1 The Square, Temple Quay 2nd Floor Bristol, BS1 6DG United Kingdom T +44 (0)117 910 2580 F +44 (0)117 910 2581 www.jacobs.com 26 July 2021 Attention: Dan Jones Planning Department South Gloucestershire Council EIA SCREENING OPINION REQUEST UNDER THE TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING (ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT) REGULATIONS 2017 PROVISION OF CHARFIELD RAILWAY STATION. Dear Mr Jones, This letter is a formal request under Regulation 6 of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (the EIA Regulations) for a Screening Opinion from South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) (as the Local Planning Authority), to determine whether the above-mentioned development constitutes an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development requiring an Environmental Statement (ES). As well as being a formal request, this letter explains why Jacobs, working on behalf of SGC (the Applicant), believes that the development does not require formal EIA under the terms of the EIA Regulations. Consequently, the ‘Station works’ (defined below) are considered permitted development, and what documentation would be required to enable validation of a planning application for the ‘Associated works’ (defined below). To enable SGC to come to an informed Screening Opinion, this letter provides a brief description of the nature and purpose of the proposed development and outlines any potential effects the development may have on the local environment, in accordance with the EIA Regulations. A map showing the location of the proposed Charfield Railway Station is provided on the Location Plan which accompanies this letter (Drawing ref: 673847.CE.56-JC-DR-004). The proposed development is located entirely within the administrative boundary of SGC, on Station Road within the village of Charfield. The Station is proposed to be delivered on the Bristol to Gloucester rail line within the immediate vicinity of the former Charfield Railway Station which was closed in 1965 as part of the Beeching closures. SGC propose to make use of land safeguarded in the South Gloucestershire Local Plan to deliver the new station. The Station will be delivered in collaboration, with Network Rail delivering the rail-side elements including entrances, platforms and footbridge, and SGC delivering the supporting infrastructure including station car park, bus interchange and highway improvements. An Extents Plan has Jacobs U.K. Limited Registered in England and Wales 02594504 Registered Office: 1180 Eskdale Road, Winnersh, Wokingham, RG41 5TU 673847. CE.56.02 been provided to outline the boundary of works to be undertaken by both parties (Drawing ref: 673847CH.CE.56-JC-DR-003). Proposed Development The proposed development presented within this letter involves the development of a new railway station on the Bristol to Gloucester rail line within the village of Charfield, South Gloucestershire. Located at the heart of the village, and within the vicinity of the former Charfield Railway Station, the proposed development will comprise: . Station works to be delivered by Network Rail (on behalf of SGC): Line-side works including the platforms, footbridge and station entrances. Associated works to be delivered by SGC; Highway works including a station car park with larger overflow car park, bus interchange and highway improvements, for which we intend to submit a full planning application. The included General Arrangement Plan (Drawing ref: 673847.CE.56-JC-DR-001) outlines the proposed design for the station and associated works. Charfield Railway Station will provide much-needed access to the rail network for a catchment of up to 14,500 residents within a 5km radius, reducing pressure on the road network in an area which has high levels of car dependency due to limited of alternative transport modes and long journey distances to key employment clusters in the North Fringe and Bristol City Centre. The new station will lie at the heart of the village, presenting a unique opportunity to promote access to the station by walking and cycling, with both existing and proposed new developments in Charfield all located within a 10-minute walk of the Station. The objectives of the proposed development are as follows: . Improve accessibility to the rail network and increase travel choices; . Contribute to reducing congestion on key corridors by facilitating modal shift; . Deliver a more resilient transport network, with shorter and more reliable journey times for commuters, businesses and residents; . Help to meet SGC and West of England Combined Authority’s targets to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 in response to the Climate Emergency; . Enhance transport links to the Filton Enterprise Area, North Fringe, Yate, Temple Quay Enterprise Zone and Bristol City Centre; . Support wider economic recovery following the coronavirus pandemic, including recovery of rail, through the delivery of rail services to new catchment areas; . Make a positive contribution to social wellbeing, life opportunities and improving quality of life along the affected corridors; and . Protect and where possible enhance local employment opportunities that can be accessed by sustainable travel modes within the village. 