Curdworth to Middleton HS2 London-West Midlands May 2013
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PHASE ONE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Community Forum Area Report 20 | Curdworth to Middleton HS2 London-West Midlands May 2013 ENGINE FOR GROWTH DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT Community Forum Area Report ENGINE FOR GROWTH 20 I Curdworth to Middleton High Speed Two (HS2) Limited, 2nd Floor, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU Telephone: 020 7944 4908 General email enquiries: [email protected] Website: www.hs2.org.uk © Crown copyright, 2013, except where otherwise stated Copyright in the typographical arrangement rests with the Crown. You may re-use this information (not including logos or third-party material) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or e-mail: [email protected]. Where we have identified any third-party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned. To order further copies contact: DfT Publications Tel: 0300 123 1102 Web: www.dft.gov.uk/orderingpublications Product code: ES/19 Printed in Great Britain on paper containing at least 75% recycled fibre. CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 I Contents Contents Draft Volume 2: Community Forum Area Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 5 Part A: Introduction 6 1 Introduction 7 1.1 Introduction to HS2 7 1.2 Purpose of this report 7 1.3 Structure of this report 9 Part B: Curdworth to Middleton – overview of the area and description of the Proposed Scheme 10 2 Curdworth to Middleton 11 2.1 Overview of the area 11 2.2 Description of the Proposed Scheme 15 2.3 Construction of the Proposed Scheme 18 2.4 Operation of the Proposed Scheme 29 2.5 Community forum engagement 30 2.6 Route section main alternatives 31 2.7 Proposals for further consideration 32 Part C: Environmental topic assessments 33 3 Agriculture, forestry and soils 34 3.1 Introduction 34 3.2 Policy framework 34 3.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 34 3.4 Environmental baseline 34 3.5 Construction 37 3.6 Operation 39 1 CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 I Contents 4 Air quality 41 4.1 Introduction 41 4.2 Policy framework 41 4.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 41 4.4 Environmental baseline 41 4.5 Construction 43 4.6 Operation 44 5 Community 45 5.1 Introduction 45 5.2 Policy framework 45 5.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 45 5.4 Environmental baseline 45 5.5 Construction 47 5.6 Operation 51 6 Cultural heritage 52 6.1 Introduction 52 6.2 Policy framework 52 6.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 52 6.4 Environmental baseline 52 6.5 Construction 54 6.6 Operation 58 7 Ecology 60 7.1 Introduction 60 7.2 Policy framework 60 7.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 60 7.4 Environmental baseline 61 7.5 Construction 63 7.6 Operation 67 8 Land quality 69 8.1 Introduction 69 8.2 Policy framework 69 8.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 69 8.4 Environmental baseline 70 8.5 Construction 72 8.6 Operation 74 2 CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 I Contents 9 Landscape and visual assessment 76 9.1 Introduction 76 9.2 Policy framework 76 9.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 76 9.4 Environmental baseline 77 9.5 Construction 78 9.6 Operation 83 10 Socio-economics 90 10.1 Introduction 90 10.2 Policy framework 90 10.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 90 10.4 Environmental baseline 90 10.5 Construction 91 10.6 Operation 92 11 Sound, noise and vibration 93 11.1 Introduction 93 11.2 Policy framework 93 11.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 93 11.4 Environmental baseline 93 11.5 Construction 93 11.6 Operation 94 12 Traffic and transport 97 12.1 Introduction 97 12.2 Policy framework 97 12.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 97 12.4 Environmental baseline 99 12.5 Construction 100 12.6 Operation 103 13 Water resources and flood risk assessment 104 13.1 Introduction 104 13.2 Policy framework 104 13.3 Assessment scope and key assumptions 104 13.4 Environmental baseline 104 13.5 Construction 106 13.6 Operation 108 14 References 110 2 3 CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 I Contents List of figures Figure 1: HS2 Phase One route and community forum areas 8 Figure 2: Area context map 12 Figure 3: Indicative construction programme for the area 29 Figure 4: Business sector composition in NWBC and the West Midlands 91 List of tables Table 1: Location of construction site compounds 20 Table 2: Location of temporary worker accommodation sites 22 Table 3: Demolition works 23 Table 4: Highway and road diversions 24 Table 5: Footpath, cycleway and bridleway diversions 25 Table 6: Viaducts, underbridges and