Lerwick Pipeline Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report

REVISION RECORD

Rev Date Details Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by

1 20/11/12 Final for issue Malcolm Richard Lowe Richard Lowe Sangster Associate Associate Director Principal Director Consultant

Issued by

URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited 23 Chester Street Edinburgh EH3 7EN

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Limitations

URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited (“URS”) has prepared this Report for the sole use of SSE Generation Limited (“Client”) in accordance with the Agreement under which our services were performed. No other warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the professional advice included in this Report or any other services provided by URS. This Report is confidential and may not be disclosed by the Client or relied upon by any other party without the prior and express written agreement of URS.

The conclusions and recommendations contained in this Report are based upon information provided by others and upon the assumption that all relevant information has been provided by those parties from whom it has been requested and that such information is accurate. Information obtained by URS has not been independently verified by URS, unless otherwise stated in the Report.

Where assessments of works or costs identified in this Report are made, such assessments are based upon the information available at the time and where appropriate are subject to further investigations or information which may become available.

URS disclaim any undertaking or obligation to advise any person of any change in any matter affecting the Report, which may come or be brought to URS‟ attention after the date of the Report.

Certain statements made in the Report that are not historical facts may constitute estimates, projections or other forward-looking statements and even though they are based on reasonable assumptions as of the date of the Report, such forward-looking statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results predicted. URS specifically does not guarantee or warrant any estimate or projections contained in this Report.

Copyright

© This Report is the copyright of URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited. Any unauthorised reproduction or usage by any person other than the addressee is strictly prohibited.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.1 Background ...... 1 2 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ...... 2 2.1 EIA Regulations ...... 2 2.2 The Purpose of Scoping in the EIA Process...... 2 2.3 Structure of the Scoping Report ...... 3 3 THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ...... 3 3.1 Development Description ...... 3 3.2 Designated sites ...... 6 3.3 Previous Environmental Studies ...... 7 3.4 Potential Environmental Sensitivities/ Sensitive Receptors ...... 10 4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ...... 11 4.1 Overview of the Development ...... 11 4.2 Potential Pipeline Route Description ...... 13 5 CONSULTATION ...... 16 5.1 Consultation Process ...... 16 6 PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT ...... 20 6.1 Introduction ...... 20 7 EIA METHODOLOGY ...... 21 7.1 Introduction ...... 21 7.2 Methodology and Cumulative Assessment ...... 21 7.3 Alternatives and Design Evolution ...... 22 7.4 The Development ...... 23 7.5 Construction Programme and Management ...... 23 8 POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT EIA ISSUES ...... 24 8.1 Air quality ...... 24 8.2 Noise and Vibration ...... 26 8.3 Ecology and nature conservation ...... 28 8.4 Water Resources ...... 31 8.5 Traffic, Transport and Access ...... 34 8.6 Cultural Heritage ...... 36 8.7 Recreation and Land Use ...... 39 9 NON-SIGNIFICANT EIA ISSUES ...... 41 9.1 Flood risk ...... 41

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9.2 Ground Conditions ...... 42 9.3 Landscape and Visual Impact ...... 42 9.4 Waste ...... 42 10 ADDITIONAL STUDIES ...... 42 10.1 Peat Management Plan ...... 42 10.2 Climate Change Assessment ...... 43 11 THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT ...... 43 11.1 The Proposed Structure of the ES ...... 43 11.2 EIA team...... 45 12 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS ...... 45 13 GLOSSARY ...... 45

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1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

SSE Generation Limited (hereafter referred to as „the Applicant‟) is seeking Pipeline Construction Authorisation (PCA) under Section 1 of the Pipelines Act 1962 and deemed planning permission under Section 5 of the Pipelines Act 1962 read with Section 57 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 and the provisions of the Planning (Consequential Provisions (Scotland) Act 1997 for an underground pipeline to transfer natural gas from a new offtake located at Sullom Voe oil and gas terminal to a proposed new power station located near Rova Head, north of Lerwick, Shetland (hereafter referred to as „the Development‟).

The Development would be approximately 41.8 kilometres (km) in length and used to supply natural gas fuel to a proposed new gas-fired power station at Rova Head at a rate of up to 14,500 cubic metres per hour (m3/hr). A separate application for consent for the proposed new power station under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and deemed planning permission under Section 57 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 is separately being submitted to the Scottish Government and is not considered further in this Scoping Report.

The Development route consists of an initial evaluation corridor of 100m width in which the final pipeline route would be determined based on environmental and engineering constraints. Allowing for a nominal construction corridor of 25m either side of the final pipeline route gives a total corridor of 150m which is the basis for the red line boundary. This means a total area within the identified red line boundary of approximately 627 hectares (ha); however the final construction corridor would only affect 209 ha of land.

The development route is located within land administered by Shetland Islands Council (SIC). The location of the Development in both a regional and local context (including an indicative pipeline route) is shown in Figure 1.

As part of the application for consent under Section 5 of the Pipelines Act 1962 and deemed planning permission under Section 57 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, the Applicant proposes to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), which forms the subject of this

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Scoping Report. Further Development details are provided in Section 4 of this Scoping Report.

URS Infrastructure & Environment UK Limited (hereafter referred to as URS) has been appointed by the Applicant to undertake a scoping study and prepare this Scoping Report to inform the scope of the EIA and content of the Environmental Statement (ES) (see Sections 8 and 9 of this Report).

2 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

2.1 EIA Regulations

The Development is more than 10 miles (16.09km) long and therefore will require a PCA under Section 1 of the Pipelines Act 1962. In addition, the application for PCA will be subject to an EIA under The Pipe-line Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2000 as amended (referred to in this document as the „EIA Regulations‟) The EIA regulations implement European Council Directive 85/337/EEC as amended by European Council Directive 97/11/EC on the assessment of the impacts of certain public and private projects upon the environment.

This Development is understood by the applicant to constitute an „EIA Development‟ in the context of the EIA Regulations and as such, an EIA will be undertaken and an ES produced and submitted in support of the PCA.

2.2 The Purpose of Scoping in the EIA Process

EIA scoping is the process of determining which environmental issues should be covered within the environmental information to be submitted within the Environmental Statement (ES) and the scope and method of the EIA assessments to be undertaken.

This Scoping Report is being submitted to the Scottish Ministers with a request for an opinion in writing as to the information to be provided in an environmental statement in respect of the relevant pipe-line works (an „EIA Scoping Opinion‟) in accordance with Regulation 5 of the EIA Regulations.

The purpose of this Report is to provide Scottish Ministers with the opportunity to comment, along with other consultees, on the proposed structure, methodology and content of the ES. It provides a framework for identifying

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likely significant environmental impacts arising from the Development and assists the EIA process in distinguishing priority issues to be addressed. By doing so, the Scoping Phase assists in focusing attention on key environmental topics for inclusion within the EIA process and subsequent ES.

For impacts that are likely to be significant, this Scoping Report sets out the work that is needed to take forward the EIA. There is no statutory definition of what constitutes a significant impact. For the purposes of the Development, a significant impact has been defined as an impact which, either in isolation or in- combination with others, should (in the professional opinion of environmental specialists) be taken into account in the decision making process. 2.3 Structure of the Scoping Report

Section 3 – describes the existing environment of the development and its setting;

Section 4 – describes the Development itself;

Section 5 – sets out the consultation process for the EIA;

Section 6 – provides an overview of the planning policy context;

Section 7 – sets out the EIA methodology;

Section 8 – presents a summary of potential EIA issues;

Section 9 – presents a summary of issues considered to be non- significant;

Section 10 – summarises the additional studies to be undertaken in connect with the EIA;

Section 11 – describes the proposed structure of the ES; and

Section 12 – provides a summary and conclusion to the Scoping Report.

3 THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT

3.1 Development Description

The Development will run in a generally north - south direction from the offtake site at Sullom Voe Terminal (SVT) to a proposed new Power Station to be located near Rova Head, north of Lerwick.

The route of the Development is approximately 41.8 km in length and is described in more detail in sub-section 4.2. 20 Nov 2012 Page 3 Final

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The pipeline will be underground for its entire length with the depth dependant on ground conditions but at least 1.2m below ground level (BGL). One above ground access point approximately midway along the pipeline length will be required for a block valve/regulator station. These allow for isolation of the pipeline for maintenance and repair work and pressure control if needed. However, should an above ground structure be required as a result of future design developments; a separate consent will be sought from SIC under relevant planning legislation.

