Dee River Craft Berthing Jetty EIA - IEMA€¦ · During regular use, the DRC is predicted to berth...

Dee River Craft Berthing Jetty EIA

Non Technical Summary

Airbus Operations Ltd.

November 2009 Final Report 9T1516

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Document title Dee River Craft Berthing Jetty EIA

Non Technical Summary

Status Final Report

Date November 2009

Project name Dee River Craft Berthing Jetty EIA

Project number 9T1516

Client Airbus Operations Ltd.

Reference 9T1516/R/303543/Live

Stanley Hall

Edmund Street Liverpool L3 9NG

United Kingdom

+44 (0)151 236 2944 Telephone 0151 227 2561 Fax

www.royalhaskoning.com Internet

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Drafted by Jamie Gardiner

Checked by Matthew Simpson

Date/initials check …………………. ………………….

Approved by Matthew Simpson

Date/initials approval …………………. ………………….

303543

Stamp

303543

Stamp

Non Technical Summary 9T1516/R/303543/Live Final Report November 2009

CONTENTS Page

1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 BACKGROUND 1

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED SCHEME 2 3.1 Introduction 2 3.2 Construction Phase 5 3.3 Operational Phase 5 3.4 Alternatives 5 3.4.1 Alternative Location 5 3.4.2 Scheme Options 7

4 EIA PROCESS 7

5 ENVIRONMENTAL RECEPTORS AND THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF THE SCHEME 9 5.1 Hydrodynamic and Sedimentary Regime 9 5.2 Conservation Designations 9 5.3 River and Estuarine Ecology 10 5.4 Navigation 10 5.5 Sediment Quality 10 5.6 Water Quality 11 5.7 Fish and Fisheries 11 5.8 Ornithology 12 5.9 Road Traffic 12 5.10 Noise and Vibration 13 5.11 Air Quality 13 5.12 Landscape, Seascape and Visual Assessment 13 5.13 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage 13 5.14 Tourism and Recreation 14 5.15 Socio-economics 14

6 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS 14

7 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT 14

8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 15

9 REFERENCES 16

Non Technical Summary 9T1516/R/303543/Live Final Report November 2009

Non Technical Summary 9T1516/R/303543/Live Final Report - 1 - November 2009

1 INTRODUCTION

This Non Technical Summary (NTS) provides a general overview of the findings of the Dee River Craft (DRC) Berthing Jetty Environmental Statement (ES). The NTS aims to use plain language - where possible - to describe the background and need for the proposal, and how it complies with the current planning and regulatory framework. It outlines the various options for the proposed development, describes some of the major beneficial and adverse environmental impacts predicted and key mitigation measures which are to be put in place to reduce or prevent any adverse residual impact. The ES and NTS have both been prepared in accordance with the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment)(England and Wales) Regulations 1999.

2 BACKGROUND

The Airbus factory at Broughton, Flintshire, is responsible for assembling the wings for all Airbus aircraft. It employs more than 6,000 people in manufacturing, engineering and support functions such as procurement and finance. In 2003 a £350 million extension was built alongside the existing Airbus factory. The 83,500 m2 facility, known as the 'West Factory,' was built to assemble the wings for the double-deck, 555 seater A380 airliner as well as other aircraft manufacturing activity, such as panel assembly and painting. Airbus A380 wings are dispatched individually from the factory by road to the nearby River Dee where the wings are placed onto the Dee River Craft (DRC), a bespoke vessel with shallow draft and jet thrusters, and transported to the Port of Mostyn on the Welsh coast of the Dee Estuary. The wings are then transferred onto roll on/roll off for transportation to France. The DRC can only navigate between the Port of Mostyn and Broughton when conditions are exactly right, this being when there is sufficient water depth to pass over the flats of the Dee Estuary and sufficient space to allow the vessel to travel under the transport bridges across the River Dee (including the A548 suspension bridge, the Hawarden railway bridge, the Queen's Park Suspension Bridge and the Old Dee Bridge). Navigation is further hindered by the constantly changing shape of the navigable river channel. Given the various constraints to navigation highlighted above, there is a significant risk that in cases of an unexpected event delaying the DRC (e.g. poor weather and/or mechanical failure) the vessel could either run aground, with a high risk of damage to the DRC and its cargo, or miss the window for passing under one of the transport bridges. The grounding of the DRC on the 6th May 2004 highlights the difficulty and risk of navigating this stretch of water. Currently, there is no berthing opportunity for the DRC between Broughton and the Port of Mostyn and this exacerbates the risks to navigation. There is an existing timber jetty that is owned by Corus Colors Shotton Works which was investigated for its berthing potential as part of an Options Study (Royal Haskoning, 2006). However, the Options Study concluded that even with the partial refurbishment during the late 1980s this jetty


