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Cambourne West EIA Methodology
19102/A5/ES2014 Chapter 2 – Page 1 December 2014
2.0 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY
Introduction
2.1 This chapter sets out the methodology used to prepare each chapter of the ES and
describes its structure and content. In particular, it sets out the process of identifying
and assessing the likely significant effects of the Proposed Development on the
environment.
General Approach
2.2 The ES has been prepared in accordance with the Town & Country Planning
(Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)) Regulations 2011, (the “EIA Regulations”),
which implement European Council Directive 2011/92/EU (codified Directive on EIA).
Reference has also been made to the following good practice guidance on EIA:
Planning Practice Guidance (DCLG, 2014);
Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment, Institute of Env ironmental
Management and Assessment (IEMA, 2004); and
Guidelines for the Assessment of Indirect and Cumulative Impacts as well as
Impact Interactions, Luxembourg (Office for the Official Publications of the
European Communities, 1999).
Scoping
2.3 The Proposed Development has been the subject of a scoping exercise to identify the
likely significant effects on the environment that may arise from the construction and
operational phases of the Proposed Development.
2.4 A Scoping Report (Appendix 2.1) was submitted to SCDC on 9 December 2013. A
Scoping Opinion was received from SCDC on 28 January 2014 and is included within
Appendix 2.2.
2.5 The organisations consulted as part of the EIA process include:
English Heritage;
Natural England;
Cambridgeshire Wildlife Trust;
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Environment Agency;
South Cambridgeshire District Council (various departments);
Cambridgeshire County Council (highways, archaeology); and
Highways Agency.
2.6 The results of the scoping exercise have determined the subject areas of the EIA, set
out below:
Site Description;
Project Description;
Alternatives & Design Evolution;
Construction Methodology & Programme;
Landscape and Visual Amenity;
Ecology and Nature Conservation;
Transport and Access;
Air Quality;
Noise and Vibration;
Water Resources, Hydrology and Flood Risk;
Archaeology and Cultural Heritage;
Waste Management;
Health Impact; and
Socio-Economics.
2.7 A summary of the comments provided in the two adopted Scoping Opinions and where
these have been addressed in the ES is provided in Appendix 2.3.
2.8 Further information on the disciplines scoped out of the ES is provided in Appendix 2.1
and Appendix 2.2.
Public Consultation
2.9 Engagement with the local community has been undertaken in the form of a two day
Public Exhibition (7th and 8th March 2014) held at The Hub in Cambourne. Prior to the
exhibition, over 5,000 invitation leaflets were sent out and the exhibition was also
advertised in the local press notifying local residents and statutory consultees of the
exhibition.
2.10 Freestanding information boards were on display to explain the background to, and aim
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of, the Proposed Development and show the emerging design.
2.11 As well as the public exhibitions, a website (www.cambournewest.com) was launched
which provided an opportunity for those who were unable to attend the exhibitions to
comment. The website provided the same information as the public exhibitions and a
function to submit feedback. The website was promoted on the feedback forms and
during the promotion of the public exhibitions.
2.12 Views of the local community have been taken into account in the design evolution of
the Proposed Development. Full analysis of the comments received is contained in the
Statement of Community Involvement submitted in support of the application.
Assessment Methodology
2.13 The EIA Regulations stipulate that an ES should identify, describe and assess the likely
significant effects of a development on the environment during the construction and
operational phases. Environmental effects have been evaluated with reference to
definitive standards and legislation where available. Where it has not been possible to
quantify effects, qualitative assessments have been carried out, based on available
knowledge and professional judgement. Where uncertainty ex ists, this has been noted
in the relevant assessment chapter.
Determining Significance
2.14 Guidance on significance has been mainly of a generic nature (e.g. Planning Practice
Guidance), and practitioners have been obliged to develop definitions for spe cific topics
and projects. It is broadly accepted, however, that significance reflects the relationship
between two factors:
The actual change taking place to the environment (i.e. the magnitude or
severity of an effect); and
The sensitivity, importance or value of the affected resource or receptor.
