Land at Whitwell Colliery Environmental Statement Part 1: Non-Technical Summary 13.012/01 NTS
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Land at Whitwell Colliery Environmental Statement Part 1: Non-Technical Summary 13.012/01 NTS 18 July 2018 ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT: NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. Introduction 4 2. The Site 6 3. Environmental Topics Considered Transport & Access 8 Noise 10 Air Quality 10 Ecology and Nature Conservation 10 Arboriculture 11 Geology, Ground Conditions & Contamination 11 Landscape & Visual Impact 12 Socio-economic Change 13 Heritage & Archaeology 13 Agriculture & Soils 14 Water Resources 14 4. Summary & Conclusions 16 Where can I find out more? 16 Whitwell Colliery Page 3 of 17 July 2018 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Planning permission is being sought by Welbeck Estates Company Ltd for development on land at the former Whitwell Colliery, Derbyshire. The proposals comprise of two separate planning applications, namely: A Full planning application submitted to Derbyshire County Council for the reclamation of the colliery site (“The Reclamation Scheme”); and An Outline (All Matters Reserved except Access) planning application submitted to Bolsover District Council for the mixed-use development of the colliery site, led by housing but also for employment, extensive public open space, convenience retail, railway station improvements and drainage. (“The Outline Scheme”). 1.2 The location of the proposed development is as shown in Appendix A. 1.3 Following discussions with both Councils, only the reclamation scheme requires rigorous and detailed review of the development’s likely environmental impacts through Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This Non-Technical Summary therefore relates only to The Reclamation Scheme, which in turn will make all of the land suitable for The Outline Scheme. 1.4 The description for The Reclamation Scheme is as follows: ‘Full application for the reclamation of the former Whitwell Colliery site to facilitate mixed use redevelopment, including earthworks, remediation, landscaping, ecological, drainage and other related infrastructural works.’ 1.5 In Appendix A, a masterplan of the proposals shows how The Outline Scheme would be broadly set out. Document Purpose 1.6 EIA is a process whereby potential environmental impacts of development (both positive and negative) are considered, inform the design of those proposals and options to avoid adverse impacts, or remedy or mitigate residual impacts. This Non- Technical Summary document provides a summary of the findings of the EIA. It gives an overview of the main likely environmental impacts of the proposed development land and is intended as a summary of the EIA prepared so that any reader can more readily understand the impacts of the proposed development. 1.7 Details of how to obtain or view a copy of the complete Environmental Statement, that provides full details of the EIA, are included at the rear of this Non-Technical Summary. Whitwell Colliery Page 4 of 17 July 2018 How was the assessment undertaken? 1.8 The EIA considered environmental impacts in terms of the following environmental topics: Transport & Access Noise Ecology and Nature Conservation Arboriculture Geology, Ground Conditions & Contamination Air Quality and Dust Landscape & Visual Impact Heritage & Archaeology Socio-economic Change Agriculture & Soils Water Resources 1.9 Notwithstanding the above topics, the EIA was undertaken holistically, so that any interrelationships between different topics and types of environmental impacts were properly considered. 1.10 The steps taken in EIA are first to understand the current environmental conditions, then to predict any impacts of the development, then to set out options to address those impacts, to avoid, remedy or mitigate actual or potential negative impacts and enhance or maximise positive impacts. 1.11 The process of EIA includes the consideration of any ‘reasonable alternatives’ to the proposed development, to identify if any other options could result in any lesser negative environmental impacts or greater benefits. In this case, the following alternatives were considered: Do nothing; Locate the development elsewhere; Alternative location for development within the site; Alternative access strategy; and Do more. 1.12 The following sections therefore provide a summary of assessment that has been carried out on the chosen development proposals. The existing site environment is described, followed by a summary of the key findings for each environmental topic. Whitwell Colliery Page 5 of 17 July 2018 2. THE SITE 2.1 The site is next to the village of Whitwell but sits entirely within the Parish of Hodthorpe & Belph and is also near to both of those settlements. It measures approximately 46 hectares (114 acres) and comprises of the former Whitwell Colliery site and associated colliery tip between Station Road and Southfield Lane, and land directly north of Station Road. The site is owned entirely by the Welbeck Estate and has laid vacant since 1986, when the colliery closed, and the site was cleared the following year. The site represents one of the last remaining large-scale, previously developed (brownfield) development opportunity sites in the Bolsover District. Plans on the following pages show the site location and surrounding uses. 2.2 The site lies less than 5 miles from Worksop (North-east), 7 miles from Bolsover (southwest), 11 miles from Mansfield (south), 16 miles from Chesterfield (southwest) and 18 miles from Sheffield (northwest). Junction 30 of the M1 is only 4 miles to the southwest, at Barlborough. 