wildlife sites at Shotton Steelworks; open mosaic habitat; reptiles and a notable invertebrate assemblage. As a whole, the application site is considered to be of district value for ecology. 77. No significant direct or indirect impacts to designated sites are anticipated as a result of proposals. In particular, the integrity of the Dee Estuary designations is considered to be unaffected. 13

16 78. In the short term (three to five years from completion of landscaping) it is anticipated that the site would experience a lowered level of biodiversity, particularly with regard to the terrestrial invertebrate assemblage. This would be an adverse impact at the local level. However, with maturation of the landscaping and management to maintain the open mosaic habitats in the early successional stages (that would otherwise be lost). It is considered that in the long term the overall impact would be a significant positive impact at the local, and potentially district level. 79. This impact assessment concludes that on the basis of the information available, there are no likely significant residual effects. CULTURAL HERITAGE 80. An assessment of the potential impact of the proposed ERF on cultural heritage features in and around the application site has been undertaken. This is reported in Chapter 12 of the ES. 81. The baseline study has shown that the application site has been reclaimed from the Dee Estuary over a 200 year period, with final reclamation and industrialisation in the 20 th century. No mitigation is therefore considered necessary in respect of archaeology. 82. The landscape surrounding the application site contains a number of historic villages on the Welsh and English sides. Many of these are designated as conservation areas and contain nationally important listed buildings and scheduled monuments. The indirect impact assessment has considered the advice from Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust, the Zone of Theoretical Visibility model produced for development (as part of the landscape and visual assessment) and the proximity and importance of surrounding heritage assets. Slight and adverse residual effects on some assets are predicted due to the open character of the landscape. No impacts that would be considered significant have been identified. Overall these settings effects are not regarded as unacceptable, and would not conflict with national and regional/local policies on the protection and enhancement of the historic environment. SOCIO ECONOMIC 83. Consideration has been given within the ES (Chapter 13) to the potential socio economic effects Parc Adfer may have. 84. The estimate for the total amount of construction and development phase employment that is likely to be supported during the construction of Parc Adfer is person years of employment occurring over a 32-month construction period. 85. This quantum of employment, albeit temporary in nature, would provide a significant positive stimulus on the local Flintshire economy. 86. During the operational phase, a total of 33.7 net additional full-time equivalent jobs would be expected to attributable to Parc Adfer if it were to 14

17 be built and operate as intended. This would also represent a significant positive contribution to the local economy over the lifetime of the proposed development. 87. In terms of the permanent contribution to the local economy, the annualised value is estimated to amount to an increase of about 1.63 million in gross value added (2011 prices) to the local Flintshire economy. 88. Overall, the socio-economic impact of the proposed development is anticipated to be of moderate positive significance to the Flintshire economy. 89. Moreover, the proposed project would contribute positively to the realisation of a number of strategic and policy objectives for both Flintshire and Wales, including: Stimulating the low carbon economy and contributing to economic renewal; Creating green jobs including those a higher skill levels, upskilling and innovation opportunities; Providing affordable energy provision in Wales, whilst minimising associated environmental impacts; Creating a win-win outcome where development contributes to all dimensions of sustainability through creating a range of local jobs in the generation of energy from waste; Contributing to social equity and the maintenance of economic growth and employment; Contributing to the balancing of the Flintshire environment, the community, the need for investment in industry and the impact of climate change through developing sustainable waste management infrastructure that provides local employment and investment. CLIMATE CHANGE 90. The ES has considered the implications Parc Adfer may have on climate change, and also the potential impact of climate change on the facility. 91. The Environment Agency life cycle assessment software Waste and Resource Assessment Tool for the Environment (often referred to as WRATE) was utilised to model the potential environmental impacts of the proposed facility. This has shown that the facility would result in an overall reduction in environmental impacts such as global CO2 emissions. This can be attributed to the generation of electricity from waste and the subsequent displacement of fossil fuel electricity generation. 92. Whilst Parc Adfer would produce carbon emissions, these are less harmful greenhouse gases than methane, which would be produced if the waste was landfilled. 93. The ERF and offices would be powered by energy produced on site and the surplus energy would be exported to the National Grid. Recovered energy avoids the need to produce electricity from non-renewable (fossil) sources, 15

18 which in turn reduces emissions associated with the extraction and combustion of fossil fuels. 94. In accordance with both Welsh Government guidance, the ERF has been designed to minimise energy use and carbon emissions during construction and operation. The site has also been designed to attenuate surface water runoff and ensure that the facility would not give rise to additional surface water runoff or down stream flooding, again in accordance with Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales guidance. 95. Finally, the ERF would have the potential to provide heat to existing and future developments around the site. CUMULATIVE IMPACTS 96. The final chapter of the ES considers cumulative impacts and the inter relationship between individual environmental issues. 97. Cumulative impacts, which consider the proposed ERF with other developments in the area, be they historic, current or planned, have been considered in the context of other waste management facilities and uses of land. There are no other similar waste management facilities in the immediate locality of Parc Adfer. However, there are several energy generating plants locally, including a biomass plant at UPM Shotton Paper Mill and other gas fired power stations. 98. As noted above, the application site is allocated for employment uses and is also allocated as being a suitable location for waste management uses. Other industrial allocations exist on neighbouring land as well as an overarching Development Zones and Principal Employment Areas allocation covering the wider industrial park. 99. Considering the potential for cumulative impacts, it is the industrial undertakings in the area which need to be considered. Potential impacts would arise through movement of HGVs, air quality (from traffic and process), noise (traffic and process), landscape and water. Each of these issues has been considered and no cumulative impacts have been identified Finally, inter relationships between impacts looks at how particular elements of the development may interact. The approach taken in the EIA has been to assess how a particular type of effect (e.g. movement of HGVs) may become a source of impact that results in an effect to a completely different category of receptor (such as noise or air quality) For the ERF, no significant impacts have been identified for any of the environmental topics considered as part of the EIA. Thus, no receptors are likely to experience any significant accumulated impacts from two or more sources. 16

19 ALTERNATIVES 102. Under the EIA regulations it is necessary to set out the main alternatives considered by the applicant and the main reasons for his choice. A number of the alternatives considered pre-dated the EIA, being influenced by the procurement process for the treatment of residual waste. This includes the choice of site and choice of technology used to recover energy from the imported waste. The architectural design of Parc Adfer has also undergone an iterative process, as have the elevation of the platform upon which the ERF would be constructed, coupled with minor changes to the layout in relation to ancillary infrastructure, such as location of storage tanks, fencing, landscape treatment and drainage Consideration has been given to the possibility to link Parc Adfer to the rail network; whilst this is no longer a requirement of the residual waste contract, the option has been retained Finally, in the absence of the development, the residual waste would continue to be deposited in landfill sites, or exported to suitable energy recovery facilities (the nearest being located in England), treatment facilities (the nearest being in Wrexham. CONCLUSION 105. This non technical summary has outlined the findings of the environmental impact assessment of the development proposals contained within an Environmental Statement ( ES ). The ES accompanies a planning application for the construction and operations of an Energy Recovery Facility ( ERF ) at the Deeside Industrial Park The environmental impact assessment has considered the likelihood of significant environmental effects occurring from the proposed changes upon the site itself and its surroundings. The environmental issues addressed as part of the scheme have been identified through a combination of review of published data; desk based and site survey work; and consultation with the Council and other organisations The ES has not identified any significant effect from the proposed development. The overall conclusion is that, with the adoption of the mitigation measures embodied within the project design, or imposed through planning conditions, any impacts identified can be maintained within acceptable limits. 17