The Development incorporates a number of road crossings and water crossings. These are discussed in more detail in Section 4.2 below.

In addition the Development route crosses three major pipelines; The 36-inch diameter Brent and Ninian pipelines which import oil into Sullom Voe Terminal from the east of Shetland oilfields; and the 30-inch diameter Laggan/Tormore export pipeline which will connect the new Shetland Gas Plant (currently under construction) to the Frigg UK pipeline.

The majority of the land along the potential pipeline route is moorland or rough grazing pasture and is privately owned. A section of Shetland Golf Club at Dale is also crossed. The land crossed by the Development is owned by a number of persons and organisations. Identification of all land owners and discussions in relation to access is ongoing at the time of writing.

The Development also crosses land associated with the consented Viking windfarm development and Gremista windfarm development. At the time of writing, the consent associated with the Viking windfarm was subject to a Judicial Review process, the outcome of which is not known. Nevertheless, the potential implications of the Viking development have been considered in the routing of this Development.

3.1.1 Vehicular Access

Vehicular access to the development for construction purposes will be facilitated by a purpose built access track running alongside the pipeline route. The use of this track will be discontinued following completion of the construction of the pipeline and the current land use reinstated. No vehicular access to the pipeline is envisaged during its operational phase.

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3.1.2 Topography

This topography of the route is typical of the land in this region and can be generally characterised as hilly intersected by deep glaciated valleys. The highest point of the route is approximately 245m -250m Above Ordnance Datum (AOD) at the Button Hills and Souther Hill with the lowest point near sea level at the head of Dales Voe.

3.1.3 Solid Geology

The Development route corridor contains rocks of the Dalradian group, an unusual series of regionally metamorphosed rocks, deposited within the lower palaeozoic geosyncline. The main lithologies found are schist, gneiss, limestone and granite, which run in parallel bands on a north/south alignment.

Running north south through Shetland are several tear faults where blocks of rock have been displaced by movements of the earth‟s crust. The principal fault of this type is the Walls boundary fault. This fault is thought to be the northern extension of the Great Glen fault found on the Scottish mainland. This area was subjected to periods of orogenisis and tectonics during the Palaeozoic but has since behaved as a stable block.

3.1.4 Drift Geology

Information from the British Geological Survey indicates that the pipeline passes through three different areas of drift geology. These being Peat which covers approximately 75% of the route, Clay with Flints found mainly in Dales Voe and Boulder clay with moraine drift found around Tingwall.

3.1.5 Surface water

A number of watercourse and drainage channel crossings will be required for the pipeline, some of which are monitored by SEPA and have a condition status assigned in accordance with the requirements of the Water Framework Directive. The construction corridor will also pass close to a number of small freshwater lochs and the ends of some sea lochs.

3.1.6 Groundwater

The SEPA “Bedrock Aquifers” map classifies the bedrock along the proposed pipeline route as “fracture flow with low productivity” to “fracture flow with very

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low productivity”, which indicates predominantly impervious bedrock formations with the only groundwater movement via fractures and fissures. The SEPA “Superficial Aquifer Map” records only isolated pockets of superficial aquifers along the proposed pipeline route, and these are noted as “inter-granular flow with low productivity”. The SEPA “Vulnerability of Groundwater in the Uppermost Aquifer Map” records the pipeline route as predominantly “Category 4d” i.e. moderate vulnerability, but with pockets of “Category 4c & 4b” i.e. moderate to high vulnerability along the larger watercourses and at the ends of the sea lochs.

3.2 Designated sites

The Development route corridor does not contain any nationally designated sites of ecological, cultural or archaeological importance, such as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Scheduled Monuments (SMs), listed buildings or Gardens and Designed Landscapes.

The nearest international or national designated site is the Sullom Voe Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The Development route passes approximately ½ km to the east of the most easterly part of the SAC. Sullom Voe SAC is considered representative of large shallow inlets and bays, and is the only Scottish example of a ria (known locally as a „voe‟).

The Development route also passes near to four Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs):

Sand Water SSSI was first designated in 1972 (revised 1983), is located in National Grid Reference HU 415547 and has a surface area of approximately 38 ha. Sand Water is a relatively shallow loch, surrounded by dwarf shrub and acid moorland. The loch is mesotrophic with a neutral pH due to the influence of an underlying band of crystalline limestone.

The loch is noted for its breeding waterfowl, particularly nesting widgeon, and contains extensive beds of Common Bulrush (Schoenoplectus lacustris) which has a limited distribution in Shetland. Other wildlife that can be found in or around Sand Water include wintering whooper swans, teal and small numbers of tufted duck and pochard. Small numbers of passage waders are to be found during spring and autumn and migrant ospreys in May and June.

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The Preferred route of the pipeline passes approximately 300m to the west of Sand Water with the Alternative route approximately 700m to the east.

The Loch of Girlsta SSSI represents one of the best known examples of the few valley trough lochs in Shetland. It was first notified in 1972 (revised 1983). The loch is located at national grid reference HU 433522 and covers an area of approximately 102 ha.

The Alternative route passes 300 to 500m to the west of the Loch of Girlsta, rejoining the main route approximately 500m to the west of the southern tip of the Loch.

The Lochs of Asta and Tingwall SSSI are located approximately 1 km to the west of the Development route. The aquatic flora of this site is one of the richest in Shetland and includes the nationally and locally rare Shetland pondweed Potamogeton rutilus, a species confined to one other site in Shetland and a few places in the Hebrides and on the mainland of Scotland. The lochs are also one of the most important sites in Shetland for wintering and migrant wildfowl.

Easter Rova Head Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which is approximately 1 km to the east of the end of the Development route, is designated for its geological resource in relation to the excellent exposures of very coarse conglomerates (rocks made up of pebbles and boulders) that were deposited during the Middle Devonian Age, about 380 million years ago.

3.3 Previous Environmental Studies

In order to comprehensively evaluate the potential environmental effects associated with the Development, it is important that relevant previous environmental studies conducted in and around the Site are considered.

3.3.1 Laggan/Tormore export pipeline In September 2009, Total E&P submitted a planning application and ES to Shetland Islands Council for a gas processing plant, import and export pipelines. This included a 5.5km 30in export pipeline running from SVT to Firths Voe.

This pipeline is in close proximity to the Development route (the route will involve at least one crossing of the pipeline) and it is also of a similar nature.

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Therefore, the studies carried out to inform the EIA of the export pipeline as well as mitigation strategies developed to reduce environmental impact are considered particularly relevant to this development. The following environmental themes were considered within the Laggan/Tormore ES:

 Socio-economics;

 Roads and Traffic;

 Air Quality and climate;

 Noise and Vibration;

 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage;

 Landscape and Visual;

 Hydrology and Hydrogeology;

 Peat handling, storage, use and management;

 Terrestrial and marine habitats and ecology;

 Accidents; and

 Pollution prevention and waste management.

3.3.2 Gremista Wind Farm

In March 2011, an ES was submitted to Shetland Islands Council by SSE Renewables Developments (UK) Ltd, together with a planning application for a proposal to erect three wind turbines at Luggies Knowe, Gremista1. The wind turbine site boundary is located immediately adjacent to the north-western boundary of the proposed power station Site, extending from the top of the hill towards Doos Cove and Dales Voe. The studies carried out to inform the EIA of the wind turbine development are therefore relevant as they provide contextual information about the local environment adjacent to part of the Development route. The following environmental themes were considered within the Gremista Windfarm ES:

 Landscape and visual effects;

 Noise;

1 Entec UK Ltd. March 2011. Gremista Wind Turbine Project: Environmental Statement.

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 Ecology and nature conservation;

 Ornithology;

 Traffic and transportation;

 Cultural heritage;

 Hydrology and hydrogeology;

 Socioeconomics; and

 Other potential impacts including: existing infrastructure, telecommunications, television broadcasting, aviation and military interests, shadow flicker and air quality.

Planning permission for this development was granted by SIC (subject to conditions) on 24th February 2012.

