CENTRAL CHELMSFORD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY: CITY PARK WEST (PHASE 2)

CENTRAL CHELMSFORD DEVELOPMENT AGENCY: CITY PARK WEST (PHASE 2) Central Chelmsford Development Agency / Genesis 27/08/2014 Central Chelmsford Development Agency: Environmental Statement

Quality Management Issue/revision Issue 1 Revision 1 Revision 2 Revision 3 Remarks FINAL Date 26/08/2014 Prepared by Signature Checked by Signature Charlotte Powell Powell, Charlotte Author 2014.08.27 14:16:38 +01'00' Russell Buckley russell.buckley@wspgroup.com Author 2014.08.27 14:20:55 +01'00' Authorised by Signature Simon McKee simon.mckee@wspgroup.com I am approving this document 2014.08.27 14:38:14 +01'00' Project number 62003729 File reference 1 CCDA

Central Chelmsford Development Agency: City Park West (Phase 2) 26/08/2014 Client Central Chelmsford Development Agency Registered Address WSP UK Ltd 01383511 WSP House, 70 Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1AF 2 CCDA

Table of Contents Table of Contents 3 Introduction... 4 Overview 4 What is an Environmental Impact Assessment? 5 What is a? 6 What are the Site and the surrounding areas like? 6 Why is it being built there? 7 How has the design evolved over time? 7 Who has been told about this EIA/ES Addendum? 7 Have any alternatives been considered? 8 What will it look like? 8 When will it be built? 9 Will the existing local community be disturbed as a result of the construction phase? 9 Will the August 2014 Development Proposals benefit the local economy? 9 Will the existing community facilities be able to accommodate existing and new residents? 10 Will the construction and operation of the development lead to more traffic along the surrounding local road network? 10 What will happen to air quality during the construction and operation of the new developments? 10 Will the construction and operation of the new developments cause a lot of noise? 10 Will I be able to see the new developments? 11 Are there any concerns relating to contaminated land or ground conditions within the Site? 11 Will the new developments affect on-site ecology? 11 Will the developments increase the risk of flooding? 12 Does the Site have archaeological potential? 12 What measures will be used to avoid and reduce the environmental effects of the August 2014 Development Proposals? 12 How do the findings of the Addendum compare to the original ES? 12 What happens next? 13 Who can I contact if I want some more information? 13 Can I have a copy of the Environmental Statement Addendum or this Non- Technical Summary? 13 3 CCDA

Introduction Overview The Central Chelmsford Development Agency / Genesis Housing Group, hereafter referred to as the Applicant, is seeking to obtain detailed planning permission for the redevelopment of the former Anglia Ruskin University site, in Chelmsford, Essex. In August 2011, the Applicant submitted a hybrid planning application for the mixed use residential-led redevelopment of the former Anglia Ruskin University site, in Chelmsford, Essex (the August 2011 Development Proposals). The application was presented in two phases. Phase 1 was a detailed application with all reserved matters submitted. Phase 2 sought outline planning permission with all matters reserved save for access. Together, they are referred to as City Park West. The Planning Application was registered by Chelmsford City Council (CCC) under reference 11/01360/OUT and supported by an Environmental Statement. The August 2011 Development Proposals (for Phase 1 and 2) comprised the following: Provision of 507 new homes, a supermarket food/retail store (3,882m 2 ), flexible retail floor space (1,035m 2 ), flexible commercial office uses (7,972m 2 ), a grade baseline and underground car parking, and 5,070m 2 of open space Since the submission of the 2011 Planning Application discussions have been held with a number of statutory and non-statutory consultees including officers from CCC and Essex County Council. Those discussions have resulted in some revisions to the August 2011 Development Proposals including an increase in the number of proposed residential units (by 98 units, to 386 units in total), the reduction in commercial floorspace (by 3,222 m2 to 5,664m2 GEA) and the removal of the supermarket food/retail store from the scheme (hereafter the August 2014 Development Proposals ). The Application Site for the August 2011 Development Proposals covered an area of approximately 3.12ha. With Phase 1 currently under construction under the original planning permission, the Application Site for the August 2014 Development Proposals covers an area of approximately 3.14ha with the area subject to the August 2014 ES addendum (the Phase 2 Area) totalling approximately 1.67ha (hereafter the Site or the Phase 2 Site depending if more clarity is required to distinguish the site from the phase 1 proposals in the context of the discussion). See Figure 1 below. The Site mainly comprises the former Anglia Ruskin University site in the centre of Chelmsford. The Site is bounded by the A138 Parkway to the south (except where this is incorporated as part of the Site boundary), the railway line and open space (an area known as the Green Triangle ) to the west, Duke Street to the north, and Victoria Road South the East (except where it incorporates the A138 in accordance with the Site boundary). Park Road bisects the Site from south to north. The Site has been cleared and all former University buildings demolished. The Royal Sun Alliance building is adjacent to the southeast of the Site. The August 2014 Application Site boundary has been extended slightly from the August 2011 Application Site by 0.02Ha. 4 CCDA

