York

September 2019

Environmental Statement

Non-Technical Summary

River Foss Flood Storage Area

2

This document (CSLR-CAP-EGN-00-RP-V-0005_S2_P03) has been prepared by Capita Property and Infrastructure Limited within the terms of the Contract with the Client to whom this document is addressed. Capita Property and Infrastructure Limited disclaim any responsibility to the Client and others in respect of matters outside the scope of the said contract. No person other than the client and their professional advisors shall rely on it in any respect and no duty of care shall be owed to any such third party by Capita Property and Infrastructure Limited.

Produced for the Environment Agency on behalf of Capita Property and Infrastructure, 2019

3

Purpose of the Non-Technical Summary

Purpose of the Non-Technical Summary

This document is the Non-Technical Summary (NTS) of the Environmental Statement for the York Flood Alleviation Scheme, Foss Upstream Storage Area.

Its purpose is to summarise the main findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in non-technical language. It enables anyone with an interest in the Scheme, including the general public, to understand how the proposals could affect them and the environment in which they live.

This NTS provides an overview of the findings reported in the Environmental Statement. It does not, and is not intended to, convey all of the information relating to the Scheme and its potential for effects on the environment. For detailed information pertaining to any part of this NTS, please refer to the Environmental Statement.

This document includes:

• A description of the Scheme, including details of site location, why the project is needed and what is proposed

• An overview of the EIA process, its objectives and the scope of the assessment

• A summary of the residual effects identified through the EIA process and reported under topic headings covering different aspects of the environment.

A digital copy of this NTS can be obtained via XXXXXX

Digital and hard copies of the Environmental Statement can be obtained upon request from the Environment Agency via the following methods:

Environment Agency Websitehttps://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency

Environment Agency mailboxXxxxxxx

Environment Agency Hotlinexxxxx

Post Environment AgencyFoss House Foss House 1-2 Peasholme Green KingspoolYork YO1 7PX

Please note a charge is made for a hard copy of the Environmental Statement, to cover the costs of printing and presentation.If you require this document in an alternative format or language please contact us.

4

3.2m

FB

Co Const & UA Bdy

1.83m

RH

ETL

Pond

The

SR

Drain

Stone

RH

Ash

Stone

17.5m

Pond

SCS

Beck Wood

Drain

Strensall Common

Black Dike

COMMON ROAD

River Foss

Stone

Pond

Bungalow FarmStone

Drain

18.5m

Pond

SMITH'S LANE

Drain

Drain

18.9m

SS

MP 8

Stone

Wood

Def

East Lilling House

Stone

18.1m

Track

Drai

n

Track

Stone

SS

Track

LILLING LOW LANE

SS

3.2m RH

Drain

3.20m RH

Crossing

Stone

12

Stone

Stone

Stone

19.2m

Stone19.7m

COMMON ROAD

S

Pond

Stone

MP .75

Stone

Drain

Drain

Stone

19.5m

The Sike19.5m

Co Const & UA Bdy

MP .5

19.2m

SP

Common Road

Danger Post

Stone

3

19.0m

Drain

Drain

18.7m

Pond

River Foss

Dra

in

DrainLILLING LOW

LANE

ETL

Pond

19.2m

19.1m

19.6m

Path

Grange

Grange Farm

0.91m RH

East Lilling

28.1m

East Lilling

East

Lilli

ng G

rang

e Ho

use

Pond

26.3m

29.3m

Path (um)ETL

SpringIssues

Trac

k

Drain

Footbridge

Black Dike

Blac

k D

ike

Drain

Pond

Drain

Drain

SD

Def

Def

SR

Drain

Pond

The Barn

Walbutts

Ponds

Def

1.06

m R

H

Path (um)

Trac

k

Outfall

Trac

k

FB

CO Con

st & U

A Bdy

River F

oss

Co Const & UA Bdy

Path

(um

)

Pond

1.06

m T

k H

Pond

Track

Pond

Co Const & UA Bdy

Path

(um)

Tk

Stone

Drain

DUNCOMBE LANE Golden Grove

Pond

Tanks

Pond

20.7m

Def

Pond

(Track)