The baseline data collected for the Gremista Wind Turbine EIA will be used to inform the baseline information to be collected as part of the EIA for this proposed Development. The potential for cumulative effects to occur as a result of construction of both developments will also be considered within the EIA for this Development.

3.3.3 Viking windfarm

Viking Energy, a joint venture between the Shetland community and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), submitted an application (including an ES) for a 150-turbine wind farm in Shetland in May 2009. This was later amended to 127 turbines with consent (subject to conditions) finally granted on 4th April 2012 by the Scottish Government for 103 turbines.

The proposed turbines are located in various parts of Shetland mainland including in close proximity to the Development route. The studies carried out to inform the EIA of the Viking development are therefore relevant as they provide contextual information about the local environment adjacent to parts of the Development route. The following environmental themes were considered within the Viking Windfarm ES:

 Landscape Character;

 Visual impact;

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 Non-avian Ecology;

 Ornithology;

 Noise;

 Cultural heritage;

 Soil and water;

 Roads and traffic;

 Air and climate;

 Socioeconomic effects;

 Telecoms and aviation; and

 Recreation and tourism.

3.4 Potential Environmental Sensitivities/ Sensitive Receptors

When undertaking an EIA it is important to understand which receptors will be considered as part of the assessment. Based upon a review of the Site and initial studies and consultations with stakeholders, the following potential sensitive receptors to the Development have been identified:

 Sullom Voe SAC, approximately ½ km to the west of the Development route

 Sand Water SSSI, approximately 300 to the east of the Preferred route and approximately 700m to the west of the Alternative route

 Loch of Girlsta, approximately 300 to 500m east of the Alternative route

 Lochs of Asta and Tingwall SSSI which is approximately 1km west of the Development route;

 Easter Rova Head SSSI located approximately 1km east of the end of the Development route;

 coastal waters close to the Development route (Dales Voe in particular);

 Surface and groundwater bodies along the Development route;

 Water courses, drainage channels and associated surface and groundwater bodies, crossed by or in close proximity to the Development route

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 flora and fauna on and adjacent to the Development route;

 industrial, commercial and private/residential properties along or in close proximity to the Development route;

 the existing local road network, including the B9076, A968, A970, B9071, B9075 and other unclassified roads and private access tracks;

 pedestrians, cyclists and road-users; and

 Users of Shetland golf course at the head of Dales Voe.

The location of the protected areas and features highlighted above are shown on Figure 3 (Appendix A).

4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

4.1 Overview of the Development

The Development is required to provide natural gas fuel to a proposed new Power Station located near Rova Head north of the town of Lerwick. This Power Station will be the subject of a separate application under Section 36 of the Electricity Act.

The Development will consist of a steel pipeline up to 12 inches (approximately 30cm) in diameter travelling in a mainly north-south direction between an assumed new offtake at SVT defined at approximately National Grid Reference (NGR) HU 404 758 and the proposed new Power Station near Rova Head at approximately NGR HU 446 448.

Two potential routes have been identified for the pipeline; a Preferred route and an Alternative. Based on initial assessments, the Alternative is considered less desirable from the point of view of constructability and access. Both routes are described in more detail in section 4.2 below.

The Development route consists of an initial evaluation corridor of 100m width in which the final pipeline route will be determined based on environmental and engineering constraints. Allowing for a nominal construction corridor of 25m either side of the final pipeline route gives a total corridor of 150m which is the basis for the red line boundary.

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The pipeline will be designed and constructed in accordance with BS-PD-8010 Code of Practice for Pipelines part 1: Steel Pipelines on Land and the Institute of Gas Engineers Recommendation IGE/TD/1 Edition 5. The pipeline will be designed to operate at pressures up to approximately 30 bar g with a maximum flow rate of around 14,500 m3/hr of natural gas.

The pipeline will be constructed of continuously welded buried steel. The wall thickness and choice of steel will be selected to satisfy the relevant design factors and location in relation to all ground features. This includes roads, pipelines, watercourses, and the proximity of occupied buildings and other developments.

Pigging facilities for pipeline maintenance will be situated at the offtake at SVT and within the confines of the proposed new Power Station at Rova Head. One above ground access point located approximately midway along the pipeline length will be required for a block valve/ regulator station. These allow for isolation of the pipeline for maintenance and repair work and pressure control if needed.

Construction of the pipeline will see the installation of temporary gated fencing, which will be agreed with landowners, along the working width boundaries. The pipeline will be formed from lengths of steel pipe, welded together to produce a continuous pipe, with all welds to be fully tested before commissioning.

The pipes will be transported to the working width from temporary storage areas. The pipes are likely to be strung out and positioned on wooden skids along a line parallel to the position of the proposed trench.

With the exception of major crossings, the construction of the pipeline will be by open cut with a minimum cover depth of 1.2 metres.

Approximately 190m of special crossings (roads and rivers) have been identified and 99m of minor crossings (drainage channels, minor roads and tracks). It is assumed special crossings will be undertaken by augerbore. Augerbore involves the installation of underground services without the need for top down excavation. Material is removed and services installed through directional drilling whilst simultaneously supporting the ground surface. Minor crossings will be achieved by an open cut method.

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Special crossings include watercourses, major roads and the three pipeline crossings

Peat dominates the surface of the Shetland Islands and even in locations which have been improved and where grass grows for grazing, the underlying ground surface is normally still a peat based material. Consequently, consideration would be given to pipeline construction methods specifically developed for peatlands. This includes consideration of floating roads for access.

4.2 Potential Pipeline Route Description

The potential pipeline route (Preferred and Alternative) is described as follows.

4.2.1 The Preferred Route

From the offtake site close within SVT, the proposed Development route exits the SVT in a south-easterly direction to avoid routing through the terminal and the Laggan/Tormore facilities. The pipeline then crosses and parallels the Laggan export pipeline and new access road firstly in a southerly direction before crossing the B9076. The pipeline then turns to avoid the settlement of Laxobigging before running up the hills of Graven, Green Hill and Mid Field.

At Meadow of Fichin, the pipeline crosses the Burn of Westerbutton and runs parallel of the Burn of Easterbutton to a point near the summit of the Button Hills. The route then descends southeast to Westerscord before rising again to a point near the summit of Souther Hill. From there, the route descends southeast to the Burn of Garth and runs eastwards parallel to the burn, crossing the A968 at Garth of Susetter.

The route then turns south running parallel to the A698 and doglegs to the east along Tagon Hill to avoid the settlement of Hillside at a point southeast of Hamars.

The route descends Tagon Hill in a south-easterly direction before turning south to pass to the immediate east of the settlement of Voe. It is at this point that the Alternative route diverges from the Preferred route. The Alternative route is described in detail below in section 4.2.2.

The Preferred route crosses the A970 northwest of the Loch of Voe and runs south parallel to the road before turning southwest at a point opposite the

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junction of the B7071 and A970 to the summit ridge of the East Hill of Voe. At the top of this ridge the route turns south running along the top of the ridge, descending to Hamarigrind and ascending to the summit ridge of mid Kames, which it follows southwards for its full length descending at Whaa Field to cross the B9075 at Lamba Ford.

The route continues approximately southward over the summit of Clingera to a point east of Houllscarpa before turning southeast and crossing the Burn of Sandwater, climber the shoulder of the Hill of Cuckron to a point near the summit of the Hill of Girlsta. It is at this point that the Alternative route rejoins the Preferred route.

The route descends the Hill of Girlsta crossing the Stromfirth access road passing immediately to the west of the A970 near the South Knowe of Bodwell. The route proceeds south passing east of Longa Water, until it reaches the A970 when it turns south to run parallel to that road and crossing the Linksta access road and the Burn of Strand before crossing the A970 itself just north of the junction with the A971.

The route then runs parallel with the A970 until it crosses the Gott access road when it proceeds to a point near the summit of the Hill of Herrislee. It then turns southwest until it meets the A970 again.

The route then runs parallel to an access track into Shetland golf course, departing from this course to cross two channels of the Burn of Dale near the head of Dales Voe. It then proceeds up the Hill of Tagdale, turning northeast and crossing North Course, South Course and the Hill of Gremista, before descending to the site of the new Power Station.

