VIRIDOR WASTE MANAGEMENT LIMITED Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre Non Technical Summary
Wardell Armstrong 2 The Avenue, Leigh, Greater Manchester, WN7 1ES, United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)1942 260101 Facsimile: +44 (0)1942 261754 www.wardell-armstrong.com DATE ISSUED: JOB NUMBER: LE11363 VIRIDOR WASTE MANAGEMENT LIMITED Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre Non-Technical Summary PREPARED BY: Richard Kevan Associate Director APPROVED BY: Alison Mitchell Technical Director This report has been prepared by Wardell Armstrong LLP with all reasonable skill, care and diligence, within the terms of the Contract with the Client. The report is confidential to the Client and Wardell Armstrong LLP accepts no responsibility of whatever nature to third parties to whom this report may be made known. No part of this document may be reproduced without the prior written approval of Wardell Armstrong LLP. Wardell Armstrong is the trading name of Wardell Armstrong LLP, Registered in England No. OC307138. Registered office: Sir Henry Doulton House, Forge Lane, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1 5BD, United Kingdom UK Offices: Stoke-on-Trent, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Greater Manchester, London, Newcastle upon Tyne, Sheffield, Truro, West Bromwich. International Offices: Moscow, Almaty ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITIES LAND AND PROPERTY MINING, QUARRYING AND MINERAL ESTATES WASTE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
CONTENTS 1 Introduction... 1 2 EIA Approach and Scope of Assessment... 2 3 Site Location... 4 4 The Proposed Development... 6 5 Environmental Impact Predicton, Evaluation and Mitigation... 12 6 Summary and Conclusions... 22
1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Viridor Waste Management Limited (Viridor) is a leading resource management company. Viridor has been selected to be the Resource Management Partner to Glasgow City Council under a 25 year Residual Waste Treatment Services Contract, with a possible 5 year extension. 1.2 The Contract, which will commence in January 2016, will see Viridor extract recyclables to improve recycling rates and produce renewable energy from approximately 200,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of Glasgow s unsorted municipal waste. 1.3 The unsorted municipal waste will continue to be collected by Glasgow City Council. 1.4 An existing Council site at Polmadie has been selected as the location for Viridor to build the plant needed to deliver the waste treatment partnership with Glasgow City Council. 1.5 Viridor is seeking permission to regenerate Glasgow City Council s Polmadie Road site to construct a state of the art Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre which will place Glasgow at the forefront of sustainable resource management and green renewable energy provision. It will also work towards Scotland s Zero Waste Plan targets. The proposed development will offer regeneration and modernisation of an existing waste management site. It will secure the future of waste management operations on site and a sustainable waste management future for Glasgow City Council. It will provide enhanced employment opportunities within the area and will, through sustainable and good quality design, support the overall economic regeneration agenda for the wider Clyde regeneration area. 1.6 This report has been produced by Wardell Armstrong LLP pursuant to the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. It constitutes a Non-Technical Summary of the Environmental Statement (ES). The ES documents the results of an Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed scheme. Page 1
2 EIA APPROACH AND SCOPE OF ASSESSMENT 2.1 An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was deemed necessary in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. A Screening Opinion, sought from Glasgow City Council, confirmed this requirement. The EIA has been produced in accordance with the most up to date Government guidance; PAN 58: Environmental Impact Assessment; and Circular 3/2011: The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. 2.2 The ES considers the following topic areas: Ecology and Nature Conservation; Landscape and Visual Impact; Archaeology and Cultural Heritage; Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Geology and Land Quality; Drainage and Flood Risk; Air Quality and Odour; Noise; Traffic and Transport; and Assessment of Amenity. 2.3 The scope of the EIA gave due consideration of public consultation responses, technical recommendations, and any other considerations that came to light during the process. Public Consultation 2.4 Public consultation in accordance with the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedures) (Scotland) Regulations 2008 has been carried out during the preparation of the planning application and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). 2.5 Results of the public consultations are reported in the Pre-Application Consultation report, attached as Appendix 2.1 (Volume 2 Part 2). Page 2