Outfall

Strensall Forest

Stone

Pond

SR

Sewage WorksRiver Foss

Lock House

Drain

Pond

Ruin

Stone

Outfall

INGS

LANE

19.1m

Lilling Green

Def

19.5m

Pond

Pond

Drain

LILLING LOW LANE

Track

Pond

19.1m

Drain

Pond

Lilling Green

Path

(um

)

ETL

Pond

Cottage

Drain

1.06m RH

Trac

k

RH

River Foss

River Foss

NEW

LAN

E

21.8m

19.7m

ETL

LILLING LOW LANE

Matra-Kia

ETL

20.6m

1.06m

RH

Def

Casa Mia

GP

New Manor Farm

Sherrif Hutton

Silo

Bridge Farm

20.7m

20.3m

1.06m

RH

LB

Pond

Ponds

Def

Drain

Ponds

Brickyard Farm

DefPond

FF

Pond

Silo

Dra

in

Tk D

1.06m RH

Pond

Trac

k

Strensall Forest

Silo

20.5m

Bridge Farm

1.06m RH

Dra

in

High Roans

Drain

Pond1.06m RH

Ponds

Pond

Def

Pond

Track

Pond

Pond

1.06m RH

20.5m

21.1m

ETL

Dra

in

Def

1.06m RH

Eel Hole

Pond

Track

Ponds

Track

Ponds

FB

Ponds

Def

Drain

Scrap Yard

Drain

Drain

21.9m

Track

1.22m RH

Track

Pond

Strensall Forest

Pond

Duncombe Wood

1.83m RH

Co Const & UA Bdy

Pond

Pond

Pond

Pond

Pond

19.5m

20.0m

High Roans

Track

Drain

Pond

Greenacres

27

Track

Pond

High Roans Farm

Drain

Drain

Pond

Vale of York

21

Pond

Redwing Farm

2

Drain

23

Fieldholme

Pond

Drain

FB

Hoxne Farm

Pond

1

Cattery

2

Pond

DUNCOMBE LANE

3

MANO

R PARK LODG

ES

Springfield

7

FB

Caravan Site

5

Duncombe Farm

Pond

Swallowfields

1

The Rhyddings

DrainPond

19.1m

White Rose Club

Gatehouse

Pond

Club

Drain

GP

Level Crossi

ng

Pine Croft

Drain

Pond

19.3m

Drain

1.83m

RH

GENNELL LA

NE

Moor Farm

SMITH'S LANE

Pond

Drain

MP .25

Great Wood

Caravan Park

19.1m

1.22m

RH

21.7m

Ponds

Drain

Wilks Plantation

Drain

Pond

East Lilling Farm

Drai

n

FB

Drain

Dra

in

Drain

Drain

32.1m

Drain

33.5m

Drai

n

00

50

100

150

200

250 300

350

400

450

500

550

600

650

700

750

800

850

900

950

1000

1050

1100

1150

1200

1250

1300

1350

1400

1450

1500

1550

1600

1650

1685

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

EC

ECEC

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBT

EBTEBT

EBTEBT

EBT

EBT

EG

EG

EG

EG

EG

EG

EG

EG

EG

EG

EG

EG

EG

END OF SURVEY

Drain

Footbridge

Drain

SR Path (um)

CO Con

st & U

A Bdy

River F

oss

Pond

Pond

00

50

100

150

200

250 300

350

Print

Date

:

65 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7NQ020 7709 450006

/09/20

19 11

:12:17

© Capita Property and Infrastructure Ltd

Drawing Identifier BS1192 CompliantProject - Originator - Zone - Level - File Type - Role - Number revision

Capita Property and Infrastructure Ltd.www.capitaproperty.co.uk

Project

Client

Drawing

Scale @ A1 Drawn Checked Approved

Project No. Date

Purpose of Issue

Classification

F:\ZTWE\04_PROJECTS\2017\CS092480_A York 5 Year Plan\03 Delivery\13 CAD\Drawings\ENV000381C-CAA-1-XX-DR-C-1000 GA.dwg

Rev Description DateDrwn

Chk'd

App'd

RIVER FOSSFLOOD STORAGE AREA

GENERAL ARRANGEMENT PLAN

P03

Real Estate and Infrastructure

MO1:5000 CL DS

CS092480 06/09/2019

50% Design freeze

Commercial in Confidence

ENV0000381C-CAA-1-XX-DR-C-1000

This drawing is copyright and owned by Capita Real Estate & Infrastructure, and is for use on this siteonly unless contractually stated otherwise.

