Grantham Southern Quadrant Link Road Environmental Statement

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1 Grantham Southern Quadrant Link Road Environmental Statement Non Technical Summary Introduction Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) is submitting a planning application for the proposed implementation of the Grantham Southern Quadrant Link Road (SQLR) (the Proposed Scheme). As shown in Figure 1.1, the Proposed Scheme will comprise some 3km of allpurpose single carriageway road connecting the B1174 and the A52 southeast of Grantham and crossing the River Witham and East Coast Main Line (ECML). It will continue a link which has already received development consent as part of the Spittlegate development between the A1 and B1174 and complete the proposed SQLR for Grantham identified in the South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) Core Strategy. It will also facilitate the development of the proposed Southern Quadrant (SQ), an area of proposed mixed development, as identified in the South Kesteven s Adopted Core Strategy and masterplan Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) is to deliver a major project called the Grantham Southern Quadrant Link Road (SQLR). The Proposed Scheme will link the B1174 and the A52; it will form part of a strategic route between the A1 and A52; thereby reducing through traffic into the centre of Grantham. It will also provide access to a proposed mixed use development known as the Southern Quadrant (SQ) and. The Proposed Scheme will be a 3km single carriageway road to the South of Grantham. It will have a design speed of 100kph and a speed limit of 60mph. The road will incorporate a bridge over the River Witham Valley and East Coast Main Line (ECML). A52 B1174 A52 B1176 SQ Devlopment area B6403 Bridge SQ LR A1 -B1174 Link Plan showing the Southern Quadrant Link Road, in relation to other adjacent infrastructure. Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary 1

2 Environmental Statement The Environmental Statement, which describes potential impacts of the Grantham Southern Quadrant Relief Road on the environment, will be submitted to support the Planning Application. The Environmental Statement is presented in three volumes: Volume 1 Environmental Statement (including this Non Technical Summary which is also available separately) Volume 2 Supporting Information Volume 3 Technical Appendices Consultation A six week public consultation exercise was undertaken by SKDC in September 2011 as part of the Southern Quadrant Masterplan Supporting Planning Document (SPD) public consultation. This involved discussions with members of the local community including residents and businesses. Two route options were developed using this feedback. Stage Two of the Southern Quadrant Masterplan SPD public consultation was undertaken during a second six week period between March and April 2012 to get feedback for the preferred route option. The third stage of the Southern Quadrant consultation was then undertaken during October 2012 to present the public with shortlisted design options for the bridge being constructed as part of the Proposed Scheme. LCC has also undertaken consultation on the bridge and road design with the key statutory and non-statutory stakeholders as part of the scheme development and design stages. Environmental Impact Assessment Air Quality There will be an impact on air quality during both the construction and operational phases of the road. The construction phase of the scheme is likely to give rise to dust and so to minimise this impact, the contractor will implement agreed specific mitigation measures, as part of a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). For the majority of receptors assessed (83%), the impact from increased nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) pollution will be negligible. Whilst 14.5% will experience an improvement in the levels of NO 2. Only 2.5% will experience a slight adverse impact. For Particulate Matter (PM 10 ) the impact for all receptors will be negligible. Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary 2