Figure 1: Site Boundary Plan What is an Environmental Impact Assessment? The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 require that before planning permission is granted for certain types of development an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be undertaken. An EIA is a process that identifies the likely significant environmental effects of a development and, if required, identifies ways that any significant adverse effects on the environment can prevented, reduced and / or offset. Given the size of the Site and nature of the August 2014 Development Proposals, an EIA was undertaken by WSP UK Ltd on behalf of the Applicant. The findings of this process are reported in a document called an Environmental Statement (ES) Addendum. This process has been adopted here is an ES Addendum to the August 2011 ES, which is publicly available for anyone to review so as to understand the nature and form of the City Park West development and the outcome of the Environmental Impact Assessment process. In addition to the August 2014 ES Addendum Volumes 1 and 2 and this revised NTS of the August 2014 ES Addendum, the submission in support of the August 2014 Development Proposals includes the following documents which have informed preparation of the August 2014 ES Addendum: Energy Statement; 5 CCDA

Public Art Strategy; Design and Access Statement; Waste Management Strategy; Planning Statement; Statement of Community Involvement; CIL Exemption Certificate and Form; Viability Statement; and Planning Submission Drawings. What is a? The full results of the EIA (baseline information, survey information and technical assessments) for this project are available in the Environmental Statement Addendum submitted with the Planning Application. A summary of the findings are presented here in non-technical language. This document is presented as a series of key questions and answers regarding the August 2014 Development Proposals and identifies the likely significant effects and how any significant adverse effects are proposed to be mitigated, prevented and / or offset by the Applicant during the construction and future operation of the August 2014 Development Proposals. What is being built? The Development will include the following: 386 residential units of mixed tenure; and 5,664 sqm commercial floorspace. The August 2014 Development Proposals comprise 11 development blocks ranging in height from 5-14 storeys in height. The tallest building is located in the far west of the Site as a landmark building of 15 storeys, with building heights stepping down towards the eastern cluster of development and the existing buildings where height will range from 5 to 7 storeys. The commercial uses are located to the eastern and western ends of the site. What are the Site and the surrounding areas like? Phase 1 of the approved the August 2011 Development Proposals is currently under construction, the Application Site for the August 2014 Development Proposals covers an area of approximately 3.14ha with the area the subject of the August 2014 ES Addendum totalling approximately 1.67ha. The Site that is the subject of the August 2014 Development Proposals is currently vacant land being used temporarily for the construction site management of Phase 1. The Site currently includes a car park, an area of open space (known as the Green Triangle ) and areas of land where former university buildings have recently been demolished. 6 CCDA

Why is it being built there? The Site is identified in the Chelmsford Town Centre Area Action Plan (2008). The need for development of the Site is focused primarily around the need to regenerate the disused former Anglian Ruskin University (ARU) site and deliver a new vibrant and sustainable neighbourhood that contains well designed new homes and facilities that conserve the heritage and historic assets of the Site. The proposed new homes would help to address the housing needs and help prevent the further decay of the land and provide optimal benefits to the town centre. Chelmsford City Council has identified the need to deliver 7,860 new residential dwellings between 2014/15 and 2020/21. Chelmsford has some of the highest property prices in the United Kingdom and some of the highest demand. Chelmsford City Council has targeted 60% of all new residential development to be on previously developed land (PDL). How has the design evolved over time? The design of the scheme has undergone a number of iterations, which took into account environmental effects and responds to a series of meetings and public consultation events that have been held with the Applicants Project Team, the Public and Statutory Consultees. Alternative Layouts The key aspects of the design evolution during this time can be summarised as: Re-planning the arrangement of the blocks adjacent to the law building to create an open facing quadrangle. Re-designing the connection of blocks to produce an internal residents courtyard that provides safe communal amenity space Re-considering the massing and arrangement of the tower to respond to the context of the Kings tower and align more centrally through the site. Developing the articulation of facades to produce clearly defined character areas and relationships to the existing context. The key changes to the August 2011 Development Proposals which are reflected in the August 2014 Development Proposals are summarised below. An increase in the number of residential units from 288 dwellings to 386 dwellings. The increase in units has been achieved through a decrease in the amount of commercial/retail space and a new layout of the residential blocks. The amount of commercial space has decreased by 3,222sqm GEA to 5,664sqm. This includes the removal of a 4,021m2 Food Store from the proposals. Who has been told about this EIA/ES Addendum? Consultation has been undertaken with both statutory and non-statutory consultees as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping exercise and technical studies for this Environmental Statement. The purpose of these consultations was to identify any sensitivities or concerns associated with the August 2014 Development Proposals that may need to be considered in the design process and assessed as part of this Environmental Statement. The following organisations were consulted during the preparation of this Environmental Statement: Various departments and officers at Chelmsford City Council and Essex County Council; 7 CCDA