DO NOT SCALE this drawing (printed or electronic versions). Contractors must check all dimensionsfrom site.

All other design team elements, where indicated, have been imported from the consultant's drawingsand reference should be made to the individual consultant's drawings for exact setting out, size andtype of component.

Discrepancies and / or ambiguities within this drawing, between it and information given elsewhere,must be reported immediately to the engineer for clarification before proceeding.

All works are to be carried out in accordance with the latest Highways England, Eurocodes, BritishStandards and Codes of Practice unless specifically directed otherwise in the specification.

Responsibility for the reproduction of this drawing in paper form, or if issued in electronic format, lieswith the recipient to check that all information has been replicated in full and is correct when comparedto the original paper or electronic image. Graphical representations of equipment on this drawing havebeen co-ordinated, but are approximations only. Please refer to the Specifications and / or Details foractual sizes and / or specific contractor construction information.

This original document is issued for the purpose indicated below and contains information ofconfidential nature. Further copies and circulation will be strictly in accordance with the confidentialityagreement under the contract. This original must be destroyed or returned to the contractor.

P01 MO CL DS Draft for comments 14/06/2019P02 AJ CL DS 20% Design freeze 03/07/2019P03 MO CL DS 50% Design freeze 06/09/2019

EXISTING LAND DRAINSAND CULVERTS TOREMAIN

LAND DRAINAGE DIVERSIONTO THE RIVER FOSSTHROUGH BORROW PITS

- 1 IN 100 + CC FLOOD LEVEL (18.76 mAOD)

- BORROW PIT AREA

- NATIONAL GRID PYLONS

- VOIDED CONCRETE PROTECTION

- BT SERVICES

- EXISTING BURIED DRAIN PIPES

- ETHYLENE PIPELINE

- "ROAD LIABLE TO FLOODING" ROAD SIGN

SAFETY, HEALTH ANDENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION

IN ADDITION TO THE HAZARDS/RISKS NORMALLY ASSOCIATED WITH THETYPES OF WORK DETAILED ON THIS DRAWING, NOTE THE FOLLOWING

IT IS ASSUMED THAT ALL WORKS WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY ACOMPETENT CONTRACTOR WORKING, WHERE APPROPRIATE,

TO AN APPROVED METHOD STATEMENT

CONSTRUCTION

MAINTENANCE / CLEANING

DECOMMISSIONING / DEMOLITION

LEGEND:

C'C

B'

B

ASPHALT ACCESSTRACK 4m WIDE

1000 200 300 400 500m

SCALE 1:5000

200 40 60 80 100m

SCALE 1:1000 1:5000 @A11:10000 @A3

1:1000 @A11:2000 @A3

1-

DETAIL 1 - FRONT DAMSCALE 1 : 1000

BLACK DYKE

FOSS

FOSS

OVERHEAD POWERLINEON POLES TO BEREMOVED BY NORTHERNPOWER GRID PRIOR TOCONSTRUCTION WORKS

NATIONAL GRID OVERHEADPOWERLINE

INGS LANE TO BERAISED TO 19.10 mAOD(SEE 1700 FOR DETAILS)

1

2 3

4

6

TWO OVERHEAD POWERLINES OVER EMBANKMENT ALIGNMENTWORKS ADJACENT TO A WATERWAY AND FLOOD PLAIN AREAS

ADEQUATE SITE EVACUATION PLAN REQUIRED COVERING A FLOOD EVENT DURINGCONSTRUCTION

HEAVY MACHINERY OVERTURNINGCONTAMINATION TO BE ASSESSED AND ADEQUATE PROVISIONS MADE TO AVOID

POOR GROUND CONDITIONS RESULTING IN SLIP FAILURES, SLIDING AND GROUNDINSTABILITY

NOTES:

