LONDON-WEST MIDLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL MIDLANDS LONDON-WEST | Vol 2 Vol LONDON- | Community Forum Area report Area Forum Community WEST MIDLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Volume 2 | Community Forum Area report CFA20 | Curdworth to Middleton | CFA20 | Curdworth to Middleton to MiddletonCurdworth November 2013 VOL VOL VOL ES 3.2.1.20 2 2 2 London- WEST MIDLANDS ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Volume 2 | Community Forum Area report CFA20 | Curdworth to Middleton November 2013 ES 3.2.1.20 High Speed Two (HS2) Limited has been tasked by the Department for Transport (DfT) with managing the delivery of a new national high speed rail network. It is a non-departmental public body wholly owned by the DfT. A report prepared for High Speed Two (HS2) Limited: High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU Details of how to obtain further copies are available from HS2 Ltd. Telephone: 020 7944 4908 General email enquiries: [email protected] Website: www.hs2.org.uk High Speed Two (HS2) Limited has actively considered the needs of blind and partially sighted people in accessing this document. The text will be made available in full on the HS2 website. The text may be freely downloaded and translated by individuals or organisations for conversion into other accessible formats. If you have other needs in this regard please contact High Speed Two (HS2) Limited. Printed in Great Britain on paper containing at least 75% recycled fibre. CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 | Contents Contents 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Introduction to HS2 1 1.2 Purpose of this report 3 1.3 Structure of this report 3 2 Overview of the area and description of the Proposed Scheme 5 2.1 Overview of the area 5 2.2 Description of the Proposed Scheme 11 2.3 Construction of the Proposed Scheme 16 2.4 Operation of the Proposed Scheme 34 2.5 Community forum engagement 35 2.6 Route section main alternatives 37 3 Agriculture, forestry and soils 45 3.1 Introduction 45 3.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 45 3.3 Environmental baseline 46 3.4 Effects arising during construction 54 3.5 Effects arising from operation 62 4 Air quality 65 4.1 Introduction 65 4.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 65 4.3 Environmental baseline 66 4.4 Effects arising during construction 68 4.5 Effects arising from operation 70 5 Community 73 5.1 Introduction 73 5.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 73 5.3 Environmental baseline 74 5.4 Effects arising during construction 79 5.5 Effects arising from operation 88 i CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 | Contents 6 Cultural heritage 91 6.1 Introduction 91 6.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 91 6.3 Environmental baseline 92 6.4 Effects arising during construction 96 6.5 Effects arising from operation 102 7 Ecology 107 7.1 Introduction 107 7.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 107 7.3 Environmental baseline 108 7.4 Effects arising during construction 124 7.5 Effects arising from operation 134 8 Land quality 137 8.1 Introduction 137 8.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 138 8.3 Environmental baseline 138 8.4 Effects arising during construction 142 8.5 Effects arising from operation 155 9 Landscape and visual assessment 159 9.1 Introduction 159 9.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 160 9.3 Environmental baseline 160 9.4 Temporary effects arising during construction 163 9.5 Permanent effects arising during operation 177 10 Socio-economics 199 10.1 Introduction 199 10.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 199 10.3 Environmental baseline 200 10.4 Effects arising during construction 202 10.5 Effects arising during operation 205 11 Sound, noise and vibration 207 11.1 Introduction 207 11.2 Environmental baseline 208 11.3 Effects arising during construction 209 11.4 Effects arising during operation 213 12 Traffic and transport 219 12.1 Introduction 219 12.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 219 12.3 Environmental baseline 219 12.4 Effects arising during construction 222 ii CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 | Contents 12.5 Effects arising from operation 229 13 Water resources and flood risk 231 13.1 Introduction 231 13.2 Scope, assumptions and limitations 232 13.3 Environmental baseline 233 13.4 Effects arising during construction 243 13.5 Effects arising from operation 249 14 References 251 List of figures Figure 1: HS2 Phase One route and community forum areas 2 Figure 2: Area context map 6 Figure 3: Schematic of construction compounds for civil engineering works 19 Figure 4: Schematic of construction compounds for railway installation works 20 Figure 5: Indicative construction programme 32 Figure 6: Business sector composition in NWBC and West Midlands 200 Figure 7: Proportion of employment by industry in NWBC and West Midlands 201 List of tables Table 1: Demolition works 23 Table 2: Satellite construction compounds 26 Table 3: Location of temporary worker