4.2.2 The Alternative Route

The Alternative route continues eastwards following the descent of Tagon passing to the north of the Loch of Voe and running approximately parallel to the B9071 from a point to the north of Sae Water until a point approximately 0.5km east of Sae Water where the route turns south crossing the B9071 and the Sae Water burn and the Thomas Jamieson‟s Burn before cross the tops of Mossy Hill and Hoo Kame and Loch Hookame before , then running parallel to the ridges of East Kame and Crooka Dale to cross the Burn of Crookadale and the A970 near the Park of Catfirth.

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The route continues south ascending the Hill of Bretto, crossing the Bretto burn near the outlet of the Loch of Bretto. The Alternative route then turns southwest to rejoin the Preferred route near the summit of Girlsta.

The potential pipeline routes (Preferred and Alternate) are shown in Figure 2.

4.2.3 Crossings

A summary of the road and watercourse crossings more than 4m in width along the potential pipeline route are shown in Table 1. Table 1: Crossing References and Features

Crossing Width (m) Chainage Crossing Feature Reference (Distance from start of pipeline) (m) RVX-01 6 486 Burn of Crooksetter RDX-01 6 1,161 Private Access Track RVX-03 9 1,908 Drain Channel RDX-02 12 2,324 B9076 RVX-08 10 2,519 North Burn RVX-12 10 3,168 Burn of Laxobigging RDX-04 5 3,423 Graven Access Road RDX-05 5 12,205 Private Access Track RVX-20 7 12,479 Burn of Garth RDX-06 12 12,621 A968 RDX-07 12 15,782 A970 RDX-08 10 15,862 B9071 RDX-09 10 24,069 B9075 RVX-25 5 25,718 Drain Channel RVX-26 10 26,397 Burn of Sandwater RDX-10 6 28,961 Stormfirth Access Road Burn of Chalderness RVX-28 8 29,023 (branch) RVX-32 7 30,053 Gilsa Burn RDX-13 6 33,560 Linkster Access Road RVX-34 7 34,066 Burn of Strand RDX-14 18 34,419 A970 RDX-15 7 35,145 Gott Access Road RVX-39 7 37,489 Drain Channel RVX-40 5 37,495 Drain Channel RVX-45 6 40,053 Drain Channel

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5 Consultation

5.1 Consultation Process

The process of consultation is important to the development of a comprehensive and balanced ES. Views of interested parties serve to focus the environmental studies and to identify specific issues that may require further investigation. Consultation is an ongoing process, which enables any mitigation measures identified to be incorporated into the design of the Development as it evolves. This has the advantage of potentially limiting adverse impacts and enhancing benefits.

Given the scale and nature of the Development, it is important to undertake regular stakeholder and community consultation in the evolution of the design and preliminary assessment of environmental impacts. The key consultees identified are shown in Table 5.1. It is recognised that this may not be an exhaustive list and additional consultees may be included through the EIA process. Table 2: List of consultees

Organisation

Association of Salmon Fisheries Board BAA Airports CAA - Directorate of Airspace Policy Community Councils Health and Safety Executive Historic Scotland Lerwick Port Authority Ministry of Defence OFCOM Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) Scottish Government ECDU Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) Shetland Amenity Trust Shetland Islands Council

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Organisation

Transport Scotland

5.1.1 EIA consultation

The Applicant has undertaken a number of pre-scoping consultation exercises with statutory EIA consultees. The purpose of these consultations has been to:

 Present the initial proposals for the Development;

 Inform the scope of the EIA;

 Gather baseline environmental data;

 Allow consultees to raise environmental issues and concerns (factual or perceived); and

 Identify developments for consideration in a cumulative assessment;

To date, consultations have been undertaken with the following organisations:

 Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA);

 Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH);

 Shetlands Amenity Trust (SAT); and

 Shetland Islands Council (SIC);

Table 3 below summarises the key potential environmental issues highlighted during these consultations. Table 3: Pre-scoping consultation responses

Consultee Date Key Environmental Issues Highlighted SEPA 01/11/11  SEPA guidance in terms of river crossings (WAT- SG-25) and user guides for the Controlled 18/11/11 Activity Regulations (CAR) should be reviewed when considering any activity in the vicinity of watercourses.

 Groundwater Dependent Terrestrial Ecosystems (GWDTE) will require to be identified and assessed through the Ecology assessments of

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Consultee Date Key Environmental Issues Highlighted the EIA.

 Consideration should be given to peat storage and disposal

 In relation to production of a Peat Management plan to be prepared and submitted as part of the EIA, SEPA requested that peat volume calculations be based on probing data and that probing should be to the full depth of the peat.

Shetland 01/11/11  The ES should assess potential impacts on birds Islands including Whimbrels and Red Throated Diver, Council together with consideration of appropriate (Planning) mitigation.

 Archaeological impacts should be considered as part of the ES in discussion with the regional Archaeologist

 The consent application should include details on reinstatement techniques for peat and for any access tracks.

 Assessment of traffic and transport should also have to take account of import of materials and export of wastes including quantities, routes and source/destination locations.

Shetlands 29/11/11  A Historic Environment Records (HER) search Amenity will be required to inform the EIA baseline. Trust  A walkover of the Site will be required to inform the assessment.

SNH 18/11/11  Previous work had indicated that Whimbrel were present over some of the Development route area. Assessment of the impacts to these species and to Red-Throated Divers would need to be considered as part of the pipeline ES. This species is likely to need an exclusion period rather than exclusion zones.

 There was also the potential for Merlin and Skuas along the Development route.

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Consultee Date Key Environmental Issues Highlighted  The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) should be consulted for data on bird species in the vicinity of the pipeline route.

 Details of the restoration of the land after construction would be needed in the application as well as measures to reduce the impact on the local hydrology

A number of consultees will be formally consulted by the Scottish Government as part of the EIA Scoping request process and asked to provide written comment on this Scoping Report document. These consultees include:

 British Geological Survey (BGS);

 Health and Safety Executive;

 Historic Scotland;

 Local Community Councils

 Marine Scotland;

 Ministry of Defence (Defence Estates);

 Nature in Shetland

 Northern Constabulary;

 Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland;

 Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB); SIC;

 SAT;

 Scottish Water;

 SEPA

 Shetland Biological Records Centre;

 Shetland Bird Club;

 SNH;

 Transport Scotland. and

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 Tingwall Airport

5.1.2 Public Consultation

It is proposed that two sets of two public exhibitions be held during the period in which the EIA is being undertaken, in order to present the proposals for the Development and engage with interested parties on potential issues.

The locations and dates of the consultation events are yet to be determined but will be published through appropriate channels well in advance of each.

6 PLANNING POLICY CONTEXT

6.1 Introduction

This section sets out the national, regional and local planning policy framework of direct relevance to the Development with reference also made where appropriate to the Planning etc (Scotland) Act 2006 and ongoing reform of Scotland‟s planning system.

The Development lies wholly within the administrative boundary of Shetland Islands Council (SIC).

The planning policy context chapter of the ES will include a general overview of the policy context relevant to the Site and surrounding areas and a more detailed examination of policies that relate to the Development. Initial work will include a review of national and local plan policies and proposals and of neighbouring development proposals in respect of cumulative impact. This work should identify planning issues/constraints that will influence or be affected by the Development, including at a minimum:

 The National Planning Framework 2 (2009);

 Scottish Planning Policy (2010). Reviews will also be carried out on Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) which provide statements of Scottish Government policy on nationally important land use and other planning matters;

 Planning Advice Notes (PANs) which provide advice on best practice and guidance;

 Shetland Structure Plan (2001) and Shetland Local Plan (2004); other relevant supplementary planning guidance; and

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 The Shetland Wide Local Development Plan if available, although this is not expected to be adopted until 2013.

Policies that form the overall context for a decision on the Development will be described and analysed to demonstrate the relationship between various policy objectives and the Development. Where policies set compliance standards, or other statutory and non-statutory criteria, these will be identified.

The detailed interpretation of these policies and all relevant guidance and legislation relating to each technical aspect will be discussed specifically within each technical chapter of the ES (see Section 9 of this Scoping Report for a list of proposed technical chapters).

7 EIA METHODOLOGY

7.1 Introduction

The EIA will be carried out in accordance with the requirements and content defined in Schedule 4, Part 1 of the EIA Regulations 2011. For the EIA to be an effective decision-making tool, the ES needs to focus on the most potentially significant environmental issues. These issues have been identified through consideration of the planning context and preliminary data review.