1. ALL LEVELS ARE IN METRES ABOVE ORDNANCE DATUMUNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

2. ALL DIMENSIONS ARE IN MILLIMETRES UNLESS OTHERWISENOTED

FLOW CONTROLSTRUCTURE. REFER TODRAWING 4000

REFERENCE DRAWINGS AND DOCUMENTS:ENV000381C-CAA-1-XX-DR-C-1400 ACCESS TRACKS

ENV000381C-CAA-1-XX-DR-C-1600 BLACK DYKERIVER DIVERSION PLAN AND SECTIONS

ENV000381C-CAA-1-XX-DR-C-1700 INGS LANERAISING PLAN AND SECTIONS

ENV000381C-CAA-1-XX-DR-C-1900 SPILLWAYGENERAL ARRANGEMENT

ENV000381C-CAA-1-XX-DR-C-2200 EMBANKMENTCROSS SECTIONS

ENV000381C-CAA-1-XX-DR-C-3400 COMBINEHARVESTER ACCESS RAMP

ENV000381C-CAA-2-XX-DR-C-4000 FLOW CONTROLSTRUCTURE

CENTENARY WAYLONG DISTANCE PATH

FOSS WALKLONG DISTANCE PATH

EBOR WAYLONG DISTANCE PATH 5

LOCATION OF THE ACCESS ANDPARKING FROM LILLING LOWLANE (SEE 1400 FOR DETAILS)

ASPHALT ACCESS TRACKON 5m WIDE CREST

POST & WIRE FENCE 4mFROM TOE TO ALLOWACCESS

EXISTING BRIDGETO REMAINUNMODIFIED

ACCESS TRACK TOCONNECT TO EXISTINGFARM TRACK

ACCESS TO BERETAINED TOALLOW ACCESS TOSOUTH-EASTCORNER OF FSR

A

A'

EXISTING DITCH TOBE RETAINED FORLAND DRAINAGE

EXISTING LAND DRAINAGEDITCH TO BE FILLED

NEW 90M LONGALIGNMENT OF BLACKDYKE REFER TODRAWING 1600 FORFURTHER DETAILS

TURNING HAMMERHEADFOR 4x4 - TRAILER ATCREST LEVEL

4m

4m CLEARANCE FROMTHE TOP OF THE BANK

EBT

COMBINE HARVESTER RAMP(SEE 3400 FOR DETAILS)

EG

END OF SURVEY

X = 465483.497Y = 463442.872

X = 465324.509Y = 463704.833

EDGE PROTECTION TO BE PROVIDEDON LILLING LOW LANE BETWEENTWO GIVEN POINTS. DESIGN TO BEPROVIDED BY THE EMPLOYER

INDICATIVE BORROW PITLOCATION. FINAL LANDSCAPINGDETAILS TO BE CONFIRMED

NEW TYPE 1 ACCESSTRACK 4m WIDE

TWO OVERHEAD POWERLINES OVER EMBANKMENT ALIGNMENTWORKS ADJACENT TO A WATERWAY AND FLOOD PLAIN AREAS

DO NOT CUT GRASS ON SLOPE WHEN SLIDES SLOPESDO NOT ENTER SITE DURING RESERVOIR IMPOUNDMENT

VEHICLE ACCESS IN DESIGNATED AREAS ONLYTHE ASSET FALLS UNDER THE RESERVOIRS ACT. NO MODIFICATIONS SHOULD BE

UNDERTAKEN WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THE RESERVOIR PANEL ENGINEEROVERTURNING OF MACHINERY

RIVER FOSSENHANCEMENT DETAILSTO BE CONFIRMED

SPILLWAY (SEE 1900FOR DETAILS)

5

York River Foss Flood Storage Area

Project requirements

During the December 2015 floods, the City of York saw some of the highest river levels on record, and significant impacts were experienced by the local community. York has an extensive history of flooding, dating back to 1263. Recent significant flood events in York have occurred in 1947, 1978, 1982, 2000 and 2015.

The overall strategic aims of the Foss FSA are:

• to reduce the risk of flooding to properties and people

• to strengthen the City’s resilience to flooding by reducing the risk of flooding to infrastructure, transport links, utilities and businesses

• to work collaboratively to make an effective contribution to sustainable development and where possible secure economic growth to strive to achieve multiple benefits where possible.