2.15 The magnitude of an effect is often quantifiable in terms of, for example, extent of land
take, or predicted change in noise levels. The sensitivity, importance or value of the
resource or receptor is normally derived from:
Legislative controls;
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19102/A5/ES2014 Chapter 2 – Page 4 December 2014
Designated status within the land use planning system;
The number of individual receptors such as residents;
An empirical assessment on the basis of characteristics such as rarity or
condition; and
Ability of the receptor to absorb change.
2.16 Determination of significance also includes consideration of:
Extent and magnitude of the effect;
Type of effect (beneficial or adverse);
Duration of effect (whether short, medium or long term; permanent or
temporary);
Nature of effect (whether direct or indirect, reversible or irreversible);
Whether the effect occurs in isolation, is cumulative or interactive;
Performance against environmental quality standards or other relevant pollution
control thresholds; and
Compatibility with environmental policies.
2.17 In general, significant effects occur where valuable or sensitive resources, or numerous
receptors, are subject to effects of considerable magnitude. Effects are unlikely to be
significant where low value or non-sensitive resources, or a small number of receptors,
are subject to minor effects. Allocation of significant effects in intermediate situations
will be a matter for professional judgement in each topic area.
2.18 Significance will generally be classified as major, moderate or minor (with these
descriptions being based on precedent or current guidance). Within this ES, the
significance matrix in Table 2.1 has been used to define the level of significance of
effects. In some cases analogous matrices for the various specialist topics are used, and
where these use different assessment criteria this is clearly stated within the relevant
chapter.
Table 2.1: Significance Matrix
Sensitivity/ Value of Receptor
Magnitude of Effect
High Medium Low Negligible
High (England, UK, International)
Major Major/Moderate Moderate Negligible
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Sensitivity/ Value of Receptor
Magnitude of Effect
High Medium Low Negligible
Medium (County, Regional)
Major/Moderate Moderate Moderate/Minor Negligible
Low (Local, Borough)
Moderate Moderate/Minor Minor Negligible
2.19 The three levels of significance defined by the generic matrix are:
Major – an effect which in isolation could have a material influence on the
decision making process;
Moderate – an effect which on its own could have moderate influence on
decision making, particularly when combined with other similar effects; or
Minor – an effect which on its own is likely to have a minor influence only on
decision making but when combined with other effects could have a more
material influence.
2.20 Effects are also described as:
Adverse – detrimental or negative effects to an environmental resource or
receptor; or
Beneficial – advantageous or positive effect to an environmental resource or
receptor.
2.21 Where an effect is considered to have no significance or no influence, irrespective of
other effects, this is classified as “negligible”.
2.22 Each of the technical chapters or accompanying technical appendices provides the
criteria, including sources and justifications, for quantifying the different levels of
effect. Where possible, this has been based upon quantitative and accepted criteria,
together with the use of value judgements and expert interpretations to establish to
what extent an effect is likely to be environmenta lly significant.
2.23 In the context of the Proposed Development, short to medium term effects are
considered to be those associated with the construction phase, and long term effects
are those associated with the completed development once operational. Due to the
phased nature of the Proposed Development it is likely that occupied residential and
commercial elements could be affected by the successive construction phases occurring
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on site. Where appropriate, the potential construction effects on those elements of the
Proposed Development which have been built and occupied have been considered within
each chapter. Local effects are those on the Site or neighbouring sites, while effects
upon receptors within South Cambridgeshire are considered to be at a District Level.
Effects on Cambridgeshire and the Eastern region are considered to be at a County and
Regional level respectively, whilst effects on England are considered to be at an England
level and national effects are considered to be at a UK level.
Baseline Conditions
2.24 The ES includes a description of the prevailing environmental conditions, the ‘Baseline
Conditions’, against which the likely significant effects of the Proposed Development on
the environment have been assessed. These are taken to be the conditions at the time
or immediately prior to the submission of the Planning Application in 2013/2014. Where
relevant the baseline conditions in the future have been addressed within the technical
assessments.
