Wilnecote Quarry Town & Country Planning ‘EIA’ Regs 2011 Environmental Statement Environmental Statement Hanson Building Products Limited Geoplan Limited WilnecoteQuarry Town & Country Planning ‘EIA’ Regs 2011 Environmental Statement Environmental Statement Contents Page Background to Environmental Assessment 1 The Development Proposals 8 Noise 9 Air Quality/Dust 16 Landscape and Visual Impact 25 Ecology and Nature Conservation 42 Transport 63 Socio-Economic 65 Sustainability 67 Alternatives 73 Conclusions 74 Technical Appendices: 1. Noise Assessment 2. Air Quality/Dust Assessment 3. Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment 4. Ecological Assessment Hanson Building Products Limited Geoplan Limited Wilnecote Quarry Town & Country Planning ‘EIA’ Regs 2011 Environmental Statement Background to Environmental Assessment ES 1.0 Introduction ES 1.0.1 This Environmental Statement (ES) has been prepared in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (the ‘EIA Regulations’). It accompanies and should be read in conjunction with, a planning application by Hanson Building Products Limited that proposes variation of planning conditions to allow amendment to approved quarry development drawings in order to maximise reserve recovery and construction of an internal site haul road at Wilnecote Quarry, Dobshill, Staffordshire. ES 1.0.2 The scope of the environmental assessment has been determined with reference to an earlier assessment undertaken in April 2000 and takes into account the potential interaction of the development on key environmental factors identified in the EIA Regulations. ES 1.0.3 For each issue considered within the Environmental Statement, the methodology used is set out, details of the existing (baseline) situation provided, and impacts likely to result from the proposed development predicted. Using this information any measures necessary to reduce or avoid the impacts are identified and the significance of any remaining impacts evaluated. Hanson Building Products. Limited Page 1 Geoplan Limited Wilnecote Quarry Town & Country Planning ‘EIA’ Regs 2011 Environmental Statement ES 1.1 Legal Basis and Purpose of the Environmental Statement ES 1.1.1 The statutory framework for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is provided by the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 (hereafter referred to as the EIA Regulations). These regulations implement the European Directive 85/337/EEC, amended by Directive 97/11/EC, and require that certain types of development are to be subject to EIA. ES 1.1.2 This Environmental Statement (ES) sets out the findings of the EIA. It provides a description of the proposed development, details of existing environmental conditions and an assessment of the likely environmental effects of the proposed scheme. The ES has been prepared in accordance with the EIA Regulations and DETR Circular 02/99 ‘Environmental Impact Assessment’. ES 1.1.3 Technical input to the ES has been provided by Hanson Building Products Limited, Geoplan and various other technical stand-alone reports which have been commissioned to support the application. Full details of commissioned surveys and data used in this ES are given in the individual chapters and their corresponding technical appendices. ES 1.2 The EIA Process ES 1.2.1 As noted earlier, the key legislation that defines the EIA process and the subsequent content of an Environmental Statement is the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England Hanson Building Products. Limited Page 2 Geoplan Limited Wilnecote Quarry Town & Country Planning ‘EIA’ Regs 2011 Environmental Statement and Wales) Regulations 2010 supplemented by DETR Circular 02/99 Environmental Impact Assessment. The key stages in the EIA process are to: . Establish whether EIA is required (screening); . Establish the scope of the EIA in terms of impacts and issues to be considered (scoping); . Describe the proposed scheme and alternatives considered; . Describe the existing (baseline) environmental conditions at the site and, where appropriate, in the surrounding area; . Identify the likely environmental impacts of the proposed development; . Identify mitigation measures that could be implemented to avoid or reduce any potential adverse environmental impacts and to provide or enhance beneficial environmental impacts of the scheme; . Assess the residual environmental impacts of the scheme, taking mitigation measures into account; and finally . Produce an Environmental Statement (ES) to present the above information ES 1.3 Screening ES 1.3.1 No formal screening application has been made to Staffordshire County Council in connection with this application, although discussions have been held with officers