is beyond its original design life. Furthermore, the jetty would not provide sufficient energy absorption and any vessel impact would have the potential to significantly damage the structure, the DRC and its cargo. The Broughton plant is the only plant that assembles A380 wings and no buffer of wings or parts exist on the final assembly line in France. The transport lead time, which includes the River Dee, sea transport, River Garonne and final road trip, takes 20.5 days. Should there be a delay in the production of these components, a halt to the final assembly production in France could occur, potentially affecting 1,055 staff. Currently, there is no alternative to transport the wings from the Broughton factory to the Port of Mostyn should an incident occur to the DRC. Consequently, safety measures during the river transportation are of the utmost importance. In light of the above, a new berth located at Corus Jetty, midway between Broughton and the Port of Mostyn is required for:

• A safe place to berth the vessel, cargo and crew in case of DRC failure, bad weather conditions, unexpected unavailability of the destination harbour, or actual differences in water level compared with predictions (e.g. due to meteorological conditions); and,

• Improvement in overall DRC navigation time and voyage scheduling flexibility (thereby increasing the chance of avoiding adverse conditions) by enabling the voyage to be split in two parts, which will assist Airbus in meeting its industrial objectives of increasing productivity.

3 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED SCHEME

3.1 Introduction

The proposed scheme comprises the installation of five self standing mono-piles, fitted with donut fenders, within the channel of the River Dee adjacent to Corus Jetty, near Connah’s Quay (Figure 3.1). The piles comprise hollow steel tubes between 805mm to 1,067mm in diameter and 25mm thick. The piles are to be placed approximately 2m from Corus Jetty, commencing 20m from the jetty’s downstream extent, with approximately 12m spacing (Figure 3.2).

Reproduced from Ordnance Survey digital map data © Crown copyright 2009.

All rightsreserved. Licence number 0100031673

Title:

Project:

Date: Scale:

Figure:

DRC Berthing JettyEIA

Location Plan

Nov 2009

Key:

3.1

Chester

Liverpool

Colwyn Bay

NTS

0 0.25 0.50.125Kilometres

N Proposed Scheme

River Dee(Afon Dyfrdwy)

Location


3.2 Construction Phase

All construction works are too take place from the river, with the piles being driven using percussive piling techniques from a marine based jack-up barge. The piles are to be installed in sections, due to the presence of overhead high voltage powerlines. It is anticipated that each section will take between 30 and 60 minutes to install, with two sections being added to the initial section resulting in a pile comprising three sections. The construction phase is predicted to last up to six weeks, commencing in May 2010. In addition to the jack-up barge, support vessels will used to transport pile sections from the Port of Mostyn to the proposed development site and site personnel and supplies from a site compound near Connah’s Quay Wharf. 3.3 Operational Phase

During regular use, the DRC is predicted to berth at the jetty up to four times per month, with berthing taking approximately 10 minutes and departing five. The predicted duration that the DRC will be berthed at the jetty is between 9 and 12 hours. The jetty will be maintained by marine operation (i.e. through access by boat or jack-up barge). The requirements for maintenance should be low, with a life to first maintenance of the structure around 10 years. The main items that will require maintenance are the floating fenders. These may be removed entirely and replaced. This operation would require a crane and could be carried out as a single day operation, possibly with a revisit to reinstall and fenders. Photomontages of how the proposed jetty is expected to look when viewed from the river bank opposite and the A548 suspension bridge are presented in Plates 3.1 and 3.2, respectively. 3.4 Alternatives