Mitigation 2.6 The development proposals incorporate measures to avoid, reduce and remedy any potential adverse environmental impacts, and to enhance the environmental benefits of the scheme. This has been done by ensuring that potential adverse effects, issues or constraints are designed out of the scheme as far as practicably possible, with impacts that cannot be adequately mitigated through site design addressed through a combination of operational methods and techniques, best working practices, or specific strategies or action plans. Page 3
3 SITE LOCATION 3.1 The proposed site covers an area of approximately 6.0 hectares (ha), covering the northern section of the existing 8.5 ha Polmadie complex, as shown on Drawing 1. 3.2 The site is located in the Toryglen area of Glasgow, to the south-east of the city centre, and approximately 1km to the south of the River Clyde. The site is accessed directly from Polmadie Road, the B763, which is connected to the strategic highway network via the newly extended M74 motorway, as well as the A728 and A730. 3.3 The site is surrounded by mainly industrial uses with the remainder of the Polmadie complex to the south bordering Toryglen Park, and further industrial areas to the west and north, including the West Coast Mainline and the maintenance depot for Virgin Trains adjacent to the western boundary of the site in the Council s existing Polmadie Household Waste Recycling site. 3.4 The closest properties (distance from the site) to the application site are: Bungalow at 421 Polmadie Road (Residential) (130m), to the south west of the site; Block 99, Prospecthill Circus (Residential) (120m), to the east of the site; 422-424 Aikenhead Road (Residential) (210m), to the west of the site; Polmadie Church on the corner of Calder Street and Polmadie Road (10m) to the west; Warehouses on Jessie Street (30m), to the north; and Works on Hamilton Street/Polmadie Street (70m), to the west. Page 4
Drawing 1 Site Location Page 5
4 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT Proposal Summary 4.1 Viridor has been selected to be the Resource Management Partner to Glasgow City Council under a 25 year contract with a possible 5 year extension. The facility will see Viridor extract recyclables to improve recycling rates and produce renewable energy from approximately 200,000 tpa of Glasgow s unsorted municipal waste, largely received from Council collection rounds, recycling centres, and bulk vehicles from Transfer Stations at Dawsholm, Easter Queenslie and Shieldhall. 4.2 The Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre will produce a number of products, including recyclates such as plastic, metal, paper and card, and refuse derived fuel (RDF) which will be processed in the same facility to generate energy. Overall 18.1% of the tonnage will be recovered as recyclate materials and energy will be recovered from the remainder. The thermal treatment process will be self sufficient as the only input material will be waste at the front end materials recycling facility. A summary of the process elements in the Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre is provided in Figure 4.1. Figure 4.1 Process Flow Diagram Page 6
4.3 The redevelopment of the site will involve the demolition of existing buildings on site which currently house a Waste Transfer Station (WTS) and Materials Recycling Facility (MRF) and the general workshop building; as well as the former incinerator structure, replacing the existing two stacks with a single, narrower stack. Other existing assets on site i.e. the coach parking; Vehicle Maintenance Depot; Glasgow City Council Transport Offices and canteen; and valet parking bays will move off site to another facility. The recycling bin storage, vehicle washdown area; and green waste, rubble, grit and street sweeper storage bays will be relocated on site. 4.4 The proposed integrated development incorporates the Smart-Materials Recycling Facility (S-MRF), the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant, and the Advanced Conversion Facility (ACF-CHP), in addition to site offices and welfare facilities. The previous development at the site has often been transient. The proposed integrated development will be streamlined so that each function of the Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre is physically linked. The layout of the development has been designed to present a strong frontage on to Polmadie Road. Offices and visitor facilities will be housed at the front of the development and will be separated from Polmadie Road by an area of staff and visitor car parking, including Council staff parking facilities. The main site entrance from Polmadie Road will be retained. 4.5 Areas of the site which are not hard paved will be landscaped with a combination of grass and low maintenance ground cover planting as appropriate. Figure 4.2 Aerial View Visualisation of the Proposed Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre Page 7
