Highways Agency

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Existing Conditions
• 3. Scheme Proposals
• 4. Engineering Assessment
• 5. Environmental Assessment - 1
• 5. Environmental Assessment - 2
• 5. Environmental Assessment - 3
• 5. Environmental Assessment -4
• 5. Environmental Assessment - 5
• 5. Environmental Assessment - 6
• 5. Environmental Assessment -7
• 5. Environmental Assessment -8
• 5. Environmental Assessment -9
• 5. Environmental Assessment -10
• 5. Environmental Assessment -11
• 5. Environmental Assessment -12
• 5. Environmental Assessment -13
• 5. Environmental Assessment -14
• 5. Environmental Assessment -15
• 5. Environmental Assessment -16
• 5. Environmental Assessment -17
• 5. Environmental Assessment -18
• 5. Environmental Assessment -19
• 6. Traffic and Economic Assessment

5. Environmental Assessment - 3

5.3 Approach to Environmental Assessment

5.3.1 Environmental Topics

The EIA addresses all potentially significant environmental impacts. Theseencompass the following topics, each of which is also covered by a separatechapter in this environmental assessment:

• Traffic noise and vibration;
• Air quality and greenhouse gases;
• Geology and contaminated land;
• Land use;
• Landscape effects;
• Ecology and nature conservation;
• Cultural heritage;
• Water quality and drainage;
• Vehicle travellers;
• Pedestrians, cyclists, equestrians and community effects; and
• Policies and plans.

5.3.2 Study Area

For each of the topics, a study area has been selected which reflects the area overwhich changes to the environment are likely to occur as a result of the scheme. Acorridor, wider than the limits of the land likely to be used or acquired, will beassessed and will vary depending on the environmental resources underconsideration.

5.3.3 Baseline Condition

Desk studies, supplemented by additional surveys and consultation, has been usedto compile a picture of the current (2003/04) environmental conditions.The general approach reviews the various surveys undertaken previously,determines their validity for use as part of this environmental assessment andmakes recommendations for an ongoing strategy for updating existing surveys orcarrying out new additional surveys.

5.3.4 Receptors and their Sensitivity

Receptors are defined as the physical resource or user group that will experiencean impact. The baseline studies are used to identify potential environmentalreceptors. Some are more sensitive to change than others. This sensitivity may beinfluenced by factors such as:

• Rarity or abundance;
• Quality;
• Regenerative capacity or fragility;
• Substitutability;
• Importance;
• Scale.

5.3.5 Types of Impact

Impacts are defined as the results of physical changes to the environment or trafficflows attributable to the construction and operation of the highway scheme. Theyreflect the magnitude of the effect on the environment and the sensitivity of theenvironment.

Impacts may be beneficial or adverse, and may also be categorised as:

• Direct - caused by activities which are an integral part of the scheme, for example, land take;
• Indirect - caused by outcomes that arise as a result of the scheme, for example increases in Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) flows leading to changes in air quality;
• Primary - the first impact of a scheme, for example, alterations to a watercourse;
• Secondary - a consequence of a primary impact, for example, changes to aquatic fauna as a result of altering a watercourse;
• Cumulative - comprising a number of impacts that singly are not significant but may be when assessed together, for example, loss of small areas of habitat which may together represent a large proportion of a local habitat type.
• Short, medium, long term - impacts, the significance of which may change over time, particularly as a result of mitigation, for example the impact on views may reduce as new planting matures;
• Temporary - impacts largely related to the construction period, for example, dust generation from earthmoving;
• Permanent/residual - impacts that remain after the beneficial influence of mitigation measures has been taken into account.

5.3.6 Temporal Scope

In considering the impact of a highway scheme it is necessary to identify impactswhich may occur during the construction and operational phases, including theimpact of any maintenance activities.

The construction phase extends from the commencement of site works to theopening of the scheme. Assumptions will be made about the duration of theconstruction programme and the key activities which will be involved.

The operational phase extends from the opening of the scheme to its maximumutilisation. It is recognised that some aspects of the environment are constantlychanging and that some environmental design measures will take time to becomeestablished and effective. The assessment will therefore consider operationalphase impacts in the Opening Year (2010) and the Design Year (2025), takingmitigation measures into account.

5.3.7 Magnitude of Effects

The magnitude of effects will be assessed against a defined hierarchy of scale andwill be specific to each topic.

5.3.8 Significance of Impacts

The magnitude of an effect does not translate directly into its significance as animpact. For example, a significant impact may result from a relatively minor effecton a resource of national value or as a result of a severe effect on a resource oflocal value. Assignment of significance will be undertaken in a consistent andsystematic manner through the establishment of a set of significance criteria foreach topic.

5.3.9 Mitigation Measures

Mitigation measures will seek to avoid adverse impacts or to minimise them suchthat their significance is reduced to an acceptable level.

Individual mitigation measures may address more than one impact, for exampleplanting may be used to reduce visual impact while also benefiting wildlife.Occasionally, measures which seek to mitigate one impact may have an adverseeffect on another topic area. At this stage, mitigation measures will necessarily bespecified only in outline.

The scheme options will be assessed on the basis that the stated mitigationmeasures are in place.

5.3.10 The Do-Minimum Scenario

The EIA will need to draw comparisons between the Do-Something and Do-Minimum scenarios in order to establish whether the scheme is worth implementingand whether the relative "environmental cost" can be justified. Often the Do-Minimum scenario will be detrimental in environmental terms. For example, risingtraffic levels on an existing road may result in high levels of air pollution at housesclose to the route.