3.4.1 Alternative Location

An alternative location was identified approximately 150m to the west of Connah’s Quay Wharf, known as Connah’s Quay Old Dock. Apart from the advantage of having a dock already built, there are three main reasons which made this alternative location unsuitable as a berthing location for the DRC, namely:

1. the current level of siltation within the dock is such that saltmarsh habitat has formed above intertidal muds. Capital dredging would be required to remove these intertidal and saltmarsh habitats in order to bring the dock into operational use. However, both these habitats are protected and would potentially require mitigation/compensation for their loss;

2. maintenance dredging would be required to ensure that the dock remained viable; and,

3. the dock would not be fully allocated to Airbus, as it is for the general public to use. Consequently there could be issues with regards to ensuring the protection and safety of the DRC and its cargo.


Plate 3.1 Photomontage of how the proposed jetty will look from the opposite bank of the river.

Plate 3.2 Photomontage of how the proposed jetty will look from the A548 suspension bridge.


3.4.2 Scheme Options

Three alternative options were considered before the preferred project was decided upon. Option 1 - Do Nothing Option

Under this option, the jetty would not be constructed and the DRC would navigate the river and estuary between Broughton and the Port of Mostyn in one movement. Consequently, the risks and limitations of transporting the Airbus A380 wings from Broughton to the Port of Mostyn would remain the same. Option 1A - Corus Jetty with Rubbing Strips

This option would make use of the existing structural strength of the timbers in the quay, by sharing berthing loads between two pile bents. The primary timbers would be compressed during berthing. Similarly, at bollard locations the primary members would have to accommodate the tension loads generated by mooring forces. This option did not confirm with sufficient DRC berthing requirements and was considered economically unviable. Option 2 - New Berth with Donut Fenders

For this option, a row of five 805 mm diameter fender piles would be installed in the river channel. These would be fitted with donut fenders. Independent pedestrian access would be required, in the form of a pontoon and movable walkway (brow). This option was rejected due to difficulties with land access.

4 EIA PROCESS

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a tool for systematically examining and assessing the potential impact and effects of a development on the environment. Essentially, it is a process that examines the environmental consequences of development actions before they go ahead (i.e. are granted planning permission). A summarised illustration of the EIA Process is provided in Table 4.1 below. The requirement for EIA is established by European Directive 85/33/EEC (as amended by 97/11/EC) on the assessment of the effects of certain public and private projects on the environment (The EIA Directive), which is implemented in the UK through national law. For this project, EIA was required under the Town and Country Planning (EIA) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999.


Table 4.1 Summary of EIA Methodology

Stage Task Aim/Objective Work / Output (Examples)

Screening Documentation

submission

To formally confirm the need for, and

route of, EIA and lead responsible

authority.

Appropriate level of information on

proposals and approach.

Scoping study Environmental

Scoping Report

To identify the potentially significant

effects of the development proposal (off

and on-site). Engage with regulators.

Preliminary consultation with key

consultees.

Targets for specialist studies (e.g.

overwintering bird surveys, flora

surveys).

Consultation Consult with statutory and non-statutory

organisations with an interest in the

area.

Local knowledge and information

and views.

Primary Data

Collection

To identify the

baseline/ambient/background/ existing

environment.

Background (noise data; bird

counts etc).

Specialist

studies

To further investigate those

environmental parameters that may be

subject to potentially significant effects.

Specialist reports (flora,

archaeology etc).

Impact

Assessment

To evaluate the baseline environment in

terms of sensitivity.

To evaluate and predict the impact (i.e.

magnitude) upon the baseline.

To assess the resultant effects of the

above impacts (i.e. determine

significance).

Series of significant adverse and

beneficial impacts.

Mitigation

measures

To identify appropriate and practicable

mitigation measures and enhancement

measures.

