Welsh Government M4 Corridor Around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 Chapter 9: Landscape and Visual Effects
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Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 Chapter 9: Landscape and Visual Effects M4CAN-DJV-ELS-ZG_GEN--REP-EN-0020.docx At Issue March 2016 | CVJV/AAR 3rd Floor Longross Court, 47 Newport Road, Cardiff CF24 0AD Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 Environmental Statement Volume 1 Contents Page 9 Landscape and Visual Effects 9-1 9.1 Introduction 9-1 9.2 Legislation and Policy Context 9-2 9.3 Assessment Methodology 9-7 9.4 Baseline Environment 9-26 Landscape and Visual Baseline 9-26 Landscape Character and Context 9-27 Visual Receptors 9-48 9.5 Mitigation Measures Forming Part of the Scheme Design 9-59 9.6 Assessment of Potential Land Take Effects 9-68 9.7 Assessment of Potential Construction Effects 9-68 Proposed New Section of Motorway 9-68 Assessment of Potential Construction Landscape Effects 9-68 Assessment of Potential Construction Visual Effects – Daylight Hours 9-78 Assessment of Potential Construction Visual Effects on Representative Viewpoints - Hours of Darkness 9-86 Potential Construction Visual Effects on Residential Properties 9-91 Potential Construction Visual Effects on Non-Residential Properties 9-102 Potential Construction Visual Effects on Public Rights of Way 9-106 Potential Construction Visual Effects on Land with Public Access 9-112 Potential Construction Visual Effects on Roads and Transport Routes 9-114 Complementary Measures 9-119 9.8 Assessment of Potential Operational Effects 9-119 Proposed New Section of Motorway 9-119 Assessment of Potential Operational Landscape Effects 9-119 Assessment of Potential Operational Visual Effects 9-129 Complementary Measures 9-191 Assessment of Potential Operational Landscape Effects 9-191 Assessment of Potential Operational Visual Effects 9-193 9.9 Additional Mitigation and Monitoring 9-196 9.10 Assessment of Land Take Effects 9-196 9.11 Assessment of Construction Effects 9-196 9.12 Assessment of Operational Effects 9-196 9.13 Assessment of Cumulative Effects 9-196 9.14 Inter-relationships 9-196 9.15 Summary of Effects 9-197 Proposed New Section of Motorway 9-197 Landscape 9-197 Visual 9-198 Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 Environmental Statement Volume 1 Complementary Measures 9-201 Landscape 9-201 Visual 9-201 Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 9 Landscape and Visual Effects 9.1 Introduction 9.1.1 This chapter presents the findings of landscape and visual impact assessments (LVIA), which have been undertaken for the Scheme. 9.1.2 The Scheme is described in ES Chapter 2. Key issues, impacts and effects considered within this chapter include the following. Permanent and temporary, long term and short term (up to 12 months) physical changes to the landscape in terms of landform, land use (along the motorway corridor), fragmentation of landscape features or designated areas, vegetation changes and introduction of moving traffic. Indirect effects on the character and quality of the landscape in terms of encroachment or effects on the landscape setting of features and areas, and disturbance to sense of place and changes in the perception of the landscape through the introduction of features alien to the character of the landscape. Direct day and night time effects on the visual amenity of visual receptors, in terms of changes in views and their composition for residents and people visiting the area. Indirect effects on visual receptors in different places in terms of an altered visual perception leading to changes in public attitude, behaviour and how they value or use a place. 9.1.3 This chapter sets out the legislation and planning context and describes and evaluates the baseline landscape resource, together with views and visual amenity of visual receptors within a defined study area. The likely changes arising from the Scheme during construction and operation - day and night - and the significance of the identified effects have been assessed. The potential for likely significant effects relates to the change in land use, the loss of existing landscape features, and the visibility, scale and mass of the Scheme including fixed infrastructure and predicted traffic movement within existing views. A summary of effects is included at the end of this chapter. 