The following sub-sections describe the works proposed to fulfil the requirements of the EIA Regulations.

7.2 Methodology and Cumulative Assessment

The ES will describe the assessment of the potential effects of the Development that are:

 Direct;

 Indirect;

 Cumulative;

 Short, medium and long term;

 Permanent or temporary;

 National, regional and local in scale; and

 Beneficial and/ or adverse in nature.

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Any mitigation measures envisaged in order to avoid, reduce or remedy significant adverse impacts will be described where applicable. The significance of the residual impacts will then be assessed in accordance with a standard set of significance criteria.

A best practice methodology will be adhered to which will define the baseline against which the environmental effects will be assessed. The assessment will include the following scenarios:

 The Site as existing (the baseline);

 The Development (including construction, operation and decommissioning phases); and

 The Development in addition to a number of schemes identified in order to assess cumulative effects.

Cumulative effects of nearby proposed schemes will be assessed in relation to the Development. Schemes for consideration within the cumulative assessment will be agreed in consultation with SIC and will comprise schemes considered significant enough to lead to potential effects when considered cumulatively with the Development that are:

 Proposed by way of submission of a planning application;

 Already consented or with a resolution to grant consent; or

 Under construction.

The EIA process will include the identification and assessment of all impacts to potentially sensitive receptors resulting from the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the proposed Development.

7.3 Alternatives and Design Evolution

The EIA process provides an opportunity to describe the design evolution of the Development, as well as consideration of any alternative development options. In particular, this includes a description of any potential environmental effects managed through changes in design. In accordance with EIA Regulations and statutory guidance, the ES will describe any alternatives that were considered during the development of the project, including:

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 ‘Do Nothing Scenario’ – the consequences of the Development not taking place;

 ‘Alternative routes’ – examination of any alternative route for the Development and the rationale behind the selection of the preferred and alternative routes; and

 „Alternative designs’ – the ES will summarise the evolution of the current design proposal, the modifications which have taken place to date and any environmental considerations which have led to design modifications as far as is applicable to a development of this type.

7.4 The Development

The EIA will include a description of the Development to enable a robust assessment of the likely significant environmental impacts. This will include the following:

 Scope of development;

 Development route;

 Development footprint;

 Method of construction

 Proposals for landscaping; and

 Sustainable design features.

7.5 Construction Programme and Management

Construction works comprise enabling works and peat management, excavation and installation followed by reinstatement. The ES will provide details of the proposed construction programme together with specific construction activities and their anticipated duration. The ES will describe the effects and any mitigation required to reduce effects from:

 Construction traffic;

 Changes to access and the public rights of way;

 Noise and vibration;

 Utilities diversion;

 Dust generation;

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 Peat and soil management, removal and reinstatement; and

 Waste generation.

8 POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT EIA ISSUES

Given the location, nature and scale of the Development there is the potential for a number of environmental effects to occur. It is proposed that the following broad environmental themes will be included within the EIA for the Development:

 Air Quality;

 Noise and vibration;

 Ecology and nature conservation;

 Water resources;

 Transportation, traffic and access;

 Cultural heritage; and

 Recreation and Land Use.

The methodology and assessment criteria that are proposed to be used to assess the potential significance of the identified impacts are outlined in the following sub-sections.

8.1 Air quality

The air quality impact assessment will determine the severity, extent and duration of predicted impacts on local air quality attributed to the construction and operation of the Development. In particular, potential impacts and nuisance from dust and mobile plant exhaust emissions, generated during the construction phase will be considered in a semi-quantitative context (i.e. a basic screening assessment using estimated data). Where appropriate, mitigation measures will be recommended for the control of dust and site plant emissions during demolition and construction works to minimise or remove the potential impacts.

8.1.1 Baseline

SIC has not declared any Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) under the

Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) regime. However, exceedances of NO2

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short term national air quality objectives have been measured at residential locations close to the existing Lerwick Power Station. There are no predicted exceedances of other National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS) objectives in the Shetland Islands.

8.1.2 Emissions during construction and operation of the Development

The Development, once operational, is not anticipated to have any direct emissions to air, therefore, this assessment will consider potential air quality impacts during the construction phase of the development.

As outlined above, during the construction phase, there will potentially be emissions to air from exhaust emissions from contractor vehicles and on-site plant, and dust associated with site preparation and earthworks.

There is also the potential for climate change impacts associated with any peat loss or disturbance. This will be evaluated in accordance with established SEPA and Scottish Government guidelines for developments on peat.

Any construction mitigation measures will be provided to minimise dust, based on industry best practice.

8.1.3 Assessment method

It is proposed that an air quality impact assessment be undertaken. The assessment will be desk-based and will assess the potential impacts of designated air pollutants on human health and habitats at identified sensitive local receptors.

The likelihood of construction dust impacts (suspended and deposited) will be discussed in relation to a Buildings Research Establishment (BRE) case study [Effects of a Construction Site on Local PM10 levels. BRE, UK, 2000].

The potential for air pollution impacts generated by traffic during construction will also be briefly discussed in relation to best practice screening criteria (e.g. Environmental Protection UK 2010 Update).

It is not envisaged that site specific ambient air quality monitoring would be needed as part of the study, with background air quality data derived from the local authority air quality network, supplemented by DEFRA background air quality maps as appropriate. Consultation will be undertaken with SIC to

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ascertain the suitability of existing background air quality data to carry out the assessment.

The air quality impact assessment will determine the severity, extent and duration of predicted impacts on local air quality attributed to the construction and operation of the Development.

8.2 Noise and Vibration

The EIA will consider the potential effects of noise generated by the Development upon the sensitive receptors in the local area. Based on the information supplied, and from experience on projects of a similar nature, the effects are considered likely to be associated with the construction phase of the Development. This includes noise from construction traffic.

At this stage, it is considered unlikely that there will any significant vibration sources or effects associated with the Development. However, the effects of vibration will be considered as part of the assessment.

The noise and vibration methodology that will be used will be driven by input from the following principal standards and guidelines, as appropriate for the assessment of effects from the Development:

 Scottish Planning Policy (2010);

 PAN 1/2011 Planning and Noise;

 The Control of Noise (Codes of Practice for Construction and Open Sites) (Scotland) Order (2002);

 BS 5228 Part 1 and 2: Noise and vibration control on construction and open sites (2009);

 BS 4142: Method for Rating Industrial Noise Affecting Mixed Residential and Industrial Areas (1997);

 BS 6472-1: Guide to evaluation of human exposure to vibration in buildings, Part 1: Vibration sources other than blasting (2008);

 BS 7385: Evaluation and measurement for vibration in buildings (1990);

 BS 7445: Description and Measurement of Environmental Noise (1991);

 The Control of Pollution Act 1974 (CoPA);

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 Department of Transport. 1988. Calculation of Road Traffic Noise (CRTN);

 The Department of Environment. 1976. Advisory Leaflet 72 - Noise Control on Building Sites; and

 The IEMA Guidance Note No. 1, „Guidelines for the Environmental Assessment of Road Traffic‟.

8.2.1 Baseline

The assessment will include identification of sensitive receptors along the pipeline route likely to be impacted by construction and construction traffic noise followed by baseline noise surveys at these receptors.

A baseline noise survey will be conducted, which will consist of short-term daytime measurements at identified sensitive receptors where noise from the Development is considered likely to have most effect. The survey results will be used to establish the existing ambient and background noise environment at sensitive receptors.

8.2.2 Assessment method

Noise predictions for construction activities will be carried out based on plant and equipment to be used, distances to receptors and screening, together with the use of potential noise control mitigation measures. Preliminary mitigation measures will be presented (e.g. work procedures, screening, working hours, and monitoring activities). These measures will determine potential reduction in noise and vibration and the residual effect. Predictions of construction noise will be carried out using the BS 5228:2009 Parts 1 and 2 methodologies and data.

Traffic noise assessments will be carried out in accordance with the Calculation for Road Traffic Noise (CRTN) methodology and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) guidance documents.

Any significant vibration sources will be assessed against BS 6472-1:2008 and BS 7385:1990.

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8.3 Ecology and nature conservation

The EIA will consider the potential effects of the Development on habitats and species along the Development route and the wider local area.

