19 July 2023
Project: Baldwins Gate, Staffordshire
Size: upto 200 high-quality homes including 40% public open space.
Disciplines working on the project:
About the project:
Richborough Estates, commissioned M-EC, to provide comprehensive technical services for an outline planning application for upto 200 high-quality homes, including 40% public open space in the beautiful location of Baldwins Gate, Staffordshire.
The scope of M-EC's services encompassed essential aspects of the development, including flood risk assessment and drainage strategy, noise and air quality assessments, phase I and phase II ground investigations, a topographical survey, and utilities assessment. The planning application has since been granted outline approval.
M-EC's Geo-environmental team undertook investigations. Their Phase I investigations indicated a low to moderate contamination risk on the site. Although the majority of the development did not require significant remediation, it did identify that some localised removal and/or capping of contaminated areas might be necessary. Building on the initial desk study, the Phase II ground investigation was conducted to precisely determine contamination levels in the shallow soils, understand geotechnical properties for foundation and infrastructure designs, and identify the extent of made ground and ground gas regime below the site. The team provided detailed recommendations for mitigating any identified risks. Alongside this, soakaway drainage testing was undertaken to confirm the viability of adopting a soakaway drainage strategy.
In parallel, M-EC's geomatics team performed a topographical survey, precisely mapping the site's topography, boundaries, and natural and man-made features. This data proved invaluable for supporting both the client and the in-house teams during their investigations and planning processes.
Regarding flood risk and drainage, the development was located in flood zone 1, presenting a low risk of flooding. The flood risk and drainage team divided the site into three catchments, implementing separate drainage and treatment measures for each area. Surface water run-off from roofs and hard-standing areas would be collected, stored in proposed detention and infiltration basins on-site, and eventually discharged directly into the ground.
To ensure a seamless utility infrastructure, M-EC's utilities team conducted a comprehensive assessment. They determined the available capacity, identified potential requirements for diversions, assessed necessary easements, and provided budget cost estimates. The assessment revealed that diversions would be necessary for Clean water and existing overhead LV cables within the site boundary.
Additionally, M-EC's Acoustic Air team carried out vital noise and air quality assessments, both of which played a significant role in the development's environmental considerations. The Air Quality assessment assessed the requirements for the site, taking into account its proximity to the nearest AQMA, which is approximately 5.3 km north of the proposed development. It was confirmed that the proposed development would have no adverse effects on the AQMA, nor would it be affected by it.
By considering the traffic generated by both committed developments and the additional traffic from HS2 construction in 2027, the potential impact was thoroughly examined. The findings indicated that any potential impact would be minimal, with annual mean concentrations of NO2 and PM10 expected to increase by merely 1 μg/m3 or less.
Furthermore, when taking into account the traffic generated solely by the development in 2027, the impact is even more negligible, projected to be at 0.1 μg/m3 or less for both NO2 and PM10 annual mean concentrations. As a result, the local air quality would not be significantly affected by either source.
For the noise assessment, ProPG and BS8233:2014 guidelines were followed, with a focus on external noise, particularly from nearby carriageways and the railway line. The assessment highlighted potential high noise impact during both day and night. However, with a carefully crafted mitigation strategy in accordance with ProPG, the sound levels across the development could be effectively attenuated to achieve acceptable external and internal sound levels. The strategy included the use of special glazing, acoustically attenuated ventilation and building fabric, and thoughtful orientation planning to protect private amenity spaces. Additionally, acoustically sound fencing would be installed along garden boundaries to minimise exposure to road noise.
The meticulous assessments and planning ensured that the environmental impact was minimised, and the proposed development would seamlessly integrate into the surrounding landscape while meeting the highest standards of design, quality and sustainability.
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