General Principles of Operation 4.6 As shown in Figure 4.3, the key elements of the operation of the facility include: Receipt of waste in the waste reception hall; Sorting of waste by the S-MRF, which will remove the recyclable element from the waste (i.e plastic, metals, paper and card); Preparation and treatment of organic waste by the AD Plant; Preparation of AD residue and remaining non-recyclable material as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF); Treatment of the RDF in the ACF-CHP facility; and Generation of electricity. Page 8
Figure 4.3 Resource Management Processes at the proposed Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre Page 9
4.7 The site will be open for receipt of waste and dispatch of recyclates and rejects from the residual waste 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However the core hours of delivery will be between: 0700 1900 (Last vehicle entry 1830) Monday to Sunday, including bank holidays. 4.8 The S-MRF and AD Pre-treatment will operate for 20 hours per day, 5 days a week (Monday to Friday). Saturdays will be a half day working. The AD plant will operate on a 24 hours per day, 7 days per week basis. Material for combustion in the Advanced Conversion Facility will be continuously fed to the ACF on a 24 hours per day, 7 days per week basis. Site Access and Infrastructure 4.9 The site will be enclosed with 2.4m high Paladin fencing, and the operational area of the site will not be accessible to the general public. Public access to the site offices and visitor centre, either by vehicle or by foot, will be from Polmadie Road. There will be adequate parking on the site for staff and visitors, as well as parking provision for disabled users and one coach. 4.10 Access to the site for operational vehicles will be from Polmadie Road, at the southwest corner of the site. Operational vehicles will have a separate access to staff/visitor vehicles. Operational vehicles will be able to approach the site via the strategic road network, utilising the newly extended M74 motorway, from which Junction 1A links directly to Polmadie Road. They will also be able to utilise Aikenhead Road (A728) and Rutherglen Road (A730). 4.11 Redevelopment of the site will require the realignment of some internal access roads, but will not require any alterations to the public highway network. 4.12 There would be a total of approximately 44,200 vehicle movements per annum associated with the operation of the site. This equates to an average of 11 vehicle movements per hour. Page 10
Community Benefits 4.13 The Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre will deliver a series of community benefits including: 154 million investment in the next generation green infrastructure within Glasgow; 254 million cost savings for Glasgow over the project lifetime; Improved recycling rates and generate energy to power the equivalent of 30,000 households; Saving Glasgow 90,000 tonnes per annum of carbon dioxide emissions each year; 254 jobs (construction and operation) including the full range of professional, skilled and new entrant jobs including apprenticeships and work placements: o 177 construction jobs (direct and indirect) o 55 full-time jobs during operation (direct) o At least 22 full time jobs during operation (indirect) o 16 apprenticeships o 330 work placements (32 per year during construction and 10 per operational year; and A broad range of opportunities for local small business and social enterprise for providing services direct to Viridor over a 25 year period; and Opportunities for environmental education, including university placements and innovative programmes promoting science, engineering and technology in Glasgow s schools. In addition there will be a dedicated on site education hub which will deliver real opportunity for the residents of Glasgow to visit the site and learn how their waste is dealt with. Page 11
5 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PREDICTON, EVALUATION AND MITIGATION 5.1 Potential impacts of the proposed development have been considered with regard to a number of distinct topic areas and technical assessments. Potential impacts have been identified and evaluated with reference to magnitude and significance and where required, measures to avoid, reduce, remedy or compensate any adverse effects have been recommended and incorporated into the site design and working methods. Landscape and Visual Impact 5.2 The Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) was conducted in accordance with: Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (GLVIA), Second Edition (2002), edited by The Landscape Institute and Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment; and Landscape Character Assessment Guidance (2002), Countryside Agency in conjunction with Scottish Natural Heritage. 5.3 The LVIA involved a combination of desk-based study and site survey work undertaken in May and June 2012. Viewpoints representative of views from identified sensitive receptors in the vicinity of the application site were selected and agreed with the landscape officer at Glasgow City Council. A series of photoviews were produced which formed the basis of the assessment. 5.4 With regards to the landscape character of the local area, the proposed site lies within the urban area of Glasgow as stated within The Glasgow and Clyde Valley Landscape Assessment (SNH Report No 116, 1999). The study area and the surrounding land lie within the low lying and relatively flat area of the Clyde Valley which itself forms the most low lying area of the Clyde Basin. 5.5 Mitigation measures have been included in the scheme design to prevent and reduce landscape and visual impacts, these include: keeping the duration of the construction phase to a minimum; vegetation along site boundaries will be retained and protected during construction; tree and shrub planting along the northern and Page 12
