Document 7.1A Planning Statement The West Midlands Rail Freight Interchange Order 201X Regulation 5 (2) (q) Quod - July 2018 Four Ashes Ltd The West Midlands Rail Freight Interchange Order 201X Planning Statement Document Ref 7.1A July 2018 Quod West Midlands Interchange | Planning Statement i Document Ref 7.1A Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................. vi 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Purpose of the Document ............................................................................................. 1 1.2 The Applicant ................................................................................................................ 1 1.3 The Site ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.4 Project Background ...................................................................................................... 3 1.5 National Policy Context ................................................................................................ 3 1.6 The Proposed Development ......................................................................................... 4 1.7 Approach to Consultation ............................................................................................. 5 1.8 Structure of this Planning Statement ............................................................................ 6 2. MAIN FEATURES OF THE SITE ........................................................................... 8 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Site location .................................................................................................................. 8 2.3 Site Description and Context ...................................................................................... 10 2.4 Planning Policy Designations ..................................................................................... 14 2.5 Planning History ......................................................................................................... 16 3. SCHEME DEVELOPMENT .................................................................................. 20 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 20 3.2 The search for a SRFI site .......................................................................................... 20 3.3 Feasibility Work and Early Stages .............................................................................. 20 3.4 Mission Statement and Vision .................................................................................... 23 3.5 Description of Development ....................................................................................... 24 3.6 Design Overview and Scheme Development ............................................................. 32 3.7 Operational Matters .................................................................................................... 42 4. IDENTIFICATION OF PRINCIPAL PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS .................. 49 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 49 4.2 Legal and Policy Context ............................................................................................ 49 4.3 Planning Considerations ............................................................................................. 62 4.4 Summary ....................................................................................................................63 West Midlands Interchange | Planning Statement ii Document Ref 7.1A 5. NEED, SCALE, LOCATION AND ALTERNATIVE SITES ................................... 65 5.1 National Need ............................................................................................................. 65 5.2 National and Regional Policy ...................................................................................... 69 5.3 Market Demand .......................................................................................................... 82 5.4 Scale of Development ................................................................................................87 5.5 Site Selection and Alternative Site Assessment ......................................................... 90 6. GREEN BELT ..................................................................................................... 100 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 100 6.2 SRFI Development in the Green Belt ....................................................................... 101 6.3 The West Midlands Green Belt ................................................................................. 102 6.4 Impacts on the Green Belt ........................................................................................112 6.5 Very Special Circumstances ..................................................................................... 116 7. LAND USE DESIGNATIONS ............................................................................. 120 7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 120 7.2 Minerals ....................................................................................................................120 7.3 Agriculture and Soils ................................................................................................. 125 8. LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACTS .............................................................. 129 8.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 129 8.2 Landscape and Green Infrastructure Strategy ......................................................... 129 8.3 Artificial Light ............................................................................................................ 140 9. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................... 145 9.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 145 9.2 Biodiversity and Ecological Conservation ................................................................. 145 9.3 Veteran Trees ........................................................................................................... 152 9.4 Drainage and Flood risk ........................................................................................... 155 10. TRANSPORT NETWORKS ................................................................................ 158 10.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 158 10.2 Rail Freight ............................................................................................................... 158 10.3 Highways ..................................................................................................................169 11. CARBON ............................................................................................................ 177 11.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 177 11.2 Legislation and Planning Policy ................................................................................ 177 11.3 Freight Carbon Review and Rail Freight Strategy .................................................... 179 West Midlands Interchange | Planning Statement iii Document Ref 7.1A 11.4 Operational Rail-Based Examples ............................................................................ 181 11.5 Carbon Saving Benefits of WMI ............................................................................... 185 11.6 Conclusions .............................................................................................................. 186 12. AIR QUALITY ..................................................................................................... 188 12.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 188 12.2 Policy ........................................................................................................................ 188 12.3 Assessment .............................................................................................................. 190 12.4 Mitigation .................................................................................................................. 193 12.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 193 13. NOISE AND VIBRATION ................................................................................... 195 13.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 195 13.2 Policy ........................................................................................................................ 195 13.3 Assessment .............................................................................................................