Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 Chapter 15: Community and Private Assets M4CAN-DJV-EGN-ZG_GEN-RP-EN-0022.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 Contents Page 15 Community and Private Assets 15-1 15.1 Introduction 15-1 15.2 Legislation and Policy Context 15-1 15.3 Assessment Methodology 15-3 15.4 Baseline Environment 15-11 15.5 Mitigation Measures Forming Part of the Scheme Design 15-44 15.6 Assessment of Potential Land Take Effects 15-45 15.7 Assessment of Potential Construction Effects 15-69 15.8 Assessment of Potential Operational Effects 15-97 15.9 Additional Mitigation and Monitoring 15-101 15.10 Assessment of Land Take Effects 15-104 15.11 Assessment of Construction Effects 15-105 15.12 Assessment of Operational Effects 15-111 15.13 Assessment of Cumulative Efects and Inter-related Effects 15-112 15.14 Summary of Effects 15-112 Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 15 Community and Private Assets 15.1 Introduction 15.1.1 This chapter of the ES describes the assessment of effects on community and private assets resulting from the new section of motorway between Junction 23A at Magor and Junction 29 at Castleton, together with the Complementary Measures (including the reclassified section of the existing M4 between the same two junctions and the provision of improved facilities for pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians). This includes an assessment of effects on community facilities, including the following. Doctors’ surgeries. Hospitals. Aged persons’ homes. Schools. Shops. Post offices. Places of worship. Parks, play areas, sports centres, etc. 15.1.2 This chapter also reports on the assessment of effects on private assets, including the following. Private property and associated land take. Land used by the community, including common land, town and village greens, fuel and field garden allotments and public open space. Development land. Agricultural land and land holdings. 15.1.3 In addition, waterway restoration and development proposals are considered, where relevant. 15.2 Legislation and Policy Context Relevant Legislation 15.2.1 Chapter 6 of this ES provides an overarching and strategic legislative and policy context for the Scheme from an environmental perspective. In addition, the following legislation is relevant to the community and private assets assessment. The Highways Act 1980 in relation to compulsory purchase powers for the acquisition of land for highway schemes. The Acquisition of Land Act 1981 in relation to the compulsory purchase of any land forming part of a common, open space or fuel or field garden allotment under Section 19 of the Act. Chapter 15: Community and Private Assets 15-1 March 2016 Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 in relation to the public right of access to countryside under Part 1 of the Act. Planning Policy Context National Policy 15.2.2 The following national policy is relevant to the community and private assets assessment. Planning Policy Wales (Edition 8) (Welsh Government, 2016). Planning Policy Wales sets outs the objectives for Community and Private Assets in Chapters 4, 5 and 11. Technical Advice Note (TAN) 6: Planning for Sustainable Rural Communities (Welsh Assembly Government, 2010a). Technical Advice Note (TAN) 16: Sport, Recreation and Open Space (Welsh Assembly Government, 2009). Local Policy 15.2.3 The assessment has had regard to the following local policy documents. It should be noted that whilst these documents provide context, they are not determinative. Monmouthshire County Council 15.2.4 The Monmouthshire Local Development Plan (Monmouthshire County Council, 2014) was adopted on 27 February 2014 and covers the period from 2011-2021. The following policies are relevant to community and private assets. Policy S5 Community and Recreation Facilities, which states that ‘Development proposals that provide and/or enhance community and recreation facilities will be permitted within or adjoining town and village development boundaries subject to detailed planning considerations. Development proposals that result in the unjustified loss of community and recreation facilities will not be permitted’. Policy S16 Transport, which states that ‘Where appropriate, all development proposals shall promote sustainable, safe forms of transport which reduce the need to travel, increase provision for walking and cycling and improve public transport provision’. Policy CRF2 Outdoor Recreation / Public Open Space / Allotment Standards and Provision states, inter alia, that ‘Development proposals will be assessed against the Council’s standards for recreation and open space and allotments [including] …. Spatial standard of 0.25 hectares of allotment space per 1,000 population'. Policy CRF3 Safeguarding Existing Recreational Facilities and Public Open Space, which states that ‘Development proposals that involve the loss of land and facilities with open space, recreational and allotment garden uses, will only be permitted where a) alternative provision of at least equivalent community benefit is made available in the locality by the developer on a site acceptable to the local planning authority; or b) there is, and would be, an Chapter 15: Community and Private Assets 15-2 March 2016 Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 excess of accessible recreational facilities and public open space in the locality, having regard to the standards set out in Policy CRF2’. 