8.3.1 Baseline Designated sites

The Development route corridor and immediately adjacent land is not subject to international, national or local nature conservation designations.

The nearest international or national designated site is the Sullom Voe Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Sullom Voe SAC is considered representative of large shallow inlets and bays, and is the only Scottish example of a ria (known locally as a „voe‟).

The Development route also passes near to four Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs):

Sand Water SSSI was first designated in 1972 (revised 1983), is located in National Grid Reference HU 415547 and has a surface area of approximately 38 ha. Sand Water is a relatively shallow loch, surrounded by dwarf shrub and acid moorland. The loch is mesotrophic with a neutral pH due to the influence of an underlying band of crystalline limestone.

The loch is noted for its breeding waterfowl, particularly nesting widgeon, and contains extensive beds of Common Bulrush (Schoenoplectus lacustris) which has a limited distribution in Shetland. Other wildlife that can be found in or around Sand Water include wintering whooper swans, teal and, small numbers of tufted duck and pochard. Small numbers of passage waders are to be found during spring and autumn and migrant ospreys in May and June.

The Loch of Girlsta SSSI represents one of the best known examples of the few valley trough lochs in Shetland. It was first notified in 1972 (revised 1983). The loch is located at national grid reference HU 433522 and covers an area of approximately 102 ha.

The Lochs of Asta and Tingwall SSSI are located approximately 1 km to the west of the Development route. The aquatic flora of this site is one of the richest in Shetland and includes the nationally and locally rare Shetland

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pondweed Potamogeton rutilus, a species confined to one other site in Shetland and a few places in the Hebrides and on the mainland of Scotland. The lochs are also one of the most important sites in Shetland for wintering and migrant wildfowl.

The Easter Rova Head SSSI is located approximately 1 km to the east of the Development route; however this SSSI is designated for its geological resource and not because it is important for nature conservation. Consultation

As part of the scoping exercise, consultation was undertaken with SEPA and SNH on the 1st and 18th November 2011 respectively. The consultation highlighted the following key issues with respect to the ecological assessment:

 Potential for effects on groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystems (GWDTE);

 Potential for effects on peatland ecosystems;

 Potential for effects on heather moorland;

 Potential for effects on otters; and

 Potential for effects on Whimbrel, Red Throat Divers, Merlin and Skuas.

Additional consultation will be held with Marine Scotland, SIC Local Biodiversity Officers, RSPB, Shetland Biological Records Centre, Shetland Bird Group and any other relevant organisations to obtain information and identify key ecological issues related to the Development. Phase 1 Habitat Survey

A Phase 1 Habitat Survey of the route (both Preferred and Alternative) was conducted in June 2012 and was undertaken in accordance with the standard methodology published by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) (2007). The main objectives of the survey were:

 To determine the habitats present within and immediately adjacent to the Site;

 Record the dominant flora species;

 Note the presence of and potential for notable and protected habitats and species; and

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 Identify the need for further ecological surveys.

Historical species records for the site and the local area will be obtained to complement the Phase 1 Habitat Survey and inform the ecological baseline.

The Phase 1 Habitat survey was conducted on the basis of a 500m buffer around an earlier iteration of the Development route. Accordingly, approximately 2-3km of the Alternative route was not covered by the Phase 1 Habitat Survey. Owing to seasonal restrictions and the consent application timetable, it is proposed that ecological assessment of this section take place after any consent is granted prior to final route selection.

The output of the Phase 1 Habitat Survey is known to have identified areas within the buffer zone surveyed that will be recommended for National Vegetation Classification (NVC) surveys. However, again, owing to seasonal restrictions and the consent application timetable, it is proposed the NVC surveys take place after any consent is granted prior to final route selection to inform that selection. Groundwater Dependent Terrestrial Ecosystems (GWDTEs)

A survey to identify GWDTEs that may potentially be affected by the Development took place at the same time as the Phase 1 Habitat survey. This was undertaken in accordance with the SNIFFER wetland typology survey method2. Protected Species Surveys

Protected species surveys for otter have been carried out along the route length for both coastal surveys (where appropriate) and surveys on water bodies to be crossed or close to the route. These have been conducted according to standard methodology as set out in the following publications, Monitoring the Otter - Conserving Natural 2000 Rivers, Monitoring Series No.10 (EN, CCW, EA, SEPA, SNH & Sniffer, 2003) and (Strachan, 2007) National survey of otter (Lutra lutra) distribution in Scotland 2003-04. Scottish Natural Heritage Commissioned Report No.211 (ROAME No. F03AC309).

2 SNIFFER. 2009. WFD95: A Functional Wetland Typology for Scotland - Field Survey Manual.

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Breeding birds survey

Bird surveys have been conducted along the pipeline route. These surveys have been conducted by a team led by Paul Harvey of SAT and have included surveys for Red Throated Diver, Merlin, Whimbrel and Skua as well as surveys along the route length following the standard Brown & Shepherd methodology.

8.3.2 Assessment method

The ecological impact assessment (ECIA) will be completed in accordance with the Institute of Ecological and Environmental Management (IEEM) Ecological Impact Assessment Guidance3.

The assessment will use the ecological baseline to identify the sensitive ecological receptors that could be affected by the construction or operation of the Development. Each receptor will be assigned a geographic level of importance based on its national and local conservation status and population/ assemblage trends and other relevant criteria (including size, naturalness, rarity and diversity). Details of the Development will then be used to assess what level of effect each receptor is likely to receive and whether or not that impact will be beneficial or adverse, significant or negligible, and temporary or permanent.

Where appropriate, mitigation measures will be recommended to remedy any adverse impacts and measures to enhance the local ecology will also be incorporated within the assessment. An assessment of residual effects will then be undertaken and reported within the ES.

8.4 Water Resources

The Water Resources chapter of the ES will consider the potential effects of the Development upon the water environment during the construction and operational phase of the Development

8.4.1 Baseline

A desk study will be undertaken to identify water resources features within the study area and determine the environmental baseline for these features. The

3 IEEM. 2006. Guidelines for Ecological Impact Assessment.

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study area assessed will extend 250m around the Development for surface water features, whilst groundwater features will be considered over an area extending 500m around the Development. The key objectives of the study will be to: obtain baseline data; ascertain the legislative and planning context; and identify sensitive receptors (including surface watercourses, groundwater bodies and private water supplies), abstractions and discharges, rainfall and drainage patterns, hydrogeology, and groundwater vulnerability.

The desk study will be augmented by consultation with SEPA, SIC and Scottish Water and the British Geological Society (BGS) who will be contacted to obtain relevant water resource quality data and water use related information.

The Development includes a number of proposed watercourse and drainage channel crossings, most of which are not formally monitored by SEPA. However, the watercourses in Table 4 below are monitored by SEPA, and their current classifications are noted.

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Table 4: Development Route waterbody classification

Waterbody Overall Status

Burn of Dale Good

Burn of Grunnafirth / Burn Good of Forse

Burn of Strand / Burn of Good Griesta

Burn of Laxobigging Poor

Burn of Weisdale Moderate

Laxo Gossawater Burn Good

Stromfirth Burn Good

The Burn of Laxobigging is also associated with the Sullom Voe Special Area of Conservation.

This classification includes factors such as water quality, water chemistry and anthropogenic pressures on the waterbody; a waterbody status of „Good‟ or „High‟ is necessary to meets the requirements of the Water Framework Directive.

The bedrock aquifer underlying the Development is classed as being of low to very low productivity with only fracture flow in the rock formations.

8.4.2 Assessment method

A desk based assessment will be undertaken to determine the significance of any potential effects of the Development on water resources. The following key activities will be undertaken as part of the assessment:

 Identification of the potential effects of the Development on the identified sensitive receptors;

 Identification of options for the mitigation of potential effects in accordance with applicable legislation, policies and guidance, for example the SPP and SEPA‟s Pollution Prevention Guidelines;

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 Identification of residual effects and assessment of significance based on the magnitude of the impact and the importance of the receiving environment; and

 Identification of cumulative effects with other schemes.

It is anticipated that there will be close liaison between this Chapter and the Ecology Chapter & Nature Conservation Chapter, as many of the potential effects on water resources can have knock on effects on aquatic ecology and the aquatic ecological features can likewise have an effect on the overall sensitivity rating of the water resources features.

