A487 Caernarfon and Bontnewydd Bypass Environmental Statement Volume 1 - Technical Assessment Report 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This document This document is the Technical Assessment Report (TAR) (Volume 1) of the Environmental Statement (ES) for the A487 Caernarfon and Bontnewydd Bypass Scheme hereinafter referred to as the “Scheme”. The ES for the Scheme is reported in the following four Volumes: Non-Technical Summary Volume 1 – Technical Assessment Report Volume 2 – Figures Volume 3 – Technical Appendices The ES provides detailed information to help anyone with an interest in the Scheme understand the proposals and express an opinion on them before the Welsh Ministers decide whether to proceed with the development. The ES describes the proposals, identifies the main environmental effects on both the manmade and natural environment and describes the proposed measures to avoid, remedy or reduce impacts and provide environmental enhancement where practicable. The ES is used to inform Welsh Ministers of any potential environmental issues or concerns prior to making their decision as to whether or not to approve the project. The EIA Directive The legislative framework for EIA within which this ES has been completed, is set by European Directive 2011/92/EU, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU (collectively referred to as the EIA Directive). The Directive is transposed into UK law by Section 105A of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended). This legislation is enacted by the Highways (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 2007 (as amended). These are often collectively termed the EIA Regulations. The Directive requires EIA to be undertaken in support of an application for development consent for certain types of scheme. Directive 2014/52/EU requires Member States to transpose its requirements into national law by 16 May 2017, setting out arrangements for a transitional period from the that proposed by Directive 2011/92/EU. These transitional measures require that the provisions of Directive 2011/92/EU apply to schemes for which the EIA process has been initiated or for which the ES has been submitted within the transitional period. For the purposes of the Scheme therefore, Directive 2011/92/EU remains the relevant consideration. This ES has been completed in accordance with EC Directive 2011/92/EU as amended (the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive) and the Public Participation Directive 2003/35/EC which is transposed into UK law by Section 105A of the Highways Act 1980 (as amended). This legislation is enacted by the Highways (Assessment of Environmental Effects) Regulations 2007 (as amended). These are often collectively termed the EIA Regulations. The Highways Agency (HA) publishes detailed guidance on the completion of EIAs under the above legislation, namely the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Environmental Statement – Volume 1 Prepared by Balfour Beatty/ Jones Bros JV August 2016 for Welsh Government - iii - A487 Caernarfon and Bontnewydd Bypass Environmental Statement Volume 1 - Technical Assessment Report (DMRB). Volume 11 of the DMRB relates to Environmental Assessment. The Contractor has used this guidance as a basis for the EIA together with other guidance as evidenced in each topic chapter. Additional to this are Interim Advice Notices (IANs), which provide supplementary information not contained within current guidance. Highways England are now currently the body responsible for updating the DRMB. In Wales, all IAN’s have to be developed into IAN(W) to ensure there are no policy or legal conflicts with Wales only policy and legislation. In the interim period between publication of an English Interim Advice Note (IAN) and development of a Welsh equivalent, it is recognised that the new English IAN may constitute an improvement in current environmental practice. However, in applying the English IAN it is important to ensure that the Welsh legal and policy requirements are adequately addressed and confirmation provided as to how the English IAN has been applied in the Welsh context. For some of the chapters, further specialist guidance is available which may be advantageous to use, supplementary to that in DMRB (i.e. where it provides more detailed assessment criteria). Where this is the case, it is referred to in individual chapters within this ES. In April 2016 the requirements of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 came into force. A separate Sustainable Development Report is being prepared to explain how those requirements have been met. Statement to Inform an Appropriate Assessment (SIAA) In accordance with Regulation 61 of The Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010, a Statement to Inform an Appropriate Assessment (SIAA) has been prepared on the possible impacts associated with the Scheme on the following Special Areas of Conservation (SAC): Afon Gwyrfai SAC Menai Strait and Conwy Bay SAC Glynllifon SAC Meirionnydd Oakwoods and Bat Sites SAC Gwydir Forest Mines SAC Further detail on the nature and qualifying