Scheme Assessment Reporting - Standards for …

1 Scheme Assessment ReportingSummary:This Departmental Standard sets out the general requirements for thereporting of road Scheme and Published by theabove Overseeing Departments Crown Copyright 1993 Price HIGHWAYS AGENCYTD 37/93 THE SCOTTISH OFFICE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTTHE WELSH OFFICEY SWYDDFA GYMREIGTHE DEPARTMENT OFTHE ENVIRONMENT FOR NORTHERN IRELANDV olume 5 Section 1 Part 2 TD 36/93 Registration of AmendmentsELECTRONIC COPY - NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE THE AGENCYA ugust 1993 PAPER COPIES OF THIS ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ARE UNCONTROLLEDREGISTRATION OF AMENDMENTSA mendPage NoSignature & Date ofAmendPage NoSignature & Date ofNoincorporation ofNoincorporation ofamendmentsamendmentsVolume 5 Section 1 Registration of AmendmentsPart 2 TD 36/93 ELECTRONIC COPY - NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE THE AGENCYPAPER COPIES OF THIS ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ARE UNCONTROLLEDA ugust 1993 REGISTRATION OF

2 AMENDMENTSA mendPage NoSignature & Date ofAmendPage NoSignature & Date ofNoincorporation ofNoincorporation ofamendmentsamendmentsDESIGN MANUAL FOR ROADS AND BRIDGESELECTRONIC COPY - NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE THE AGENCYA ugust 1993 PAPER COPIES OF THIS ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ARE UNCONTROLLEDVOLUME 5 Assessment ANDPREPARATION OFROAD SCHEMESSECTION 1 Assessment OFROAD SCHEMESPART 2TA 37/93 Scheme Assessment REPORTINGC ontentsChapter(1)Introduction(2)Assessme nt Reporting (3)Preparation of the Stage 1 Report(4)Preparation of the Stage 2 Report(5)Preparation of the Stage 3 Report(6)References(7)EnquiriesAnnex AStage 1 Report ContentsAnnex BStage 2 Report ContentsAnnex CStage 3 Report ContentsAnnex DAssessment Summary Tables -Illustrative ExamplesAnnex EEnvironmental StatementVolume 5 Section 1 Chapter 1 Part 2 TD 37/93 IntroductionELECTRONIC COPY - NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE THE AGENCYA ugust 1993 PAPER COPIES OF THIS ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ARE UNCONTROLLED1/11.

3 Standard sets out the general requirementsfor the Reporting of Scheme assessments by DesignOrganisations. Advice on the Reporting of schemespecific issues not covered in this document willnormally be included in the project brief. Where this isnot the case, advice should be obtained from theOverseeing Department's Project Standard is applicable to all road schemeswithin the Overseeing Department's trunk roadprogramme. (In Northern Ireland this Standard willapply to those roads designated by the OverseeingDepartment.) Standard shall be applied to all schemeswhich have yet to reach Stage 1 (see paragraphs ). For schemes which have progressed beyond Stage1, Design Organisations should consult their OverseeingDepartment's Project Manager for instructions on theapplicability of this 5 Section 1 Chapter 2 Part 2 TD 37/93 Assessment ReportingELECTRONIC COPY - NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE THE AGENCYA ugust 1993 PAPER COPIES OF THIS ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ARE UNCONTROLLED2/12.

4 Assessment REPORTINGThe Aim of Assessment ReportingStage 2 - identify the factors to be taken main aims of the Assessment reportingprocess are:--to permit consideration of the likelyenvironmental, economic and traffic effects ofalternative proposals, and-to allow the public and statutory bodies tocomment on proposals taking account of theirenvironmental, economic and reports are not intended to replacethe more technical reports generated by studies for usewithin Overseeing Departments. They are, instead,intended to act as a summary of those reports, and theirprincipal audience is the public. Where appropriate,they should refer to the availability of technical reports,but should not normally include the information presented in assessmentreports should be:--unbiased: a factual style should be used, withboth advantages and disadvantages of routes orcorridors described impartially.

5 And-easy to read: clear, non-technical languageshould be used, with the information presentedin a logical manner using appropriate maps,diagrams, sketches, etc for 3 Stages of Assessment and Their each of the 3 Stages of Assessment theobjective is to ensure that Assessment is sufficient to:- Stage 1 - identify the environmental,engineering, economic and traffic advantages,disadvantages and constraints associated withbroadly defined improvement in choosing alternative routes orimprovement schemes and to identify theenvironmental, engineeering, economic andtraffic advantages, disadvantages andconstraints associated with those routes orschemes. Stage 3 - identify clearly the advantages anddisadvantages, in environmental, engineering,economic and traffic terms, of the OverseeingDepartment's preferred route or Scheme option. A particular requirement at this stage is anassessment of the significant environmentaleffects of the project, in accordance with therequirements of section 105A of the HighwaysAct 1980 (England and Wales), Section 20 Aand 55A of the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984, orArticle 39B of the Roads (Northern Ireland)Order 1980, implementing EC Directive85 reports are required at the end of each ofthese three England, Wales and Northern Ireland,Stage 1 corresponds to a pre-programme entryassessment and Stage 2 corresponds to a pre-publicconsultation Assessment .

