Amended Statement General Permitted Development Order
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Amended Statement General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) M25 Widening Junction 16 to Junction 23 Two Environmental Mitigation Bunds – Off Junction 17 1. Introduction This Statement is an Amendment to a Statement which the Skanska Balfour Beatty Joint (SBBJV or JV) submitted to Three Rivers District Council in January 2009. The original Statement described the construction of an environmental mitigation bund to the east of the M25 motorway, north of Junction 17, in the area of Mill End in Rickmansworth. This Amendment does not repeat the review of the M25 Widening project which was described in the original Statement. The widening works started on 27 May 2009, four weeks later than planned as a result of the delay to the signing of the Highways Agency contract. Since the submission of the original Statement in January 2009, the Highways Agency has held the Start of Works Exhibitions during March. During these events Local Authority representatives, local residents and other interested parties discussed the bund proposals with the Highways Agency and the JV. As a result of these discussions, and residents’ concerns about the original design, Three Rivers District Council and the JV have reconsidered the opportunities to maximise the benefit of bunding in this area. This consultation has identified that a bund on the eastern side of the motorway, north of Junction 17, would benefit residents of Mill End and Rickmansworth. This bund would be smaller in design than the bund originally submitted. A second, small bund on the western side of the motorway, north of Junction 17, was promoted by a number of residents of Chorleywood. Its design is included in this Statement. This Statement is supported by the following Appendices: Appendix A Bund locations Appendix B Environmental bunds, plan drawing and cross-sections Appendix C Bund locations identified by Highways Agency (Jan 2008) Appendix D Visual impact schedule Appendix E Indicative visual envelope A similar opportunity to provide noise and visual screening to this level is unlikely to arise in the future. This represents a unique opportunity to provide significant environmental benefit to residents adjacent to the scheme. Maple Cross House, Denham Way, Maple Cross, Rickmansworth WD3 9SW The sites are situated within arable farm land north of Junction 17of the M25, lying between Shepherd’s Lane and Junction 17, and beside the motorway. See Appendix A. This GPDO notification applies to these locations. 2. Options Considered During public consultation following the publication of the Environmental Statement (ES), the Highways Agency identified a range of locations in response to requests for bunding to provide noise and visual screening to nearby properties. These locations are shown in the Highways Agency’s plan at Appendix C. Land to the east of the M25, north of Junction 17, has been selected for the development of a permanent bund and noise mitigation. Reasons and benefits: • Provides visual improvement to the widening construction which would otherwise involve a long sheet piled wall, supporting the new hard shoulder constructed on the anti-clockwise side of the motorway • Provides screening of motorway for adjacent properties – environmental (noise) barrier height 2.5m plus additional planting enhancements; Year 1 benefit compared to Year 15 continued visual impact • Provides noise reduction from motorway for adjacent properties – (Rickmansworth) potential reduction of noise levels by up to 4dB, reducing by approximately half, for many residential properties at Mill End • Requested by local community, visitors to ES exhibitions • Avoids unnecessary filling of the County’s limited landfill capacity • Sustainable solution, complying with Government sustainability guidelines • Construction traffic will access the site from Junction 17 southbound off-slip road, minimising the impact on the local road network (reduced carbon footprint) • Faster establishment of screening compared to just tree planting • Landowner agreement under negotiation Land to the west of the M25, north of Junction 17, has been selected for the development of a permanent landscape, noise and visual mitigation bund. Reasons and benefits: • Requested by local community • Provides visual improvement to the widening construction which would otherwise involve a long sheet piled wall, supporting the new hard shoulder constructed on the clockwise side of the motorway • Provides screening of the motorway for properties in Chorleywood, and for walkers and riders using the nearby public right of way • Crest height of 3m plus additional planting enhancements; Year 1 benefit compared to Year 15 continued visual impact • Provides potential