Site location

The site is located north of Walbutts Farm, north-east of Strensall, on the River Foss extending from north of the sewage treatment works to a point south-east of Bridge Farm. It also extends landwards north up to Lilling Low Lane. The planning boundary covers approximately 150 ha, but the Project would permanently use 19 ha of land for the embankment structures and borrow pits / wetland creation, and the potential area of flood storage at full inundation would be an additional 111 ha (however, this land would be able to continue its original arable or natural use as relevant, as inundation would be infrequent). The Project would follow the right (western) bank of the Black Dyke, and the planning site boundary includes a section of this watercourse to allow for connection into it from a proposed land drainage diversion, as well as future design development and potential mitigation or environmental enhancement.

Scheme Description

The scheme involves the excavation of 9ha of land to a maximum depth of 4.5m and construction of a 1.7km long embankment. The average height of the embankment is 2.5m and a maximum height of 4.1m (at chainage 795) over existing ground level. The proposals will use material which currently lies below agricultural land and 2,300m3 of imported clay from a nearby quarry. Other associated development includes road raising along Ings Lane and a short diversion of approximately 150m.

A flow control structure will allow water through the embankment along the existing river. By controlling how much water can flow through, and with the embankment holding water back during high-flow (potential flood) conditions, potential flood waters will back up into a basin defined by the embankments constructed to the south, east and north, and the natural topography of the land. This flood storage area will only be full during an extreme flood event.

6

The Environmental Impact Assessment

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a technical process carried out in accordance with relevant legislation and government guidance.

The main objectives of the EIA process are to:

• ensure that consideration and reporting of the likely significant effects is undertaken so that planning and design decisions can be fully informed;

• ensure that the relative importance of the likely impacts and their effects are properly evaluated;

• aid the identification of measures that could reduce the magnitude of potentially negative effects and the scope for such mitigation; and,

• to provide opportunities for stakeholders, including the public and statutory environmental bodies, to comment on proposals.

The process of EIA is iterative alongside scheme design. As the environmental effects of the developing design are recognised, the design can be adjusted to mitigate against these effects. Similarly, as the design evolves the scope of the assessment may change.

The technical findings of the EIA are presented in the form of an Environmental Statement, consisting of three volumes:

• Volume 1 Environmental Statement: contains the introduction, detailed assessments for individual topic chapters and a summary of key findings.

• Volume 2 Plans: contains a series of plans illustrating the location of environmental constraints, sensitive features and mitigation proposals.

• Volume 3 Appendices: comprising all supporting documents.

As the Environmental Statement is a lengthy technical document, a Non-Technical Summary (NTS) (this document) has been produced to describe the findings of the EIA process in a manner that is both appealing to read and easily understood by the general public.

Findings are summarised in this document under separate topic chapters, as scoped into the assessment. These topics are:

• Nature Conservation

• Water Environment

• Materials.

There is also an additional chapter, (Cumulative Effects) that assesses the potential for the impacts identified in the topic chapters to combine and create a greater effect on the environment than alone.

7

Where potential impacts and their effects have been identified, the EIA makes an assessment of the significance of these effects on the environment. The significance of an effect is typically assigned to one of five categories (very large, large, moderate, slight or neutral).

Whilst the process of assigning significance into one of these categories may vary between topic chapters, by placing all identified issues on the same scale, the decision making process can be informedappropriately by being comparable across all topics.

In general the greater the value (or sensitivity) of an environmental feature, and the greater the magnitude (or extent) of the impact, then the more significant the effect on the environment will be. Effects can be adverse (negative) and beneficial (positive) in nature. They can be both temporary or permanent.

Where potentially significant adverse environmental effects have been identified, appropriate mitigation has been selected following a hierarchy of: avoidance, reduction, remediation and compensation.

Only adverse effects are normally assigned this level of significance. They represent key factors in the decision-making process. These effects are generally, but not exclusively, associated with sites or features of international, national or regional importance that are likely to suffer a most damaging impact and loss of resource integrity. However, a major change in a site or feature of local importance may also enter this category.

These beneficial or adverse effects are considered to be very importantconsiderations and are likely to be material in the decision-making process.

These beneficial or adverse effects may be important, but are not likely to be key decision-making factors. The cumulative effects of such factors may influence decision-making if they lead to an increase in the overall adverse effect on a particular resource or receptor.

