MVV Environment Ltd Medworth Energy from Waste Combined Heat and Power Facility EIA Scoping Report Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited – December 2019 2 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited Report for Copyright and non-disclosure notice MVV Environment Ltd The contents and layout of this report are subject to copyright c/o Devonport EfW CHP Facility owned by Wood (© Wood Environment & Infrastructure Creek Road Solutions UK Limited 2019) save to the extent that copyright Plymouth has been legally assigned by us to another party or is used by Devon Wood under licence. To the extent that we own the copyright PL5 1FL in this report, it may not be copied or used without our prior written agreement for any purpose other than the purpose indicated in this report. 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David Kenyon Document revisions No. Details Date Wood 1 Draft Report November Floor 23 2019 25 Canada Square Canary Wharf 2 Final Report 03 December London 2019 E14 5LB Doc Ref. 413-WOOD-ZZ-XX-RP-J-0001_S4_1 December 2019 Doc Ref. 413-WOOD-ZZ-XX-RP-J-0001_S4_1 3 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited Contents 1. Introduction 8 1.1 Overview 8 1.2 The need for EIA 8 1.3 Purpose of this Scoping Report 9 1.4 Applicant and the project team 10 1.5 Competence 11 1.6 Structure of the Scoping Report 11 2. Description of the Proposed Development 12 2.1 The need for the Proposed Development 12 2.2 Main alternatives considered 14 2.3 Characteristics of the Proposed Development 14 3. Planning policy 25 3.1 Introduction 25 3.2 National planning policy 25 3.3 Local planning policy 26 4. Scope of the assessment 28 4.1 Approach to scoping 28 4.2 Approach to defining the baseline environment 29 4.3 Approach to identifying likely significant effects 30 4.4 Spatial and temporal scope 33 4.5 Cumulative effects assessment 33 4.6 Consultation 36 4.7 Content of the ES 37 4.8 Other assessments and consents 37 5. Traffic and Transport 39 5.1 Introduction 39 5.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 39 5.3 Data gathering methodology 41 5.4 Overall baseline 42 5.5 Scope of the assessment 45 December 2019 Doc Ref. 413-WOOD-ZZ-XX-RP-J-0001_S4_1 4 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited 5.6 Assessment methodology 47 6. Noise and Vibration 51 6.1 Introduction 51 6.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 51 6.3 Data gathering methodology 56 6.4 Overall baseline 58 6.5 Scope of the assessment 60 6.6 Assessment methodology 63 7. Air quality 67 7.1 Introduction 67 7.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 67 7.3 Data gathering methodology 73 7.4 Overall baseline 74 7.5 Scope of the assessment 79 7.6 Assessment methodology 85 8. Landscape and Visual 89 8.1 Introduction 89 8.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 89 8.3 Data gathering methodology 92 8.4 Overall baseline 93 8.5 Scope of the assessment 101 8.6 Assessment methodology 108 9. Historic Environment 112 9.1 Introduction 112 9.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 112 9.3 Data gathering methodology 115 9.4 Overall baseline 116 9.5 Scope of the assessment 117 9.6 Assessment methodology 118 9.7 Assumptions 120 10. Biodiversity 121 10.1 Introduction 121 10.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 121 10.3 Data gathering methodology 125 December 2019 Doc Ref. 413-WOOD-ZZ-XX-RP-J-0001_S4_1 5 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited 10.4 Overall baseline 126 10.5 Scope of the assessment 127 10.6 Assessment methodology 132 11. Hydrology 135 11.1 Introduction 135 11.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 135 11.3 Data gathering methodology 139 11.4 Overall baseline 140 11.5 Scope of the assessment 144 11.6 Assessment methodology 145 12. Geology, Hydrogeology and Contaminated Land 151 12.1 Introduction 151 12.