6 In Scotland, Stage 1 is knownas preliminary Assessment and Stage 2 as route optionassessment. For all Overseeing Departments, Stage 3corresponds to Assessment prior to the publication oforders (which includes publication of an EnvironmentalStatement) but after the selection of a preferred Progression through the stages of Assessment isnot automatic. At the conclusion of Stages 1 and 2 theDesign Organisation should present to the OverseeingDepartment the Assessment report for consideration bythe Overseeing Department's Project Manager who willnotify them of any decision to proceed further withassessment and development 2 Volume 5 Section 1 Assessment ReportingPart 2 TD 37/93 ELECTRONIC COPY - NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE THE AGENCYPAPER COPIES OF THIS ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ARE UNCONTROLLEDA ugust 19932 Outline contents for the Assessment reports atStage 1, 2 and 3 are given at Annexes A, B and Crespectively.

7 The Design Organisation should consultthe Overseeing Department's Project Manager forclearance before omitting any part of these contentsfrom a report. Specific Scheme issues may requireadditional headings to be included. These will normallybe included in the project brief. Where this is not thecase, they will be agreed between the DesignOrganisation and the Overseeing Department's remaining Chapters in this Standard setout, for each Stage, what is required in each section ofthe Assessment 5 Section 1 Chapter 3 Part 2 TD 37/93 Preparation of the Stage 1 ReportELECTRONIC COPY - NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE THE AGENCYA ugust 1993 PAPER COPIES OF THIS ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ARE UNCONTROLLED3/13. PREPARATION OF THE STAGE 1 This should set out clearly the background tothe decision to undertake a Stage 1 This section should summarise the existingtraffic, engineering and environmental conditions inrelation to the existing highway network, including anyspecial features which can be identified at this should also be made to changes which it isknown are due to take placeDescription of Alternative At this stage only broadly defined improvementstrategies have been identified.

8 These should bedescribed in general terms, highlighting major featureswhere appropriate. If essential work is required to allowa do minimum strategy, this should be Cost Where it is possible to do so, a broad indicationof the costs of alternative improvement strategiesshould be given. The basis of the estimates and anyspecific factors allowed for should also be a broad Assessment of engineering issuescan be made at this stage. The condition of existingroad pavements and highway structures should bereported. Topography, hydrology, geology andgeomorphology should be considered, and likelyproblems arising from them, such as difficult groundconditions or difficulties in alignment, should beidentified. Environmental AssessmentBaseline The appraisal of each potential impact shouldbegin with a description of the relevant baselineconditions over the area which could be significantlyaffected by any route corridors, but assuming that thescheme is not built.

9 This is discussed in more detail inDMRB For most of the potential impacts the first stagein the Assessment will be to map all relevant constraints(for example, population centres, historic buildings, orsites of ecological value). The most importantconstraints should then be brought together on a single,up to date, large scale Ordnance Survey map (theConstraints Map). Where other aspects of the existingenvironment could be significantly affected they shouldalso be of Environmental By sketching possible improvement strategieson the Constraints Map, an initial Assessment of theirpotential impact can be made. Advice on assessmentfor different impacts at Stage 1 is given in level of Assessment will give only a broadindication of likely effects, as it takes no account ofdetailed alignments or mitigation measures. The length and detail of the descriptions ofeffects should reflect their relative impacts on a particular location or group ofpeople should also be noted, where An overall Assessment of the importance of theimpact on the baseline environment should be providedhighlighting any major problems or cannot be considered in detail atStage 1.

10 However, particular improvement strategiesmay suggest mitigation features. Where this is the case,any mitigation aimed at preventing, reducing oroffsetting adverse environmental effects should bedescribed. The description should cover the type ofmitigation measure, its probable cost, and also indicateits effectiveness, as far as possible. Presentation of Key key issues from the Assessment of effectsshould be brought together in summary form in anEnvironmental Impacts Table. DMRB describeshow an Environmental Impacts Table should becompiled. Illustrative examples are provided at AnnexD. Beneficial impacts should be noted, as well asadverse 3 Volume 5 Section 1 Preparation of the Stage 1 ReportPart 2 TD 37/93 ELECTRONIC COPY - NOT FOR USE OUTSIDE THE AGENCYPAPER COPIES OF THIS ELECTRONIC DOCUMENT ARE UNCONTROLLEDA ugust 19933/2 Sources of source of any information gathered shouldbe and Economic extent of information available at this stagewill vary from Scheme to Scheme , depending upon thenature of the Scheme , its relationship with otherschemes (local authority as well as trunk road authority)and with development proposals, and the possible roleof the Scheme as part of a strategy for the route as following paragraphs outline the minimumrequirements for this Stage of the Assessment .