3 Cultural Heritage The Proposed Scheme has the potential to affect archaeological remains; built heritage assets and historic landscapes. The air raid shelter (Site 63) and ruined building (Site 65) are the only built heritage assets that are at risk of being damaged or removed as part of the Proposed Scheme construction. A programme of building recording will be undertaken on these, prior to the commencement of construction works. The preferred mitigation measure will be to avoid archaeological remains and to preserve the archaeology in situ. Where this is not possible, the assets will be investigated and recorded allowing for preservation by record. Geophysical surveys have been undertaken and trial trenches will be investigated prior to construction. Following the use of landscaping to reduce the impact on long distance views and the setting of cultural heritage assets there is expected to be a moderate impact upon the setting of a number of archaeological and built heritage assets as well as the historic landscape itself. Ecology and Nature Conservation The Proposed Scheme is located within an area of largely arable farmland of very limited biodiversity value, with a few discrete areas or features having value at the district or local level, primarily because of their use by protected species. A number of small areas of habitat such as woodland, hedgerows and semi-improved grassland will be impacted by the Proposed Scheme. However, there would be no loss of ancient woodland and there would be no physical changes to the river. The scheme has the potential to cause degradation to a non-statutory site (Grantham BR SNCI), although the impacts on this area are not expected to compromise the site s integrity. Impacts on species and habitats during construction will be controlled and minimise through adherence to a Construction Environmental Management Plan. Where impacts on protected species have been assessed as likely, mitigation plans and the required consents will be agreed with Natural England to ensure the impact on these species is minimised. With these measures in place the impact are expected to be negligible Geology and Soils The Proposed Scheme is situated within a predominantly rural environment. As such the likelihood of encountering contamination of the soil or groundwater within the Proposed Scheme due to former and current land uses is considered to be low. It is proposed that care is taken during the works with regard to potentially polluting activities such as refuelling and fuel storage. However, based on information from ground investigations, assessments and proposed mitigation, it is not considered that the Proposed Scheme will have any significant effect on geology and soils. Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary 3

4 Landscape and Visual Amenity An assessment was undertaken of the visual impact of the Proposed Scheme on views from sensitive receptors as well as the impact on the wider landscape character. The impacts will be greatest during the construction phase and the few years immediately after the road s completion. By the time of the Design Year (15 years after the road opens) the significance of the visual effect is anticipated to diminish further as the planted landscaping matures. However, the impact on the Local Landscape Character is expected to remain moderately adverse. Of the 53 individual receptors assessed, ten are expected to experience an adverse impact greater than moderate, in the road s opening year. However, after 15 years this will fall to just three, who have direct views of the road. Plan showing some of the Landscaping and Habitat creation proposals. Noise and Vibration The impacts from noise will be felt during the construction phase and operational phase once the road is open to traffic. The impact from vibration would be confined to the construction phase. In the long term, the assessment identifies that 26% of dwellings assessed will experience no change or a decrease in noise levels. Of the 74% who experience an increase, this will be a negligible impact for the majority (73.5%) with only four dwellings (0.5%) experiencing a moderate or major impact. Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary 4

5 For the three properties experiencing a major adverse impact, localised acoustic barriers will be provided to reduce the noise. Road Drainage and Water Environment The River Witham is the only main river within the vicinity of the Proposed Scheme. The risk of construction pollution is highest where the new road crosses the river. The Proposed Scheme has been designed to minimise the impact on flooding wherever possible through location of embankments and structures outside of the floodplain as far as practicable. Impacts on flooding will also be reduced by using detention basins to take the drainage from the road surface. Measures will also be put in place to ensure that any pollutants such as oil from the road surface do not affect the local water environment. With the various recommended protection measures in place the impacts on the water environment will be overall negligible. Land Use and Community Effects. Most of the land affected by the Proposed Scheme is farmland, with some woodland in the River Witham valley and intermittent plantations interspersed between fields. There will be both permanent and temporary impacts in the form of severance and disruption. There will also be some permanent loss of agricultural land to accommodate the Proposed Scheme and the impact of this varies from slight to moderate adverse, depending on the percentage of each landholding lost and the extent of severance. There would be no adverse impacts on dwellings, community facilities and development land. Howeve,r there will be a slight adverse impact on one commercial asset; part of the Anglian Waters Treatment Works. All construction phase mitigation will be managed using a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP). To minimise the impacts on land use, consultation will be undertaken with all landowners prior to and during construction of the Proposed Scheme. Interactions and Cumulative impacts No significant cumulative impacts are anticipated for the Proposed Scheme. Environmental Statement Non-Technical Summary 5