Stromeferry Appraisal

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Stromeferry Appraisal Stromeferry Appraisal DMRB Stage 2 Report Volume 2 – Environment Assessment (Final Draft) September 2014 Prepared for: The Highland Council UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND The Highland Council: DMRB Stage 2 Report, Volume 2 REVISION SCHEDULE Rev Date Details Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by 1 May 2014 Draft Report Seán Fallon Nigel Hackett Nigel Hackett Senior Planner Technical Technical Director Director 2 September Final Draft Report John Bacon Seán Fallon 2014 Assistant Senior Planner Environmental Consultant John Devenny Senior Landscape Architect Graeme Hull Senior Ecologist Peter Morgan Associate Geology & Soils Gareth Hodgkiss Senior Air Quality Consultant Dan Atkinson Principal Noise Consultant Laura Garcia Senior Heritage Consultant Sally Homoncik Assistant Hydrologist Jill Irving Senior Engineer URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited 2nd Floor, Apex 2, 97 Haymarket Terrace Edinburgh EH12 5HD Tel +44 (0) 131 347 1100 Fax +44 (0) 131 347 1101 www.urs.com DMRB STAGE 2 OPTIONS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT (FINAL DRAFT) September 2014 i The Highland Council: DMRB Stage 2 Report, Volume 2 Limitations URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited (“URS”) has prepared this Report for the sole use of The Highland Council (“Client”) in accordance with the Agreement under which our services were performed for the Stromeferry Options Appraisal (URS job number 47065291). No other warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the professional advice included in this Report or any other services provided by URS. This Report is confidential and may not be disclosed by the Client nor relied upon by any other party without the prior and express written agreement of URS. The conclusions and recommendations contained in this Report are based upon information provided by others and upon the assumption that all relevant information has been provided by those parties from whom it has been requested and that such information is accurate. Information obtained by URS has not been independently verified by URS, unless otherwise stated in the Report. The methodology adopted and the sources of information used by URS in providing its services are outlined in this Report. The work described in this Report was undertaken between November 2012 and September 2014 and is based on the conditions encountered and the information available during the said period of time. The scope of this Report and the services are accordingly factually limited by these circumstances. Where assessments of works or costs identified in this Report are made, such assessments are based upon the information available at the time and where appropriate are subject to further investigations or information which may become available. URS disclaim any undertaking or obligation to advise any person of any change in any matter affecting the Report, which may come or be brought to URS’ attention after the date of the Report. Certain statements made in the Report that are not historical facts may constitute estimates, projections or other forward- looking statements and even though they are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of the Report, such forward-looking statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted. URS specifically does not guarantee or warrant any estimate or projections contained in this Report. Copyright © This Report is the copyright of URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited. Any unauthorised reproduction or usage by any person other than the addressee is strictly prohibited. DMRB STAGE 2 OPTIONS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT (FINAL DRAFT) September 2014 ii The Highland Council: DMRB Stage 2 Report, Volume 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................... IV 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................... 1 2 METHODOLOGY .............................................................. 7 3 CONSULTATION ............................................................ 12 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE OPTIONS ................... 17 5 LANDSCAPE ................................................................... 21 6 NATURE CONSERVATION ............................................ 44 7 CULTURAL HERITAGE ................................................ 111 8 EFFECTS ON ALL TRAVELLERS ............................... 156 9 COMMUNITY AND PRIVATE ASSETS ........................ 189 10 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ................................................ 219 11 AIR QUALITY ................................................................ 245 12 NOISE & VIBRATION ................................................... 274 13 ROAD DRAINAGE & THE WATER ENVIRONMENT .. 281 14 MATERIALS ASSESSMENT ........................................ 318 15 SUMMARY TABLES ..................................................... 332 REFERENCES & SOURCES .......................................................... 337 APPENDIX 1 – DRAWINGS ............................................................ 340 APPENDIX 2 – SITE VISIT REPORT .............................................. 341 APPENDIX 3 – NATURE CONSERVATION TARGET NOTES ..... 342 APPENDIX 4 – CONSULTATION INFORMATION ......................... 343 DMRB STAGE 2 OPTIONS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT (FINAL DRAFT) September 2014 iii The Highland Council: DMRB Stage 2 Report, Volume 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 Introduction URS has been appointed by The Highland Council to complete a Stage 2 Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Environmental Options Assessment for the proposed A890 Stromeferry Bypass. Accordingly this report has been produced, where a number of options that have been developed are assessed with a view to enabling The Highland Council to make an informed decision when selecting a preferred option for the route. This Executive Summary of the main environmental assessment report provides a summary of the DMRB Volume 2 Environmental Assessment report and its contents. The Stage 2 Assessment Report for the Stromeferry Bypass has been prepared in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Volume 5, Section 1, Part 2, TD 37/93 ‘Scheme Assessment Reporting’ and DMRB Volume 11 ‘Environmental Assessment’. The existing A890 considered in this report is an approximately 12km long section of public road alongside the southern shore of Loch Carron, located in Wester Ross, in the western Highlands of Scotland. The road forms part of the A890, between the Strathcarron Junction and the tie in with the A87, Invergarry to Kyle of Lochalsh Trunk Road, at Auchtertyre. The road also forms part of the wider road network between Dingwall, west to the Isle of Skye via Achnasheen, and provides a popular alternative route from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh and Skye. The public road and a single track railway line share a tight corridor along the southern shores of Loch Carron, which is particularly restricted over an approximately 4.5 km long section from Ardnarff to Attadale. The A890 is mainly a single carriageway but reduces frequently to single track with passing places along this section of road. Up until 1970, when the existing road was opened to the public, the transport link from Kyle of Lochalsh north towards Ullapool was provided by a ferry service crossing the Strome Narrows in between South and North Strome, with minor roads linking the crossing to the local road network at either end. Since the existing road was opened, the approximately 4.5km long section of mainly single track road from Ardnarff to Cuddies’ Point, which is located just west of Attadale, has been subject to landslides and rock fall events, causing the Highland Council to temporarily close the road on several occasions, in order to enable remedial works to the rock slopes to take place. The study area for the assessment of route options contains a number of environmental constraints and features including: x The Kyle of Lochalsh to Inverness railway line runs beside the current A890 from Stromeferry to Strathcarron. Stations along the existing route are present at Duncraig, Strome Ferry, Attadale and Strathcarron; x There are seven Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) found within or in close proximity to the study area; x One nearby National Nature Reserve, north of Ardarroch; x Presence of Scheduled Monuments; x Numerous Listed Buildings; DMRB STAGE 2 OPTIONS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT (FINAL DRAFT) September 2014 iv The Highland Council: DMRB Stage 2 Report, Volume 2 x Numerous residential houses along the existing route and in settlements which include Lochcarron, Achintee, Stromeferry, Achmore and Strathcarron. x Scattered areas of woodland found on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI); and x Four nearby areas designated as Special Areas for Conservation (SAC); x Presence of crofting land in some parts of the study area. In addition to the above, land use in the study area tends to be crofting and agriculture along the coast and straths, with rough grazing on the higher slopes and hills and much of the interior. Land cover is predominantly rough moorland and grassland vegetation with some small areas of native woodland along lower slopes and sheltered glens and several larger areas of commercial forestry. A number of dwellings are located along the local road network along with some of small businesses and access tracks to forestry plantations. 1.2 Consultation Public and stakeholder consultation during the Stage 2 process involved the following activities:
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