NHS; Anglian Water Services Ltd; Essex and Suffolk Water; Environment Agency; English Heritage; Essex Wildlife Trust; and Natural England. Have any alternatives been considered? A no construction scenario has been considered. However, as the majority of the Site and structures are currently derelict the Site would remain this way- and possibly get worse - if the Site were not redeveloped. In addition, the Site is within the Chelmsford Town Centre Area Action Plan (2008) which sets out an urban design framework and allocates land for development, it is likely that if this August 2014 Development Proposals did not go ahead, similar, alternative proposals would be submitted for the Site. There are no reasonable or feasible alternative sites to assess given the clear policy context. If the Site were not developed at all, new dwellings would need to be built elsewhere in the borough. If no sites were available, this would risk a lower overall level of housing provision within CCC. What will it look like? The landscape proposals for Phase 2 as proposed as part of the August 2014 Development Proposals extends the established principles employed within Phase 1 to strengthen the overall concept and create a series of new public realm spaces that integrate with the wider network of routes and green space within Chelmsford Centre. Parking and Access The site will contain two car parks, the residential and commercial basement car park and the retail car park located on the ground floor level under the food store. The residential and commercial car park will be accessed from The Street via the Victoria Road South access junction and from the Parkway access junction. The retail car park will be accessed from The Street via the Victoria Road South access junction only. The basement car park has been designed to allow residential delivery and removals to take place near stair and lift cores in the basement areas. Approximately 50 motorcycle parking bays will be included within the car parks. Landscaping The approach to landscaping the Site will create an attractive public and private area to enhance the overall appearance of the Development. The planting is designed to complement and contrast with the new architecture and materials; to create drama or a sense of calm; to bring a variety of natural sensory experiences into this urban setting. Plants have also been chosen for their attractiveness throughout the year, as well as their habitat value. An overriding consideration is maintenance, and plants have been chosen which have been proven to be robust in urban conditions, and require limited maintenance. The approach to the provision of public and private open space is as set out in the August 2011 ES, with some specific changes as follows: 8 CCDA

A new planted square [Chancellor Quadrangle] south of the Law Building not only provides an improved setting for this notable heritage building but creates a significant new public space; Two notable trees within the Quadrangle will be retained, where they were previously going to be removed; Proposals for The Crossing at the pedestrian hub of the site have been enhanced, with an exciting water feature and playable features; One veteran oak tree previously shown as retained will be removed as it is in declining health, one further oak tree fell during winter storms and has been removed along with a further oak tree that was in poor condition and constituted a risk to health and safety; and The south edge of the Site facing onto Parkway benefits from a reduced requirement for large delivery vehicles, this allows the establishment of a residential park edge character. When will it be built? Subject to the grant of Planning Permission and the discharge of relevant conditions, construction of the Proposed Development is assumed to commence in early 2015 and overall completion by early 2017 (an approximately 95 week construction programme). Environmental Effects Will the existing local community be disturbed as a result of the construction phase? Unavoidable negative effects on nearby existing residents may arise from the disturbance during the construction works including noise, dust during certain activities and construction traffic. To mitigate the effects, a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) will be agreed with CCC and the contractor will sign up to the Considerate Constructors Scheme, which will set out the management measures that the contractors will adopt and implement for the construction of the August 2014 Development Proposals to avoid and manage any construction effects on the environment and the local community. In addition, regular liaison with the local community will be held throughout the construction period. The construction phase is not anticipated to have significant long-term negative effects on the local community. Will the August 2014 Development Proposals benefit the local economy? Based on the proposed 386 homes, it is estimated that the construction phase will support 37 full time equivalent jobs per year over the course of the 95 week construction period. Measures will be taken to encourage local recruitment at the construction and operational stages. During the construction phase there will also be an increase in spending in the local economy by contractors and as a result of purchases from suppliers, which is continued throughout the supply chain. It is expected that once occupied, the August 2014 Development Proposals would generate 224 Full Time Equivalent jobs directly associated with the new businesses within the proposed commercial floorspace. Businesses occupying the August 2014 Development Proposals will create indirect employment through the purchase of local goods and supplies while there will also be impact form expenditure or income of those employed at the August 2014 Development Proposals, a proportion of which will be spent locally. 9 CCDA