of the authority. As the original planning application which permitted working of this part of the site was accompanied by an ES, an ES has been prepared for the current application although the scope has been reviewed and revised where deemed appropriate. Hanson Building Products. Limited Page 3 Geoplan Limited Wilnecote Quarry Town & Country Planning ‘EIA’ Regs 2011 Environmental Statement ES 1.4 Scoping ES 1.4.1 No formal scoping request has been made to the Council, although details of the development proposals have been provided to the Council and officers have provided informal pre-application advice on issues they believe should addressed. ES 1.4.2 There is no formal requirement in the EIA Regulations to produce a scoping report prior to an Environmental Statement, DETR Circular 2/99 acknowledges at paragraph 82 that the role of EIA is to examine “the main or significant effects to which a development is likely to give rise”. The purpose of scoping is therefore to identify at an early stage in the EIA process the key environmental issues, which then permits subsequent work to concentrate on a more focussed range of environmental topics. ES 1.4.3 The objectives of scoping are to: . Identify potential environmental issues associated with the proposal; . Assess those environmental issues which should be considered further in the final reports to accompany the planning application; . Provide a basis for consultation, where appropriate, with statutory and non-statutory consultees on the relevant environmental issues; . Define what methods will be used to assess the environmental effects of the proposal; . Where appropriate, agree with statutory and non-statutory consultees on these methods. Hanson Building Products. Limited Page 4 Geoplan Limited Wilnecote Quarry Town & Country Planning ‘EIA’ Regs 2011 Environmental Statement ES 1.4.4 The key environmental issues identified by the Council as pertinent to the development under consideration are: • Noise • Landscape and Visual Impact • Ecology • Historic Built Environment – Hockley Hall • Rights of Way ES 1.5 Structure of the ES ES 1.5.1 For each of the chapters where potential environmental impacts have been identified, the following format has been used: . Introduction . Methodology . Baseline/existing situation . Predicted impacts . Proposed mitigation measures . Significance of residual impacts/Conclusions ES 1.5.2 This allows a clear analysis of the predicted impacts of the scheme relative to the existing situation and the significance of these impacts following implementation of proposed mitigation measures. ES 1.5.3 Each chapter considers beneficial and adverse, short-term and long- term impacts during operation. Hanson Building Products. Limited Page 5 Geoplan Limited Wilnecote Quarry Town & Country Planning ‘EIA’ Regs 2011 Environmental Statement ES 1.6 Assessment of Significance ES 1.6.1 The evaluation of impact significance has taken into account the extent, magnitude and duration of the impact (measured against the baseline situation and performance against environmental quality standards where appropriate), its reversibility or irreversibility, its compatibility with environmental policies and the sensitivity of the receptor. Significance levels are defined separately for each topic within the methodology sections, in relation to appropriate standards/guidelines where appropriate, such as the Guidelines for Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (Landscape Institute and IEMA 2002). ES 1.6.2 For ease of reference the Planning Application, Environmental Statement and Technical Appendices have been bound together. All schedules, survey data and specialist’s reports referred to in the following text are included within the Technical Appendices. These appendices should be read in conjunction with the written statements contained within the planning application and environmental statement and cross referenced, where appropriate. ES 1.6.3 The Non-technical Summary of the ES forms a stand-alone document, written to summarise the proposals and enable members of the public, without specialist knowledge of the mineral industry and the planning process, to understand the basis of the application and the likely effects upon the environment. ES 1.6.4 The Planning Application and Environmental Statement have been compiled and project managed by Geoplan Limited, with input from Hanson Building Products. Limited Page 6 Geoplan Limited Wilnecote Quarry Town & Country Planning ‘EIA’ Regs 2011 Environmental Statement Hanson Building Products Limited and specialist input from the following consultants: Planning/Project Management Geoplan Restoration Geoplan Landscape & Visual Impact Geoplan Noise White Young Green Ecology