9.1.4 The LVIA comprises a combination of desk study review and field work during 2015 and 2016. The work was undertaken by a core team of six landscape architects covering overlapping sections of the Scheme with the assessment of the significance of effects across the whole scheme moderated by two senior chartered Landscape Architects. The field work was undertaken predominantly when the vegetation was in leaf, during May and June 2015, to enable a greater extent of inter-visibility between the site and the study area. Further site visits were undertaken between July and November 2015 to review specific receptor impacts. Site visits were also undertaken in January 2016, when deciduous trees and plants had predominantly dropped their leaves, to take winter photographic records from key viewpoints. 9.1.5 Mitigation has been addressed as part of an iterative design and assessment process. The design approach is described in Section 9.5 of this chapter. The Environmental Masterplan is shown on Figure 2.6. This chapter should be read with Figures 9.1-9.21 in Volume 2 of this Environmental Statement (ES) and Chapter 9: Landscape and Visual Effects 9-1 March 2016 Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 Appendices 9.1-9.13 in Volume 3 of this ES, which provide additional assessment information, photo sheets and photomontages of the Scheme. 9.2 Legislation and Policy Context 9.2.1 A review of topic specific published landscape policies and guidance has been undertaken to inform the LVIA and mitigation strategy. The following section of this chapter summarises the relevant legislation and policy context, with further detail outlined in Volume 3, Appendix 9.1. Relevant Legislation 9.2.2 The following legislation is relevant to the Scheme and has been considered. National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949. The Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). The Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006. Hedgerows Regulations 1997. Planning Policy Context Planning Policy Wales 9.2.3 Landscape policy considerations and guidance are contained in Planning Policy Wales (PPW) (Edition 8) (Welsh Government, 2016), supplementary relevant topic based Technical Advice Notes (TANs) and Ministerial Interim Planning Policy Statements (MIPPS). 9.2.4 PPW includes guidance on development in relation to Planning for Sustainability (Chapter 4), Conserving and Improving Natural Heritage and The Coast (Chapter 5), Conserving the Historic Environment (Chapter 6) and Minimising and Managing Environmental Risks and Pollution (Chapter 13). 9.2.5 Technical Advice Notes relevant to the LVIA, and the environmental design of the Scheme and mitigation strategy, include the following. Technical Advice Note 10 (TAN 10): Tree Preservation Orders, which provides advice on considering the scope of Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs), the work that can be carried out on protected trees, and consideration of need for TPOs (Welsh Assembly Government, 1997). Technical Advice Note 12 (TAN 12): Design – providing advice on good design (Welsh Government, 2014b). Welsh Office Circulars and National Assembly for Wales Circulars 9.2.6 Procedural guidance relevant to the LVIA is given in Welsh Office/National Assembly for Wales/Welsh Government Circulars, including the following. Welsh Office Circular 64/78: Trees and Forestry (Department of the Environment, Welsh Office, 1978). Welsh Office Circular 5/93: Public Rights of Way (Department of the Environment, Welsh Office, 1993). Chapter 9: Landscape and Visual Effects 9-2 March 2016 Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 Welsh Office Circular 60/96: Planning and the Historic Environment: Archaeology (Welsh Office, 1996). National Assembly for Wales (2002) Circular 31/01 Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Local Policy Cardiff Council Cardiff Local Development Plan 9.2.7 The Local Development Plan (adopted January 2016) (Cardiff City Council, 2016) includes the following relevant policies. KP16: Green Infrastructure, which aims to protect, enhance, create and manage a network of green infrastructure. EN1: Countryside Protection, which sets out a presumption against development in the countryside and states that development should be in harmony with, and not cause unacceptable harm to, the character and quality of the surrounding countryside and landscape. EN3: Landscape Protection, which states that development will not be permitted that would cause unacceptable harm to the character and quality of the landscape and setting of the city, with particular priority given to Special Landscape Areas. Policy EN6: Ecological Networks and Features of Importance for Biodiversity, which relates primarily to ecological features but also states that development should not cause unacceptable harm to networks of importance for landscape conversation. Policy EN9: Conservation of the Historic Environment, which relates to the historic environment, including the setting of heritage assets such as Registered Historic Landscapes, Parks and Gardens. 9.2.8 Other relevant reports and Supplementary Planning Guidance