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 151 12.3 Data gathering methodology 155 12.4 Overall baseline 156 12.5 Scope of the assessment 158 12.6 Assessment methodology 162 13. Climate Change 168 13.1 Introduction 168 13.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 168 13.3 Data gathering methodology 171 13.4 Overall baseline 172 13.5 Scope of the assessment 173 13.6 Assessment methodology 173 14. Socio-Economics 177 14.1 Introduction 177 14.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 177 14.3 Data gathering methodology 181 14.4 Overall baseline 182 14.5 Scope of the assessment 185 14.6 Assessment methodology 188 14.7 Assumptions 192 15. Major Accidents and Disasters 193 15.1 Introduction 193 December 2019 Doc Ref. 413-WOOD-ZZ-XX-RP-J-0001_S4_1 6 © Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited 15.2 Relevant legislation, planning policy, technical guidance 193 15.3 Data gathering methodology 196 15.4 Overall baseline 197 15.5 Scope of the assessment 201 15.6 Assessment methodology 208 16. Next Steps 210 Appendix A Glossary of Abbreviations Appendix B Proposed baseline monitoring locations Appendix C Major accidents and disasters receptors Appendix D Major accidents and disasters harm criteria Table 1.1 Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations requirements for Scoping 9 Table 1.2 MVV Environment UK Group of Companies 10 Table 4.1 Environmental Topics to be Addressed in an EIA 28 Table 4.2 Significance evaluation matrix 32 Table 4.3 Cumulative effects assessment approach 34 Table 5.1 Planning Policy Context 39 Table 5.2 Relevant Technical Guidance 41 Table 5.3 Receptor sensitivity 48 Table 5.4 Magnitude of Change 48 Table 6.1 Planning Policy Context 51 Table 6.2 Relevant Technical Guidance 54 Table 6.3 Receptors & Basis for Baseline Data Gathering 56 Table 6.4 Average Monitoring Results: All Locations 59 Table 6.5 Proposed Assessments per Receptor 61 Table 6.6 Establishing the sensitivity of receptors 65 Table 6.7 Proposed Indicative Impact Magnitude Categories for Assessing Operational Site Noise 65 Table 7.1 Planning policy context 68 Table 7.2 Relevant Technical Guidance 69 Table 7.3 Air Quality Standards, Objectives and Environmental Assessment Levels 71 Table 7.4 Fenland District Council continuous monitors 74 Table 7.5 Monitored exceedances of SO2 AQOs at Fenland District Council monitoring sites 75 Table 7.6 Details of passive monitoring in Wisbech 75 Table 7.7 Monitored annual mean concentrations of NO2 76 Table 7.8 Defra mapped annual mean background concentrations for 2019 77 Table 7.9 2018 monitored metal concentrations at Heigham Holmes 77 Table 7.10 Typical examples of relevant exposure for different averaging periods 79 Table 8.1 Planning Policy Context 89 Table 8.2 Proposed viewpoint selection for the visual assessment 105 Table 8.3 Establishing the magnitude of landscape change 109 Table 8.4 Establishing the sensitivity of visual receptors 110 Table 8.5 Establishing the magnitude of visual change 110 Table 9.1 Planning policy context 112 Table 9.2 Relevant Technical guidance 115 Table 9.3 Establishing the heritage significance of assets 119 Table 9.4 Establishing the magnitude of change 120 Table 10.1 Planning policy context 121 Box 1 Designated biodiversity sites and important habitats and species 127 Box 2 Legally protected and controlled species 128 Table 10.2 Proposed further works – Main Development Site 129 Table 10.3 Proposed further works – Grid Connection 130 Table 10.4 Establishing the magnitude of change 133 Table 11.1 National and local policies considered in preparing the Hydrology Chapter 136 Table 11.2 Relevant technical guidance 138 Table 11.3 Establishing the sensitivity of receptors 146 Table 11.4 Establishing the magnitude of change 148 Table 12.1 Summary of Planning Policy for geology, hydrogeology and contaminated land 152 December 2019 Doc Ref. 413-WOOD-ZZ-XX-RP-J-0001_S4_1 7 © Wood