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Introduction This Non-Technical Summary (NTS) is based on an Environmental Statement (ES) that has been prepared by Heaton Planning Ltd and its consultants and accompanies a Planning Application to extend Newbold Quarry to extract 13.5 Million tonnes of sand and gravel with restoration to agriculture, woodland and water based recreation and nature conservation. In preparing the NTS regard has been taken of the contents of Schedule 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011. Consequently, the NTS looks at the main elements of the proposals that have the potential to impact positively and/or negatively on the environment and local residents. These main topic areas were established through consultation with Staffordshire County Council. Site and its Surroundings The Application Area is located to the south west of the existing Newbold Quarry. Newbold Quarry is an established sand and gravel quarry, with ready mixed concrete and precast concrete production undertaken on site. The existing quarry lies approximately 4 kilometres to the south west of Burton upon Trent and 1.5 kilometres to the north east of Barton under Needwood. The site lies within the River Trent valley which is characterised by arable and livestock farming and built development along the A38(T) corridor. To the south of the quarry lie arable fields and the Barton Turn Marina beyond the B5016. To the east lies the Trent and Mersey Canal and the A38(T) along which there are industrial and residential properties. To the north of the quarry is the village of Tatenhill and to the west the land rises off the river valley beyond Dunstall Road onto rolling hills. Background to the Development Planning Permission for the winning and working of sand and gravel was first granted at Newbold Quarry in 1960. Mineral extraction is now taking place under Planning Permission ref. ES.26777/01 granted on 1st April 2004. The planning permission expires on the 31st December 2015 with final restoration to be completed by the 31st December 2017. Description of the Proposed Quarry Development A 160 hectare south western extension to the quarry has been identified that could yield an additional 13.5 million tonnes of saleable sand and gravel, which together with the permitted reserves at Tucklesholme would extend the life of the quarry through to 2028. The proposed extension is to be worked over five phases with progressive restoration following on from the extraction of sand and gravel. Operations will commence in the south west corner of the site closest to Barton under Needwood and progressively move away. The operating hours of the proposed development will continue to be the same as those permitted for the existing quarrying operations. 0700 to 1900 Monday to Friday; and 0700 to 1300 Saturdays. There may be exceptional circumstances, including emergencies, when operations will have to be undertaken outside these hours. However, the planning authority will be informed of such occasions. The site will be restored to agriculture, woodland and wetland. The proposals will see the site’s south-eastern corner restored to semi-improved grassland and arable land. Within this area existing field hedgerow will be restored and extended. Five new lakes will be created for amenity, recreation and nature conservation uses. New woodland will be located between Small Meadows Lane and Newbold Manor Farm, East of Newbold Manor Farm and adjacent to Dunstall Road. Woodland will also be planted to extend and link existing areas of woodland. The proposals will provide a visual and physical connection to the landscape immediately surrounding the site. Assessment of Potentially Significant Environmental Effects The following summarises the main topic areas that have been assessed in the preparation of the ES. The assessment of the topic areas has been undertaken by employing a wide range of independent specialist consultants. Full technical reports relating to the evaluation of the potential impacts have been prepared and form part of the ES. Landscape and Visual Considerations There are no landscape features within the local landscape of high sensitivity or national importance. However, the proposed extension will have a temporary impact upon the local landscape. The removal of hedgerows and trees which contribute to the containment of the site will have an adverse impact. Views into the site will be afforded from certain properties lying on the northern boundary of Barton-under-Needwood. There will also be direct impact upon a number of footpaths that cross the proposed extension area. None of the impacts upon visual amenity are assessed as being significant. The strategic location of soil bunds, advance peripheral tree and hedgerow planting, direction of working, progressive restoration and the use of conveyor have been developed into the proposed method of working to minimise the impact upon the landscape and visual amenity to nearby properties and users of the land. The impact upon views will be temporary. The restored scheme will replace large areas of arable land with woodland and wetland features and enhance recreational routes and opportunities through the site. These restoration measures offer long term benefits to the landscape and visual amenity across the site. Nature Conservation and Ecology The intensive agricultural use across the site and the poor quality of hedgerows results in a poor ecological quality across the site. Consequently, the proposed extension area does not contain any nationally or locally designated sites of ecological interest. A number of hedgerows will be removed but these are assessed as species poor. The proposed extension does have ground nesting birds habitats that will be lost or altered as a result of the proposals. There will be a loss of bat roosts at Small Meadows Farm but no other bat roosts will be affected. Hedgerows will not be replanted but replaced through broad leaved woodland creation that will retain the edge habitat and linear routes used by bats and invertebrates. Full bat activity surveys will be required prior to demolition of roosts. It is proposed to install bat boxes in surrounding retained habitat before extraction commences and these will be monitored for use. Displaced birds should be able to relocate to the existing quarry site during extraction phase. Habitat on the existing quarry will be managed for ground nesting birds, in accordance with a management plan. Monitoring of populations will be undertaken on an annual basis. The proposed landscaping of lakes, woodland, grassland (wet and dry), arable and hedgerows should in the long term increase the nature conservation value of this area. The lakes will attract additional bird and invertebrate species as well as providing additional foraging habitat for bats. The proposals will increase woodland within this area of Staffordshire and also provide habitat for tree nesting birds, bats, invertebrates and fungi. Noise and Dust Noise and dust are the two factors most likely to have a direct impact upon residents in proximity to the proposals. Noise and dust impacts can arise from operations being located too close to sensitive receptors or not being undertaken in accordance with recognised good practice and being a cause for nuisance. Assessments for both noise and dust have been undertaken. The assessments conclude that given the distance from the operational area and the implementation of appropriate mitigation including screening bunds and good operational practices, as currently undertaken, noise and dust levels can be kept to within recognised acceptable levels and not be a cause for nuisance or health risk to nearby residents. Soils, Land Quality and Agriculture The proposed extension will lead to the temporary loss of agricultural land, 25% of this represents ‘best and most versatile’ agricultural land. The available soil resources have been identified and they will be stripped and stored in accordance with best practice and used in the restoration of the site so that the soil resource is not lost from the site. Archaeology and Cultural Heritage There are no identified significant effects on the archaeological and heritage resource as a result of the proposed quarry extension. The extension is not located within the primary setting of any surrounding Listed Buildings or Conservation Areas. Two Listed Buildings, Newbold Manor Farm and Lower Farm fall within the application boundary. There will be changes to long distance and obscured views in some circumstances, but none of these changes are relevant to planned views or vistas from Listed Buildings or Conservation Areas and those changes do not compromise the understanding or historic importance of any feature. A programme of archaeological investigation will be implemented during operations to properly record the archaeological interest of the site. Screening bunds will be placed around the perimeters of Newbold Manor Farm and Lower Farm during operations to screen views of the mineral working from these Listed Buildings. Following site restoration, any temporary minor effect to the setting of the Conservation Areas or Grade II Listed Buildings will be mitigated by approved restoration. A programme of archaeological works will preserve the archaeological interest of the site by ‘record’. Impact on Water Resources and Flood Risk There will be no significant impact on water resources from the proposed development except for a possible lowering of water levels in nearby lakes and in the Dunstall Brook. Monitoring is proposed so that if this occurs measures will be undertaken to restore water levels. Precautionary construction techniques, monitoring, good practice and management will ensure that the construction and operation of the facility does not release potential contaminants to the water environment. The restoration proposals are supportive of the policy aims of suitable restoration of mineral workings along the Trent Valley and complements other water restoration schemes in close proximity. The majority of the proposed extension area is located in Flood Zone 1 (low risk) and is not considered a significant flood risk.

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