A465 Blaenau’r Cymoedd A465 Heads of the Valleys Adrannau 5 + 6: Dowlais Top - Hirwaun Sections 5 + 6: Dowlais Top - Hirwaun www.cymru.gov.uk A465 Heads of the Valleys Sections 5 and 6: Dowlais Top to Hirwaun Environmental Statement Supplement Volume 1: Main Text March 2018 A465 Sections 5 & 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun Environmental Statement Supplement Volume 1 Welsh Government Contents Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Legislative and Policy Context ....................................................................................................... 3 3. The Need for Proposed Scheme ..................................................................................................... 5 4. Design Developments and Alternatives Considered .................................................................... 9 5. Proposed Scheme Description ..................................................................................................... 11 6. Consultation during Proposed Scheme Development ............................................................... 17 7. Environmental Assessment Methodology ................................................................................... 19 8. Air Quality ....................................................................................................................................... 21 9. Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................................. 53 10. Landscape and Visual Impact ....................................................................................................... 65 11. Nature Conservation ...................................................................................................................... 67 12. Geology and Soils .......................................................................................................................... 73 13. Materials .......................................................................................................................................... 75 14. Noise and Vibration ........................................................................................................................ 77 15. Effects on All Travellers............................................................................................................... 115 16. Community and Private Assets .................................................................................................. 117 17. Road Drainage and the Water Environment .............................................................................. 119 18. Cumulative Effects ....................................................................................................................... 121 19. Summary and Conclusions ......................................................................................................... 123 Additional References .............................................................................................................................. 125 A465 Sections 5 & 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun Environmental Statement Supplement Volume 1 Welsh Government Contents Page left intentionally blank. A465 Sections 5 & 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun Environmental Statement Supplement Volume 1 Welsh Government Changes to Chapter 1 - Introduction 1. Introduction This Environmental Statement (ES) Supplement has been prepared to provide additional environmental information. It is submitted to provide additional information to that set out in the original ES dated July 2017. It should be read alongside the July 2017 ES. This ES Supplement addresses the following design development and changes in the proposed scheme since the publication of the Draft Orders. These key changes are as follows: 1) A revision of the traffic model that used TEMPRO software to predict future traffic flows; this revision necessitated associated revisions to the air quality and noise models. This resulted in changes to the assessment of air quality impacts and noise and vibration impacts. 2) As a result of the changes to the air quality model, the impacts on designated nature conservation sites sensitive to air quality needed to be re-assessed. 3) Modifications to the design of the Croesbychan junction to remove one of the roundabouts and replace it with a T-Junction. Details of this design change are set out in the amended Chapter 5: Proposed Scheme Description of the ES Supplement. 4) Minor modifications to the width of the on and off-slips to junctions, due to revised traffic flows predicted by the TEMPRO model. 5) Minor modifications to the environmental barriers along the proposed scheme as a result of the revisions to the noise and vibration assessment. 6) The visual impact assessment relating to inclusion of variable message signage. This supplement is structured in the same order as the original ES, with consistent Section, Figure and Table numbering for ease of reference. Some of the specialist technical areas remain unchanged and this is indicated in the text where this is the case. Where major amendments have been made to a section the whole revised section has been included. Where minor amendments have been made to a section the new text is indicated by red bold text, with removed text indicated by strikethrough formatting. The following changes have been made to Chapter 1 – Introduction: In Section 1.10.11 reference to the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 should now refer to the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the 2017 Regulations consolidate previous amendments to the 2010 Regulations. This change in legislation has no implications for the July 2017 published Statement to Inform Appropriate Assessment. The July 2017 Statement to Inform the Appropriate Assessment is compliant with the new 2017 Habitats Regulations. In Section 1.10.12 remove the final paragraph and replace with the following: In accordance with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the Welsh Government published its well-being objectives in ‘Taking Wales Forward’ (Welsh Government, 2016d). These objectives have been subsequently updated by Prosperity for All: the national strategy (Welsh Government, 2017a). The Sustainable Development Report Supplement, currently in preparation, will consider the extent to which the proposed scheme contributes to these well-being objectives. The Sustainable Development Report Supplement will be published ahead of the proposed Public Local Inquiry to the proposed scheme in April 2018. 1 A465 Sections 5 & 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun Environmental Statement Supplement Volume 1 Welsh Government Changes to Chapter 1 - Introduction Page left intentionally blank. 2 A465 Sections 5 & 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun Environmental Statement Supplement Volume 1 Welsh Government Changes to Chapter 2 – Legislative and Policy Context 2. Legislative and Policy Context Since the publication of the Environmental Statement and Statement to Inform the Appropriate Assessment in July 2017, new EIA Regulations and Habitats Regulations have come into force. These are the Environmental Impact Assessment (Miscellaneous Amendments Relating to Harbours, Highways and Transport) Regulations 2017 and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017. The July 2017 Environmental Statement and the February 2018 ES Supplement accord with the 2017 EIA Regulations. The July 2017 Statement to Inform the Appropriate Assessment, although prepared whilst previous legislation was extant, still accords with the 2017 Regulations and no revisions or updates to that document have been prepared. The following changes are required to this chapter; none of these changes have a material effect on the conclusions of the July 2017 Environmental Statement. Insert new Section 2.2.4a 2.2.4a Prosperity for All: the national strategy Prosperity for All: the national strategy was published by the Welsh Government in September 2017. The four key themes of this strategy are the same as those in the 2016 Taking Wales Forward, focusing on a Wales which is prosperous and secure, healthy and active, ambitious and learning, and united and connected. In October 2017, the Welsh Government published a Draft Budget 2018-19 Detailed Proposals document (Welsh Government, 2017b), which sets out how they intend to support the objectives within Prosperity for All. Under the Economy and Infrastructure heading there was a restated commitment to deliver the A465 dualling project (Sections 5 and 6) through the Mutual Investment Model. 3 A465 Sections 5 & 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun Environmental Statement Supplement Volume 1 Welsh Government Changes to Chapter 2 – Legislative and Policy Context Page left intentionally blank 4 A465 Sections 5 & 6 Dowlais Top to Hirwaun Environmental Statement Supplement Volume 1 Changes to Chapter 3 – The Need for the Proposed Welsh Government Scheme 3. The Need for Proposed Scheme Amend text within Section 3.1.5 Accidents on the A465 and replace Table 3.2 in its entirety: An accident report has been prepared that considers accidents on the A465 covering a five year period from 2011 2012 to 2015 2016. During this period there were six three fatal, 11 serious and 99 100 slight accidents on the A465 between Hirwaun and Dowlais Top. The key accident locations are shown in Table 3.2. Table 3.2: Key accident locations on the A465 (Sections