8.5 Traffic, Transport and Access

This ES chapter will comprise an assessment of the Development‟s effect on existing transport infrastructure, including changes to traffic flows during the construction, operational and decommissioning phases. The assessment will be based on the effect of Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV), private car and delivery vehicle movements during the construction of the Development.

The transport, traffic and access chapter will:

 Address potential disruption to pedestrians, cyclists and existing road users during the construction phase;

 Assess changes to local traffic flows during the construction and operation phases;

 Assess the effect of the changes on the transport network and the level of significance of any effects established; and

 Take account of the objectives of the Shetland Structure Plan 2000 and the Shetland Regional Transport Strategy (2008); as well as emerging local and strategic policy.

8.5.1 Baseline

The assessment will be based on current traffic flows and conditions on all the roads affected by the pipeline construction utilising information available from SIC. If road traffic data is not available, traffic counts will be commissioned, as appropriate.

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8.5.2 Assessment method

The assessment will be based on the proposed construction programme, including construction vehicle numbers, vehicle types, likely origin of vehicle movements, construction staff numbers and associated vehicle movements.

In addition to the workforce, there will be the delivery of equipment and machinery including pipes, drilling rigs, trenching machines and pipe slings. A first principles calculation of likely HGV numbers will be made based on required deliveries and this will be related to the programme to identify when movements are likely to be made.

The road network surrounding the chosen cabling route will be assessed for any constraints or restrictions that may affect the movement of HGV‟s. The road network affected by the proposals will also be assessed for more sensitive areas such as nearby schools, hospitals, pedestrians, residential frontage properties etc.

The assessment will take into account statutory guidance as provided by SPP and PAN 75: Planning for Transport, and will be written based on the methodology from the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) and IEMA guidelines.

The scope of work for the transport, traffic and access chapter will be discussed with the relevant Transportation Officers at SIC, and will comprise:

 A review of highway safety issues, including examination of personal injury accident data;

 Assessment of the transport implications of the Development including the likely traffic management measures at road crossing locations.

 The cumulative effect of consented development and highway schemes;

 An assessment of the travel demands expected to arise from the Development and the production of traffic flows for use in the noise and air quality assessments;

 A forecast of the likely distribution of trips on the surrounding road network;

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 A review of other modes of transport, including those related to the roads surrounding the Site;

 A framework of measures to be included in development travel plans; and

 A summary of the residual and cumulative effects and consideration of mitigation measures where appropriate to reduce the negative effects of changes in trip generation and distribution.

The result of the work will be the Transport Chapter of the Environmental Impact Assessment. The analysis and reporting will include the following:

 Methodology based on IHT and IEMA Guidelines;  Baseline conditions;  Potential effect and mitigation measures;  Assessed effects (including cumulative impacts)  Mitigation; and  Statement of Significance.

8.6 Cultural Heritage

An assessment of the potential effect of the Development upon the archaeological and cultural heritage resource will be undertaken as part of the EIA. Cultural heritage resources include designated assets such as World Heritage Sites, Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas, Gardens and Designed Landscapes, Historic Battlefields, and Designated Wreck Sites. They also include undesignated sites including archaeological sites, features and find spots; buildings of historic or architectural importance; important historic townscapes and important historic landscapes.

8.6.1 Baseline

An initial review of designated assets within a 2km corridor on the proposed route shows that there are no designated sites within the boundary of the Development, but assets within the wider landscape include listed buildings, agricultural buildings and structures, cairns and findspots.

As part of the ES, a full desk-based assessment and a walk-over survey will be carried out to identify heritage assets along the route of the Development. The assessment will focus upon the selected gas pipeline route and any associated

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works, with a study corridor of 1km to either side of the scheme centreline. Key sites further afield will also be used, as appropriate, to identify designated cultural heritage receptors further afield from where there is theoretical intervisibility with one or more development components to identify where the Development may affect the setting of heritage assets.

The desk-based assessment will be undertaken with reference to the relevant legislative and planning frameworks for cultural heritage. This Legislation includes:

 Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2011;

 The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979;

 The Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997;

 The Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) (Scotland) Order 1992; and

 The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2011.

At national level, the primary planning guidance comprises:

 Scottish Historic Environment Policy (SHEP) 2011;

 Scottish Planning Policy (2010); and

 Planning Advice Note 2/2011 – Planning and Archaeology (2011);

At regional and local level, reference will be made to the relevant Structure Plan and Local Plans.

The results of the desk-based assessment will be augmented by an RCAHMS Level 1 reconnaissance field survey (RCAHMS Corporate Plan 2004-9, Survey and Recording), carried out in order to:

 Locate all visible cultural heritage sites, monuments and landscape features, both identified during the desk-based assessment and previously unrecorded, and record their character, extent, setting and current condition;

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 Identify areas with the potential to contain unrecorded, buried archaeological remains, taking into account factors such as topography, geomorphology and ground conditions; and

 Inform the assessment of the possible impacts of the Development on those features.

Historic Scotland and the Shetland Regional Archaeologist (Shetland Amenity Trust) will be consulted in order to agree the scope of the assessment and to identify any key features that will require inclusion.

The baseline data gathered from a variety of national and local sources will be used to establish the key characteristics of heritage assets and their setting, as well as providing an assessment of the archaeological potential of the Site. The baseline assessment will include one or more gazetteers cross-referenced to maps and will contain an assessment of the importance of the known heritage assets.

8.6.2 Assessment method

The following guidelines and standards for archaeological work will be adhered to during the preparation of the Cultural Heritage chapter of the ES:

 Institute for Archaeologists (2010) Code of Conduct; and

 Institute for Archaeologists (2012) Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Desk-Based Assessments.

The results of the baseline will be used to inform the EIA. The potential effects of the Development on the cultural heritage resource will be assessed on the basis of their type (direct, indirect, cumulative), nature (beneficial, neutral or adverse), and longevity (reversible, short-term or long-term; irreversible, permanent). The assessment will take into account the sensitivity of the receptor and the magnitude of effect. The assessment of the sensitivity of archaeological and heritage assets reflects the relative weight which statute and policy attach to them, principally as published in SPP and the SHEP, as well as their potential to contribute to national and regional research agendas.

Mitigation measures designed to prevent, reduce or offset significant adverse effects will be proposed, and residual effects will be assessed taking into account the likely effectiveness of the mitigation proposed.

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8.7 Recreation and Land Use

This chapter will consider the potential recreation and land use effects of the pipeline construction and operation. This will include the effect of construction and access (e.g. tracks, work compounds), the operational effects (e.g. routine operational maintenance and emergency repairs access).

8.7.1 Baseline

Identification of the baseline conditions would be performed through a desk-top review of relevant documentation to establish the baseline recreation and land use conditions, profiles and strategic contexts. This review would include published Scottish Government documentation (e.g. NPF2, Scottish Planning Policy 2010, PAN 58, 65 & 73), VisitScotland research (e.g. Tourism in Northern Scotland factsheets) and SNH research (e.g. the 2010 Commissioned Report No. 398 “Assessing the Economic Impacts of Nature Based Tourism in Scotland”), Shetland Islands Council (SIC) recreational policies and plans (e.g. those contained in the Shetland Structure Plan, the Shetland Local Plan, the emerging Local Development Plan and the Adopted Core Path Plan), the Macaulay Institute Orkney & Shetland Soil and Land Capability for Agriculture map (1:250000) – all supported by relevant web based research.

A Site visit at selected sections of the pipeline route is also proposed to supplement the baseline information gathering.

8.7.2 Consultations

The assessment would be conducted in consultation with organisations such as:-

 SIC – Children‟s Services (Sport & Leisure), and Planning Services (e.g. Countryside Outdoor Access & Recreation and Land Use aspects such as confirming existing and emerging land use issues, identifying any relevant planning applications, determining any major policy concerns, and confirming the policy initiatives and the Development Plan proposals relevant to the works);

 Shetland Anglers Association;

 Sustrans;

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 Scottish Rights of Way & Access Society;

 the Ramblers Association Scotland;

 VisitScotland (Lerwick office); and

 Landowners (as appropriate).

8.7.3 Assessment method

In considering the potential recreation and land use effects that may occur, the assessment would be upon receptors contained within an approximate 2km corridor of the Development route.