In specifying the Do-Minimum scenario a number of transport networkimprovements will be considered:

• The Cambridge to Huntingdon rapid transit system;
• A428 Hardwick to Caxton Common highway improvement;
• A1198 Papworth bypass;
• Traffic calming through villages within A14 corridor;
• Longstanton Park & Ride;
• St Ives Park & Ride;
• Developer access road to proposed Northstowe Development.

Recognising the current doubtful integrity of the Huntingdon viaduct the Do-Minimum transport scenario will assume that the viaduct is replaced.

5.3.11 Environmental Design Strategy

Scheme specific environmental design objectives have been developed and are setout below. Developing an environmental design strategy at this stage is beneficialbecause it promotes close liaison between the scheme designers andenvironmental specialists, allowing key environmental objectives to be consideredwithin option design. It recognises that the study area contains a number ofsignificant environmental constraints, particularly related to the valley of the RiverGreat Ouse and the close proximity of existing and planned development at theeastern end of the route. On the other hand, improvements to the road networkoffer the opportunity to improve environmental conditions for people living close tothose sections of the existing route which will be relieved and, by reducingcongestion, improve air quality and journey ambience.

TRAFFIC NOISE AND VIBRATION

• Maximise the number of properties benefiting from noise reductions by increasing the distance between strategic traffic flows and sensitive areas;
• Minimising impact by providing separation between sections of new carriageway and sensitive areas;
• Do what is possible to preserve tranquillity and pay particular attention to people living in rural areas where existing noise levels are particularly low;
• Locate slip roads and junctions away from residential and other sensitive properties;
• Use environmental barriers and earth bunds to screen noise sensitive areas;
• Use low noise surfacing to reduce traffic noise at source.

AIR QUALITY AND GREENHOUSE GASES

• Design junction improvements to maximise the free flow of traffic and optimise vehicle speeds;
• Ensure that there are no exceedences of the AQS objectives for any pollutant;
• Ensure that there will be an overall improvement in air quality, with more properties having an improvement, than a deterioration, in air quality as a result of the scheme;
• Design the scheme to minimise the vehicle kilometres travelled.

LANDSCAPE, TOWNSCAPE AND VISUAL ISSUES

• Minimise impact on Area of Best Landscape by respecting existing landscape features;
• Minimise impact on the valley of the River Great Ouse through careful location and design of crossing;
• Avoid the need for embankments and other highway structures;
• Choose the route least damaging to the landscape by respecting the existing landform and avoiding disruption of major topographical features;
• Retain and make best use of existing vegetation and landforms to screen the proposed route from residential areas and other sensitive viewpoints;
• Minimise the footprint of the new works, provided this is compatible with the above;
• Give careful consideration to the location and design of lighting;
• Protect local views and components of the built environment which contribute to local landscape/townscape character;
• Provide a pleasant environment for the road user, including the retention of attractive views from the road where possible.

BIODIVERSITY

• Maintain adequate buffer between the scheme and Brampton Wood SSSI;
• Avoid land take from woodland or County Wildlife Sites;
• Avoid land take from feeding and foraging areas close to designated sites of nature conservation interest;
• Avoid runoff affecting designated sites of nature conservation interest;
• Avoid disturbance to habitats known to support protected species;
• Integrate nature conservation and landscape design for the road to maximise opportunities for habitat creation, in accordance with HA and local biodiversity action plans.

HERITAGE

• Protect the setting of, and views from, Conservation Areas, listed buildings and scheduled ancient monuments;
• Minimise land take in areas of known archaeological potential;
• Avoid severance of linked heritage features and landscapes;
• Facilitate the understanding of those remains discovered during construction.

WATER

• Maintain floodplain storage capacity;
• Ensure scheme does not result in increase in flooding potential on local watercourses;
• Ensure design of River Great Ouse crossing does not impede flow dynamics or lead to unacceptable changes in flora and fauna;
• Ensure arrangements are put in place for the long term effectiveness of sustainable drainage solutions;
• Ensure the recreational potential of the River Great Ouse is not compromised.

ACCESSIBILITY

• Ensure public rights of way are maintained and that high quality crossings of the strategic route are provided for vulnerable users;
• Maximise opportunities for improving facilities for cyclists and pedestrians, particularly on the local access roads;
• Consider requirements for bus laybys and facilities and pedestrian routes to these facilities from residential areas or other important trip generators;
• Excessive increase in public transport trip lengths should be avoided.

JOURNEY AMBIENCE

• Disruption to users of the existing A14 should be avoided;
• Existing facilities for travellers should be maintained;
• Complex and confusing junction arrangements should be avoided;
• The provision of a high quality strategic route should not be at the expense of convenient local traffic movements.

GEOLOGY AND SOILS

• High quality land should not be used where lower quality land is available;
• Opportunities for re-use of material is to be preferred to landfill or importation of materials;
• Disturbance of contaminated land should be minimised.

LAND USE

• Minimise land take;
• Minimise severance of agricultural holdings;
• Avoid the creation of parcels of land which are not economic to work;
• Avoid prejudicing other productive land uses by avoiding the creation of unworkable access arrangements, land take or severance;
• Maximise potential benefits to individual business/agricultural enterprises.

This environmental assessment reports on the extent to which these objectiveshave been met by the design of the preferred scheme.