Westy) Environmental Report September 2015

River Mersey Warrington FRMS Phase 3B Latchford East (Westy) Environmental Report September 2015 We are the Environment Agency. We protect and improve the environment and make it a better place for people and wildlife. We operate at the place where environmental change has its greatest impact on people’s lives. We reduce the risks to people and properties from flooding; make sure there is enough water for people and wildlife; protect and improve air, land and water quality and apply the environmental standards within which industry can operate. Acting to reduce climate change and helping people and wildlife adapt to its consequences are at the heart of all that we do. We cannot do this alone. We work closely with a wide range of partners including government, business, local authorities, other agencies, civil society groups and the communities we serve. Published by: Environment Agency Horizon House, Deanery Road Bristol BS1 5AH Email: enquiries@environment- Further copies of this report are available agency.gov.uk from our publications catalogue: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisatio https://www.gov.uk/government/publications ns/environment-agency or our National Customer Contact Centre: T: 03708 506506 © Environment Agency 2015 Email: enquiries@environment- agency.gov.uk. All rights reserved. This document may be reproduced with prior permission of the Environment Agency. Quality Assurance Project name Mersey Warrington FRMS Project 1B1S IMNW000699 reference Date September 2015 Version number V2.4 Author Various EIA Quality Mark This Environmental Report was undertaken in line with the EIA Quality Mark Commitments. The EIA Quality Mark is a voluntary scheme, operated by the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), through which EIA activity is independently reviewed, on an annual basis, to ensure it delivers excellence in the following areas: EIA Management EIA Team Capabilities EIA Regulatory Compliance EIA Context & Influence EIA Content EIA Presentation Improving EIA practice To find out more about the EIA Quality Mark please visit: www.iema.net/qmark EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Environmental Report considers the potential environmental effects of the construction of a flood defence scheme by Environment Agency on land at Westy, Warrington. The scheme consists of a sheet piled wall tying in to high ground at both ends which is designed to provide a 1 in 100 year Standard of Protection (SoP) to the Westy area. This scheme is Phase 3B of the Mersey Warrington Flood Risk Management Scheme which will provide a 1 in 100 year SoP for Warrington as a whole. The flood defence will be constructed in three sections, ML1, ML2 and ML3 (ML referring to Mersey Left bank) which will form a single continuous barrier around the urban area, as shown at Figure 1.2. ML1 starts at Westy Park and runs along Mersey Walk. The sheet piles will be clad in a decorative concrete facing, similar to that used elsewhere in the Warrington scheme. ML2 runs across Westy Point, north of the Cardinal Newman Catholic High School. The sheet piles will be finished with a timber coping. ML3 runs from Westy Point south to near Kingsway Bridge. The sheet piles will be concealed within an earth embankment. The scheme will cause temporary construction effects including loss of trees; disturbance to residents and students from construction activity and noise; and disruption to traffic flows. Some footpaths will have to be temporarily closed and fishing quality may be temporarily reduced. No adverse effects on the ecology of the site will occur, though there may be temporary disturbance to mammals, for which a protected species licence will be obtained. No adverse effects on cultural heritage are anticipated. Mitigation measures are proposed, where practicable, and these will be incorporated into the Environmental Action Plan. Most mitigation is aimed at avoiding or reducing the effects of construction activities and is therefore short term. Mitigation for landscape effects (e.g. planting of new trees) will take some years to take full effect. The EA and its appointed construction contractor will use their best endeavours to maintain liaison with all affected parties during the construction period. The scheme, once constructed, will bring a considerable benefit to Warrington and the residents of Westy in particular, by providing greater protection from the adverse effects of flooding. Mersey Warrington FRMS – Phase 3B Environmental Report i CONTENTS 1.0 BACKGROUND 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Legislative Framework 1 1.3 Background to the Proposal 1 1.4 The Problem 2 1.5 Description of the Site 3 1.6 Options Considered 4 1.7 Consultation 5 1.8 Description of the Permanent Works 8 1.9 Description of Advance Works 9 1.10 Description of the Temporary Works 9 1.11 Operation & Maintenance 11 1.12 Duration of the works 11 1.13 Programme and Construction Sequence 12 1.14 Baseline Data 12 1.15 Scoping methodology 