The chapter would assess the potential effects of the pipeline on the recreational and land use baseline conditions including the following:- Recreation

 Permanent or temporary restriction/severance of access for recreational purposes (land and inland water based activities including any private sporting interests);

 Permanent or temporary loss/closure of recreational attractions, community land, facilities, amenities and infrastructure;

 Permanent or temporary severance of public recreational routes e.g. public Rights of Way (RoW), Core Paths, cycle routes (on and off-road), bridleways etc – taking into account Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 under which everyone now has statutory access rights for recreational purposes on most land and inland water in Scotland (provided these rights are exercised responsibly) and regardless of whether an identified path or track exists or not; and

 Scheme impacts on existing recreation and/or associated visitor journey routes.

Land Use

 Loss of private property (e.g. demolition) and associated land-take to accommodate the construction of the pipeline;

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 Loss of land which SIC has already designated for future development – and which is required as land-take to accommodate the pipeline construction;

 Any impacts of the proposed pipeline on SIC‟s land development designations;

 Any impacts on agricultural land required as land-take to accommodate the pipeline alignment and any likely effects on farm/estate units; and

 The proposed Scheme impacts on any relevant planning applications or known, proposed developments.

An assessment of the likely scale, duration, significance and permanence of effects on both the Recreation and Land Use baseline conditions will be made to determine the overall effect of the proposed pipeline scheme, and mitigation measures for any significant negative effects will be identified. The residual effect will then be determined.

Finally, the potential for any cumulative impacts on the Recreation and Land Use baseline conditions arising as a result of the combined effects of the proposed Scheme and other development proposals submitted for planning in the local area will be considered.

9 NON-SIGNIFICANT EIA ISSUES

The aim of the Scoping Stage is to focus the EIA on those environmental aspects that may be significantly affected by the Development. In so doing, the significance of impacts associated with each environmental aspect becomes more clearly defined, resulting in certain aspects being considered „non- significant‟. The following section provides a summary of those issues, which have been considered during the preparation of this Scoping Report, but are not considered key to the EIA and will therefore not be considered in detail in the ES.

9.1 Flood risk

As an underground structure, the Development is not considered likely to either be at risk from flooding or contribute to flooding elsewhere. Accordingly, a detailed assessment of the impact on Flood risk is not anticipated to be required.

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9.2 Ground Conditions

The Development does not involve significant above ground structures and does not entail the storage or use of substances that may give rise to pollution of soil or groundwater during its operational phase. Impacts on surface and groundwater will be assessed as part of the water resources chapter and implications for peat will be assessed in a stand-alone study. The Development route does not appear to pass through land considered likely to be contaminated. Any incidental contamination encountered through construction works is likely to be management through the contractors‟ environmental management plan. Accordingly, a detailed assessment of the impact on ground conditions as a chapter within the ES is not anticipated to be required.

9.3 Landscape and Visual Impact

The Development does not involve significant above ground structures and is not anticipated to result in a permanent effect on the Landscape Character or Visual Amenity of the area. Accordingly, a detailed landscape and visual assessment as a chapter within the ES is not anticipated to be required.

9.4 Waste

The development is not anticipated to give rise to significant volumes of waste material during its operational phase. Waste peat may arise as a result of excavation work during construction. The disposal options for this waste will be assessed as part of the peat management plan.

10 ADDITIONAL STUDIES

In addition to the proposed scope of the EIA above, a number of related and supported studies are proposed. The scope of these are summarised below.

10.1 Peat Management Plan

In recognition of the importance of peatland and the likely presence of peat along the routes, a Peat Management Plan will be developed.

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The management plan will include estimated volume of peat (a „worst-case‟ calculation, based on a peat depths established through probing) and proposed uses as well as information on the location and indicative programme for peat drainage, peat excavation, storage, compaction and re-use. Finally, storage methods and re-uses including justification where restoration use rather than 'disposal' would be provided in accordance with standing SEPA guidance. Disposal options would also be assessed as part of this chapter.

In addition, the plan would be prepared in accordance with the following guidance:

 Nayak D R et al. (2008) Calculating Carbon Savings from Windfarms on Scottish Peatlands (Corrected 2010). Scottish Government;

 Hodgson JM et al (1974) Technical Monograph 5: Soil Survey handbook. Soil Survey, Harpenden;

 SEPA (2010) Land Use Planning System: Guidance Note 4: Windfarms;

 Scottish Renewable Industry (undated) Guidance Note for Peat Surveys and Environmental Statements; and

 Joint Working Group (2010) Floating Roads on Peat. Scottish Natural Heritage & Forestry Commission Scotland.

10.2 Climate Change Assessment

An assessment of the Development in terms of the potential to contribute to climate change will be undertaken. This will be restricted to an assessment of the impact of any loss of peat as a result of the construction of the pipeline, calculated in accordance with standing best practice.

11 THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT

11.1 The Proposed Structure of the ES

The information provided within the ES is intended to comply with Schedule 4 of the EIA Regulations: “Content of an Environmental Statement”, and will comprise the following set of documents:

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context, the Development, the design alternatives, the environmental issues arising and proposed mitigation measures;

 Volume I: Environmental Statement. This will contain the full text of the EIA and the core figures (location plans, Development layout, contextual mapping); and

 Volume II: Technical Appendices. This will provide supplementary details of the environmental studies conducted during the EIA, including relevant data tables, figures and photographs. This volume will also include the proposed Climate Change Assessment, Peat Management Plan and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Feasibility assessment among other technical documents.

Having considered the potential key environmental issues, it is proposed that the ES for the proposed Development will include the following technical assessments:

 Air Quality;

 Noise and vibration

 Ecology and nature conservation;

 Water resources;

 Transportation, traffic and access;

 Cultural heritage; and

 Recreation and Land Use.

The content and scope of the assessments to be carried out for each of these EIA themes is provided in Chapter 8 of this report.

In addition, the following overview chapters are proposed:

 Introduction;

 Assessment Methodology and Significance Criteria;

 Alternatives and Design Evolution;

 Planning Policy and Land use;

 The Proposed Development;

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 Construction Programme and Management;

 Non-Significant Issues;

 Cumulative Impact Assessment; and

 Residual Impact Assessment and Conclusions.

The ES will be a publicly accessible document that will be made available on request (although a charge may apply) and on display with the Section 36 application and supporting documents during the statutory consultation period.

11.2 EIA team

The EIA is being managed by URS on behalf of the Applicant and undertaken by experienced technical staff from within URS‟ UK environment team.

12 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

This Scoping Report requests the Scoping Opinion of the Scottish Ministers in accordance with Regulation 5 of the EIA Regulations. The Report suggests a comprehensive scope of work based on the previous experience of the assembled team of specialists. The Scottish Government and other consultees are invited to consider the contents of this Report and comment accordingly within the period prescribed by Regulation 5(6) of the EIA Regulations.

13 GLOSSARY ADMS Advanced Dispersion LPA Local Planning Authority Modelling System

AOD Above Ordnance Datum NAQS National Air Quality Standard

AONB Area of Outstanding Natural NBN National Biodiversity Network Beauty

AQMA Air Quality Management NOx Nitrogen Oxides Area

BAT Best Available Techniques NTS Non-Technical Summary

BREEAM Building Research NPF National Planning Framework Establishment Environmental Assessment Method

BREF BAT Reference Documents PAN Planning Advice Note

CHP Combined Heat and Power SAC Special Area of Conservation

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CO2 Carbon Dioxide SAM Scheduled Ancient Monument

DEFRA Department for the SAT Shetland Amenity Trust Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

DRMB Design Manual for Roads SEPA Scottish Environment and Bridges Protection Agency

EIA Environmental Impact SIC Shetland Islands Council Assessment

ES Environmental Statement SPA Special Protection Area

FRA Flood Risk Assessment SPP Scottish Planning Policy

HSE Health and Safety Executive SSI (Local) Site of Special Interest

IEEM Institute for Ecology and SSSI Site of Special Scientific Environmental Management Interest

IEMA Institute of Environmental TA Traffic Assessment Management and Assessment

LAQM Local Air Quality UDP Unitary Development Plan Management

LDP Local Development Plan WHO World Health Organisation

LNR Local Nature Reserve ZTV Zone of Theoretical Visibility

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Appendix A Figures