REPORT Goodwin Sands Aggregate Dredging Environmental Statement Volume I - Non-Technical Summary Client: Dover Harbour Board Reference: I&BPB2107R001D01 Revision: 01/Final Date: 16 May 2016 O p e n HASKONINGDHV UK LTD. 2 Abbey Gardens Great College Street London SW1P 3NL Industry & Buildings VAT registration number: 792428892 +44 207 2222115 T [email protected] E royalhaskoningdhv.com W Document title: Goodwin Sands Aggregate Dredging Environmental Statement Document short title: Reference: I&BPB2107R001D01 Revision: 01/Final Date: 16 May 2016 Project name: Goodwin Sands Aggregate Dredging Project number: PB2107 Author(s): Jack Douglas, Caroline Price Drafted by: Jack Douglas, Caroline Price Checked by: Steve Challinor Date / initials: SC 16/05/2016 Approved by: Nicola Clay Date / initials: NC 16/05/2016 Classification Open Disclaimer No part of these specifications/printed matter may be reproduced and/or published by print, photocopy, microfilm or by any other means, without the prior written permission of HaskoningDHV UK Ltd.; nor may they be used, without such permission, for any purposes other than that for which they were produced. HaskoningDHV UK Ltd. accepts no responsibility or liability for these specifications/printed matter to any party other than the persons by whom it was commissioned and as concluded under that Appointment. The quality management system of HaskoningDHV UK Ltd. has been certified in accordance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. 16 May 2016 I&BPB2107R001D01 i O p e n Table of Contents Non- Technical Summary 1 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose of this NTS 1 1.2 The Proposed Dredging Scheme 1 1.3 Need for the Proposed Dredging Scheme 1 1.4 Structure of this NTS 1 2 Project Description 2 2.1 Introduction 2 2.2 Dredging Methodology and Timings 2 2.2.1 Methodology 2 2.2.2 Dredging Cycles and Programme 3 2.3 Consideration of Alternatives 4 3 The EIA Process 5 3.1 Legislative Requirements 5 3.2 Impact Assessment 5 4 Consultation 7 5 Existing Environment 8 5.1 Nature Conservation Designations 8 5.2 Physical and Chemical Environment 11 5.2.1 Coastal Processes and Hydrodynamics 11 5.2.2 Marine Water and Sediment Quality 12 5.3 Biological Environment 13 5.3.1 Benthic Ecology 13 5.3.2 Fish Ecology 13 5.3.3 Marine Mammals 14 5.3.4 Ornithology 15 5.4 Human Environment 16 5.4.1 Commercial and Recreational Navigation 16 5.4.2 Commercial and Recreational Fisheries 17 5.4.3 Archaeology and Historic Environment 17 5.4.4 Other Commercial and Recreational Activities 18 5.4.5 Coastal Protection and Flood Defence 20 6 Predicted Impacts and Recommended Mitigation Measures 22 6.1 Environmental Impacts 22 16 May 2016 I&BPB2107R001D01 ii O p e n 6.2 Water Framework Directive Compliance Assessment 31 6.3 Cumulative Impact Assessment 31 7 Conclusions 33 16 May 2016 I&BPB2107R001D01 iii O p e n Non- Technical Summary 1 Introduction 1.1 Purpose of this NTS This ‘Non-Technical Summary’ (NTS) provides an overview of the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process relating to DHB’s application for a Marine Licence to dredge aggregate from the Goodwin Sands, and reported in the Goodwin Sands Aggregate Dredging Environmental Statement (ES). The NTS is a standalone document which aims to use non-technical language – where possible – to describe the background to and need for the proposed Goodwin Sands aggregate dredging scheme (hereafter referred to as the proposed dredging scheme), and how it complies with the current marine licensing and regulatory regime. It describes the proposed dredging scheme, the baseline environmental conditions, the main predicted positive (beneficial) and negative (adverse) environmental impacts, and the recommended mitigation measures that are to be put in place to prevent or reduce significant adverse impacts. The ES and NTS have been prepared in accordance with the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2007 (as amended by the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Amended) Regulations 2011), so as to provide the necessary supporting information for the required marine licence. The NTS summarises the ES and, although its format broadly follows that of the ES, some changes have been made so as to provide a more readable and concise summary. Photographs, tables and figures have been included to illustrate certain points or features; it should be noted that the figures are those provided in the ES, but without the typical figure template which provides information on the source of the data, figure version, etc. 1.2 The Proposed Dredging Scheme The Goodwin Sands Aggregate Dredging Scheme (hereafter referred to as the proposed dredging scheme) is a component of DHB’s wider development within the Western Docks at the Port of Dover (the Port), known as the Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) development. As