Lincoln Eastern Bypass Environmental Statement Volume 1 – Environmental Statement December 2012 Produced by Preface Lincolnshire County Council, in partnership with City of Lincoln, North Kesteven District and West Lindsey District Councils is proposing to build a Bypass Road to the east of the City to alleviate potential congestion problems. This Environmental Statement (ES) reports the findings of detailed environmental assessments undertaken during the development of the proposed scheme. Information relating to the Environmental Statement and supporting documentation is available in one Non Techincal Summary (also available as a separate stand alone document) and three Volumes: Non Technical Summary Volume 1 - Environmental Statement Volume 2 – Supporting Information Volume 3 – Technical Appendices The Environmental Statement will be available to view at the Highway Alliance’s offices: Witham Park House, Waterside South. Lincoln, LN5 7JN Please contact John Pollard at [email protected] to organise viewing or request a copy. i Document Control Sheet Project Title Lincoln Eastern Bypass Report Title Environmental Statement Revision 1 Document Reference Number: 1030171/R/001 Status Final Control Date December 2012 Record of Issue Issue Status Author Date Check Date Authorised Date v1 Final M Duffort 30/11/2012 S Newman 30/11/2012 F Symes 04/12/2012 Distribution Organisation Contact Copies John Pollard LCC Highways Alliance 1e ii This Report is presented to Lincolnshire County Council in respect of the Lincoln Eastern Bypass and may not be used or relied on by any other person or by the client in relation to any other matters not covered specifically by the scope of this Report. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in the Report, Mouchel Limited working as Lincolnshire County Council Highways Alliance is obliged to exercise reasonable skill, care and diligence in the performance of the services required by Lincolnshire County Council and Mouchel Limited shall not be liable except to the extent that it has failed to exercise reasonable skill, care and diligence, and this report shall be read and construed accordingly. This Lincolnshire County Council Highways Alliance Report has been prepared by Mouchel Limited. No individual is personally liable in connection with the preparation of this Report. By receiving this Report and acting on it, the client or any other person accepts that no individual is personally liable whether in contract, tort, for breach of statutory duty or otherwise. iii CONTENTS Contents ....................................................................................................................... iv Acronyms ..................................................................................................................... ix 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 13 1.1 The Proposed Scheme ........................................................................................ 13 1.2 The Environmental Impact Assessment .............................................................. 14 1.3 Structure of the Environmental Statement ........................................................... 14 1.4 Format of the Assessment Chapters ................................................................... 15 2 Need for the Scheme ......................................................................................... 18 2.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 18 2.2 Policy and Strategy .............................................................................................. 18 2.3 Transport Issues and Problems ........................................................................... 19 2.4 Lincoln Eastern Bypass Statement of Need ........................................................ 21 2.5 Summary ............................................................................................................. 22 3 Consideration of Alternatives ........................................................................... 23 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 23 3.2 Consideration of Alternatives – Stages 1 and 2 ................................................... 23 3.3 Consideration of Alternatives – Programme Entry ............................................... 30 4 Site Context and Proposed Scheme ................................................................ 31 4.1 Site Context ......................................................................................................... 31 4.2 The Proposed Scheme ........................................................................................ 32 5 Stakeholder Consultation ................................................................................. 35 5.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 35 5.2 Statutory Consultees ........................................................................................... 35 5.3 Non Statutory Consultees .................................................................................... 36 iv 6 Scoping ............................................................................................................... 38 6.1 Scoping of Potential Impacts ............................................................................... 38 7 Road Drainage and the Water Environment .................................................... 39 7.1 Scope of the Assessment .................................................................................... 39 7.2 Statutory and Planning Context ........................................................................... 40 7.3 Method of Assessment ........................................................................................ 42 7.4 Baseline Environment .......................................................................................... 46 7.5 Predicted Impacts ................................................................................................ 53 7.6 Proposed Mitigation ............................................................................................. 61 7.7 Conclusions and Effects ...................................................................................... 64 8 Soils and Geology ............................................................................................. 68 8.1 Scope of the Assessment .................................................................................... 68 8.2 Statutory and Planning Context ........................................................................... 68 8.3 Method of Assessment ........................................................................................ 69 8.4 Baseline Environment .......................................................................................... 71 8.5 Predicted Impacts ................................................................................................ 74 8.6 Proposed Mitigation ............................................................................................. 76 8.7 Conclusions and Effects ...................................................................................... 78 9 Landscape and Visual Impact .......................................................................... 79 9.1 Scope of the Assessment .................................................................................... 79 9.2 Statutory and Planning Context ........................................................................... 79 9.3 Method of Assessment ........................................................................................ 81 9.4 Baseline Environment .......................................................................................... 84 9.5 Predicted Impacts ................................................................................................ 94 9.6 Proposed Mitigation ........................................................................................... 102 9.7 Conclusions and Effects .................................................................................... 104 v 10 Noise and Vibration ......................................................................................... 105 10.1 Scope of the Assessment .................................................................................. 105 10.2 Statutory and Planning Context ......................................................................... 107 10.3 Method of Assessment ...................................................................................... 108 10.4 Baseline Environment ........................................................................................ 111 10.5 Predicted Impacts .............................................................................................. 114 10.6 Proposed Mitigation ........................................................................................... 119 10.7 Conclusions and Effects .................................................................................... 121 11 Air Quality ......................................................................................................... 122 11.1 Scope of the Assessment .................................................................................. 122 11.2 Statutory