Seaton Regeneration Area Plan

Environmental Impact Summary

[The complete, detailed and comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement can be viewed as part of the Outline Planning Application lodged at the offices of East Devon District Council]

Introduction

1 An outline planning application has been submitted by Liatris Holdings on a site of 15.2 hectares on the north eastern side of Seaton. The application proposes the redevelopment of the site for housing, retail and tourism purposes, together with access, car parking and open space. The application itself comprises 79% of the site allocated by the Seaton Local Plan, known as the Seaton Regeneration Site (under Council Policy LSE2). The environmental assessment submitted with the Liatris Holdings’ application considers the cumulative effect of their site with development of the rest of the regeneration site. This site is some 19.2 hectares.

2 The development on the regeneration site as a whole which is examined in the environmental statement will therefore comprise the following: -

3 In addition to the development proposals, there will be a legal agreement which will include financial contributions from the scheme to a number of community/tourist related facilities. Financial contributions will therefore be made towards the following: -

4 Within the overall housing figure, there will be a proportion of affordable housing located across the site. The housing proposed will be a mixture of two to three storeys with four and five storey development at appropriate points.

5 The environmental statement submitted with the application examines the impact of this scale of development on a number of aspects which have all been agreed with the Council.

6 In planning policy terms, the principle of the development generally accords with the key policies applied by East Devon District Council in its Local Plan to the site. These seek to promote comprehensive regeneration for a mixture of uses. The Council has also prepared a Planning Brief for the site with which the development can be compared. In addition to the description of the proposals and the background to the scheme, as well as the planning policies, the environmental impact assessment looks at the following matters: -

Socio-Economic Considerations

7 These conclude that the population of Seaton is likely to rise by approximately 840 new people (about 12% increase). The housing proposed would have a beneficial impact as a range of dwelling types and sizes would be provided, and a proportion of affordable housing. The new population would increase demand for services and facilities, partially met within the site but also from existing sources. Although the redevelopment proposals result in the closure of the remainder of the Lyme Bay Holiday Village, the provision of the Jurassic Coast Visitor Centre, a new tramway terminus, a new wetland nature reserve and the SUSTRANs facility will establish a new major tourist draw for day visitors. This would provide a lot more new tourist expenditure within Seaton than currently exists.

8 The retail assessment submitted with the application (though not part of the environmental assessment) also contains information about the potential benefits of the scheme in terms of new jobs (an estimated 310 new jobs will be created) and the retention of expenditure within Seaton’s retail economy.

9 A large proportion of Seaton’s residents currently choose to shop at competing centres such as Axminster, Honiton and Sidmouth rather than use the town’s own facilities and services. The application proposal will encourage Seaton residents to shop locally and therefore reduce the need to travel elsewhere, thus minimising travel time and distances.

Transport

10 The transport assessment examines the impact of the proposals on the local highway network and also on other transport facilities. The main point of access into the scheme is from Harbour Road and the transport assessment concludes that with appropriate improvements there is sufficient capacity in the road system locally to accommodate the traffic generated by the development. Local improvements proposed are at the following locations: -

11 The assessment also looks at the impact of HGVs serving the site during the construction of the development which includes operations needed to increase the levels of the site by importing fill (see below).

Landscape and Visual Issues

12 The landscape assessment of the site concludes that much of the site is made up of short, mown and long grass, associated with public open space, and trees as well as the Lyme Bay Holiday Village. Most of these existing trees are associated with the holiday village and derelict holiday camp. The areas are generally of poor quality and insignificant in landscape terms. Boundary treatments between the children’s play area and ditch in the north western corner of the site are however a significant landscape feature.

13 The best trees in the north western corner of the site will be retained but the vast majority of all other landscaping across the site will be removed. This is not regarded as significant in visual and landscape terms as the redevelopment of the site will bring about new landscape planting and an open space network. The views into the site will be of a hard edge that will define the outer boundary of Seaton, which will remain on the northern side of the tramway line and ditch. The boundaries of the site are otherwise well contained by urban features so that the landscape and visual character impact of the development will be generally minor.