eastern boundaries will be used to reinforce existing planting and woodland and strengthen the existing wildlife corridor; and proposed planting will be well maintained to aid establishment of the planting and to keep the site tidy. Figure 5.1 Visualisation of the Proposed Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre frontage onto Polmadie Road. 5.6 The development proposals will significantly improve the site frontage on Polmadie Road, and reduce the scale of the prominent, existing dual chimneys to a narrower single stack. Proposed planting to the site boundaries will minimise the impact on the landscape character as the planting matures. 5.7 During the temporary construction phase visual impacts within the Prospecthill Circus area, will be at worst, substantial adverse. On completion, visual impacts for the same viewpoints will be, at the most moderate adverse initially, but the impact will reduce as planting matures on the eastern site boundary. Impacts on all other receptors within a 1 kilometre radius of the site are assessed as, at most, slight to moderate adverse as a result of views of the infrastructure on the northern and eastern site boundaries. Page 13
Archaeology and Cultural Heritage 5.8 The assessment of the potential direct and indirect impacts on the archaeological and cultural heritage resource of the site was carried out through a combination of desk-based analysis, and a site walkover survey in May 2012. The assessment was conducted in accordance with national policy guidance. 5.9 There are no statutory designations within the site boundary. However there are 25 Listed Buildings and one Conservation Area within 750m of the site. The settings of these features has been considered within the Environmental Statement. 5.10 Analysis of baseline information has concluded that the potential for buried archaeological remains evidence dating prior to the medieval period is unlikely, as it is probable that prehistoric and Roman settlement activity was focused at Govan located approximately 5km north-west. 5.11 The likely significance of potential archaeological remains and the magnitude of impact of the proposals are such that no further work is thought necessary at this stage. Ecology and Nature Conservation 5.12 The Ecological Impact Assessment involved consultation of data records, desk study and field surveys to establish the baseline for the site and its surroundings. An Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey of the site was undertaken by Wardell Armstrong in March 2012. Additional surveys were undertaken for Badger, Bats and Great Crested Newt. No Great Crested Newts were present in either of the surveyed ponds. Please refer to Appendix 8.2 for a report of the full survey. No badgers were present on site, although the presence of potential badger setts was identified. Please refer to Appendix 8.3 (Volume 2 - Part 2) for a detailed Confidential Badger Report. Bat surveys are currently being undertaken, and a full report will be provided to Glasgow City Council on completion. 5.13 There are no statutory designated sites within 2 km of the site. However, the following non-statutory designated sites are within 2km of the site: Malls Mire Local Page 14
Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) (approximately 500m west/northwest of the site) is an area of mixed woodland and wetland managed as a Community Woodland; Richmond Park SINC, approximately 800m north of the site; River Clyde SINC, approximately 1km north of the site; and Queens Park SINC approximately 1.6km west of the site. 5.14 No direct or indirect impacts on the statutory and non-statutory designated areas are envisaged. 5.15 Mitigation measures will be put in place to reduce/negate any potential impacts, such as ensuring that any demolition/clearance activities take place outside of the breeding bird season (March August), and ensuring that a qualified ecologist is present on site to hand search any vegetation that is required to be cleared within the breeding bird season. 5.16 The existing two incinerator stacks will be demolished outside of the breeding bird season in September to ensure that the impact is reduced to not significant. Retention of mature trees where appropriate will reduce the impact of vegetation clearance to not significant. The loss of trees, introduced shrubs and built structures will have a negative impact within the zone of influence in the short term, however after completion of the landscape proposals the impact on these habitats is considered to be negligible to potentially beneficial. Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Geology and Land Quality 5.17 Assessment included a review of baseline data, including geology, mining, hydrology and hydrogeology issues relating to the proposed development, and the immediate surrounding areas. This included an assessment of the geotechnical conditions and preliminary environmental risk assessments associated with human health, controlled waters and proposed structures. 5.18 Geological mapping records that the site is underlain by raised marine deposits including clay, silt, sand and gravel. These deposits are likely to be underlain by glacial till of sandy clays with gravel. The bedrock beneath the site comprises a sequence of sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, coals and associated seat earths. A Page 15
