English Partnerships and Northamptonshire County Council Northampton Cross Valley Link Road Environmental Statement Volume 1 - Main Report June 2006 Halcrow Group Limited English Partnerships and Northamptonshire County Council Northampton Cross Valley Link Road Environmental Statement Volume 1 – Main Report June 2006 Halcrow Group Limited Halcrow Group Limited Vineyard House Brook Green Hammersmith London W6 7BY Tel +44 (0) 20 7602 7282 Fax +44 (0) 20 7603 0095 www.halcrow.com Halcrow Group Limited has prepared this report in accordance with the instructions of their client, English Partnerships and Northampton County Council, for their sole and specific use. Any other persons who use any information contained herein do so at their own risk. © Halcrow Group Limited 2006 English Partnerships and Northamptonshire County Council Northampton Cross Valley Link Road Environmental Statement Volume 1 – Main Report Contents Amendment Record This report has been issued and amended as follows: Issue Revision Description Date Signed 1 0 Draft Report, for client review 23/6/06 Fiona Brown & Richard Morup 2 1 Final Report, incorporating 29/6/06 Fiona client comments. Brown & Richard Morup LOND-FS-02\HF Projects\CBBADL490 - CVLR ES\ES-Final\CVLR-ES_Vol1_FINAL_i2r1.doc Contents Non-Technical Summary i 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Purpose of this Document 1 1.2 The Proposed Scheme 1 1.3 History 1 1.4 The Legal Basis of the Environmental Statement 2 1.5 The Structure of the Environmental Statement 2 1.6 Availability and Comments 3 2 Background to Scheme 4 2.1 Need for the Scheme 4 2.2 Adoption of the Proposed Scheme 5 2.3 Scheme Objectives 5 3 Scheme Description 6 3.1 Standard Design Features 6 3.2 Proposed Scheme Description 11 3.3 Construction and Maintenance Management 15 4 Methodology 18 4.1 Assessment Approach 18 4.2 Assessment Methodology 19 4.3 Assessment Options 21 4.4 Structure of the Environmental Statement 22 5 Alternatives Considered 24 5.1 Introduction 24 5.2 Guiding Documents 24 5.3 Key Issues 27 5.4 Summary 29 6 Cultural Heritage 30 6.1 Introduction 30 6.2 Methodology 30 6.3 Baseline Condition 38 6.4 Mitigation Strategy 43 Doc No: CVLR-ES Volume1. Issue: 2 Rev: 1 Date: 29/06/2006 CBBADL490 6.5 Assessment of Impacts and Effects 44 6.6 Summary 48 7 Landscape 49 7.1 Introduction 49 7.2 Methodology 49 7.3 Baseline Conditions 54 7.4 Mitigation Strategy 57 7.5 Permanent Effects 59 7.6 Temporary Effects 67 7.7 Summary 69 8 Nature Conservation and Biodiversity 72 8.1 Introduction 72 8.2 Methodology 73 8.3 Baseline Conditions 83 8.4 Mitigation Strategy 102 8.5 Permanent Effects 103 8.6 Temporary Effects 110 8.7 Summary 118 9 Water Environment 120 9.1 Introduction 120 9.2 Methodology 120 9.3 Baseline 125 9.4 Mitigation Strategy 134 9.5 Permanent Effects 137 9.6 Temporary Effects 141 9.7 Summary 143 10 Geology and Soils 147 10.1 Introduction 147 10.2 Methodology 147 10.3 Baseline Conditions 149 10.4 Mitigation Strategy 153 10.5 Temporary Effects 156 10.6 Summary 156 11 Noise and Vibration 158 Doc No: CVLR-ES Volume1. Issue: 2 Rev: 1 Date: 29/06/2006 CBBADL490 11.1 Introduction 158 11.2 Methodology 159 11.3 Baseline Conditions 165 11.4 Assessment of Potential Impacts 166 11.5 Mitigation 172 11.6 Summary 173 12 Air Quality 175 12.1 Introduction 175 12.2 Methodology 175 12.3 Baseline Conditions 179 12.4 Mitigation Strategy 181 12.5 Construction Phase Impacts 182 12.6 Operational Phase Impacts 184 12.7 Summary 190 13 Pedestrians, Cyclists, Equestrians and Community Effects192 13.1 Introduction 192 13.2 Methodology 192 13.3 Baseline Conditions 196 13.4 Mitigation Strategy 198 13.5 Permanent Effects 199 13.6 Temporary Effects 203 13.7 Summary 203 14 Vehicle Travellers 205 14.1 Introduction 205 14.2 Methodology 205 14.3 Baseline Conditions 209 14.4 Mitigation Strategy 212 14.5 Permanent Effects 212 14.6 Temporary Effects 215 14.7 Summary 216 15 Land Use 218 15.1 Introduction 218 15.2 Methodology 218 15.3 Baseline Conditions 222 15.4 Mitigation Strategy 224 Doc No: CVLR-ES Volume1. Issue: 2 Rev: 1 Date: 29/06/2006 CBBADL490 15.5 Permanent Effects 225 15.6 Temporary Effects 228 15.7 Summary 229 16 Disruption due to Construction 230 16.1 Introduction 230 16.2 Key Construction Activities 230 16.3 Methodology 232 16.4 Receptors 232 16.5 Assessment of Potential Impacts 233 16.6 Mitigation 237 16.7 Summary 238 17 Policies and Plans 239 17.1 Introduction 239 17.2 Methodology 239 17.3 Policy Documents Considered 240 17.4 Conformance Assessment 243 17.5 Assessment of Effects 267 17.6 Summary 275 18 Cumulative Effects 277 18.1 Introduction 277 18.2 Methodology 277 18.3 Baseline 279 18.4 Cumulative Effects 280 18.5 Mitigation 283 18.6 Summary 283 19 Environmental Impact Tables 285 20 References 317 21 Abbreviations 323 22 Glossary 329 23 Figures 332 Doc No: CVLR-ES