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Issue Date: December 2008 UNCLASSIFIED Issue No: 2 DIRECTORATE MAJOR PROJECT 7. Ground Conditions Mensa Environmental Appraisal Volume 1 7. GROUND CONDITIONS 4) Landscaping and biodiversity proposals, details can be found within 7.2.2 National Planning Policy Chapter 13: Landscape and Visual Impacts. 7.2.2.1 Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 23: Planning and Pollution 7.1 Introduction It is proposed that the Application Site will be surrounded with a security fence to Control separate the construction works from the rest of AWE Burghfield. This fence line This chapter describes the geological, hydrological, hydrogeological, and will traverse the eastern most extent of the Former Site Tip, located in the north Land contamination and its risk to health is a material consideration under potential land contamination aspects of the Application Site. eastern reaches of AWE Burghfield (see Figure 7-1). planning and development control, and applies to the intended use of the site. Existing guidance on assessing risks to health under the Town and Country An assessment has been undertaken to ascertain whether, and to what extent, 7.2 Legislation and Planning Policy Context Planning Acts is limited to the amended Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 23: the Proposed Development and the environment will be impacted by the current ‘Planning and Pollution Control’ (Ref. 7-6), which more clearly aligns the ground conditions within the Application Site. This will include the assessment of Re-development of brownfield land must take into account the regulatory context requirements under planning with those under Part IIA. This is consistent with the potential radiological, explosive and chemical ground contamination from either of the proposal site and development, provide information that is fit for purpose practical requirements that a site under planning for its intended or proposed use current or historical uses of the Application Site. This assessment has enabled and be in accordance with UK good practice. An environmental assessment of should not fail the requirements of Part IIA when the site is occupied and in use. the refinement of the Conceptual Site Model (CSM), which reviews potential the condition of the site must not only consider the potential receptors of human sources, pathways and receptors for identified contaminants and allow the health and controlled waters but also include a review of the relevant legislation 7.2.2.2 Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) 14: Development on Unstable determination of the significance of any potential impacts for the Application Site. and planning policy that applies to the site and its immediate environs. Further Land Furthermore, risks to future site users and environmental receptors have been information with regards to local and regional planning policy can be found in National Planning Policy Guidance on the geotechnical condition of soils is concluded, and assessments of residual and cumulative impacts of the Proposed Chapter 3: Planning Policy Context of this EA. Development have been made. defined in Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 14: ‘Development on Unstable 7.2.1 Legislation Land’ (Ref. 7-7). PPG14 identifies the situations that can result in and arise from This chapter refers to, draws information from, and summarises the Ground the development of unstable ground. The guidance aims to: Conditions Technical Report located in Technical Appendix A of Volume II of this There are three key legislative drivers for dealing with risks to human health and Environmental Appraisal (EA). the environment from historical land contamination, namely: • Minimise the risks and effects of land instability on property, infrastructure and the public; This chapter has been written by RPS Planning and Development (RPS). • Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990 (the • Help to ensure that various types of development are not placed in “contaminated land” regime) (Ref. 7-1); 7.1.1 Proposed Development unstable locations without appropriate precautions; • The Water Resources Act 1991 (Ref. 7-2); and • Bring unstable land, wherever possible, back into productive use; and The Application Site and Proposed Development have been outlined in detail in • The Town and Country Planning Act, 1990 (Ref. 7-3). Chapter 1: Introduction and Chapter 5: Proposed Development of this • Assist in safeguarding public and private investment through a full appreciation of site conditions and necessary precautionary measures. Environmental Appraisal (EA). The Proposed Development will comprise three In the UK, Part IIA of the EPA, as introduced by Section 57 of the Environment main components, as follows: Act 1995 (Ref. 7-1), provides the legislative