overbridges 27 Table 7: Holdings affected by the Proposed Scheme 36 Table 8: Preliminary evaluation of likely value of protected and/or notable species occurring within this section of the route 62 Table 9: Significant residual construction effects on ecological receptors within this section of the route 66 Table 10: Significant residual operational effects on ecological receptors within this section of the route 67 Table 11: Significant landscape effects during construction 79 Table 12: Significant visual effects during construction 80 Table 13: Significant landscape effects during operation year 1 (2026) 84 Table 14: Significant visual effects during operation year 1 (2026) 85 Table 15: Options for further mitigation 96 Table 16: Compound and satellite construction site compound by size, number, workforce number, average duration of use and peak hour trips 101 4 CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 I Contents Draft Volume 2: Community Forum Area Report Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 Structure of the HS2 draft Environmental Statement The draft ES documentation for the purpose of this consultation comprises: • A non-technical summary (NTS) – providing a summary of the Proposed Scheme, the likely significant effects of the Proposed Scheme, both beneficial and adverse, and the means to avoid or reduce the adverse effects; and • A main report – consisting of two volumes: ȃ Volume 1: Introduction to the Environmental Statement and Proposed Scheme which provides an introduction to HS2, an overview of the hybrid bill process and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) methodology, an introduction to consultation and engagement, the main strategic and route-wide alternatives considered; and ȃ Volume 2: Includes 26 Community Forum Area (CFA) reports, each with a separate corresponding set of drawings, which together provide the assessment of local environmental effects. An assessment of the effects of the Proposed Scheme on a route-wide basis is presented in Report 27. HS2 Ltd set up 26 community forums along the line of route of the Proposed Scheme, as a regular way of engaging with local communities1. Volume 2 of this draft ES supports this engagement strategy by providing a draft ES report for each CFA. This is a report for the Curdworth to Middleton area, CFA20. The draft ES has been written in a clear and accessible manner; however, on occasion it has been necessary to use technical terms. Given this, a glossary of terms and list of abbreviations for all draft ES documentation is provided. 1 Details of these community forums are provided on the HS2 Ltd website at http://www.hs2.org.uk/have-your-say/forums/community-forums. Accessed 25 April 2013. 5 CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 I Contents Part A: Introduction 6 CFA Report – Curdworth to Middleton/No 20 I Introduction 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction to HS2 1.1.1 HS2 is planned to be a Y-shaped rail network with stations in London, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, South Yorkshire and the East Midlands, linked by high speed trains running at speeds of up to 360 kilometres per hour (kph) (225 miles per hour (mph)). 1.1.2 HS2 is proposed to be built in two phases. Phase One (the Proposed Scheme), the subject of this draft ES, would involve the construction of a new railway line of approximately 230km (143 miles) between London and Birmingham that would become operational by 2026; with a connection to the West Coast Main Line (WCML) near Lichfield and to the existing HS1 line in London. The Phase One route and the 26 CFAs are shown in Figure 1. 1.1.3 On opening, Phase One would run up to 14 trains per hour (tph). HS2 trains would be up to 400 metres (m) long with 1,100 seats during peak hours. Beyond the dedicated high speed track, these high speed trains would connect with and run on the existing WCML to serve passengers beyond the HS2 network. A connection to HS1 would also allow some services to run to mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel. 1.1.4 Phase Two would involve the construction of lines from Birmingham to Leeds and Manchester; with construction commencing around 2027, and planned to be operational by 2033. After Phase Two opens, it is expected that the frequency of train services on some parts of the Phase One route could increase up to 18tph. 1.1.5 The Government believes that the HS2 network should link to Heathrow and its preferred option is for this to be built as part of Phase Two. However, the Government has since taken the decision to pause work on the Heathrow link until after 2015 when it expects the Airports Commission to publish its final report on recommended options for maintaining the country’s status as an international aviation hub.