Volume1. Issue: 2 Rev: 1 Date: 29/06/2006 CBBADL490 Non-Technical Summary Introduction An application for detailed planning permission has been submitted to Northampton Borough Council by English Partnerships and the Northamptonshire County Council for a proposed Cross Valley Link Road (CVLR) to be constructed on the western outskirts of Northampton, across the River Nene floodplain. If approved, it will connect with the previously approved but as yet un-constructed ‘CVLR-South’ road scheme, to provide a complete road link between the A45 Weedon Road and A45 Upton Way/Danes Camp Way roundabout. Halcrow Group Ltd has undertaken an Environmental Assessment of the scheme in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 and the Highways Agency Guidance, ‘Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Volume 11, Environmental Assessment’ (DoT, 1993 as amended). The assessment is consistent with the framework set out in the Northampton Cross Valley Link Road Environmental Scoping Report submitted to the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation in May 2006. This non-technical summary briefly describes the proposal and summarises the Environmental Statement, which is presented in two volumes. The background, context, description and assessment of the Proposed Scheme is provided in Volume 1. Also within Volume 1 are the Environmental Impact Tables required by DMRB, in which the effects of the Proposed Scheme are set out according to the different groups affected. The technical material supporting the assessment is compiled as Appendices in Volume 2. The Site and Surrounding Area The application site is approximately 7.8 hectares, located on the western periphery of Northampton town centre. The proposed route corridor is approximately 1.45 kilometres in length and traverses the River Nene floodplain. The application site and its surroundings are managed as farmland, although there are separate Doc No: CVLR-ES Vol 1. Issue: 2 Rev: 1 Date: 29/06/2006 (CBBADL490) i proposals underway for new residential, commercial and industrial land to be developed at the northern and southern extremities of the proposed road. The Proposed Scheme The proposed link road is key infrastructure for the Northampton South West District and is identified in both the Northampton Borough Council Local Plan and the Milton Keynes and Southern District Sub-Regional Strategy (2005). The Proposed Scheme will provide a direct 1.45km road link between residential and employment land being developed on either side of the River Nene floodplain, and contribute to the regeneration aspirations of English Partnerships and the Northamptonshire County Council. The Proposed Scheme links Upton Lodge and Pineham Employment Precinct, relieving congestion on the A45 road network. It provides an additional link across the River Nene floodplain and incorporates footways and a cycleway (on the east side of the road) to ensure safe movement for all travellers across the River Nene. The engineering design is for a Category B road with 70kph (40mph) design speed and 7.3m wide carriageways, incorporating a three-span bridge across the River Nene floodplain (which requires the minor realignment of a 150 metre length of the River Nene). Two controlled crossing points are provided that are suitable for walkers, cyclists and equestrians, as well as high quality directional lighting to respect the sensitive wildlife of the site and surroundings, a sustainable drainage system to prevent flooding and minimise pollution, and extensive landscaping to minimise the visual impact of the road embankments. Alternatives to Development A number of alternatives were considered, both in terms of alignment location and engineering design. Based on extensive stakeholder workshops, statutory agency consultation and public consultation in 2006, the design for the Proposed Scheme was determined by English Partnerships and Northamptonshire County Council. Doc No: CVLR-ES Vol 1. Issue: 2 Rev: 1 Date: 29/06/2006 (CBBADL490) ii Cultural Heritage An assessment was made of potential effects on archaeological and cultural heritage features. There are no sites of international or national archaeological or cultural heritage significance within the areas directly or indirectly impacted by the Proposed Scheme. This means there are no Listed Buildings or Scheduled Ancient Monuments within the proposed route of the scheme. However, eight archaeological sites of minor significance will be directly impacted by the road. There would be a Minor to Moderate Adverse effect on four of those known archaeological receptors and a Neutral affect on the four others. There is also the potential for further unknown sites to exist along the proposed route, indicated by a variety of previously detected sites in the vicinity of the study area.