EXHIBIT LIST Reference No: HOC/00166 Petitioner: George and Brenda Astley Published to Collaboration Area: Thursday 14-Jun-2018

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1 A186 Presentation.pdf (A186) 2 - 10

2 A187 Photo exhibits.pdf (A187) 11 - 20

3 A188 Exhibit 1 Plan of Roads.pdf (A188) 21

4 A189 Exhibit 2 Plan of Farm.pdf (A189) 22

5 A190 Exhibit 3 Plan of Watercourses.pdf (A190) 23

6 A191 Hydrological report.pdf (A191) 24 - 30

7 A192 CT-06-205.pdf (A192) 31

HOC/00166/0001 George & Brenda Astley: Petition No. 166

A186 (1) HOC/00166/0002 Blythe House Farm

• Petitioners run a 62 Hectare Farm on the outskirts of • The Farm is split over several locations • As well as Arable cropping, farm business has been diversified • Have a 5 pitch CL caravan site • Let out approximately 16 business units on the farm • Businesses include a Brewery, Artists Studio & Framers, Classic Car Restorer • Farm has been owned and run by the Astley Family for 100 years (since 1918)

A186 (2) HOC/00166/0003 Ecological & Other Mitigation Measures on farmland (1)

• Promoter has proposed an area of grassland plus newt ponds in the southern corner of the Petitioners field • Not appropriate • No ponds in this area of the field currently • Land drains run through this area as lowest part of the field • This area was used as a pit hole for Shanks waste several decades ago • Do not know what is in there and would be imprudent to dig it up • Valuable field used for growing vegetable crops • Should not be used as grassland as per HS2 commitments to use less high grade land

A186 (3) HOC/00166/0004 Ecological & Other Mitigation Measures on farmland (2)

• Have already sent request to HS2 Ltd move the newt ponds elsewhere • Petitioner has highlighted new more suitable location • HS2 Ltd have issued an assurance to remove the newt ponds • Location currently unspecified

A186 (4) HOC/00166/0005 Access (1) • Proposals under the Bill will potentially have a serious impact upon access to the Petitioners Land, Farmstead & Businesses • The best road out of Hamstall Ridware is Road/Common Lane through Pipe Ridware • Only 3 roads out of Hamstall Ridware: Blithbury, Lichfield & Yoxall • Yoxall Road is susceptible to bad flooding & impassable at times of heavy rain • Blithbury Road is a narrow single track lane • Lichfield Road used by most business traffic in and out of the farm • Borrow Pit traffic will need to cross this road • Businesses and Caravans account for 2/3 of Farm turnover

A186 (5) HOC/00166/0006 Access (2)

• Any road closures which restrict access to the farm could result in businesses being moved elsewhere • Business model has been built on ability to fill unit space prior to its conversion • In 2017 Blythe House Farm had approx. 500 caravans visit the site • Lichfield Road Access must remain open at all times • Temporary Closure could be detrimental impact to let businesses at Blythe House Farm • Have understood it is to be restricted • Petitioner requires undertaking to this effect

A186 (6) HOC/00166/0007 Borrow Pit (1) • Petitioners are gravely concerned regarding the effects of the Blithbury North Borrow Pit • Have land immediately adjacent to the Borrow Pit site • Concerned regarding: • Effects of dewatering the site will have on the water table • Their crop production: field is used to grow high value crops such as potatoes • Understand site has a value to HS2 for aggregate but entirely inappropriate to use • A brook course and large culvert drain into this area around the site • Borrow Pit is surrounded on 3 sides by Water • Dewatering & possible pump usage could cause flooding along Lichfield Road & Nethertown

A186 (7) HOC/00166/0008 Borrow Pit (2)

• No information on how the extraction process will be handled • How will dust be treated? • Will the site need to be dewatered? • Where will waste water be deposited? • No ground investigations so far on this site • Petitioner has installed own Piezometer to monitor water table • Results show water table sits at 1.3m - 1.7m below ground surface • Request to not use this site • Other sites in area as per NFU Report & requests

