Somerset County Council
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Somerset County Council Colley Lane Southern Access Road Outline Landscape Management Plan For Planning Issue, October 2008 Somerset County Council Colley Lane Southern Access Road Outline Landscape Management Plan Notice This document has been produced by ATKINS Ltd for Somerset County Council solely for the purpose of the Outline Landscape Management Plan for the proposed Colley Lane Southern Access Road scheme, Taunton. It may not be used by any person for any other purpose other than that specified without the express written permission of ATKINS Ltd. Any liability arising out of use by a third party of this document for purposes not wholly connected with the above shall be the responsibility of that party who shall indemnify ATKINS Ltd against all claims costs damages and losses arising out of such use. Document History JOB NUMBER: MJ000052 DOCUMENT REF: MJ000052-CLSAR/022 Purpose and Revision Originated Checked Reviewed Authorised Date Description O For Planning MND AL EST MND 30.10.08 Revision Description of Changes - - 1 MJ000052-CLSAR/022_Outline Landscape Management Plan Somerset County Council Colley Lane Southern Access Road Outline Landscape Management Plan Contents Section Title Page no. 1.0 Introduction 3 2.0 Description 4 2.1 General 2.2 Detailed Scheme Description 2.3 Baseline Conditions and Landscape Character 2.4 Climate 2.5 Geology and Hydrology 2.6 Land Cover 2.7 Fauna 3.0 Evaluation 8 3.1 Reasons For Establishment 3.2 Evaluation 3.3 Features Relevant to Site Management 3.4 Broad Management Objectives 4.0 Prescription 10 4.1 Projects 4.2 Detailed Management Objectives and Work Schedules 2 MJ000052-CLSAR/022_Outline Landscape Management Plan Somerset County Council Colley Lane Southern Access Road Outline Landscape Management Plan 1.0 Introduction Atkins Ltd has been appointed by Somerset County Council to prepare an Outline Landscape Management Plan for the proposed Colley Lane Southern Access Road scheme. The purpose of this management plan is to set out the long and short term goals for the soft landscape proposals associated with the development in the interests of the visual amenity, wildlife and nature conservation of the surrounding area. With these goals in mind, the document also provides information for the maintenance of tree planting, amenity/broad leaved shrub planting and long term health of grassland areas. Although this document sets out long term goals and landscape management practices for the first 5 years of the operation of the new highway scheme, it is not intended to be a ‘frozen’ document that prescribes maintenance procedures for the entire lifespan of the project. The management of habitats and communities is an imprecise science, concerned with intervention within a habitat or community to steer it in a particular direction. In order to undertake such management, assumptions must be made about the direction that a habitat will take. Consequently, it is important that a management plan such as this is encouraged to evolve and develop in parallel with the habitats it oversees. The management plan should be treated as a ‘living’ document to change and adapt as required as the conditions of the site change over time. Refer to landscape proposals drawings 5049581/LS/LA/006 to 5049581/LS/LA/011 for all landscape scheme proposals. 3 MJ000052-CLSAR/022_Outline Landscape Management Plan Somerset County Council Colley Lane Southern Access Road Outline Landscape Management Plan 2.0 Description 2.1 General The Colley Lane Southern Access Road (CLSAR) scheme is a new highway scheme in Bridgwater which is proposed to provide access into Colley Lane Industrial Estate from the south. The new road will run on a north to south alignment from Parrett Way crossing the River Parrett and the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal to Marsh Lane off Showground Road where a new roundabout is proposed. The Bridgwater Town Transport Study identified the CLSAR as being of primary importance to the re-routing of traffic in Bridgwater. The Colley Lane Industrial Estate can only currently be accessed from the A38 to the north of the estate. Therefore, any vehicles approaching the estate from the south must travel along the A38 Taunton Road and Broadway, before turning back south into the estate via Salmon Parade. The provision of the CLSAR will enable vehicles to enter and exit the estate to the south without travelling along Broadway and Taunton Road. The creation of a new north to south route onto Colley Lane will provide some spare capacity on Taunton Road. This will assist in the provision of potential sustainable travel along Taunton Road. The road will also provide access to areas of land between the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal and the River Parrett, as well as the area between the River Parrett and the southern units of the Colley Lane Industrial Estate. 