12 2.0 ECOLOGY 13 2.1 Existing Environment 13 2.2 Likely Effects 20 2.3 Conclusion 27 3.0 CULTURAL HERITAGE 28 3.1 Introduction 28 3.2 Existing Environment 28 3.3 Likely Effects 30 3.4 Mitigation 30 3.5 Residual Effects 31 4.0 PUBLIC RECREATION & ACCESS 32 4.1 Existing Environment 32 4.2 Likely Effects 34 4.3 Mitigation 35 4.4 Residual Effects 36 5.0 LANDSCAPE & VISUAL AMENITY 37 5.1 Introduction 37 5.2 Planning Context 37 5.3 Landscape Character 37 Mersey Warrington FRMS – Phase 3B Environmental Report ii 5.4 Environmental Outcomes 40 6.0 TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION 41 6.1 Introduction 41 6.2 Existing Environment 41 6.3 Likely Effects 42 6.4 Mitigation 43 6.5 Residual Effects 43 7.0 NOISE, DUST & VIBRATION 44 7.1 Introduction 44 7.2 Existing Environment 44 7.3 Baseline Noise Measurements 45 7.4 Likely Effects 46 7.5 Mitigation 48 7.6 Residual Effects 49 8.0 WATER ENVIRONMENT 50 8.1 Introduction 50 8.2 Existing environment 51 8.3 Likely effects 52 8.4 Mitigation 53 8.5 Residual effects 53 9.0 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS 54 9.1 Existing environment 54 9.2 Likely effects 54 9.3 Mitigation 54 9.4 Residual effect 54 10.0 SUMMARY & CONCLUSION 55 10.1 Existing environment 55 10.2 Likely effects 55 10.3 Mitigation 56 10.4 Environmental Action Plan 57 10.5 Residual effects 57 10.6 Conclusion 57 Mersey Warrington FRMS – Phase 3B Environmental Report iii FIGURES Figure 1.1 Site Location Figure 1.2 General Arrangement Figure 4.1 Public Rights of Way Figure 5.1 ML1 Landscape Reinstatement Figure 5.2 ML2 Landscape Reinstatement Figure 5.3 ML3 Landscape Reinstatement APPENDICES Appendix 2.1 Ecological Appraisal Appendix 2.2 Record Enquiry Service Report Appendix 2.3 Confidential Report (restricted issue) Appendix 2.4 GCN Analysis Appendix 3.1 Project Design for an Archaeological Mitigation on Phase 3 of the Warrington Flood Risk Management Scheme Appendix 5.1 Landscape and Visual Amenity Appendix 6.1 Likely Transport Impacts Appendix 6.2 Forecast of Traffic Impact Levels Appendix 6.3 Mitigation Measures Appendix 7.1 Noise Methodology and Assessment Appendix 7.2 Noise Survey Data Appendix 8.1 Water Framework Directive Assessment B1464700/WFD2, Jacobs Appendix 10.1 Environmental Action Plan Mersey Warrington FRMS – Phase 3B Environmental Report iv 1.0 BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 This Environmental Report (ER) has been prepared in support of the planning application for the proposed flood defences to be carried out by Environment Agency (EA) on land at Westy, Warrington. The ER describes the proposed works, the baseline conditions and considers the likely environmental impacts, together with any proposed mitigation. Its purpose is to: inform interested parties of EA’s approach; identify potential environmental impacts and how they may be mitigated; address issues raised during consultations; and identify potential environmental improvements. 1.2 Legislative Framework 1.2.1 The scheme requires planning consent from Warrington Borough Council (WBC). Prior to preparation of this ER, EA submitted a screening opinion request to WBC in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011 (SI 1824). 1.2.2 The request was accompanied by an ER presenting all environmental data available at that time and providing an assessment of the likely environmental impacts. Although some environmental investigations were still being carried out, there were no significant knowledge gaps. On 26 August 2015, WBC issued a formal opinion that EIA would not be required. 1.2.3 The ER for the screening opinion request has been updated with information and assessment derived from the further environmental investigations carried out over summer 2015. Nothing found since submission of the original screening opinion request and ER suggest that the conclusions reached that EIA would not be required should be revised. 1.3 Background to the Proposal 1.3.1 The EA proposes to construct a comprehensive scheme of flood defences in the Westy area of Warrington. These defences will be delivered as part of a wider scheme to protect the whole of Warrington. The aim of this scheme is Mersey Warrington FRMS – Phase 3B Environmental Report 1 to provide a 1in100 year Standard of Protection (SoP) to residential and other premises in the Westy area. 1.3.2 The Westy flood defences were originally excluded from the EA’s flood risk management scheme for Warrington, because it was assumed that these defences would be constructed as part of a consented development by United Utilities/ WBC to provide housing at Cardinal Newman High School and recreational facilities at Westy Point. It subsequently transpired that there is no realistic prospect of this consented development (planning permission refs. 2003/01905; 2007/12025; & 2010/17569) being constructed in the foreseeable future so the EA has decided to deliver the scheme in order to provide Westy with the same level of flood protection as other areas of Warrington.

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