The provision of solutions to

adverse impacts (e.g. sensitive

scheduling to avoid noise impacts,

definition of mitigation/

compensation habitat).

Feedback into the design process,

as applicable.

ES

Environmental

Statement

Production of the ES in accordance with

the EIA Guidance under applicable

legislation and suitable for consents

licences etc.

Environmental Statement.


5 ENVIRONMENTAL RECEPTORS AND THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF THE SCHEME

5.1 Hydrodynamic and Sedimentary Regime

The hydrodynamic and sedimentary regime concerns parameters such as waves, tides, currents and how these physical processes transport sediment and in turn affect processes such as erosion and accretion. The approach adopted in the EIA described and, where possible, quantified these predicted changes. The implications of the predicted changes to the physical environment are then assessed in terms of the significance of the potential impact on various environmental parameters (e.g. marine water quality, marine sediment quality, etc.) within the relevant chapter. Similarly, any mitigation measures that may be required in order to mitigate a potential impact on a receptor arising from a predicted effect on the physical environment are described in the relevant chapter. Potential impacts during construction were deemed to arise from the re-suspension of scoured sediments from around the base of the piles. However, the predicted amount of sediment released is deemed insignificant. Once built, the jetty, and the DRC when berthed, has the potential to alter the speed and direction of the flow of river water, thus changing the existing hydrodynamic and sedimentary regime. Modelling of the jetty showed that the predicted changes to the regimes are very localised, extending to just around the piles themselves, with any changes dissipating once the next pile is reached. Consequently, the jetty is predicted to have no impact on the sedimentary and sedimentary regime. With the DRC berthed at jetty the predicted effects cover a wider area; however, these changes are again localised and small scale. 5.2 Conservation Designations

The proposed site lies within the following nature conservation designations:

• River Dee and Bala Lake Special Area of Conservation (SAC);

• River Dee Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI);

• Urban Mersey Basin Natural Area; and,

• Flintshire Biodiversity Action Plan. The proposed site is also adjacent to:

• Dee Estuary Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar Site;

• Dee Estuary Site of Community Interest (SCI); and,

• Dee Estuary SSSI. In addition, Shotton Lagoons and Reedbeds SSSI is located approximately 350m to the east of the proposed site. The main potential impact on the features of the designated sites is to birds and fish resulting from the effects of noise associated with the piling activities during


construction. Through consultation with the Environment Agency Wales and the Countryside Council for Wales, and other conservation bodies, mitigation measures, such as no piling at night and adhering to good environmental practices, have been identified that are considered to mitigate these impacts to acceptable levels. 5.3 River and Estuarine Ecology

The main potential impacts to river and estuarine ecology arises from the noise generated from the piling activities during construction, and also the potential for accidental spillages and leakages during construction and operation. Sensitive ecological receptors such as fish and birds are discussed in their respective sections within this report. Potential impacts to otters, an interest feature of the River Dee and Bala Lake SAC, are deemed to be low due to the lack of suitable dense vegetation around the proposed development site and the lack of current sightings. However, a site walkover is considered appropriate to ensure that breeding or resting otters are not disturbed. With regards to the habitats at and around the proposed development site, impacts were only identified to the subtidal habitat directly within the footprint of the works, with the findings of the modelling predicting no significant change to the surrounding environment. No significant impacts were identified to the surrounding habitats from the operation of the proposed jetty. 5.4 Navigation

Potential impacts to navigation are deemed to arise mainly from the construction of the proposed jetty, specifically from the risk of collisions or accidents, and from obstructing other users of the river. Consent under the Coast Protection Act 1949 is required for the construction of the scheme, which ensures that all potential risks regarding navigational safety are appropriately managed. In addition, all works will require approval by the Dee Conservancy. During the operation of the proposed scheme, a significant beneficial impact is predicted resulting from the provision of new berthing facilities for the DRC and improvements to navigational safety. 5.5 Sediment Quality

