Scoping Report Uig Harbour Redevelopment The Highland Council Document Reference: 60536743-DOC-00-0000-C-1018 September 2017 Uig Harbour Redevelopment Scoping Report The Highland Council Quality information Prepared by Checked by Approved by Redacted Redacted Redacted Graduate Consultant Associate Director Associate Director Revision History Revision Revision date Details Authorized Name Position 1 17/08/2017 Draft R Redacted Associate ed Director 2 22/09/2017 Final acR Redacted Associate teed Director dac te d Distribution List # Hard Copies PDF Required Association / Company Name AECOM Uig Harbour Redevelopment Scoping Report The Highland Council Prepared for: The Highland Council Development and Infrastructure Project Design Unit Materials Testing Lab Diriebught Depot 94 Diriebught Road Inverness IV2 3QN Prepared by: AECOM Limited 1 Tanfield Edinburgh EH3 5DA UK T: +44 131 301 8600 aecom.com © 2017 AECOM Limited. All Rights Reserved. This document has been prepared by AECOM Limited (“AECOM”) for sole use of our client (the “Client”) in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of reference agreed between AECOM and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by AECOM, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior and express written agreement of AECOM. AECOM Uig Harbour Redevelopment Scoping Report The Highland Council Table of Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 6 1.1 Project Background .......................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 Consenting Requirements ................................................................................................................ 6 2. Description of the Proposed Development ................................................................................................... 8 3. Scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment ....................................................................................... 10 3.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Marine Physical Environment ......................................................................................................... 11 3.3 Marine Water and Sediment Quality ............................................................................................... 13 3.4 Flood Risk ....................................................................................................................................... 15 3.5 Ground Conditions and Contamination ........................................................................................... 20 3.6 Terrestrial Ecology .......................................................................................................................... 22 3.7 Marine Protected Areas .................................................................................................................. 24 3.8 Benthic Ecology .............................................................................................................................. 26 3.9 Fish and Shellfish Ecology .............................................................................................................. 28 3.10 Marine Mammals ............................................................................................................................ 31 3.11 Ornithology ..................................................................................................................................... 33 3.12 Socio-Economics & Public Access ................................................................................................. 36 3.13 Seascape, Landscape and Visual Effects ....................................................................................... 38 3.14 Traffic & Transport .......................................................................................................................... 39 3.15 Air Quality ....................................................................................................................................... 44 3.16 Greenhouse Gas Assessment ........................................................................................................ 45 3.17 Terrestrial Noise & Vibration ........................................................................................................... 46 3.18 Commercial & Recreational Navigation .......................................................................................... 48 3.19 Commercial Fisheries ..................................................................................................................... 50 3.20 Other Users .................................................................................................................................... 52 3.21 Archaeology & Cultural Heritage .................................................................................................... 53 3.22 Proposed Scope of EIA .................................................................................................................. 54 Appendix A Screening Letter ................................................................................................................................. 55 Appendix B Statement for CalMac Ferries Ltd. regarding LNG ............................................................................. 56 Appendix C Phase 1 Habitat and Otter Surveys ................................................................................................... 57 Appendix D Ornithological Survey......................................................................................................................... 58 Appendix E Current Ferry Timetable ..................................................................................................................... 59 Tables Table 2-1 Description of the Proposed Development - Preferred Options & Potential Additional Options ............... 8 Table 3-1 Tidal Information from the Tidal Admiralty .............................................................................................. 11 Table 3-2 Key Activities and Potential Effects to Terrestrial Ecological Receptors ................................................ 23 Table 3-3 Marine Conservation Designations in the vicinity of the Proposed Development .................................. 24 Table 3-4 Existing DfT Traffic Flow Information for A87 (T) on the Isle of Skye ..................................................... 39 Table 3-5 Uig Harbour Existing Ferry Vehicle Trip Generation .............................................................................. 40 Table 3-6 Proposed Development Ferry Vehicle Trip Generation.......................................................................... 41 Table 3-7 Proposed Development Magnitude of Impact (Change in Traffic) - Operation ...................................... 42 Table 3-8 Proposed Development Magnitude of Impact (Change in Traffic) - Construction .................................. 42 Table 3-9 Proposed Scope of the EIA ................................................................................................................... 54 AECOM Uig Harbour Redevelopment Scoping Report The Highland Council List of Figures A number of figures have been inserted as A3 figures at the end of the document. Figure 2-1 Proposed Development (inserted as A1 figure) Figure 2-2 Site Location (inserted as A3 figure) Figure 3-1 Constraints Map (inserted as A3 figure) Figure 3-2 December 2016 Sediment Sampling Stations (inserted as A3 figure) Figure 3-3 AECOM Western Isles Hydrodynamic Model Figure 3-4 Example output from the MIKE21-SW wave model Figure 3-5 Broad-scale Habitat (inserted as A3 figure) Figure 3-6 Priority Marine Features (inserted as A3 figure) Figure 3-7 A87 (T) DfT Traffic Counter Locations and 2016 AADT Flows Figure 3-8 Shellfish Growing Waters in Loch Snizort, Skye (source: SEPA, 2010) AECOM Uig Harbour Redevelopment Scoping Report The Highland Council 1. Introduction 1.1 Project Background Uig Harbour is located in Uig Bay in the north east of the Isle of Skye. It forms part of the ‘Skye Triangle’ (along with Tarbert and Lochmaddy), providing lifeline ferry services for communities in the Western Isles. The Pier at Uig Harbour, named King Edward Pier, serves the CalMac ferry route to the isles of Harris and North Uist. The Pier is under the control of Highland Harbours which is run by The Highland Council (THC), whilst the ferry service operations are controlled by CalMac Ferries Ltd. (CFL). Increasing demand and aging tonnage has led the ferry operator to commission new, larger ferry vessels for a number of its routes. The ‘Skye Triangle’ has been identified by the operator as a priority and the procurement of a new vessel for this route has commenced. THC (hereafter also referred to as the ‘Applicant’) is required to undertake redevelopment works (hereafter referred to as the ‘Proposed Development’) to Uig Harbour to accommodate the new vessel which has been commissioned and is currently programmed to arrive at the harbour in October 2018. 1.2 Consenting Requirements The Proposed Development