WATER ENVIRONMENT
Water Environment of the PEIR assesses the existing (baseline) conditions and the effects of the Project, on all aspects of the water cycle including: flood risk, surface water drainage, geomorphology, water quality, groundwater resources, water supply and wastewater.
A baseline assessment of all sources of flood risk and surface water drainage has been undertaken. The findings are reported in a Flood Risk Assessment in accordance with planning practice guidance and the National Planning Policy Framework. The Flood Risk Assessment considers flood risk to the Project site from all sources, including fluvial, surface water, groundwater, flooding from reservoirs and sewer/ water supply flooding.
A geomorphological walkover survey was undertaken of the site study area to develop an understanding of channel characteristics on the watercourses which are potentially impacted by the Project.
There are areas classified as being within Flood Zone 3 (areas at risk of flooding in a 1% (1 in 100 annual probability) and Flood Zone 2 (area at risk of flooding in between a 1% and 0.1% (1 in 100 to 1 in 1000 annual probability) within the Project site...
According to the Environment Agency’s Risk of Flooding from Surface Water, surface water flooding occurs in several areas. Areas at high risk (greater that 3.3% (1 in 30 annual probability) are predominately associated with areas around existing watercourses or drainage features...
British Geological Survey mapping identifies that there is susceptibility to groundwater flooding throughout areas of the Project site underlain by superficial deposits (ie superficial deposits flooding), with a moderate level of confidence...
A number of measures have been designed into the Project to reduce the potential for impacts on the water environment. Mitigation measures would include the following:
Overall, the significance of flood risk effects from the Project on all sources of flood risk has been assessed to be (at worst) negligible or minor adverse and therefore not significant in terms of EIA regulations, assuming the appropriate embedded mitigation measures outlined above are implemented.
No significant cumulative effects on the water environment have been identified in the assessment.