To assess any contamination within the sediments at the proposed site, guidelines set down by the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) were used. For priority contaminants, these guidelines detail two Action Levels (AL). These ALs are used as part of a ‘weight of evidence’ approach to assessing dredged material and its suitability for disposal to sea, and whilst this scheme does not involve dredging or disposal, these ALs give criteria against which the sediment samples can be assessed. Upon comparison with the ALs, the results of the sediment analysis showed that concentration levels of contaminants within the sediments around the proposed site are low, and in combination with the small amount of sediment that has been predicted to be


disturbed, the potential impact from the release of historical contaminated sediment is considered to be insignificant. Additional impacts to sediment quality during construction and operation of the proposed scheme are deemed to arise from accidental spills and leakages. With the adherence of mitigation measures and best practices, such as the Environment Agencies Pollution and Prevention Guidelines, it is considered that the overall impacts to sediment quality from the proposed jetty scheme are considered negligible. 5.6 Water Quality

Potential impacts to water quality during construction were identified to arise from the release of historically contaminated sediments and from increased suspended sediment concentrations resulting from scour around the piles. The findings of the impact assessment concluded that both of these potential impacts will have a negligible effect on water quality. The predicted changes to the hydrodynamic and sedimentary regime, as described above, have the potential to affect the quality of water being taken out (i.e. abstracted) from the river by local industries. This can occur through changes in the areas of where sediments settle out or are re-suspended. Whilst the jetty itself was shown to cause no adverse effects, the operational use of the jetty has the potential to affect the quality of water being abstracted by Deeside Power Station. The predicted operational use of the jetty in combination with a degree of flexibility by the power station means that the potential impact is considered to be minimal. There are potential impacts from accidental spillages and leakages during both the construction and operation phases but these can be adequately mitigated against through good environmental practices. 5.7 Fish and Fisheries

The area at and around the proposed site is designated for its fish interests as part of the River Dee and Bala Lake SCA, the River Dee SSSI, and the Dee Estuary SCI and SSSI. These include Atlantic salmon, and sea and river lamprey. Potential impacts are deemed to arise from the risk of injury or mortality from water borne piling noise during construction. Of these, river lamprey are considered to be the least at risk due to the proposed works taking place outside of its spring migration period, which ends in April. In contrast, sea lamprey numbers are at their second highest in May, with June showing the highest numbers; however, lamprey migration takes place mostly at night, so the recommended mitigation measure of no piling at night is deemed to significantly reduce the magnitude of this potential impact. Numbers of Atlantic salmon are just starting to increase in May so their numbers are relatively low at, on average, around 200 fish. Mitigation measures are recommended which will scare fish away from the proposed works to a distance where injury will not occur and as such are considered to reduce the potential impact of water borne piling noise to acceptable levels.


There are potential impacts from accidental spillages and leakages during both the construction and operation phases but these can be adequately mitigated against through good environmental practices. There are no predicted effects to fish and fisheries during operation of the proposed scheme. 5.8 Ornithology

The area surrounding the proposed site is protected for its bird interests as part of the Dee Estuary SPA, Ramsar site and SSSI. In particular, the intertidal and saltmarsh habitats around the site are known to support passing redshank; however, numbers near to the site are low and much higher numbers can be found at Connah’s Quay Nature Reserve further downstream. In addition, Shotton Lagoons and Reedbeds SSSI, which supports the largest breeding common tern colony in Wales, is located approximately 350m east of the site. The effect of noise from the piling activities is considered to potentially disturb roosting and feeding birds; however, the proposed construction of the jetty in May means that the numbers of protected birds affected will be low as this is outside of the spring and autumn migration and overwintering periods. In addition, the area surrounding the proposed development site is deemed of low value to ornithology, partly due to disturbance from walkers and dog walkers, with bird numbers increasing further downstream from the site at Connah’s Quay Nature Reserve. Mitigation measures, including no piling at night, reducing the use of percussive piling, where possible, and good environmental practices are considered to adequately mitigate against any potential adverse impact that may arise. With regards to the breeding tern colony at Shotton Lagoons and Reedbeds SSSI, the Merseyside Ringers Group recognises that the birds at this site are used to disturbance from passing HGVs. In addition, the duration of the piling activities are expected to last for no more than 60 minutes in any one day. Consequently, with adherence to the mitigation measures identified above, any adverse impact to the birds is considered to be negligible. There are no predicted effects to ornithology during operation of the proposed scheme. 5.9 Road Traffic