features of these sites is provided in the SIAA, which is included in Volume 3, Appendix E.2. of this ES. Section 28G of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 places duties on section 28G authorities (which includes Ministers, Government Departments, local authorities, statutory undertakers and any other public body) in relation to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and set out procedures that must be followed when carrying out the authorisation of ‘operations which are likely to damage the special interest features of SSSIs’ Under the authorities’ general duties, an authority: ‘(1)…shall have the duty set out in subsection (2) in exercising its functions so far as their exercise is likely to affect the flora, fauna or geological or physiographical features by reason of which a site of special scientific interest is of special interest. (2) The duty is to take reasonable steps, consistent with the proper exercise of the authority’s functions, to further the conservation and enhancement of the flora, fauna Environmental Statement – Volume 1 Prepared by Balfour Beatty/ Jones Bros JV August 2016 for Welsh Government - 2 - A487 Caernarfon and Bontnewydd Bypass Environmental Statement Volume 1 - Technical Assessment Report or geological or physiographical features by reason of which the site is of special scientific interest.’ Although the Scheme does not fall within a SSSI boundary, its affect must be considered in relation to the Glynllifon SSSI and Afon Gwyrfai a Llyn Cwellyn SSSI, due to the mobile nature of their qualifying features (bats and Otters respectively). Consultation with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and other statutory environmental bodies has taken place in relation to these qualifying features. Water Framework Directive (WFD) Assessment The WFD aims to protect and enhance water quality through the protection of designated water bodies within the EU. Developers must ensure that new highways projects or improvement projects which will cause discharges to receiving water bodies do not lead to deterioration in its classification status. The Scheme will be located within and in close proximity to a number of WFD water bodies. A WFD Compliance Assessment is therefore required by the Statutory Authorities (i.e. NRW) to assess whether the proposed new section of motorway is compliant with WFD legislation. This is included in Chapter 14 – Road Drainage and the Water Environment. 1.2 Location of the proposed project The Welsh Ministers propose to provide a 9.7km long Trunk Road to the west of Bontnewydd and to the east of Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north Wales. The Scheme is located between the Plas Menai Roundabout north of Caernarfon (Grid ref. 53.167961, -4.237478) and the Goat Roundabout south of Llanwnda (Grid ref. 53.094795, -4.282511) along the A487 Trunk Road (refer to Volume 1, Figure 1.1 below). Environmental Statement – Volume 1 Prepared by Balfour Beatty/ Jones Bros JV August 2016 for Welsh Government - 3 - A487 Caernarfon and Bontnewydd Bypass Environmental Statement Volume 1 - Technical Assessment Report Volume 1, Figure 1.1 Location of the Scheme A more detailed Scheme location is shown in Volume 2, Figure 1.1 and the Scheme on aerial photograph is shown in Volume 2, Figure 1.2. 1.3 Context 1.3.1 Why the Scheme is needed The A487 forms part of the strategic road network in north west Wales. It links the region of north west Wales into the A55 Corridor on the north Wales coast which provides an important link into Ireland and England. Currently the A487 at Caernarfon and Bontnewydd is a substandard section of this network. The Scheme would be attempting to address the following issues: Traffic volumes are increasing, causing traffic congestion and increasing journey times. Poor road infrastructure, particularly poor connections to Bangor and the A55, may be hindering economic development. Quality of life in the settlements alongside the A487 is adversely affected by the high volumes of traffic. There is a high risk of collisions in urban areas, particularly with heavy goods vehicles accessing Cibyn industrial estate and vehicles travelling at inappropriate speeds. Vehicles use unsuitable country roads to bypass the A487. Environmental Statement – Volume 1 Prepared by Balfour Beatty/ Jones Bros JV August 2016 for Welsh Government - 4 - A487 Caernarfon and Bontnewydd Bypass Environmental Statement Volume 1 - Technical Assessment Report Road maintenance is difficult due to high traffic levels and lack of suitable alternative routes. WG conclude that if nothing is done, traffic flows are predicted to increase causing the following problems: Longer queues at the A499/A487 Goat roundabout Higher volumes of vehicles passing through settlements along the route Queues and delays on the A487, particularly at Eagles Junction, St David's and Morrisons roundabouts in Caernarfon, and at Plas Bereton. At present, traffic congestion through built up areas along the A487 also lead to poor air quality. The Scheme would aim to address this by taking traffic off the main line and away from these areas.