Ecology and Nature Conservation

14 A number of studies of various forms of ecology have been carried out by the environmental assessment with particular regard to the proximity to the site of Seaton marshes, the Axe Estuary and marshes, the River Axe SAC/SSSI lying to the north of the site. Particular surveys have been done of bats, badgers, otters, grass snake, birds and Japanese knotweed within the surrounding area. Habitats of ecological value within the site including marsh and grassland, watercourses and broad-leaved woodland were found. Habitats also exist with the potential to support protected species such as bats, reptiles and nesting birds. The assessment recommends that these habitats are retained, where possible, and better ones created. Contributions are also being made as part of a legal agreement with the Council to enable it to bring forward its marshland proposals to the north of the site, which will also provide enhancement of local habitat.

Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

15 An archaeological desk-based survey has been carried of the site and particular regard has been had to the fact that the project will involve the importation of material to raise the site level to avoid future flooding. This gives an opportunity for preservation of archaeological deposits within the site in situ, ie, at lower levels. More detailed assessment will be needed to see how deep foundations need to go into the site relative to any archaeological deposits that may be at lower level. The history of Seaton reveals the origin of the settlement from the early 18th Century, together with a good representation of post-Medieval development including the former toll house at Bridge Cottage close to the site boundary. In the modern era, of most interest are the remnants of the Taunton Stop Line to the south and southeast of the settlement in relation to the Defence of Britain. Although current land uses are understood to have resulted in the increase in site levels in the 1930s, there may be still be archaeological deposits within the modern ground surface and, before development commences, it is recommended that a programme of trial trenching be agreed with the Council to examine whether any deposits are actually in place.

Noise and Vibration

16 There has been an assessment of the noise from the development in relation to surrounding areas and also in relation to the construction of the development. The assessment shows that it is the construction of development that has the potential to give rise to the most impact on the nearest buildings during periods of the works. However, the implementation of mitigation measures (ie, noise reduction measures) will help to keep noise levels within recommended noise limits during the construction phase of the development. The construction phase is, of course, temporary in nature so there would be no lasting effects.

17 The assessment also shows that vibration levels during the worst case conditions of construction works could be perceptible within neighbouring buildings for short lived occasions.

18 So far as the development itself is concerned, the potential increase in noise levels due to traffic associated with it is unlikely to be significant and noise levels from the development (particularly retail and public square) are likely to be of a moderate level in the vicinity of the eastern section of Harbour Road. The principal noise that will occur in this area will be the activity associated with vehicles entering and leaving the site and the main car park adjacent to retail uses/the public square.

19 Noise levels on site would generally be low so that no form of mitigation measures will be needed to protect any of the proposed gardens or areas of open space. The main areas where some mitigation would be needed would be closest to Harbour Road. There may be specific areas of the site, eg, close to the service yard of the proposed retail stores where specific mitigation may be needed or indeed for any residential development immediately adjacent to the Council workshops.

Air Quality

20 The air quality chapter of the assessment looks at the effects the proposed development will have on air quality, eg, air pollution in the vicinity of the site. It looks particularly at not just the proposed development but the processes of site construction. The conclusion of the assessment is that the most impact on air quality of the site and surrounding area will take place during the construction phase as there will be an increase in concentrations of dust. However, through good site practice and the implementation of suitable mitigations measures, the impact of dust and other releases will be reduced. Because the impacts take place during the construction of development, these are likely to be temporary and localised. Once development is in place, the potential impacts on air quality are likely to be reduced and at a minor level. There will be a small increase in nitrogen oxide and small particles in and around the site but these levels will not exceed any appropriate guidance and will be insignificant.

Lighting

21 There has been an assessment of the effect of lighting of the development, both when completed and during the construction period. So far as the construction period is concerned, the main impact will be any flood lighting and security lighting during the winter months, lighting in contractors’ compounds and lights at a height associated with the construction of structures. These will be temporary and will be controlled by normal hours of operation conditions during the construction period. Overall, these are regarded as having very minor or negligible adverse significance. Once the development as a whole is completed, there will clearly be the impact caused by lights from the housing and shopping area in the evening visible from various points in and around Seaton. The main influence of this will be in the evening and at night but are regarded as generally having a very minor or negligible significance on the overall lighting environment when Seaton, currently as a settlement, is lit in the normal way during the evening. Overall the permanent residual effect of existing and future users is anticipated to be of a negligible or minor nature.