accommodation sites 28 Table 4: Satellite rail systems compounds 30 Table 5: Estimated construction, demolition and excavation waste 31 Table 6: Operational waste forecast for the Proposed Scheme 35 Table 7: Summary of characteristics of holdings 52 Table 8: Agricultural land required for the construction of the Proposed Scheme 56 Table 9: Summary of temporary effects on holdings during construction 57 Table 10: Agricultural and forestry land required permanently 59 Table 11: Summary of permanent effects on holdings from construction 60 Table 12: Protected and/or notable species 114 Table 13: Summary of sensitive receptors 142 Table 14: Summary of baseline CSM * sites which may pose a contaminative risk for the Proposed Scheme 145 Table 15: Summary of temporary effects 147 Table 16: Summary of permanent (post-construction) effects 151 Table 17: Summary of temporary effects on mining and mineral resources 153 Table 18: Summary of permanent effects for mining and mineral resources 154 Table 19: Direct adverse effects on residential communities and shared open areas that are considered to be significant on a community basis 212 Table 20: Train flows and speeds 214 Table 21: Likely significant noise or vibration effects on non-residential receptors arising from operation of the Proposed Scheme 217 Table 22: Typical vehicle trip generation for construction site compounds in this area 224 Table 23: Surface water features potentially affected by the Proposed Scheme 234 iii CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 | Contents Table 24: Summary of geology and hydrogeology in CFA20 237 iv CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 | Structure of the HS2 Phase One Environmental Statement Structure of the HS2 Phase One Environmental Statement The Environmental Statement (ES) documentation comprises: Non-technical summary (NTS) – which provides a summary in non-technical language of the Proposed Scheme, the likely significant environmental effects of the Proposed Scheme, both beneficial and adverse, and the means to avoid or reduce the adverse effects; Volume 1: Introduction to the ES and the Proposed Scheme – This describes High Speed Two (HS2), and the environmental impact assessment process, the approach to consultation and engagement, details of the permanent features and generic construction techniques as well as a summary of main strategic and route-wide alternatives and local alternatives (prior to 2012) considered; Volume 2: Community forum area reports and map books – 26 reports and associated map books providing a description of the scheme and of environmental effects in each area; Volume 3: Route-wide effects – provides an assessment of the effects of the Proposed Scheme where it is not practicable to describe them within the CFA descriptions in Volume 2; Volume 4: Off-route effects – provides an assessment of the off-route effects of the Proposed Scheme; Volume 5: Appendices and map books – contains supporting environmental information and associated map books; and Glossary of terms and list of abbreviations – contains terms and abbreviations, including units of measurement, used throughout the ES documentation. v CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 | Structure of the HS2 Phase One Environmental Statement vi CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 | Introduction 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction to HS2 1.1.1 High Speed Two (HS2) is a new high speed railway proposed by the Government to connect major cities in Britain. Stations in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, South Yorkshire and the East Midlands will be served by high speed trains running at speeds of up to 360kph (225mph). 1.1.2 HS2 is proposed to be built in two phases. Phase One, the subject of this ES, will involve the construction of a new railway line of approximately 230km (143 miles) between London and Birmingham. Construction will begin in 2017 and the line will become operational by 2026; with a connection to the West Coast Main Line (WCML) near Lichfield and to the existing HS1 railway line in London. 1.1.3 During Phase One beyond the dedicated high speed track, these high speed trains will connect with and run on the existing WCML to serve passengers beyond the HS2 network to destinations in the north. A connection to HS1 will also allow some services to access that high speed line through east London and Kent and connect with mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel. 1.1.4 Phase Two will involve the construction of lines from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester; with construction commencing approximately 2023, and planned to be operational by 2033. 1.1.5 Section 4 of Volume 1 describes the anticipated operational characteristics of HS2, including the anticipated frequency of train services. As Volume 1 shows, the frequency of trains is expected to increase over time and to increase further upon opening of Phase Two. In assessing the environmental effects of the Proposed Scheme the anticipated Phase 2 operational frequency has been used.