Cumulative Effects
Cumulative Effects
2.25 A requirement of the EIA Regulations is to assess cumulative effects. Cumulative effects
are generally considered to arise from the combination of effects from the Proposed
Development and from other committed schemes in the vicinity, acting together to
generate elevated levels of effects. Planning Practice Guidance identifies that:
“…There are occasions where other existing or approved
development may be relevant in determining whether
significant effects are likely as a consequence of a
proposed development…”
2.26 Guidance in the Planning Practice Guidance states that “existing and approved”
developments should be considered. In the case of the Proposed Development five
schemes have been identified. Of the five, three schemes benefit from planning
permission or are allocated developments identified within the SCDC policy. The
remaining two developments (Bourn Airfield and Wintringham Park) are not “committed”
in terms of planning approval, but have been included at the request of SCDC. The
cumulative assessment therefore goes beyond the requirements of the EIA Regulations
and existing guidance. As and when any of the strategic allocations are taken forward
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19102/A5/ES2014 Chapter 2 – Page 7 December 2014
as planning applications, they would need to consider any consent for the Proposed
Development that may exist at that time in the assessment of cumulative effects.
2.27 Details of these schemes are included in Table 2.2 and their locations are shown on
Figure 2.1.
Table 2.2: Cumulative Schemes
Site Allocated or with Planning Permission for Housing Development
Ref Address Description To be built by end of 2014
1 Upper Cambourne
Residential Development of 950 dwellings with associated roads, open space and landscaping.
342 (with 608 more to build)
2 Loves Farm, St Neots
Mixed use development comprising 1427 dwellings a primary school, retail uses, open space and community facilities.
1283 (with 144 more to build)
3 Land off Church Lane and Ermine Street South, Papworth Everard
Residential Development of up to 66 dwellings with associated access, open space and landscaping.
No application has been formerly submitted
4 Wintringham Park Cambridge Road St Neots
Mixed use development comprising up to 2,800 dwellings, employment development, District Centre community and health uses, two Primary Schools, open space, strategic access improvements and associated infrastructure.
Undetermined
Emerging Allocation in Local Plan
5 Bourn Airfield
New settlement for up to 3000 homes
including associated roads, open space, retail, employment, community and educational facilities.
No application has been formerly submitted
6 Balance of Land at the Business Park, Cambourne
Land at the business park forms part of the site at Cambourne West allocated in the emerging Local Plan for 1200 new homes. The land at the business park is
No application has been formerly submitted
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19102/A5/ES2014 Chapter 2 – Page 8 December 2014
Site Allocated or with Planning Permission for Housing Development
Ref Address Description To be built by end of 2014
expected to provide for up to 240 new dwellings.
Residual Effects
2.28 The likely significant effects on the environment, assuming the successful
implementation of mitigation measures proposed, have been identified within each
chapter. Where mitigation measures are proposed an indication is given as to how these
will be secured.
Assumptions and Limitations
2.29 The principal assumptions that have been made and any limitations that have been
identified in preparing the ES are set out in each technical chapter. General assumptions
include the following:
Assessments assume the baseline conditions at the time of ES preparation
(2013/2014);
It is assumed that current surrounding land uses do not change, with the
exception of the cumulative schemes identified;
Assessments are based on published sources of information and primary data
collection. Sources are provided as necessary;
Assessments are based on the description of the Proposed Development set out
in Chapter 4 and the anticipated construction methodology and p rogramme
described in Chapter 6;
Assessments conclude the “worst case” effects that would arise from the outline
element of the Proposed Development as defined by the parameters descri bed in
Chapter 4.
Objectivity
2.30 The technical studies undertaken within the ES have been progressed in a transparent,
impartial and unbiased way with equal weight attached, as appropriate, to beneficial
and adverse effects. Where possible, this has been based upon quantitative and
accepted criteria together with the use of value judgements and expert interpretations.
2.31 The assessment has been explicit in recognising areas of limitation within the ES and
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19102/A5/ES2014 Chapter 2 – Page 9 December 2014
any difficulties that have been encountered, including assumptions upon which the
assessments are based. Where appropriate, the assessment of significance has been
given confidence levels.
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