National Assembly for Wales

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT DETERMINATION BY THE WELSH ASSEMBLY GOVERNMENT UNDER SECTION 105 (A) OF THE HIGHWAYS ACT 1980

THE M4 MOTORWAY—JUNCTION 29 (CASTLETON) TO JUNCTION 32 (CORYTON) WIDENING SCHEME

The Minister for Economic Development and Transport, acting on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales, is considering whether to proceed with the above project for constructing or improving a highway for which it is the highway authority.
The project involves the on-line widening of a 13km (8 miles) length of dual two-lane motorway to dual three-lanes to the north of Cardiff through a relatively rural landscape and is bounded by agricultural land and woodland. The motorway is generally at grade, except for a substantial embankment and bridges over the River Rhymney and Began Road. From Pentwyn Junction 30 westwards, the topography is undulating. Consequently the motorway passes through substantial cuttings and on local embankments. Some parts are bounded by agricultural land and woodland, but substantial residential development in north Cardiff extends up to and adjoins the motorway boundary. A number of locally and nationally designated landscape and nature conservation sites are nearby, including the Cardiff Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation. The widening scheme will incorporate environmental mitigation works comprising of drainage attenuation areas, new planting, bunding and acoustic fencing in selected areas.
It has been determined by the National Assembly for Wales that the project is a relevant project within Annex II to Council Directive 85/337/EEC (“the Directive”), as amended by Council Directive 97/11/EC, and that it should be made subject to an environmental impact assessment in accordance with the Directive.
In accordance with the above determination, an Environmental Statement has been prepared. It identifies the following key environmental issues associated with the project, namely:

The effects of the project on local residents and road users as a result of lane closures, traffic management, noise, dust and disturbance during construction activity;
Effects of the project on biodiversity and protected species within the motorway estate and potential impact on protected species on adjacent land;
The loss or damage to small areas of habitat on land to be acquired for construction of the widening;
The loss of substantial areas of established roadside plantations and false cuttings which currently screen views of the road from adjacent properties and from the wider landscape;
The visual impact of the scheme;
The loss of trees, woodland and hedgerow;
Loss of land with consequential effects on farm businesses;
Effects of the project on local people and residential areas due to the alteration of false cuttings and noise barriers and the changed profile of cuttings and embankments which currently ameliorate the effects of traffic noise;
Effects of road drainage on water resources and habitat;
Effects of excavation and deposition of substantial quantities of topsoil, subsoil and road construction material on the environment;
Effects on regional and national policies for development and transport, biodiversity and environmental sustainability.

The Environmental Statement also identifies the following measures to be incorporated into the project in order to avoid, reduce or offset its adverse effects:

To offset the impact on ecology and nature conservation, extensive new planting of trees, shrubs and hedgerows will be undertaken to more than replace the areas lost, and existing plantations will be managed and under-planted to ensure that the visual impact of the motorway continues to be mitigated;
Trees and shrubs will be of local provenance to ensure that they provide useful habitat for native species of fauna;
Protected species requirements will be taken into account in the development of the scheme and programming of construction and mitigation will include replacement and new habitat, mammal underpasses, special fencing and other measures;
Pre-construction surveys will be carried out to take account of any changed circumstances since publication of the Environmental Statement that may require a modified approach to construction or provision of mitigation;
Works near to watercourses will be managed to minimise the effects on water quality, habitat, protected species or fish;
Water/drainage attenuation ponds to minimise the effect of highway drainage on local water courses;
Where effective, noise fences will be installed to mitigate the noise generated by traffic on the motorway;
Where heritage sites are adversely affected by the scheme, investigations, surveys and mitigation will be carried out;
Before construction commences, the new site boundary will be secured with fences;
During construction there will be on-site monitoring and control to ensure that the works are carried out in accordance with environmental commitments and legal requirements.

Copies of the Environmental Statement may be inspected, free of charge, at all reasonable hours from 3 March 2006 until 21 April 2006, or within 7 weeks from the date of publication of this notice, whichever period expires later, at the following venues:

Orders Branch, Transport Policy and Administration Division, Transport Wales, Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff;

The Regulatory Services Department, City and County of Cardiff, Room 108, City Hall, Cardiff;

Newport City Council, Civic Centre, Newport;

Rhiwbina Library, Pen-y-Dre, Rhiwbina, Cardiff;

Llanishen Library, 31 Kimberley Terrace, Llanishen, Cardiff;

Pontprennau Post Office (within Asda Stores), Dering Road, Cardiff Gate Retail Park, Cardiff; and

Marshfield Post Office, 127 Marshfield Road, Marshfield, Cardiff.

Any person may, not later than 21 April 2006, or within 7 weeks from the date of publication of this notice if such period expires later, express an opinion on the published details of the Environmental Statement so that the National Assembly for Wales can take them into account when deciding whether or not to proceed with this project. Any such expression of opinion must be made in writing to Orders Branch, Transport Policy and Administration Division, Transport Wales, Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ, quoting Ref BZ910193-310-1. In the preparation of any expression of opinion it should be borne in mind that the substance of it may be communicated to other people who may be affected by it.
A copy of this notice in larger print can be obtained from Orders Branch, Transport Policy and Administration Division, Transport Wales, Welsh Assembly Government, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NQ.
M D Burnell, Transport Policy and Administration Division