series of coal seams are recorded to outcrop to the north-west of the site - the closest is recorded approximately 400 metres to the south-west. 5.19 The Coal Authority Mining Report states that the site is in the likely zone of influence from workings in eight seams of coal between 60 and 270 metres below ground level, last worked in 1921. 5.20 The nearest recorded surface water course is Polmadie Burn which is located approximately 800 metres to the north-east of the site, and which flows into the River Clyde, located approximately 1km to the north-east of the site. 5.21 The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) website and the Envirocheck Report for the site records the solid geology beneath the site to be a Minor or Moderately Permeable Aquifer. Yields from the aquifer are not of importance for public supply but may be important for commercial supply and also in providing base flow to rivers. The site is not recorded to fall within a Source Protection Zone. 5.22 It is considered that the potential for significant volumes of made ground on the site is high and therefore, there is potential for a number of contamination sources to be present. Groundwater analysis demonstrates the presence of some contamination in the groundwater and further investigation and analysis should be undertaken to enable the preparation of a more comprehensive groundwater risk assessment in relation to the proposed development. 5.23 Even though further site investigation work and risk assessment are considered necessary to fully characterise the ground conditions and quality of the site and to finalise the design details for the proposals, there are currently no identified risks or constraints which would prevent construction. Drainage and Flood Risk 5.24 The Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) was undertaken in accordance with guidance set out in Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) and Glasgow City Council s own flood risk policy and procedure to establish the potential of flood risk impacting on, or arising from, the development. Page 16
5.25 The site lies outside of the area affected by a 1 in 200 year flood (or greater), i.e. the site has Little or No Risk of flooding following the SPP Risk Framework. The existing impermeable area is in the region of 4.2ha, approximately 70% of the site area. 5.26 Surface, foul water and trade effluent discharges from the site currently drain to private combined systems on the site before outfall to the public drainage network in Polmadie Road where it meets Polmadie Street. 5.27 The existing Toryglen Surface Water Management System, a Sustainable Urban Drainage System (SUDS) is located to the east of the development beyond the site boundary, and outfalls to the Mall s Mire Burn. 5.28 It is proposed that the redeveloped site is provided with separate foul and surface water drainage systems, to allow for foul water and trade effluent to continue to discharge to the public combined sewer in Polmadie Road, with surface water runoff discharged to the Toryglen SUDs system to the east. 5.29 The development site lies within an area considered to be at little or no risk of fluvial flooding and no significant risks of flooding from other sources has been identified. Air Quality and Odour 5.30 A detailed assessment of Air Quality and Health Risk have been carried out in support of the proposed development, as required by Glasgow City Council and SEPA, in line with best practice methodologies. The full assessments can be found as Appendices 11.1 and 11.2 to the Environmental Statement (Volume 2 Part 2). 5.31 The Air Quality assessment describes an assessment of potential effects on air quality of substances emitted from the proposed Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre. In the vast majority of cases, modelled levels of released substances when combined with background levels are forecast to comply with standards and guidelines for air quality. In the case of particulate matter (comprising PM 10 and PM 2.5 ), measured background levels at the site were found to be above the air quality guideline, in common with many areas throughout Glasgow and other towns Page 17