noise reduction from motorway for properties in Chorleywood Maple Cross House, Denham Way, Maple Cross, Rickmansworth WD3 9SW • Avoids unnecessary filling of the County’s limited landfill capacity • Sustainable solution, complying with Government sustainability guidelines • Construction traffic will access the site from Junction 17 northbound on-slip road, minimising the impact on the local road network (reduced carbon footprint) • Faster establishment of screening compared to just tree planting • Landowner agreement under negotiation 3. Site Use Definition Landscape, noise and visual screening mitigation areas A construction design drawing of the bunds is provided at Appendix B. Description of construction methods • The topsoil will be stripped and retained in bunds (mounds) around the boundary of the site to a maximum height of 3m which will provide screening during the filling operations • Transfer inert subsoil arising from the motorway widening works to stripped area and distribute to raise ground levels in accordance with the attached design drawing o these soils comprise only naturally occurring clay and chalk, collected by excavating existing cuttings and embankments alongside the motorway between Junctions 16 and 18 only o dug by hydraulic excavator o loaded into rigid-bodied road lorries or articulated off-road dump trucks o spread by tracked bulldozer o compacted by rollers • Continue over period of approximately six months per bund • A fully designed drainage plan will be submitted to Three Rivers District Council and to Hertfordshire County Council • Replace stored topsoil and landscape with some tree and shrub planting A detailed contamination survey has been undertaken to identify the presence of any contaminated material along this stretch of the motorway. Only naturally occurring inert materials have been found. Note: the following are examples of materials not included in the bund construction: rubble, rubbish, contaminated material 4. Timescale Archaeological investigations, as agreed with the County Archaeologist, will be carried out prior to entry into the site, by agreement with the landowner. Access to the land is to be taken as soon as possible from the date of the submission of this Statement, on the provision of landowner agreement. The JV would undertake Maple Cross House, Denham Way, Maple Cross, Rickmansworth WD3 9SW these early works entirely at the company’s own risk, pending completion of the 28- day notice period. The following sequence would apply thereafter: • West bund (Chorleywood) Topsoil strip and place soil in perimeter bunding – June 2009 Construct bund as described above – June 2009 to November 2009 Re-soil and landscape by Spring 2010 • East bund (Rickmansworth) Topsoil strip and place soil in perimeter bunding – August 2009 Construct widened embankment – August 2009 to June 2010 Erect environmental barrier (noise barrier) – February 2010 Re-soil and landscape by Autumn 2010 5. Access West bund (Chorleywood) A purpose-designed access will be provided on/off clockwise on-slip road at Junction 17. All construction traffic will utilise this dedicated access point, with direct access from the widening works, thus ensuring all vehicle movements on the local road network are kept to a minimum. This bund will be constructed entirely during the clockwise widening period, until November 2009. East bund (Rickmansworth) A purpose-designed access will be provided on/off anticlockwise off-slip road at Junction 17. All construction traffic will utilise this dedicated access point, with direct access from the widening works, thus ensuring all vehicles movements on the local road network are kept to a minimum. This bund will be constructed during both the clockwise and anti-clockwise widening periods, for completion by June 2010. Detail of the access and egress design will be submitted and approval sought from the Highways Agency. 6. Impacts & Mitigation SBBJV has registered the project with the Considerate Constructors Scheme, and abides by its principles. The JV recognises that the construction of the bunds has a number of impacts on their location and environment. These impacts have been considered and assessed as follows. i. Visual Impact West bund (Chorleywood) The site is set within arable farmland abutting the M25 and extending to the residential edge of Chorleywood, with a few properties having views of the motorway from beyond 500 metres. The land falls towards the M25 and the motorway is visible. Vegetation clearance to prepare for the widening works has further exposed the view of the motorway. Maple Cross House, Denham Way, Maple Cross, Rickmansworth WD3 9SW East bund (Rickmansworth) The site is set within arable farmland abutting the M25 and extending to the residential edge of Rickmansworth, with properties having views of the motorway