POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENERGY RECOVERY FACILITY (ERF), ALTON, HAMPSHIRE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT SCOPING REPORT AUGUST 2019 Well House Barns Chester Road Chester CH4 0DH CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ............................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2 The EIA team ..................................................................................................... 1 1.3 The Applicant ..................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Purpose of Scoping ............................................................................................ 3 1.5 Requirement for EIA .......................................................................................... 4 1.6 This Document ................................................................................................... 5 2.0 THE SITE .......................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Site Location ...................................................................................................... 6 2.2 Planning Allocations ........................................................................................... 7 2.3 The Surrounding Area ........................................................................................ 8 3.0 THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT................................................................... 9 3.2 Operating Hours .............................................................................................. 10 3.3 Waste Reception and Handling ........................................................................ 11 3.4 Combustion Process ........................................................................................ 12 3.5 Flue Gas Treatment ......................................................................................... 12 3.6 Stack ................................................................................................................ 13 3.7 Bottom Ash ...................................................................................................... 13 3.8 Flue Gas Treatment Residues ......................................................................... 13 3.9 Grid Connection ............................................................................................... 14 3.10 Construction Compound .................................................................................. 14 3.11 Project Vulnerability to Major Accidents / Disasters .......................................... 15 3.12 Alternatives ...................................................................................................... 16 4.0 EIA METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................... 18 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 18 4.2 Determining Impact Significance ...................................................................... 19 4.3 Residual Effects and Conclusions .................................................................... 22 4.4 Cumulative Effects ........................................................................................... 22 5.0 ECOLOGY AND NATURE CONSERVATION ................................................. 25 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 25 5.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................... 25 5.3 Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 30 5.4 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................ 32 6.0 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT ............................................................. 34 2627-01 ALTON ERF i ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING REPORT AUGUST 2019 6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 34 6.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................... 34 6.3 Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 37 6.4 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................ 38 7.0 NOISE AND VIBRATION ................................................................................ 40 7.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 40 7.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................... 40 7.3 Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 40 7.4 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................ 41 8.0 AIR QUALITY .................................................................................................. 44 8.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 44 8.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................... 44 8.3 Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 46 8.4 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................ 47 9.0 GROUND CONDITIONS AND HYDROGEOLOGY ......................................... 55 9.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 55 9.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................... 55 9.3 Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 58 9.4 Conclusions ..................................................................................................... 59 10.0 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................ 60 10.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 60 10.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................... 60 10.3 Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 61 10.4 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................ 61 11.0 SURFACE WATERS AND FLOOD RISK ........................................................ 64 11.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 64 11.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................... 64 11.3 Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 65 11.4 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 67 12.0 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ............................................................... 69 12.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 69 12.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................... 70 12.3 Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 70 12.4 Conclusion ....................................................................................................... 72 13.0 SOCIO-ECONOMICS ...................................................................................... 74 13.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................... 74 2627-01 ALTON ERF ii ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING REPORT AUGUST 2019 13.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................... 74 13.3 Potential Effects ............................................................................................... 75 13.4 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................ 76 14.0 PROPOSED CONTENTS OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT ............ 78 FIGURES Figure 1 Site Location Figure 2 Site Context Figure 3 Site Aerial Photo Figure 4 Statutory Designated Nature Conservation Sites within 10km Figure 5 Provisional Viewpoint Locations and Zone of Theoretical Visibility Figure 6 Noise Sensitive Receptors Figure 7 Designated Heritage Assets APPENDICES Appendix A – Cultural Heritage Assessment Methodology 2627-01 ALTON ERF iii ENVIRONMENTAL SCOPING REPORT AUGUST 2019 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 Veolia ES (UK) Ltd is currently considering the potential to re-develop the existing Material Recycling Facility (MRF) and Waste Transfer Station (WTS) on land off the A31, near Holybourne, Hampshire as an Energy Recovery Facility (ERF). This