M6 Junctions 16 to 19 Smart Motorway Environmental Assessment Report FINAL, Rev.0 October 2014 M6 Junction 16 to 19 SM Scheme Environmental Assessment Report CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 PROJECT OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AND POLICIES ................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 NEED FOR THIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT ................................................................................................. 3 1.4 SCOPE AND CONTENT.............................................................................................................................................. 3 1.5 STRUCTURE OF THE REPORT ..................................................................................................................................... 4 2 PROJECT BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................... 5 2.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................................................. 5 2.3 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS ............................................................................................................................................ 6 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 3.2 PROPOSED M6 J16‐19 SM DESIGN .......................................................................................................................... 7 3.3 CONSTRUCTION PROPOSALS ................................................................................................................................... 14 3.4 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ............................................................................................................................. 17 4 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................... 18 4.1 SCOPING ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................................................................... 18 4.2 CONSULTATION .................................................................................................................................................... 18 4.3 STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................................................ 19 4.4 BASELINE CONDITIONS AND THE ‘DO MINIMUM’ SCENARIO ......................................................................................... 19 4.5 DATA GATHERING AND STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ................................................................................................ 20 4.6 IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL EFFECTS ............................................................................................................................ 20 4.7 ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGIES .............................................................................................................................. 20 4.8 MITIGATION MEASURES, ENHANCEMENT AND RESIDUAL EFFECTS ................................................................................. 21 5 TOPICS SCOPED OUT ...................................................................................................................................... 22 5.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 22 5.2 GEOLOGY AND SOILS ............................................................................................................................................. 22 5.3 LANDSCAPE ......................................................................................................................................................... 22 5.4 MATERIALS ......................................................................................................................................................... 23 5.5 PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES ................................................................................................................................... 23 5.6 VEHICLE TRAVELLERS ............................................................................................................................................ 24 5.7 ROAD DRAINAGE AND THE WATER ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................................................... 25 6 AIR QUALITY .................................................................................................................................................. 26 6.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 26 6.2 STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................................................ 26 6.3 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................................................... 26 6.4 MODELLING AND ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 30 6.5 EXISTING AIR QUALITY (BASELINE CONDITIONS) ......................................................................................................... 35 6.6 POTENTIAL EFFECTS .............................................................................................................................................. 43 6.7 OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SM SCHEME’S AIR QUALITY EFFECTS ...................................................... 56 6.8 MITIGATION MEASURES ........................................................................................................................................ 57 6.9 RESIDUAL EFFECTS ................................................................................................................................................ 59 6.10 SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................................... 59 7 ECOLOGY AND NATURE CONSERVATION ........................................................................................................ 60 7.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 60 7.2 STUDY AREA ........................................................................................................................................................ 60 7.3 RELEVANT LEGISLATIVE, PLANS POLICIES AND BACKGROUND ........................................................................................ 60 7.4 BASELINE CONDITIONS .......................................................................................................................................... 61 7.5 ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................................. 67 7.6 RESOURCE SENSITIVITY .......................................................................................................................................... 72 7.7 REGULATORY FRAMEWORK .................................................................................................................................... 72 Rev.: 0 ii Issued: 22/10/14 M6 Junction 16 to 19 SM Scheme Environmental Assessment Report 7.8 POTENTIAL EFFECTS .............................................................................................................................................. 73 7.9 MITIGATION MEASURES ........................................................................................................................................ 82 7.10 RESIDUAL EFFECTS ................................................................................................................................................ 85 7.11 DETERMINATION OF SIGNIFICANCE OF EFFECTS .......................................................................................................... 87 7.12 MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT .......................................................................................................................... 87 7.13 SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................................................... 87 8 NOISE AND VIBRATION .................................................................................................................................. 89 8.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................................