673847. CE.56.02 2 Permitted Development As there was previously a station at Charfield in the immediate vicinity of the proposed station, the operational elements of the station (platforms, bridge, lifts and stairs) being delivered by Network Rail are considered to be permitted development and therefore will not require planning permission. The justification for this has been set out in a formal pre-application submission to SGC (14 June 2021. PRE21/0514) alongside the pre-application for the works that we consider to require planning permission. EIA Regulations The EIA Regulations define ‘EIA development’ as either a Schedule 1 development where EIA is always required, or Schedule 2 development where EIA is required when the development is likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of factors such as its nature, size or location. The purpose of this letter is to provide the information required to determine: . Whether the development falls into either Schedule 1 or Schedule 2 of the EIA Regulations; . If it falls into Schedule 2, whether it is likely to have significant effects on the environment. Information used in this letter has been obtained from internet-based sources, such as the Defra MAGIC website. Reference is also made to the relevant sections of the EIA Regulations. Schedule 1 The thresholds for Schedule 1 development generally relate to major projects that, by virtue of their scale, appearance, or the type of activity, have the potential to impact on the environment. These types of projects are specifically defined in the Regulations and automatically require EIA. The proposed development does not fall under any of the descriptions outlined in Schedule 1 of the EIA Regulations, and as such does not automatically require an EIA, and must be considered under Schedule 2. Schedule 2 An EIA is required for Schedule 2 projects only if they are ‘screened in’. A Schedule 2 development requiring EIA is one which is likely to have significant effects on the environment by virtue of factors such as its nature, size, or location. A development falls under Schedule 2 if it matches one of the categories described in column 1 of the table in Schedule 2 of the EIA Regulations, and: a) Any part of that development is to be carried out in a sensitive area; or, b) An applicable threshold or criterion in the corresponding part of Column 2 of that table is respectively exceeded or met in relation to that development. With respect to consideration (a), a ‘sensitive area’ is defined in the EIA Regulations by reference to a list of specific designations that can be applied to areas of land by national or European legislation or by international conventions to which the UK is a signatory. No part of the proposed development is within a sensitive area. 673847. CE.56.02 3 With respect to consideration (b), Schedule 2 provides applicable thresholds and criteria for each of the development descriptions. The development falls under the definition of development under Section 10(b) ‘Urban development projects’ and Section 10(f) ‘Construction of roads’. The Schedule 2 threshold and criteria for consideration 10(b), are: i. ‘The development includes more than 1 hectare of urban development which is not dwelling house development; or ii. the development includes more than 150 dwellings; or iii. the overall area of the development exceeds 5 hectares.’ The Schedule 2 threshold and criteria for consideration 10(f), are: i. The area of the works exceeds 1 hectare. The proposed development would have a total footprint of approximately 2.5 hectares, comprising: . 1.044 hectares - highway works, . 0.243 hectares – station car park, and . 0.922 hectares - overflow car park, . 0.276 hectares – railway works. The total footprint of approximately 2.5 hectares would exceed the Section 10(b) ‘Urban development projects’ applicable “1 hectare” threshold outlined in the EIA Regulations. Planning Practice Guidance (Environmental Impact Assessment, Annex: Indicative screening thresholds) provides further indicative thresholds and criteria for identification of Schedule 2 Development requiring EIA. In relation to 10(b) ‘Urban development projects’, it states that Indicative screening thresholds (below) are “intended to help determine whether significant effects are likely…“. i. “‘area of the scheme is more than 5 hectares; or ii. it would provide a total of more than 10,000 m2 of new commercial floorspace; or iii. the development would have significant urbanising effects in a previously non- urbanised area (e.g. a new development of more than 1,000 dwellings).’’ The approximate 1.044 hectares for highways works exceeds the applicable “1 hectare” threshold for Section 10(f) ‘Construction of roads’. Planning Practice Guidance (Environmental Impact Assessment, Annex: Indicative screening thresholds) States, in relation to 10(f) ‘Construction of roads’, that Indicative screening thresholds (below) are “intended to help determine whether significant effects are likely…“.