These beneficial or adverse effects may be raised as local factors. They areunlikely to be critical in the decision-making process, but are important inenhancing the subsequent design of the project.

No effects or those that are beneath levels of perception, within normal bounds of variation or within the margin of forecasting error.

Very Large

Large

Moderate

Slight

Neutral

Significancecategory

Typical descriptors of effect

8

Nature Conservation

A range of species, habitats and protected sites are within or close to the scheme, many of which are protected in national or international law.

Strensall Common lies approximately 106m south of the proposed scheme and is designated as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for its ecological value as an acidic lowland heath. The heath is a habitat for plant species and several rare moths and bugs.

In addition to Strensall Common, there are several habitats of value present on the site including:

• Rivers (The Foss and Black Dyke)• Lowland mixed deciduous woodland• Hedgerows• Arable agricultural fields• Semi- improved grassland• Bank/ river side vegetation• Ponds• Tall ruderal vegetation• Scattered scrub

A survey found that the River Foss supports a low population of water vole within the site location. The Black Dyke does not support a resident population, but the local water vole have been found to use it for foraging.

Otter are known to be using both the River Foss

and Black Dyke for foraging, commuting and occasionally shelter/ resting. However there is no indication of permanent habitation or breeding on the site.

Five records of bats are known in the survey area centered upon the River Foss and include Common Pipistrelle and Daubenton’s bats. There is a potential bat roost present in a tree where the proposed borrow pit is located.

Bird surveys have identified a range of farmland birds on the site. These include grey partridge, skylark, tree sparrow, yellow wagtail, linnet, corn bunting, yellowhammer and reed bunting. Kingfisher and Peregrine Falcon have also been identified on site. Eurasian skylark, northern lapwing, and yellow wagtail are considered to be breeding within the site.

The flooding of the site once operational has the potential to flood water vole burrows and habitat, otter foraging and resting locations, and farmland that is a habitat to birds. Some of this farmland is anticipated to be converted to habitats of biodiversity value post- completion and these will also be at risk of flooding.

In order to prevent, reduce, and as a last resort, compensate for these impacts, a number of mitigation measures will be included, for example:

• Scheme alignment to minimise the loss of woodland and ponds• Hedgerow replacement to enhance connectivity on site• Retention of the tree with bat roosting potential on the proposed borrow pits• Planting of scattered trees to create a network for bats and bird nesting habitat• Creation of enhanced wetland habitats on the sites of the proposed borrow pits, which will include reedbeds and a network of small ponds that will be useful to great- crested newts and other amphibians• A future management regime to maintain the biodiversity rich mitigation habitats and encourage water vole colonisation• All construction works and site compounds will be located at least 200m away from Strensall Common SSSI/ SAC to avoid any impacts.• Precautionary methods of working will be applied when working within 250m of offsite ponds e.g. a hand- search of the working area for individual newts, newt rescues, controlled vegetation strimming.• Relocation of water vole, where necessary, to safe areas during construction.

9

• Precautionary methods of working around otter habitat to minimise disturbance.• The use of pollution prevention and control measures during construction to prevent spills and other releases of e.g. fuel and oil from plant.• Pre- construction checks for nesting birds and avoidance of active nests.

Despite the use of design and construction mitigation, there will be some unavoidable impacts as a result of the proposed scheme. It is likely that the temporary loss of bird habitat and some levels of disturbance will be unavoidable, although this habitat will be replaced with equivalent and improved habitat in the design wherever possible. There is also likely to be some disturbance to water voles as they are displaced or relocated as appropriate during construction.

The unavoidable consequence of the flood alleviation scheme is that, during flood events, the land and habitats on site will be temporarily inundated. The storage of floodwaters during a 1 in 100 year flood event has the potential to temporarily flood bird, otter and vole habitats, as well as potentially damaging and contaminating ponds.

10

Minerals are a finite resource and their extraction puts pressure on land use. This is managed through the planning process to ensure that their requirement is balanced against other development and land use. The proposed scheme will require the extraction of 100,000m3 of clay on- site from two borrow pits.