and cities in Scotland. In the case of PM 10 and PM 2.5, the proposed facility is forecast to result in an insignificant contribution to the existing background levels. 5.32 The proposed development is forecast to have no significant effects on air quality during abnormal operating conditions or due to road traffic emissions, and no significant cumulative effects are forecast to occur. No odour, bioaerosols or dust issues would be expected to arise outside the site boundary, and emissions to air from the proposed facility are forecast to have no significant effects at designated habitat sites. In view of this, it is concluded that the proposed facility will have no significant adverse effects on air quality. 5.33 As the proposed facility will have no significant adverse effects on air quality, it is concluded that no further mitigation is necessary, other than the extensive mitigation and control measures already built into the proposed facility. Emissions from the proposed facility will be measured continuously, and as part of a programme of period extractive monitoring. This work programme is managed under the terms of the PPC Permit (Pollution Prevention and Control). 5.34 The human health risk assessment assesses the possible effects on the health of humans due to emissions from the proposed facility. Based on advice from SEPA, this was focused on dioxins and furans, for which any effects are likely to be chronic arising from prolonged exposure. Potential secondary exposures, following the deposition of dioxins and furans, through the ingestion of affected soils, homegrown produce, beef, milk, pork, poultry and eggs at receptors within the vicinity of the site were also considered in the assessment. 5.35 The risks to health were found to comply with the relevant benchmarks at all potentially sensitive locations. Intakes were predicted to be higher if an individual could theoretically consume vegetables, meat and dairy produce grown at the location of highest concentration. However, there are no farms in the vicinity of the proposed Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre. Levels of released substances at allotments in the vicinity of the proposed facility were taken into account in the study. The highest theoretically possible intake of dioxins and furans was predicted to be 0.171 pg/kg body weight/day. Despite the worst-case approach adopted in the assessment, this incremental intake associated with the proposed facility is a fraction (8.6%) of the recommended tolerable daily intake for dioxins of 2 pg/kg-day, and Page 18
would not be detectable in practice. Similarly, the potential exposure of infants via breast milk was assessed, and it was found that the proposed facility would have no significant or detectable influence on exposure in this way. 5.36 To account for uncertainties associated with the assessment of emissions to air from the proposed facility, a worst-case approach was adopted throughout the study. Even with this worst case scenario assessment there is no anticipated significant impact on human health or air quality standards as a result of the proposed development. Noise 5.37 The potential noise and vibration impacts affecting existing sensitive receptors in the vicinity of the site from earthworks, construction, and operational activities associated with the facility have been considered, and have been assessed using appropriate guidance as discussed with Glasgow City Council. 5.38 Three potentially sensitive receptor locations were identified in the vicinity of the proposed development: 421 Polmadie Road; Block 99, Prospecthill Circus; and 422/424 Aikenhead Road. These were used as the receptor locations for baseline noise surveys for the assessment. 5.39 During the earthworks and construction phase, given the distances between the nearest receptors and the proposed development, it is not anticipated that noise or vibration will have any significant impact on the receptors. To minimise the potential levels of noise generated by the construction works, best working practice will be put in place where possible, and construction works will follow appropriate guidelines. 5.40 Based on several assessments, in accordance with BS 4142, it has been found that the cumulative impact of noise due to breakout from buildings, external plant, and on site vehicle movements, would be no greater than 5dB (decibels) above the existing background levels at the nearest noise sensitive receptors with mitigation measures in place. 5.41 To reduce the potential impact of noise levels generated by the operational phase of the facility, for the various operational periods proposed, mitigation measures will Page 19
