Wakerley Quarry, Northamptonshire Environmental Statement ____________________________________________________________________ Introduction 1.1 General Information 1.1.1 The Burghley House Preservation Trust Limited, The Trustees for the Will of the late 6th Marquess of Exeter and with the consent of Corus a planning application has been submitted for proposals to develop Wakerley Quarry, Northamptonshire by extending the existing established area for the quarrying of limestone into adjacent lands and to restore the whole site to agriculture, woodland and nature conservation uses. For this purpose, Mineral Surveying Services have been commissioned to prepare a Planning Application for the development and to undertake an associated Environmental Assessment. This document (Document 2) has been prepared pursuant to the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment ) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 (The Regulations). It sets out in detail the results of the environmental assessment and for the purposes of the Regulations constitutes the Environmental Statement. 1.1.2 A screening opinion was sought from the Northamptonshire County Council in December 2001 and in their response they have requested that an Environmental Statement be prepared in support of the proposals (Appendix A). 1.1.3 Mineral Surveying Services Limited have been commissioned to undertake the Environmental Assessment. In addition to its own expertise Mineral Surveying Services Limited has employed independent specialist consultants to carry out relevant studies and to provide key information and advise on the development proposals. Additionally, information has been drawn from the extensive data base of the Appellant’s own site records. 1.1.4 Specialist contributions have been incorporated into the assessment by the following associated Consultants: • Bright and Associates Landscape Architects • Eco Tech Ecology • Acoustic Noise and Vibration Noise • Smith Grant Air Quality • Hafren Water Hydrology • Hydrologic Flood Risk Assessment • White Young Green Soils and Agriculture • Archaeological Services and Consultancy Limited Archaeology • Richard Parker Consultancy Traffic Studies ___________________________________________________________________ v2.13.03.08 Mineral Surveying Services Limited Page 4 Wakerley Quarry, Northamptonshire Environmental Statement ____________________________________________________________________ 1.1.5 The principal aim of this Environmental Statement is to provide the Northamptonshire County Council with clear and comprehensive information to assist in the determination of the planning submission. Additionally, it provides members of the general public, and other interested parties, with information on matters of interest to them. 1.2 Site Location 1.2.1 Wakerley Quarry is located south of the village of Wakerley in the administrative area of Northamptonshire County Council. For reference purposes the site may be found centrally located at National Grid Ref: SP 945 978 as indicated on Figure 1. 1.2.2 The proposed Wakerley Quarry, as shown of Figure 1, comprises approximately 117.8 hectares of land occupied by the existing consented area for mineral working (56.9 hectares) and the proposed extension (60.9 hectares). The application site is currently predominantly in agricultural use although some areas of the site comprise non-agricultural lands being concrete runways and other areas associated with the former military airfield. 1.3 The Applicant Charity 1.3.1 The Burghley House Preservation Trust Limited is a Charity whose core objective is the conservation and showing to the public of Burghley House and its collection of works of art. The Charity endowment includes a wide range of investment property owned and managed for the purpose of endowing the core objective. 1.3.2 The Charity presently employs some 60 full time staff and a similar number of regular part time and seasonal workers. 1.3.3 There are two existing mineral operating sites within the Estate land holdings and these provide further employment by way of subcontract work to local service industries and substantial use of the local transport industry. 1.4 The Environmental Assessment 1.4.1 There is no prescribed format for an Environmental Statement provided that the requirements of Schedule 4 of The Regulations are met. An environmental statement comprises a document or a series of documents which provide for the assessment of the likely impact of the proposed development upon the environment. Schedule 4 of the 1999 regulations provides guidance on the level of information that the statement should contain. In accordance with recommended practice the detailed scope and content of the Environmental Impact Assessment has been determined through liaison with the Planning Authority. 1.4.2 The Environmental Statement provides the key data relating to the scope and formulation of the proposals, project description and the potential impact areas. ___________________________________________________________________ v2.13.03.08 Mineral Surveying Services Limited Page 5 Wakerley Quarry, Northamptonshire Environmental Statement ____________________________________________________________________ 1.4.3 The Non-Technical Summary, as prescribed by The Regulations, outlines the conclusions of the development proposals and explains how they were reached. This includes a brief description of the project and environment, an account of the mitigating measures to be undertaken and a description of residual impacts. 1.5 The Assessment Approach 1.5.1 The Environmental Assessment is undertaken through a process which seeks to determine the effect that certain development may have upon the natural and built environment. In order to fully consider the implications of such a study it is vitally important to commence with an “assessment overview” exercise which is formulated through discussions and communication with interested parties with a view to identifying the principle areas of concern. This is likely to include liaison with the relevant planning authorities, statutory consultees, government and public institutions and local interest groups. 1.5.2 In the context of the planning application, and associated Environmental Assessment, the scoping opinion at Appendix A from the Northamptonshire County Council highlighted specific issues which would require detailed consideration including: • the need for the mineral to be worked and alternative sources of material; • details of the proposed working arrangements; • details of the soils handling and agricultural land quality; • a highways assessment and traffic flows associated with the development; • an assessment of the surface and groundwater at the site; • the effects on the general amenity of the area in relation to noise and air quality; • an ecological assessment and opportunities for ecological enhancement; • details of site archaeology; • the proposed restoration and aftercare of the site. 1.5.3 Further consultations have been undertaken throughout the formulation of the Environmental Assessment with the Northamptonshire County Council departments dealing with environmental planning, highways and transportation, ecology, archaeology and minerals. Consultations have also taken place with the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Wildlife Trust. 1.5.4 As indicated above, and in terms of the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, the applicants are required to indicate what ___________________________________________________________________ v2.13.03.08 Mineral Surveying Services Limited Page 6 Wakerley Quarry, Northamptonshire Environmental Statement ____________________________________________________________________ alternatives, if any, have been considered in terms of the proposed site chosen for development. In this particular case, the site has already enjoyed the benefit of a planning permission issued for mineral extraction in the 1960’s and being a submission associated with an extension of existing approved mineral operations, the consideration of possible alternatives to the development have incorporated a review of working and restoration methods rather than a review of options for the development of alternative working sites. 1.6 Prediction of Impacts 1.6.1 Prior to the predication of environmental impacts the existing environmental baseline situation should be established. Analysis of each impact can then be examined in terms of it’s predicted deviation from the norm. 1.6.2 The methods used to predict the key impacts must be defined. Additionally, the significance of those impacts should be assessed using appropriate standards. Where no such standards exist, the assumptions made to assess significance must be justified and the existence of opposing, or contrary, opinions acknowledged. 1.7 Measures For Mitigation 1.7.1 Once the analysis of likely impacts has been undertaken the next stage is to determine what mitigating measures can be introduced to avoid, reduce or remedy any significant adverse effects. All significant adverse impacts should be considered for mitigation and specific measures put forward where practicable. Mitigation methods may include modification of the development proposals and the introduction of certain safeguards to limit the effects. 1.7.2 As an integral part of the development process it may also be necessary to undertake monitoring of the project to confirm the effectiveness of the mitigation measures proposed and how the actual