Environment

Protecting the environment

A top priority for all major construction projects these days is care for the environment. That means carrying out the works with the minimum of disruption to local wildlife and vegetation.

In order to comply with the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, Scottish Borders Council (SBC) commissioned an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Hawick Flood Protection Scheme.

The findings of this study were published in the Scheme’s Environmental Statement (ES). Care for the environment is one of the key criterion set by SBC which has rightly placed several contractual obligations on the main contractor for the lifetime of the project.

During the planning and design stages, a wide variety of statutory bodies were consulted to ensure that all relevant concerns were raised and addressed at the earliest stage. These included Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the River Tweed Commission. These bodies will remain active on-site for the duration of the construction works.

Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP)

In addition, the main contractor responsible for the construction works is contractually obliged to prepare and implement a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) in accordance with British Standard BS 42020:2013. As well as covering issues such as potential pollution risks and safe storage of fuels and oils on-site, this plan covers all aspects of potential impacts on:

wildlife (mammals such as otters, badgers and bats, fish such as Atlantic salmon and lamprey)
vegetation and trees along the course of the River Teviot including the control of invasive species
the built environment (for example, historic buildings) and structures
maintaining the quality of all watercourses
maintaining access to Rights of Way

The CEMP also sets out parameters governing approved noise and vibration level during working hours. The contractor will appoint a specialist ecologist responsible for managing and maintaining biodiversity on-site.

Wildlife

The River Teviot and the Slitrig Water flowing through Hawick are legally protected nature conservation sites and are protected through local planning policies. The river environment provides suitable habitat for a number of important fish species (including Atlantic salmon and sea lamprey) and protected mammal species, such as otters, badgers and bats, as well as a huge number of breeding birds.

The design of the Scheme covers many measures to minimise any potential impacts associated with the construction phase of the Scheme.

Such impacts include:

Temporary habitat loss for species (such as those mentioned above) which rely on the river
Potential pollution of the river during construction
Potential barriers to the movement of migratory fish
Disturbance of bat roosts and otter holts
Potential spread of non-native, invasive species of flora

The following measures will be employed at all times to reduce any impacts:

Minimising any in-river working and adopting SEPA best practice methods for construction processes taking place in or near rivers

Ensuring the fish ladder at the Coble Cauld is open to fish passage during the works
Avoiding piling work near key salmon spawning habitat at the most sensitive times
Liaising with the River Tweed Commission on all matters to do with potential fish impacts
Liaising with SNH on how best to protect affected species and applying for licences as required
Ensuring provision of an appropriate planting plan
Undertaking any necessary vegetation clearance outside the bird nesting season
Removing fish from the temporary working areas

These measures will help to ensure protected sites are appropriately safeguarded, although there will inevitably be some temporary loss of salmon habitat (ie. gravel areas where they spawn). Liaison with the various statutory bodies will result in these risks being monitored and minimised.

In the long term, the landscaping and habitat created by the Scheme (including planting over twice as many new trees as will be removed) will be beneficial to the environment and biodiversity in and around Hawick.

Noise & Vibration

The construction works will unavoidably involve a number of noisy and vibrating activities such as site clearance, sheet piling and earthworks. All such activities will be subject to advance approval in consultation with SBC and environmental bodies. Mitigation measures to keep any noise impacts to a minimum have been identified and agreed. These include adopting best site practices and construction methods such as the use of “soft start” piling techniques. Elements of the construction work likely to have an impact on local residents and wildlife will be sensitively scheduled to minimise any impacts and will be agreed with SBC’s Environmental Health department. In order to minimise any noise impacts, working hours from Monday to Friday will be limited to 8am to 7pm, with alternative weekend working. In exceptional circumstances, the contractor may seek permission to work outside these hours after due consultation with the employer. Advance public notice will be given of these occasions.

Water Quality

The Environmental Assessment recognises the potential impacts on groundwater and the waters of the Teviot and Slitrig Water. Principally, these relate to the possibility of sediment run-off during periods of heavy rainfall. This risk will be minimised through best working practices as stipulated in the contract and constant monitoring of the watercourses and goundwater. Throughout the Project, SEPA will regulate and agree the construction methods to be used through its licensing procedures for engineering works in the water environment.

A review of the site history along with chemical analyses of ground samples taken from various locations where the Scheme will be built have revealed that there is low risk overall of land contamination on-site. It is, therefore, unlikely that contaminants from the land will spread to the water. The potential risks of such contamination have been classified as minimal.

Conclusion

The Hawick Flood Protection Scheme will lead to major benefits for the town associated with improved flood risk protection to a 1 in 75 year standard. However, there is no getting away from the fact that the construction phase poses certain risks to the environment as highlighted above. The design and construction methods to be employed have been specifically selected to minimise any negative impacts as much as possible. Strictly governed by regulations set by the statutory environmental protection bodies and SBC, the project aims to adopt 21st century best practice and expertise at all times in order to reduce any environmental risks to an absolute minimum.