Will the existing community facilities be able to accommodate existing and new residents? New residents are expected to use schools, GPs and Dentists within the area. The August 2014 Development Proposals will lead to an increase in the number of patients registered with local health practices in the area. Where the requirements of the new community cannot be met by the existing facilities in the local area, such as healthcare capacity, a financial contribution will be made to ensure sufficient capacity will be provided through the expansion of existing facilities, or the creation of new facilities. Will the construction and operation of the development lead to more traffic along the surrounding local road network? The Proposed Development is expected to have very little effect on the local road network during the site preparation, earthworks and construction phase. A CEMP will be implemented in order to minimise the environmental effects during the construction phase and to reduce the impact associated with construction activities, including use of defined haulage routes and timing of heavy and abnormal load deliveries to avoid peak hours. Construction traffic movements will be kept to agreed working hours where practicable and arranged to minimise disruption to the highway network and local residents (including during the night-time). The Site has good existing public transport links and will be close to a range of local facilities and cycle ways, thereby reducing reliance on private car use. The impact of trips expected to be generated by the August 2014 Development Proposals is unlikely to be noticeable on both the bus and rail networks. Careful consideration has been given to providing a safe environment for the movement of pedestrians and cyclists across the Site by connecting new foot and cycle paths to the existing network. What will happen to air quality during the construction and operation of the new developments? A qualitative assessment of the potential effects on local air quality from earthworks and construction activities has been carried out. This showed that during construction, releases of dust and PM 10 were likely to occur. Through good site practice and the implementation of suitable mitigation measures, the impact of dust and PM 10 releases will be reduced and excessive releases prevented. The residual impacts of the construction phase on air quality are therefore considered to be temporary, short to medium-term, local and of negligible significance according to IAQM s significance criteria. A quantitative assessment of the potential impacts during the operational phase was undertaken. Overall, the results show that the August 2014 Development Proposals would cause imperceptible changes in NO 2 and PM 10 concentrations. With the recommended mitigation measures in place, the August 2014 Development Proposals would comply with European and national air quality legislation, and national, regional and local planning policy. Will the construction and operation of the new developments cause a lot of noise? Noise and vibration effects during construction have been assessed on the basis of Phase 1, which is currently under construction, being a receptor as this residential area will be completed and occupied prior to the construction of the August 2014 Development Proposals. The assessment has found that with mitigation measures in place, the effects of noise and vibration during the construction phase would be negligible. 10 CCDA

The assessment of operational road traffic noise has shown that the development related traffic movements on the surrounding road network would result in negligible effect on noise and vibration, including when other consented schemes in the local area are operational. Will I be able to see the new developments? The design of the August 2014 Development Proposals has carefully considered the townscape setting and heritage context and has been designed to reflect surrounding built form and character. The generally low building heights and profiles largely enable the built form to directly connect in terms of scale and character with existing building on the Site and those on adjacent streets. It also includes the use of street trees and vegetation to enhance the street scene for pedestrians. Once the August 2014 Development Proposals are complete it is largely expected to improve the character and appearance of the local townscape by replacing abandoned and derelict space with modern, high-quality buildings with integrated open space and recreational areas contributing positively to the townscape character of the area with resultant benefits to visual receptors and viewpoints. One operational, the streetscape will be repaired and buildings of high quality will add to the townscape character of Chelmsford. Visual receptors will benefit from an improved built environment and the development will provide features of interest in existing views. The historic environment of the Site and its surroundings will be conserved for the enjoyment of this and future generations as a result of this development and enhanced by the recognition that heritage assets contribute positively to the local character and sense of place. Are there any concerns relating to contaminated land or ground conditions within the Site? With suitable mitigation measures in place, there are no concerns relating to contaminated land. Will the new developments affect on-site ecology? Consideration has been given to ecology and nature conservation at the Site in support of the August 2014 Development Proposals. Information gathered from data search and consultation, the Extended Phase 1 Habitat Survey (June 2014), at-height tree assessment for bats (June 2014) and initial internal and external bat surveys undertaken in 2010, and bat emergence surveys undertaken in 2011 have been used in order to evaluate the Site and surrounding areas in terms of the protected species and important habitats that it has the potential to support. Foraging and commuting bats are the only species of value considered with regard to construction and operational phase impacts of development on the Site. No roosting bats have been found to be present, and no other protected species are present within or adjacent to the Site. Overall, with the implementation of suitable mitigation for bats, and the provision of brown roofs and landscape planting, there will be a neutral or small positive impact on the ecological value of the site. 11 CCDA