2.2 Detailed Scheme Description The highways scheme has been designed in relation to the highways design standards and safety criteria. To achieve the required levels needed to cross the river while maintaining clear head height levels at the river footpath, the proposed road in this area is higher than the existing ground levels. In order to achieve this change, approximately 1:2 gradient embankments are proposed beyond the footpaths in order to tie the highways proposals into the existing external spaces associated with the development. These embankments are elevated to this gradient where feasible to achieve a minimum land take beyond the road alignment. A minimum of 2m wide footpaths are proposed which form connections on both sides of the proposed road. Where cycle paths share the footpaths, the overall footpath width is increased. With regard to landscape proposals throughout the scheme, areas of planting are restricted to the extent of embankments as highlighted above. In each case, the back of footpaths is formed by a pin kerb edge restraint which forms the interface between hard and soft materials (refer to drawing 5049581/LS/LA/011 for indicative embankment details). To the rear of the edge restraint, a 500mm wide road verge grass mix/maintenance mowing strip is provided. This area forms a level plateau to the top of the embankment before the slope descends at an approximate 1:2 gradient. Between this zone and the base of the embankments, the landscape proposals take a number of intertwining forms. 4 MJ000052-CLSAR/022_Outline Landscape Management Plan Somerset County Council Colley Lane Southern Access Road Outline Landscape Management Plan Swathes of neutral grassland are combined with swathes of broad leaved shrubs which form visual interest while maintaining a natural, native character throughout the scheme. The combination of grasses and shrubs together with extra heavy standard trees strategically positioned in groups and individual solitaires, forms a complex layering of vegetation typically found within the natural landscapes surrounding the site and local area. They also help to screen long views across the site. Existing trees have been retained wherever the development permits. In areas where existing trees are removed new trees are proposed to mitigate this removal. 2.3 Landscape Character The Somerset Levels and Moors is a broad area of low-lying farmland and wetland surrounded and divided up by low hills and ridges which form the Mid Somerset Hills. On the northern boundary, the Mendip Hills rise steeply out of the flat landscape. To the east, the Yeovil Scarplands subside into gentle landforms which extend into the character area. Landscape character areas present unique features comprising distinct geographical formations of a particular landscape type. The Countryside Agency has carried out an assessment of landscape characters of the English countryside called the Countryside Character Initiative. This initiative includes systematic description of the features and characteristics that make up the landscape of a character area. The area of the site lies within the “Somerset Levels and Moors/Mid Somerset Hills”, character area 142/3, defined in the Countryside Agency document “Countryside Character Volume 8: South West”. While the key indicative characteristics of this particular section of the character area include ‘Flat, open landscape of wet pasture, arable and wetland divided up by wet ditches or ‘rhynes’ the CLSAR site is mainly characterised by the large warehouse sheds and associated hard standing open spaces of the Industrial Estate. Though the River Parrett and Taunton and Bridgwater Canal flow across the proposed site, the area is dominated by industrial units and open wasteland. Views towards the north east are dominated by the M5 motorway which has a strong visual impact on the surrounding area 2.4 Climate The climate of the area is typical of south west England and is highly influenced by its proximity to the sea in either direction, a result of the peninsular landform of Somerset, Devon and Cornwall. Although Bridgwater is located inland, the sea still acts to regulate the climate and maintain the temperature at a mild level throughout the year. The mean average temperature is between 8 and 10 Degrees Celsius. January is the coldest month, with a winter average of 1 or 2 Degrees Celsius, with the summer average around 21 Degrees Celsius. This translates into a relatively long growing season, with 30 to 40 air frost days per year and around 90 ground frost days per year. The site experiences between 1500 and 1700 hours of sunshine per year, with the most hours of sunshine in July and the least in December. Rainfall is typical of a semi- Mediterranean regime, averaging around 700mm per year, with the highest levels in December and January and the driest period being between April and July. Snowfall is 5 MJ000052-CLSAR/022_Outline Landscape Management Plan Somerset County Council Colley Lane Southern Access Road Outline Landscape Management Plan uncommon, with a maximum average of 8 to 15 days per year although accumulation of snow cover is extremely rare.