Hydrology and Drainage

22 The environmental assessment looks at the current position with regard to the drainage of the site and the issues relating to flooding, surface water and foul drainage. The main issue arising from the assessment is that in order to allow development to take place in a way that satisfies the Environment Agency, the levels of the majority of the site will need to be raised between 1 and 2 metres to ensure that the site is regarded as acceptable for development. In order to do this, some 256,000 cu.m. of filling material needs to be imported into the site to allow the levels to be raised. In addition to the raising of levels, it is necessary to provide a flood route through the site from Harbour Road to the rhyne (ditch) along the northern boundary, beyond which is the Seaton Marshes. The rhyne running along the northern boundary is also widened to allow any flood water to be stored within it before being released into the river at a controlled rate. The flood channel from Harbour Road is in effect a dry wide channel which, when not used for flooding purposes, is a landscaped footpath route through the site. The Environment Agency is content that these proposals will alleviate the flood risk from the site to the point where development can take place.

23 The entire surface water drainage system is designed to ensure that current rates of discharge should not exceed those existing to water courses, eg, the river, or other ditches. The surface water drainage system is also designed to meet a sustainable urban drainage policy target for redeveloped land. Foul drainage from the site will be taken either to the public foul sewer in Harbour Road or directly to the existing pumping station, as agreed with South West Water.

Ground Conditions and Contamination

24 There has been a study of the ground conditions, geology and contamination issues upon the site. This has concluded that any minor soil contamination issues can be dealt with through the use of a capping system to isolate contamination from end users and site occupiers. There is a possibility of some ground water migration issues identified on a former gas works site which is located immediately to the south east of the site and accessed from Harbour Road. This will be dealt with however through the use of barriers once the extent of contamination has been investigated in more detail. With appropriate remediation measures, all contamination risks are reduced to a minor or negligible level.

25 Any radon and ground gas that may occur will also be dealt with through appropriate design of buildings through the installation of gas protection measures. Other hazards (such as asbestos) will be dealt with through appropriate planning and design measures.

26 Overall the contamination level on the site is low with the possible exception of the former gas works site.

Construction Impact

27 The overall phasing of development is intended to provide the development area to the west of Harbour Road in the first phase. This will include the new car park, retail facilities, new square, residential development on The Underfleet and residential development north of the retail proposals. This is intended to take between 1 and 2 years from commencement to completion. The second phase of development will be the remainder of the housing areas which will take between two and four years to complete, depending on the rate of sales of the new properties.

28 The principal impact during the construction phase will be the need to import infill material for the purposes of raising the site levels to ensure development is acceptable from a flood risk point of view. Some 256,000 cu.m. of fill will be necessary and the environmental assessment assumes a worst case that all of this material will be brought in by HGVs over this period. The hours of operation of the infill exercise can be/will be regulated by the Council from a planning and environmental point of view to ensure disturbance is at the minimum. Current estimates are that between 65-90 HGVs per day (assuming a worst case) will need to enter and leave the site for the filling exercise. HGV routes into the site will be prescribed to avoid any sensitive areas such as Axemouth. Once the infill exercise has taken place, all of the major construction issues that will occur will generally be restricted to on-site activities which again will be controlled through hours of operation, noise and environmental quality legislation.

Overall

29 Overall, the principal environmental impacts of the site relate to the socio and economic benefits to the site; the impact of raising the site levels to avoid flood risk and particularly the implications of construction during the infill operation. From a socio-economic perspective, improvements in the range and variety of dwellings proposed, the provision of a Visitor Centre, a new tramway station, assistance in creating the Seaton wetland nature reserve, the provision of a SUSTRANs terminus and community facility, the erection of a food store and non-food retail floor space as well as leisure and recreational opportunities are considered to be beneficial.

30 Generally, once constructed, the impact of the development on the environment is considered to be acceptable and with appropriate controls on construction methodology, given the temporary nature of construction, the impact again on the environment will be regarded as acceptable.
 

 

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