Habitats Assessment (November 2020)
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November 2020 5020/R/006/01 Horwich Moor Farm Habitat Assessment Permit Application Prepared for: Booth Ventures Limited Booth Ventures Limited Habitat Assessment Horwich Moor Farm Habitat Assessment Permit Application November 2020 Carried Out For: Prepared By: Harwood Quarry Bold Business Centre Brookfold Lane Bold Lane Harwood Sutton Bolton St. Helens BL2 4LT WA9 4TX Telephone: 01925 291111 Horwich Moor Farm Recovery Activity Habitat Assessment DOCUMENT INFORMATION AND CONTROL SHEET Document Status and Approval Schedule Report No. Title 5020/R/006/01 Horwich Moor Farm: Habitat Assessment Issue History Issue Status Date Contributors Signature Date Prepared By: November C Finney 2020 Issued to November Checked By: November 1 EA 2020 C Finney 2020 Approved by: November P Roberts 2020 DISCLAIMER This consultancy contract was completed by TerraConsult Ltd on the basis of a defined programme and scope of works and terms and conditions agreed with the client. This report was compiled with all reasonable skill, and care, bearing in mind the project objectives, the agreed scope of works, the prevailing site conditions, the budget, the degree of manpower and resources allocated to the project as agreed. TerraConsult Ltd cannot accept responsibility to any parties whatsoever, following the issue of this report, for any matters arising which may be considered outwith the agreed scope of works. This report is issued solely to the client and TerraConsult cannot accept any responsibility to any third parties to whom this report may be circulated, in part or in full, and any such parties rely on the contents at their own risk. November 2020 5020/R/006/01 Horwich Moor Farm Recovery Activity Habitat Assessment CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Site Details ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Assessment of Risk to Habitats ........................................................................................ 1 2. SCOPE OF THE ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................. 2 2.1 Operational Overview ....................................................................................................... 2 2.2 Habitats ............................................................................................................................ 2 3. POTENTIAL EMISSIONS ........................................................................................................ 3 3.1 Emission Sources ............................................................................................................. 3 3.2 Emission Types ................................................................................................................ 3 4. PATHWAYS ............................................................................................................................ 5 4.1 Potential Pathways ........................................................................................................... 5 5. POTENTIAL RECEPTORS ..................................................................................................... 6 5.1 Receptor Locations ........................................................................................................... 6 5.2 Habitats ............................................................................................................................ 6 6. RISK ASSESSMENT AND ACCIDENT MANAGEMENT PLANS ......................................... 10 6.1 Risk Assessments .......................................................................................................... 10 7. CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................... 12 DRAWINGS 5020/1/002 Sensitive Receptor Location Plan APPENDICES Appendix A Nature and Heritage Conservation Screen Appendix B Biodiversity Plan Appendix C West Pennine Moors SSSI Citation FIGURES Figure 1: Wind Rose, Diggle ......................................................................................................... 5 TABLES Table 1: Potentially Sensitive Habitat Receptors ........................................................................ 6 Table 2: Dust and Fugitive Emissions Risk Assessment and Action Plan ............................. 11 Table 3: Noise and Vibration Risk Assessment and Management Plan .................................. 11 November 2020 5020/R/006/01 Horwich Moor Farm Recovery Activity Habitat Assessment 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Site Details 1.1.1 This Habitats Assessment supports an application to the Environment Agency (Agency) for a bespoke permit for a recovery activity by Booth Ventures Limited (the Operator) at Horwich Moor Farm (the Site) which would allow the importation of suitable inert materials for agricultural improvement. 1.1.2 The Site comprises a 3.5 hectare triangular shaped area of land part of Horwich Moor Farm. The Site is situated in an upland rural location approximately 5.8 miles north west of Bolton and 2.3 miles east of Horwich. The Site is situated at National Grid reference SD 66562 11793. The Site is accessed from Matchmoor Lane which connects to George’s Lane and the B6226. Neighbouring land uses include agriculture, quarrying, wildlife habitats, and residential properties. 1.1.3 The Site was previously quarried out for stone for use in the construction of the M61 in the 1960s. The land is now rough grassland and has not been fully restored. Previous phases of the quarry have been restored to grassland for agricultural grazing. 1.1.4 An environmental permit issued in July 2010 permitted waste deposits to the east of the proposed Site. The permit was extended in October 2011 to the land to the north and west of the initial area (reference number WML/101639 and HP3092LC/V002). This was successfully surrendered in March 2017. 1.1.5 The most recent planning permission 00176/17 was granted in May 2017 and allows for the importation of sub soils and inert materials to a depth of 1 m. The required volume of soils for the agricultural improvement is understood to be 35,000 m3, based on 1 m depth over an approximate area of 3.5 ha. Following restoration, the site will be suitable for a range of agricultural end uses including agricultural grassland and forestry. 1.2 Assessment of Risk to Habitats 1.2.1 The Agency web-based guidance1 requires that everyone applying for a new environmental permit (other than a standard permit) or variation to an existing permit should present information in the form of risk assessments considering odour, noise, fugitive emissions (including dust), pests, birds and vermin and visible plumes. This assessment addresses solely the risk to habitats. A separate Environmental Risk Assessment has been prepared and addresses the risk to all receptors (Report Reference: 5020/R/002). 1.2.2 Where relevant hazards are identified, they should be considered with regard to potential receptors and the pathway from the hazard to those receptors. In addition, the tables should also include the preventative risk management practices to be employed along with an assessment of the mitigated risk. These tables will be included in this assessment if a viable source of potentially harmful emissions is identified in combination with a potential pathway and sensitive receptor. 1 Risk assessments for your environmental permit. Environment Agency. February 2020. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/risk- assessments-for-your-environmental-permit November 2020 1 5020/R/006/01 Horwich Moor Farm Recovery Activity Habitat Assessment 2. SCOPE OF THE ASSESSMENT 2.1 Operational Overview Current Operations 2.1.1 The triangular parcel of land subject of this application is currently used only as part of a rough grazing regime due to the poor quality of the land and poor drainage. A Soil Survey undertaken in March 2018 to inform the Agricultural Benefit Statement submitted as part of the Waste Recovery Plan (WRP) provides a summary of the quality of the land and the justification for the required improvement for beneficial use. A copy of the soil survey is provided at Appendix A. Proposed Operations 2.1.2 This bespoke permit application proposes the importation and deposit of approximately 35,000 m3 suitable selective inert material to facilitate the reclamation, restoration and improvement of the land to allow a future use for productive agriculture and forestry. The restoration is approved by planning permission 00176/17. The WRP (Version 5, March 2018) has also been approved by the Agency. It allows for the importation of sub soils and inert materials to a depth of 1.0 m across the site. A soil profile of 200 mm topsoil overlying 800 mm of decompacted subsoil forming material is considered to be the best material to allow productive tree and grass growth and to raise the level of the land and hence reduce water run-off at the Site. 2.1.3 The proposed waste types to be used in the recovery activity will comprise inert materials / subsoils only with negligible potential to produce gas or leachate. 2.1.4 The proposed permit boundary is shown by the green boundary on drawing referenced 5020/1/001: Environmental Permit Boundary Plan. 2.1.5 A biodiversity plan has been approved by the Local Authority. Upon completion of the land remediation, a double fence will be erected throughout the perimeter