Will the developments increase the risk of flooding? The Site currently comprises a series of buildings, associated parking and open space. There are no existing water features on the Site with the surface water runoff draining to existing Anglian Water sewers within Central Park. The August 2014 Development Proposals are based on a 1% increase in impermeable area, compared to the pre-developed site. Brown roofs are proposed as part of the August 2014 Development Proposals, which will provide a degree of betterment to this impermeable area. This will results in a reduction in off-site discharge for a 6-hour 1 in 100 year rainfall event. The August 2014 Development Proposals will utilise SuDS including brown roofs and an underground storage device. Does the Site have archaeological potential? The Site lies within an area which is typically directly demonstrated to have potential for remains associated with two key periods: Medieval and Post Medieval. While evidence associated with activity dating to periods earlier than the Medieval period cannot be discounted in the absence of direct investigation of the Site area specifically, there is evidence from the nearby area to confirm that later Post Medieval and Modern activity may have truncated earlier deposits. Cartographic sources confirm that activity within the Site specifically was light even during the early 18th century, though the surrounding area was clearly at an advanced stage of development. Documentary and direct archaeological investigation have confirmed that there has been some level of activity (accepting variations in precise location) in the general Chelmsford area from the prehistoric era through to the present. It is likely that the Site itself formed one of the later phases of infilling development of open space, which can be readily observed from comparing the Walker map of the late 18th century to 20th century imprints. What measures will be used to avoid and reduce the environmental effects of the August 2014 Development Proposals? A number of mitigation measures will be implemented to avoid and reduce any adverse environmental effects and enhance environmental benefits associated with the August 2014 Development Proposals, these include: Preparation of a Construction Environmental Management Plan; Pedestrian crossing improvements at Victoria Road South and Victoria Road; Increases in soft landscaping; and Steps to maximise local employment How do the findings of the Addendum compare to the original ES? The primary purpose of this addendum has been to identify whether the effects of the August 2014 Development Proposals differ in magnitude from those identified in the August 2011 Development Proposals. This addendum has identified that for the vast majority of the topics assessed the effects remain the same. In a few instances the significance of the effect improved from that previously assessed. In no instance was the effect identified worse than that previously assessed. 12 CCDA

It should be noted however that the August 2011 ES assessed both Phases 1 and 2 of the August 2011 development proposals together, whereas the assessment presented here is solely for Phase 2 of the development proposals. So while the assessment of effects in the August 2011 ES considers a larger application site and Phase 2 is considered in this ES addendum, as stated, the Phase 1 development is considered as a cumulative development, so the full extent of the area covered in the August 2011 ES is considered in this ES addendum. What happens next? The Environmental Statement Addendum has been submitted together with other Planning Application documents and drawings to CCC for the Officers to consider in consultation with various stakeholders in the context of planning policy before making a recommendation to the Planning Committee on the Planning Application. During the period of determination, the Council will contact government bodies and agencies and other consultees regarding the August 2014 Development Proposals. Members of the general public are also invited to make comments on the planning applications. The feedback from these discussions will be taken into account by CCC in reaching the decision on the planning application. Who can I contact if I want some more information? Further information, including a copy of the planning application documents, the Environmental Statement Addendum and this, is available at the following website: http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/planning Any comments can be sent to: Planning Department Chelmsford City Council Duke St Chelmsford Essex CM1 1JE Email: town.planning@chelmsford.gov.uk Can I have a copy of the Environmental Statement Addendum or this? The Environmental Statement Addendum and the will be available to view online on CCC s planning website. Paper copies of the ES documents can be provided at a cost, via WSP. WSP UK Ltd. WSP House 70 Chancery Lane London WC2 1AF UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7406 7191 Fax: +44 (0)20 7314 5111 www.wspgroup.co.uk 13 CCDA