The majority of the proposed site is currently farmed. The site is predominantly composed of loamy soils, though the northeast area of the proposed embankment is located on an area of sandy and loamy soil. These are naturally wet and range from low to moderate fertility.

The bedrock below the proposed scheme consists exclusively of mudstone of the Mercia Mudstone Group, with superficial deposits consisting of the Alne Glaciolacustrine Formation across the centre and west of the site and of alluvium deposits along the ribbon of land surrounding the River Foss channel.

The extraction of brick clay in the City of York and North Yorkshire County Council districts in the past has been significant in local brick- making. However the majority of extraction for this purpose has been halted.

The majority of the proposed development is underlain with mineral clay, with the southern end of the site also located within the City of

This scheme will not prevent future developments on other sites, but will slightly deplete the regional clay stocks that could be used on other developments.

York Council sand and gravel brick clay area. There are not known to be any active or historic extraction sites within the scheme area.

Clay, sand and gravel resources located beneath the area of construction will be made temporarily unavailable for extraction during construction.

The clay, sand and gravel resource currently located on site will be extracted via the borrow pits and a small amount of clay imported from a local quarry.

Sand and gravel that are located on site but too deep for extraction will be made unavailable for future use as they are overlain by the scheme. Clay resource that is beneath the flood storage area will be inaccessible during times of flooding.

The sterilisation of the clay material below the footprint of the embankment and borrow pits will be offset by the use of the clay from within the borrow pits as construction material.

Sand and gravel that is excavated on site will either be reinstated or used for landscaping within the flood storage area. There will be no permanent impacts of the construction phase on mineral resources.

Mineral Resources

11

Two watercourses are present on the site: the River Foss and Black Dyke. These watercourses have not been heavily modified or made artificial. They have not achieved their potential of a “good” level within the Water Framework Directive due to some physical modification of the channels and some pollution present from sewerage discharge and agricultural run- off. Both rivers are likely dominated by coarse fish populations.

There are two groundwater bodies close to the site, the Mercia & Redcar Mudstone and the Sherwood Sandstone.

Three flood risk receptors are present in the study area; residential and commercial properties in York and Strensall, and Agricultural land within the proposed flood storage area. There will be the potential for pollution during construction to the River Foss and Black Dyke from construction activities from e.g. fuel and oils spillages. There is also a risk that groundwater deposits could be polluted in similar ways.

The finished scheme will have several impacts on the water environment. The River Foss will be physically altered and made less natural by the construction of the embankment and flow control structure. 25m of natural river bed and bank will be lost to construction

of the embankment, and the extent and frequency of flooding in the fields upstream of the embankment will be increased as a consequence of preventing downstream flooding. This flooding may also lead to an accumulation of organic pollutants from upstream pig farms. The Black Dyke will be realigned over a 150m length, becoming less natural and more artificially modified.

The proposal will have a beneficial impact for residential and commercial properties in York and Strensall. By controlling the flow during flood events, a total of 598 residential and 27

Water Environment

commercial properties will benefit directly from increased flood protection.

A range of measures have been built into the design to mitigate the impacts. The risk of pollution will be controlled with the use of a Construction Environmental Management Plan that will include a pollution prevention plan, biosecurity plan, and methods of working to safeguard against pollution incidents. This will protect the rivers and groundwater from the potential impacts identified above.

12

The design includes the following measures during construction:

• Channel naturalisation with improved river banks and landscaping, used to compensate for the loss of natural riverbed from the Foss and Black Dyke.• The provision of a two- stage channel along the River Foss to minimise the impacts of upstream flooding on geomorphological processes.• The flow control structure will ensure that normal downstream flows are not affected.• An agreement will be reached between the Environment Agency and landowners to prevent the establishment of pig farms within the footprint of the proposal.

The flooding of agricultural land upstream of the proposed flood control scheme will be unavoidable and cannot be mitigated. Compensation will be agreed with landowners as appropriate.

13

What happens next?

The environmental issues summarised in this document, together with information contained in the other documents submitted in support of the application will be material considerations in determining the application.

Comments on the Statement should be received within 28 days following publication of the Press Notice for the Planning Application and should be sent to the Overseeing Organisation at the address listed below.

Environment AgencyFoss House 1-2 Peasholme Green KingspoolYork YO1 7PX