2.3 The northern part of the colliery site is primarily occupied by the Whitwell Colliery spoil tip, which is steep sided with an uneven plateau top formerly occupied by a number of lagoons. The northern tip slope is densely vegetated with trees and scrub vegetation, the south, east and west more sparsely vegetated with bare soil/spoil. 2.4 To the north of the Whitwell Colliery spoil tip is an area of former railway sidings, which formerly also extended around the tip to the west. A tree line / hedgerow separates the sidings area from Station Road. A sewage works formerly occupied an area at the north-western toe of the tip. It is understood that the sewage works was demolished approximately seven years ago. A small stream flows south in a partially open channel to the east of the former sewage works. 2.5 The environmental characteristics of the site are examined in more detail in the following topic sections. Whitwell Colliery Page 6 of 17 July 2018 3. ENVIRONMENTAL TOPICS CONSIDERED Whitwell Colliery Page 7 of 17 July 2018 TRANSPORT AND ACCESS 3.1 The development is proposed to be accessed at multiple points to cater for the relevant phasing of the eventual mixed-use development. It is proposed to replicate these for access as part of The Reclamation Scheme. 3.2 The main vehicular access will be taken from Station Ra Lane, Whitwell, for access south into the former colliery site. Further points of vehicular access will be taken from Station Road, and a junction on Southfield Lane. It is also proposed to extend the 30mph speed limit along Station Road from the outset of The Reclamation Scheme. Both the Station Road and Southfield Lane railway bridges will be traffic signalled, footpaths widened and carriageway width narrowed for improved traffic management and pedestrian links on approach to the village. 3.3 There will be no ‘through-route’ for vehicles between Southfield Lane and Station Road during the course of the reclamation works. 3.4 The proposed points of access, their location and means of construction have been appraised to ensure compliance with the relevant 6Cs Highway Design Standards for Derbyshire. 3.5 A detailed Transport Assessment has considered the impact of vehicle traffic on key road junctions in the vicinity of the site. As a result there are improvements proposed to a number of junctions in the vicinity to enable them to operate properly with the increased volume of traffic. 3.6 Secondly, a Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) has also been prepared as part of the application to address issues of HGV movements and other forms of construction traffic on local residents. It is accepted that there will still be a volume of vehicular traffic from the development that needs to be accommodated on the road network, however the routes that vehicles are permitted to travel, hours in which movements operate, and types of vehicles permitted will all be managed through the CTMP. 3.7 During the course of the application the applicant team has worked closely with both the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire County Highway authorities and the District Council, given the site’s geography and the likely cross-border highway impacts arising from it. 3.8 At the initial stage during the course of the works it is likely there will be a temporary impact on the road network due to traffic for The Reclamation Scheme. This would be avoided by routing construction traffic to avoid HGV movements along Southfield Lane, Station Road and Green Lane that have an impact on Whitwell and Hodthorpe villages, in favour of routing towards the A60 via Crags Road and the B6042 Hennymoor Lane. Other measures to limit potential adverse effects include wheel washing, avoidance where possible of movements during peak and antisocial hours, and speed limit reductions (as proposed for non- construction traffic), to be covered by the CTMP. 3.9 The traffic and highway effects of the development have been assessed and undertaken in line with the advice contained within the “Department for Transport – Guidance on Transport Assessment” and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment – Guidelines for the Environmental Assessment of Road Traffic.” 3.10 The potential effects of development traffic on the local road network has been considered and has been informed in part by the findings of the supporting Transport Assessment. Whitwell Colliery Page 8 of 17 July 2018 3.11 Initial analysis has shown that while the proposed development will add traffic flows to Southfield Lane, Station Road and High Street, there will not be any operational capacity concerns raised as a result and no mitigation is required.