part of the DWDR development there is a requirement for aggregate (i.e. sand) for land reclamation works and berth construction works. It is proposed that up to 2.5 million m3 of aggregate will be dredged from the South Goodwin Sands and transported along a vessel transit route to the DWDR site at the Port. The proposed dredge area, vessel transit route and the Port are shown in Figure 1.1. The location of the proposed dredge area is within the South Goodwin Sands sandbank system. The Goodwin Sands sandbank system is a dynamic, highly mobile environment that contains significant volumes of aggregate resource of various grading for coastal defence, coastal development and construction to supply a range of markets and projects. This important aggregate resource includes South Sand Head, Area 342 (an area historically dredged by DHB as a source of aggregate for port development), 16 May 2016 I&BPB2107R001D01 1 385000 390000 395000 400000 ± 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 7 7 6 6 5 5 Legend: Proposed Dredge Area Vessel Transit Route 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 7 6 6 5 5 Client: Project: Dover Harbour Goodwin Sands Board Aggregate Dredging Environmental Statement Title: 0 0 0 0 0 0 Proposed Vessel Transit Route 5 5 6 6 6 6 5 5 Figure: Drawing No: 1.1 PB2107/ES/013 Revision: Date: Drawn: Checked: Size: Scale: 02 09/03/2016 JE DC A4 1:100,000 Port of Dover 01 11/11/2015 JE DC A4 1:100,000 Co-ordinate system: WGS 1984 UTM Zone 31N 0 2 4 © HaskoningDHV UK Ltd. Charts from MarineFIND.co.uk © Crown copyright, 2015. 0 0 0 Kilometres All rights reserved. Licence No EK001-0645-MF0095. Not to be used for navigation. 0 0 0 0 0 6 6 6 6 5 385000 390000 395000 400000 5 O p e n 1.3 Need for the Proposed Dredging Scheme The proposed dredging scheme is required to construct the DWDR development. The DWDR development will bring major regeneration to the Port’s Western Docks and maintain current jobs while creating new ones (Port of Dover, 2015). The existing cargo facilities at the Eastern Docks are constrained by land space and berth size and DHB wishes to expand its cargo business and provide larger and improved facilities for customers. The DWDR scheme will create new land space for the construction of new cargo handling facilities and the relocation of the cargo terminal from the Eastern Docks to the Western Docks will enable its expansion to meet customers’ requirements. The DWDR scheme will also create a new marina and waterfront and provide a significant addition to the leisure and amenity offering of Dover. 1.4 Structure of this NTS This section of the NTS (Section 1) provides an introduction and details of how to access or request copies of the ES, while Section 2 provides a summary of the proposed works. Section 3 provides a summary of the relevant legislation, consenting requirements and explains why an EIA was needed. Section 4 provides a summary of the consultation undertaken with key stakeholders to inform the EIA process. Section 5 describes, in summary, the existing baseline environmental conditions of the study area. Section 6 summarises the predicted impacts of the proposed dredging scheme on the physical, chemical, biological and human environment, and provides more details of the major and moderate negative and positive impacts to provide the reader with an understanding of how these impacts were established. All predicted impacts and proposed mitigation measures are presented in a summary table. Section 6 also summarises the cumulative impacts predicted (that is, the impacts of the proposed dredging scheme in cumulation with the impacts of other plans and proposed projects about which sufficient information is available to inform the assessment). Section 6 also summarises the findings of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) compliance assessment. This assessment is subject to different regulatory procedures to the EIA process. Finally, Section 7 presents the overall conclusions of the EIA process. 16 May 2016 I&BPB2107R001D01 1 O p e n 2 Project Description 2.1 Introduction DHB is proposing to dredge up to 2.5 million m3 of aggregate (generally comprising fine to coarse sand) from South Goodwin Sands, located approximately 19km north east of the Port of Dover. Dredging will be undertaken using one or two trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHDs) and the aggregate will be transported within the dredger(s) along a vessel transit route to the DWDR site at the Port’s Western Docks for use as fill material for land reclamation works and bund construction works. The proposed dredge area is located on the western side of South Goodwin Sands (see Figure 1.1). It covers an area of 3.9km2 and extends from the Kellet Gut channel south west along the western side of the South Calliper sandbank.