be incorporated into the design of the development, and best working practices will be implemented to ensure that the impact of the operational activities of the proposed facilities on existing receptors is minimised. Traffic and Transport 5.42 The recently completed M74 motorway extension passes to the north of the site, and Junction 1A links directly onto Polmadie Road. The site is well connected to the strategic road network. 5.43 Visitor access to the site will remain from its current location on Polmadie Road, with a separate access for operational vehicles at the south-west corner of the site. The site s access to the regional and national highway network ensures that vehicle movements are restricted to principal routes, minimising associated traffic impact upon residential areas. 5.44 Increased vehicle movements from the delivery of unsorted municipal waste to the proposed development will be part offset by a reduction in traffic movements realised by the re-location of current operations off-site, such as coach parking, Glasgow City Council transport offices and canteen and valet parking bays. This effect has been considered as part of the transport assessment. 5.45 The proposed total capacity of the facility of 200,000 tpa would equate to 11 vehicle movements per hour equivalent to 1 movement every 5 minutes. Vehicle movements associated with current site operation equate to 5 movements per hour. Technical guidance indicates that this increase from 5 to 11 movements per hour does not represent a significant increase, and therefore will not have a material impact upon the highway network. 5.46 Junction modelling indicates that the additional Heavy Goods Vehicle movements associated with the increased site capacity would constitute a negligible impact. 5.47 Additionally, consideration has been given to alternative modes of travel for the facility s employees, addressing more sustainable transport choices and reducing overall car use. The sustainable options of cycling and public transport are considered to be a realistic and attractive alternative to private car use for both employees and visitors. Page 20
Assessment of Amenity 5.48 Potential sources of nuisance, such as noise, dust, odour, pests and vermin, arising as a result of the development, have been assessed. Noise, dust and odour are considered earlier in this chapter. Due to the nature of some of the waste that would be accepted and processed at the site, there is the potential to attract pests and vermin, such as birds, flies and rodents. Good site management and the adoption of good housekeeping measures, along with pest control will greatly reduce any potential impacts from pests. 5.49 All loads delivered to the Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre will be securely covered, and unloaded materials will be sorted in enclosed buildings - therefore there will be no open areas of waste which may attract birds. Due to the enclosed nature of the proposed waste processing at the Polmadie Road site, the risk of nuisance caused by flies is considered to be negligible. The site will be regularly inspected for signs of pest infestation, and pest control will be implemented as appropriate. 5.50 In order to further reduce the potential impact on local amenity, appropriate mitigation measures will be put in place. Page 21
6 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 6.1 Viridor Waste Management Limited is seeking planning permission for the redevelopment of the Glasgow City Council Polmadie site, to develop a Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre. The facility is to comprise a Smart Materials Recycling Facility (S-MRF), with an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Plant and Advanced Conversion Facility (ACF) with Combined Heat and Power (CHP). The proposed capacity of the facility will be 200,000 tonnes per annum (tpa). There will be associated plant and infrastructure including offices, weighbridge, parking areas and realignment of existing internal roads. 6.2 The Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre is scheduled to accept waste from January 2016 for a period of 25 years with a possible 5 year extension. 6.3 The Council operated Polmadie Road complex was selected by Viridor as the most suitable site for re-development as a waste recycling and renewable energy centre. The proposed development at Polmadie Road supports the Council s waste strategy by both diverting unsorted waste away from landfill and meeting the recycling targets as set out in the Zero Waste Plan. 6.4 In accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2011, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been carried out to assess the potential environmental impacts of the proposed development on the site and its immediate surroundings. This has included a scoping exercise, in which opinions were sought of the Local Planning Authority, and statutory and non-statutory consultees regarding the information and level of detail required in the EIA. 6.5 The EIA has been accompanied by a comprehensive programme of community consultation to keep the public informed of the proposal and to offer opportunities to express views and put forward recommendations. 6.6 The potential impacts have been considered according to nine distinct topic areas, and associated technical assessments were undertaken. As far as is possible, the potential significant adverse environmental impacts have been designed out of the scheme. Any potential impacts that could not be adequately designed out have been mitigated to minimise impact. Page 22
6.7 There are no adverse environmental impacts of long-term or over-riding significance associated with the proposed redevelopment of the Polmadie site, and with the development and operation of the proposed Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Facility. Page 23
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