The proposed delivery route of construction equipment and materials to the Port of Mostyn is via the A548 (Weightbridge Road) over the suspension bridge and following it north to the port. As a result of the small nature of the scheme, involving up to 40 lorry movements during delivery and 30 during demobilisation, no significant impacts have been identified. There will be no road traffic movements during operation of the scheme.


5.10 Noise and Vibration

The main source of noise and vibration is predicted to result from the piling activities during construction of the jetty. Whilst sensitive ecological receptors, such as fish and birds, have been described previously, the nearest human receptors are located approximately 465m south west of the site at Church Street, Connah’s Quay. Consequently, with the adherence of environmental good practice, the potential impact to residential receptors is considered to be negligible. There are no predicted noise and vibration impacts during operation of the jetty. 5.11 Air Quality

The predicted emissions from construction vehicles/vessels and machinery has been compared against the background air quality levels, as supplied by Flintshire County Council, and assessed against the air quality strategy objectives for Wales. The relatively small size of the proposed scheme and low potential for dust generation means that the potential impact to air quality during construction is considered to be negligible. There are no impacts to air quality predicted during operation of the jetty. 5.12 Landscape, Seascape and Visual Assessment

The potential for the proposed scheme to affect the landscape, seascape and visual character has been assessed using accepted best practice and guidance, and also using the Countryside Council for Wales’ recently published seascape assessment for the Dee Estuary and draft landscape character for Deeside and Wrexham. The character of the area surrounding the proposed development site, established using the Countryside Council for Wales’ LANDMAP database and a site visit, comprises natural, heavy and light industry, and residential settlements. During construction, potential impacts to the landscape, seascape and visual setting are deemed to arise from the noise associated with the piling activities and the presence of the construction equipment. In light of the proposed location of the jetty, that being near to an existing jetty, and the level of surrounding industry, these impacts are considered to be minor to negligible. Good environmental practices are recommended to ensure that any impacts that occur are appropriately managed. Due to the existing industrial character surrounding the proposed site and level of activity on the River Dee, by commercial and recreational vessels, no impact is predicted to the character of the area during the operational phase of the scheme. 5.13 Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust was consulted to ascertain whether the proposed jetty development had the potential to impact upon any features of archaeological interest. It was the Trust’s opinion that the proposed development would have no impact of features of archaeological interest.


5.14 Tourism and Recreation

A number of recreational activities take place around the proposed development site including water sports, sailing and boating, fishing, bird watching, and walking and cycling. Potential impacts during construction, resulting from the noise associated with the piling activities and the presence of the construction equipment, are considered to be of minor adverse significance. The adherence of good environmental practices, as well as managing potential noise emissions, are considered adequate to mitigate these impacts. Due to the existing industrial character surrounding the proposed site and level of activity on the River Dee, by commercial and recreational vessels, no impact is predicted to tourism and recreation during the operational phase of the scheme. 5.15 Socio-economics

Due to the relatively short construction period and low numbers of staff required, there are anticipated to be no impacts to the socio-economics of the area. However, the benefits associated with the operation of the proposed scheme, through increased productivity and providing a safe location for the DRC to berth, are seen as a significant benefit to Airbus and consequently the Parish of Broughton and Bretton and the County of Flintshire.