framework within which site data is to 7.2.3 Regional Planning Policy be assessed. Under Part IIA of the EPA, sites are identified as “contaminated 1) The permanent proposed facilities located within the centre of AWE land” if they are causing significant harm or if there is a significant possibility of Policy Q6 of the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) Burghfield include: the Main Process Facility and Support Building with 14 significant harm or if the site is causing, or could cause, pollution of Controlled (Ref. 7-8) dated March 2001 provides general guidance for development planning lightning conductor towers; a Plant Building with two lighting conductor Waters. Controlled waters are defined as including both surface waters and throughout the Region. It states that local authorities and key agencies can play towers; two gatehouses; two vehicle inspection bays; two electrical groundwater. The Water Act 2003 (Ref. 7-2) introduced a revision to the wording a role in improving the local environment, and public health and safety, including substations; two Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) lagoons; associated of the EPA, which now requires that a site is causing, or could cause, significant restoring derelict and contaminated land. RPG9 will be replaced by the South access roads and an operational vehicle waiting area. Permanent features pollution of Controlled Waters in order to be determined as Contaminated Land. East Plan, which will become the adopted Regional Spatial Strategy for the South which will be located at Pingewood Gate in the north-east of the Application East in due course. Site include a primary intake sub-station and a SuDs lagoon. Once a site is determined to be “Contaminated Land” then remediation is 2) The temporary construction enclave, implemented in order to isolate required to render significant pollutant linkages (i.e. the source-pathway-receptor construction activities from the main AWE Burghfield site. Further details of relationships that are associated with significant harm and/or significant pollution the construction enclave, can be found in Chapter 6: Construction Phase of of controlled waters) insignificant, subject to a test of reasonableness. this EA. The Building Act 1984 (Ref. 7-4) and the Building Regulations 2000 (Ref. 7-5) are 3) A temporary car park and HGV marshalling area will be built at Pingewood the two key legislative drivers when considering structural and design aspects of Gate in the north-east of the Application Site. This area will enable vehicular a development in terms of geotechnical properties of the ground. The access and egress to the construction enclave during the construction phase Regulations require that buildings are constructed so that ground movement of the development. Further details of the Pingewood Gate car park and caused by swelling, shrinkage, freezing, landslip or subsidence of the sub-soils HGV marshalling area, can be found in Chapter 6: Construction Phase of will not impair the stability of any part of the building. this EA. Uncontrolled Copy when Printed 7-1 UNCLASSIFIED Issue Date: December 2008 UNCLASSIFIED Issue No: 2 DIRECTORATE MAJOR PROJECT 7. Ground Conditions Mensa Environmental Appraisal Volume 1 Figure 7-1: Application Site Sampling Locations Uncontrolled Copy when Printed 7-2 UNCLASSIFIED Issue Date: December 2008 UNCLASSIFIED Issue No: 2 DIRECTORATE MAJOR PROJECT 7. Groun d Conditions Mensa Environmental Appraisal Volume 1 7.2.4 Local Planning Policy • Hydrogeological Map (Sheet 7) of South West Chilterns, 1:100,000 based on compliance or non-compliance with water quality standards. The water scale; quality standards used within this assessment are as follows: The following local planning documents do not contain any specific policies • Sheet 7, SW Chilterns, Berkshire and Marlborough Downs; relating to land contamination: • Environmental Quality Standards (EQS) (Ref. 7-44) for the assessment Groundwater Vulnerability Map of Upper Thames & Berkshire Downs. of water quality with respect to impact upon freshwater life in Burghfield Sheet 38. 1:100,000 (Environment Agency); • The Berkshire Structure Plan 2001-2016 (Ref. 7-9), which contains Brook and other nearby surface water courses; policies of relevance to Local Authorities including West Berkshire • Environment Agency (Environment Agency) publication ‘The Physical • Revised Drinking Water Standards (DWS) (Ref. 7-45) (Water Supply Council in preparing their own development plans; Properties of Minor Aquifers in England and Wales’, 2000; (Water Quality) Regulations (2000)) are used for the evaluation of • The adopted West Berkshire District Local Plan 1991-2006 Saved • Environment Agency website, DEFRA website; and, potential human health risks associated with the ingestion of either Policies (Ref. 7-10); and