Hanson Aggregates UK Westdown Quarry Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Scoping Report Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited – May 2020 2 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited Report for Copyright and non-disclosure notice Ian Strachan The contents and layout of this report are subject to copyright Strategic Development Manager owned by Wood (© Wood Environment & Infrastructure Hanson Aggregates UK Solutions UK Limited 2020) save to the extent that copyright Whatley Quarry has been legally assigned by us to another party or is used by Frome Wood under licence. To the extent that we own the copyright Somerset in this report, it may not be copied or used without our prior BA11 3LF written agreement for any purpose other than the purpose indicated in this report. 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Abbey Lawn Abbey Foregate Shrewsbury SY2 5DE Document revisions United Kingdom Tel +44 (0) 1743 342 000 No. Details Date Doc Ref. 40380-WOOD-XX-XX-RP-O-0001_S3_P02 1 Draft scoping report 04/05/20 h:\projects\40380 whatley quarry planning support\deliver 2 Final scoping report 40380- 07/05/20 stage\d design_technical\reports\westdown\40380-wood-xx- WOOD-XX-XX-RP-O- xx-rp-o-0001_s3_p01.docx 0001_S3_P02 May 2020 Doc Ref. 40380-WOOD-XX-XX-RP-O-0001_S3_P02 3 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited Contents 1. Introduction 6 1.1 Overview of the Proposed Scheme 6 1.2 The applicant and the project team 6 1.3 Purpose of this Scoping Report 6 1.4 Structure of this Scoping Report 7 2. The proposed scheme 8 2.1 Outline description of the site 8 2.2 Background to the development 8 2.3 Reasons for the scheme 9 2.4 Description of the Proposed Scheme 9 Mineral extraction 9 Operating hours 10 Restoration strategy 10 3. Legislation and planning policy overview 11 3.1 Introduction 11 3.2 Legislative context 11 3.3 National planning policy 11 3.4 Local planning policy 12 3.5 Other consents required 14 4. The environmental impact assessment process 15 5. Scope of the assessment 21 5.1 Content of the ES 21 5.2 Landscape and visual 21 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 21 Legislation 23 Technical guidance 23 Baseline conditions 24 The scope of the assessment 29 Assessment methodology 33 5.3 Noise 35 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 35 Legislation 36 Technical guidance 37 Baseline conditions 37 The scope of the assessment 38 Assessment methodology 38 May 2020 Doc Ref. 40380-WOOD-XX-XX-RP-O-0001_S3_P02 4 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited 5.4 Vibration 39 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 39 Legislation 40 Technical guidance 40 Baseline conditions 40 The scope of the assessment 41 Assessment methodology 41 5.5 Air quality 42 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 42 Legislation 42 Baseline conditions 43 The scope of the assessment 43 Assessment methodology 44 5.6 The water environment 45 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 45 Legislation 46 Baseline conditions 46 Predicted trends 50 The scope of the assessment 50 Assessment methodology 50 5.7 Biodiversity 51 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 51 Legislation 52 Baseline conditions 52 The scope of the assessment 57 5.8 Traffic and transport 58 Transportation features of Westdown Quarry 58 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 59 Legislation 59 Technical guidance 60 Baseline conditions 60 The scope of the assessment 61 5.9 Historic environment 62 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 62 Legislation 64 Technical guidance 64 Baseline conditions 64 The scope of the assessment 66 5.10 Socio-economics 67 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 67 Legislation 68 Baseline conditions 68 The scope of the assessment 68 Assessment methodology 69 5.11 Land and soils (including agriculture) 69 Relevant policies and their implications for scoping 69 Legislation 69 Baseline conditions 69 The scope of the assessment 70 5.12 Cumulative effects 70 5.13 Topics scoped out from detailed assessment 71 Climate 71 Major accidents and disasters 71 6. Summary of proposed EIA scope 72 May 2020 Doc Ref. 40380-WOOD-XX-XX-RP-O-0001_S3_P02 5 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited Table 5.1 Relevant policies and their implications – landscape and visual 22 Table 5.2 Sources of desk study information 24 Table 5.3 Mendip District Landscape Character Areas 28 Table 5.4 Preliminary viewpoint locations 31 Table 5.5 Relevant policies and their implications – noise 35 Table 5.6 Summary of standards and technical guidance 37 Table 5.7 Relevant policies and their implications – vibration 39 Table 5.8 Summary of standards and technical guidance for vibration 40 Table 5.9 Relevant policies and their implications – air quality 42 Table 5.10 2018 estimated mapped background concentrations from Defra PCM model 43 Table 5.11 Relevant policies and their implications – the water environment 45 Table 5.12 Sources of information 47 Table 5.13 Relevant policies and their implications – biodiversity 51 Table 5.14 Statutory designated nature conservation sites within the relevant search area 53 Table 5.15 Non-statutory designated nature conservation sites within the relevant search area 54 Table 5.16 Relevant policies and their implications – traffic and transport 59 Table 5.17 Technical guidance relevant to traffic and transport 60 Table 5.18 Traffic and transport environmental assessment significance criteria 61 Table 5.19 Traffic related environmental effects 62 Table 5.20 Relevant policies and their implications – historic environment 63 Table 5.21 Relevant policies and their implications – socio-economics 67 Table 5.22 Relevant policies and their implications – land and soils 69 Figure 2.1 Site location After Page 69 Figure 2.2 Site boundary After Page 69 Figure 5.1 ZTV excluding screening with preliminary viewpoint locations After Page 69 Figure 5.2 ZTV including screening with preliminary viewpoint locations After Page 69 Figure 5.3 Mendips Local Landscape Character Areas After Page 69 Figure 5.4 Designated assets and terrain map Page 66 May 2020 Doc Ref. 40380-WOOD-XX-XX-RP-O-0001_S3_P02 6 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited 1. Introduction 1.1 Overview of the Proposed Scheme 1.1.1 Hanson UK Ltd (hereinafter referred to as Hanson) plan to recommence working at Westdown Quarry, near Frome in Somerset (hereafter referred to as ‘the Proposed Scheme’). Westdown Quarry has the benefit of the following planning permissions: ⚫ Interim Development Order (IDO) permission dated 23/10/1992 (Ref. IDO/M/1/A); and ⚫ Review of Old Minerals Planning Permission (ROMP) for the winning and working of limestone dated 04/11/1998 (Ref. 016248/005)1. 1.1.2 Both historic permissions were registered with Somerset County Council (the Minerals Planning Authority) in accordance with the provisions of the Planning and Compensation Act 1991 (for the IDO consent) and the Environment Act 1995 (for the ROMP consent). In accordance with these registrations, working cannot recommence until the Minerals Planning Authority (MPA) has agreed an updated scheme of planning conditions in line with modern environmental standards. 1.1.3 Further details of the Proposed Scheme can be found in Chapter 2: The Proposed Scheme. 1.2 The applicant and the project team 1.2.1 This Scoping Report has been prepared on behalf of Hanson by Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Ltd (hereafter referred to as ‘Wood’). 1.2.2 Wood is registered with the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA)'s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Quality Mark scheme. The scheme allows organisations that lead the co-ordination of EIAs in the UK to make a commitment to excellence in their EIA activities and have this commitment independently reviewed. 1.3 Purpose of this Scoping Report 1.3.1 This Scoping Report