15.2.5 There is no specific policy relating to agricultural land but the Local Development Plan states at paragraph 6.2.25 that ‘Given the importance of agriculture to Monmouthshire’s rural economy it is recognised that there is a need to protect the best and most versatile agricultural land from inappropriate development. PPW sets out national development control policy on conserving the best and most versatile agricultural land’. Newport City Council 15.2.6 The Newport Local Development Plan was adopted on 27 January 2015 and sets out the development framework for Newport until 2026 (Newport City Council, 2015). The following policies are relevant to community and private assets. Policy CF1: Protection of Playing Fields, Land and Buildings Used for Leisure, Sport, Recreation and Play, which states that the permission for the redevelopment for other purposes of playing fields, other land and buildings used for sport, recreation, areas of play and community uses, will only be given where alternative provision is made in the immediate locality or the land/buildings are surplus to requirements. Policy CF6: Allotments, which states that the development of allotments for other uses will not be permitted unless alternative equivalent provision can be made in the vicinity, or it can be demonstrated that the allotments are surplus to long term local requirements. Policy CF12: Protection of Existing Community Facilities, which states that proposals that would result in the loss or change of use of buildings currently used for community facilities will only be permitted if alternative equivalent local provision can be made or it can be demonstrated that the facility is surplus to the needs of the community. 15.3 Assessment Methodology Scope of the Assessment 15.3.1 The community and private assets topic includes an assessment of the effects on the following resources. Community facilities, including: doctors surgeries; hospitals; aged person’s homes; schools; shops; post offices; places of worship; and parks, play areas, sports centres etc. The assessment includes the potential changes in journey length and travel patterns to community facilities as a result of the Scheme. Private assets, including: private property and associated land take; land used by the community, including common land, town and village greens, fuel and field garden allotments and public open space; development land; and agricultural land and land holdings. Waterway restoration and development proposals, where relevant. Chapter 15: Community and Private Assets 15-3 March 2016 Welsh Government M4 Corridor around Newport Environmental Statement Volume 1 15.3.2 In relation to community facilities, the assessment has focussed on the loss of facilities and the potential changes in the duration and distance of journeys made by local people to access community facilities. 15.3.3 In relation to private assets, the assessment has focussed on the following aspects. Demolition of private property and associated land take. This includes the demolition of residential properties and effects on business/commercial properties. Loss of land used by the community, which is defined by the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) for England and Wales as common land, town and village greens, fuel and field garden allotments and public open space (Highways Agency et al., 2001). Loss of, or effects on development land, which is defined by the DMRB as land of any sites covered by local planning authorities’ land use planning designations and identified within the relevant local planning documents e.g. the local plan or local development framework; and effects on land within the planning process (Highways Agency et al., 2001). Loss of, or effects on, any areas of agricultural land and the effect of this on land holdings. 15.3.4 A commentary on changes in the amenity of community and private assets assessed in Chapters 9: Landscape and Visual Effects and 13: Noise and Vibration of this ES is also included, where relevant. 15.3.5 The assessment of effects on community and private assets considers the following aspects of the Scheme. Permanent land take required for the Scheme. Construction of the new section of motorway to the south of Newport, including temporary land take areas e.g. construction compounds, soil storage areas. Operation of the new section of motorway. Complementary Measures, both during construction and operation. Relevant Guidance 15.3.6 The following guidance documents are relevant to this assessment.