A186 (8) HOC/00166/0009 Petition Costs

• Are seeking to have petitioning costs covered by HS2 • The Petition covers areas where we have sought engagement and action from HS2 but have received no information back • Communication has been very poor

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A190 HOC/00166/0023 Flood Data Services Ltd

HS2 Construction: phase 2a

Hydrological Report for Blythe House Farm

Report prepared by Martin Langdon

June 2018

Hydrological report - Blythe House Farm 1

A191 (1) HOC/00166/0024 Flood Data Services Ltd 1 Introduction Construction works for a high speed rail line, known as the Proposed Scheme, is under review for the hybrid High Speed Rail ( to Crewe) Bill 2017. The second phase of the West Midlands and Crewe line is referred to in this report as HS2a.

This report concentrates on a section of works within HS2a between Shaw Lane and Hadley Gate in Community Area 1 (CA1), as amended by Additional Provision. Relevant objectives, details, and drawings are found in documents listed at the end of this report.

The purpose of this report is to provide evidence of impacts likely to affect the predominantly man-made drainage systems, local hydrology, and water environment due to the proposals. It highlights areas where there are significant gaps or omissions in the proposals where these relate to hydrological matters. Of primary concern, is the lack of seasonal baseline data for ordinary watercourses, water bodies, and groundwater, upon which any measure of success or compliance with scheme objectives would necessarily rely.

Blythe House Farm is described in Petition Number 166. It is a small farm which is highly susceptible to minor losses in crop yield. Such losses are bound to arise from the Proposed Scheme due to land take, and severe impact on the sub-soil drainage systems.

2 Impact of Proposed Scheme Extents and types of works are to be found on drawing CT-06-204

2.1 Ecological mitigation ponds Two ecological mitigation ponds are proposed to be created near chainage 194+150, together with surrounding grassland habitat.

This will be a loss of agricultural land.

The current field is underlain by sub-soil field drains, which will be destroyed by mature tree roots on the northern boundary and by the creation of the ponds. It is unclear how the ponds will be dissociated from the sub-soil drains, a necessity if they are to hold water.

2.2 Pipe Lane flooding Proposals show where track, cutting and embankment surface water drainage goes directly towards Pipe Lane, near the existing junction with Dawson Lane.

Figure 10 and paragraphs 6.1.8 to 6.1.14 of document E96 indicate that an increase in flooding will likely occur due to the Proposed Scheme. This is contrary to the earlier stated aim of compliance with National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF) by "without increasing flood risk elsewhere" (E96 para 2.1.1).

Hydrological report - Blythe House Farm 2

A191 (2) HOC/00166/0025 Flood Data Services Ltd

It appears that as the lane is deemed to be 'less vulnerable', such a 'negligible' widespread increase in flooding is acceptable.

It is difficult to assess the impacts on local hydrology, and see how directing water towards a known flood-prone area will alleviate the problem. The locations of nearby balancing ponds appear to be incompatible with flood alleviation. The presumption should be that most run-off from the permanent works will be initially conveyed to balancing ponds, prior to discharge onto Pipe Lane. The drawings show rail-side ditches discharging into Pipe Lane directly, with minimal potential to be stored off-line. The balancing pond (AP-001-002) appears to be undersized and on the wrong side of the road.

To meet widely accepted highway standards, it is desired to have no flooding of the highway at the 1 in 30 year probability, and kept to a minimum for the 100 year plus an allowance for climate change (100yr+CC) flood. The actual permitted depth for the 100yr+CC flood is to be agreed with all emergency services. All design exceedance flow routes should be identified and mapped, together with depth-velocity information.

2.3 Old pit and tip locations Drawings CT-05-204 and CT-05-205 do not show locations of old pits and underground tips. These are purported to be around chainages 194+000 and 195+000.