6 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS

One of the requirements of the Town and Country Planning (EIA) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999 is that an EIA should include an assessment of cumulative impacts. This includes projects that are in the planning process but which have yet to be approved. Any that are in front of the development being assessed, (i.e. likely to be submitted or receive consent before the development being assessed), must be taken into account during a cumulative assessment. Any that are substantially further back in the planning process and are unlikely to be submitted or get consent until after the development being assessed, can be disregarded because the developer of that project should be taking the effects of current developments into account in their EIA. Through consultation with Flintshire County Council and the Countryside Council for Wales, a number of proposals have been identified that could potentially act in combination with the proposed scheme. However, it is believed that the proposals identified do not have the potential to give rise to significant cumulative impacts during the construction and operational phases of the scheme due to the nature of the proposals, distance from the site and the very localised nature of the projected impacts associated with the proposed jetty.

7 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT

Under Regulation 48(1) of the Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations 1994, as amended, an Appropriate Assessment (AA) of plans or projects that have the potential to significantly affect a European designated site must be undertaken by the ‘Competent Authority’ (CA). The Countryside Council of Wales has advised that the proposed


scheme has the potential to have a significant effect on the Natura 2000 sites, which includes the River Dee and Bala Lake SAC, and the Dee Estuary SCI, SPA, and Ramsar site. Therefore, Flintshire County Council, as the CA, requires that an AA for the proposed scheme is undertaken. As described above, potential impacts have been identified to interest features of the Natura 2000 sites, specifically to birds, fish and otters. The timing of the works outside of sensitive bird periods and the unlikely presence of otters means that the potential impact to these features is considered low. Mitigation measures to make sure that no harm comes to fish have been recommended, such as no piling at night, and which aim to ensure that fish are a safe distance away before harmful noise is produced by the piling activities. Furthermore, the short infrequent piling periods and short construction period is considered to have no impact on the migration patterns of the migratory fish present. There are potential impacts from accidental spillages and leakages during both the construction and operation phases but these can be adequately mitigated against through good environmental practices.

8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

It is recommended that, assuming the scheme gains consent, all works are carried out in accordance with the CIRIA Coastal and Marine Environmental Site Guide and Pollution Prevention Guidelines - Works in, near or liable to affect watercourses: PPG5, and that all contractors are made aware of this guidance. Following receipt of planning consent and other licences, a formal Environmental Management Plan (EMP) will be produced that will summarise the mitigation measures and best practices that are to be used. The EMP will effectively be the mechanism to ensure that they are implemented during construction. The EMP will set out the responsibilities and requirements of each of the involved parties and will be included in the tender notices to the relevant contractors to ensure that they are contractually bound to abide by those responsibilities and requirements. In this way, adverse impacts to the environment will be minimised and best practice methods incorporated into the construction methodology. With regard to the timing of the works, the area is designated for migratory fish and for its overwintering and passing (spring and autumn) bird populations. With adherence to the mitigation measures recommended for the potential impacts to fish and the anticipated duration of piling activity, no seasonal restrictions in relation to fish migration patterns are required. With regards to overwintering and passing birds, significantly noisy aspects of the construction works (e.g. piling) will take place outside of the relevant months (i.e. 1st August until the 31st April). A number of potential adverse impacts could arise as a result of the construction of the proposed scheme, particularly from noise emissions associated with the piling activities, and also on marine sediment and water quality and subsequent impacts on river and estuarine ecology. Operational impacts are mostly deemed to be negligible or have no impact. Indeed, it is expected that once the proposed scheme is in operation, there will be major beneficial


impacts to the improved berthing facilities for the DRC and improvements to navigational safety, and also to the socio-economic benefits to Airbus. In addition, the proposed scheme has the potential to affect abstraction operations. However, the modelling work that has been undertaken to assess the implications of increased suspended sediment concentrations and predicted changes to the hydrodynamic and sedimentary regime showed that the potential for the scheme to impact on Deeside Power Station’s abstraction operations is negligible. Overall, given the successful implementation of the recommended mitigation measures and best practices, it is predicted that the proposed berthing jetty scheme would have no unacceptable or significant residual impacts.

9 REFERENCES

Royal Haskoning (2006). Options Study for DRC berthing, Corus Quay Shotton. Report produced on behalf of Airbus UK. Ref: S1690/R01/JDE/Newc.

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