If the railway drainage channels allow surface water to enter these pits and tips, the effect on groundwater quality needs to be compared to baseline measurements. Where they lay directly under the main track, their extents need to be verified.

Hydrological report - Blythe House Farm 3

A191 (3) HOC/00166/0026 Flood Data Services Ltd 4 Impact of Temporary Works Extents and types of works are to be found on drawing CT-05-204.

4.1 Borrow pits Blithbury borrow pit near Pipe Lane is expected to contain sands and gravels down to an average depth of 11.1 m, up to a maximum depth of 15 m (D12 and E13 para 2.3.31).

This borrow pit is likely to be hydraulically connected to either a large sandstone aquifer, or alluvial deposits of the . In either case, there is likely to be significant sub-surface flows entrained from those directions.

Although no detailed borehole information on the thickness and permeability of sub-surface materials was available for producing this report, it is estimated that the range of influence for water table drawdown could be between 100 m and 500 m from the extent of workings.

There is a conspicuous lack of detail as to what existing seasonal groundwater levels and variations are, and nothing to state by how much and for how long these will vary on a daily basis to the local fields during borrow pit use. A relatively small change in groundwater levels at critical growing periods will cause substantial loss of crop and growth potential. The resultant crop yields may be insufficient to meet minimum farm needs

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A191 (4) HOC/00166/0027 Flood Data Services Ltd 5 Recommended Provisions for Data Acquisition The following recommendations are for the farm as a whole, or individual water bodies, as necessary.

I recommend that baseline information should cover at least one hydrological year prior to commencement of works to establish seasonal variations.

5.1 Rainfall I recommended that local rainfall is recorded on at least a daily basis at 9 am, though ideally hourly, as accurately as possible using a standard rain gauge.

5.2 Airborne soil and dust I recommend that simple directional samplers are installed to monitor airborne particles, and read on a daily basis.

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A191 (5) HOC/00166/0028 Flood Data Services Ltd 6 Statement of Truth I confirm that insofar as the facts stated in my report are within my own knowledge, I have made clear which they are and that I believe them to be true, and that the opinions I have expressed represent my true and complete professional opinions.

7 Information relied on in this report I have obtained information from a variety of sources to complete this report, in particular:

HS2 documents

D12 Borrow pits

E13 Volume 2 CA1 report: to Colton E16 Land drainage E21 Balancing ponds and replacement flood storage areas E26 Climate change adaptation and resilience E95 Water resources assessment E96 Flood risk assessment

G3 A1 plans and sections G9 Volume 2 CA1 report: Fradley to Colton G14 Volume 2 CA1 map book G31 Flood risk assessment G32 Volume 5 map book

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A191 (6) HOC/00166/0029 Flood Data Services Ltd 8 Qualifications and Experience

EDUCATION

1977-1980 Queen Mary College, University of London BA (Hons) 2ii Geography

1981-1983 University College London MSc / RICS Land survey

EMPLOYMENT

1980-1981 Cheltenham Borough Council Highways Inspector

1983-1986 Hunting Surveys & Consultants Surveyor

1986-1991 Tarmac Construction (Major Projects) Senior Surveyor

1991-1997 National Rivers Authority Surveyor; Project Engineer

1997-2004 Environment Agency Team Leader-Improvements

2004-2007 Lower Severn Drainage Board Deputy Engineer

2007-2009 Capita Symonds: Flood risk & hydrology Associate Director

2009+ Flood Data Services Ltd Independent Consultant

SUMMARY

An independent consultant in flood risk and land drainage, with over 25 years UK experience in flood hydrology, water resources management, and capital scheme justification, in both technical and managerial roles.

EXPERT WITNESS

Crown Court, Planning Inquiries and Appeals

MEMBERSHIPS

British Hydrological Society Member affiliated to Institution of Civil Engineers

British Soil Survey Society Member

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