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Unity Square, Nottingham
Environmental Statement ‐ Non Technical Summary
December 2013
in association with
1. Introduction
Peel Holdings is applying to Nottingham City Council (NCC) for Outline
planning permission to secure the delivery of a major regeneration scheme
for the Southside Regeneration Zone, south of Nottingham city centre. The
scheme is known as Sovereign House but is also referred to as Unity Square.
The scheme will comprise the following elements:
• Demolition of the existing buildings
• Hotel development of approximately 200 rooms
• Approximately 2,000 sq.m (21,528 sq.ft) of shops, bars and
restaurants at ground level
• Approximately 4,500 sq.m (48,438 sq.ft) of leisure space suitable for a
gym or crèche use
• Office development of approximately 27,000 sq.m (290,000 sq.ft)
• New car parking of approximately 190 spaces
• Areas of public realm
This document presents a summary of the proposed development, its main
environmental effects and the measures that are proposed to ensure that the
development will not have unacceptable impacts on the local environment or
community. The potentially significant environmental impacts of the
proposed development have been assessed through a process called
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). EIA is a procedure required under
the terms of the European Union Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of
the effects on certain public and private projects on the environment.
The EIA Directive is currently enacted into legislation through The Town and
Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011.
Nottingham City Council determined that the proposals constitute EIA
Development under Schedule 2 10(b) Urban Development Projects (exceeding 0.5
hectares) of the 2011 EIA Regulations and therefore, an EIA was required to be
undertaken.
The potentially significant environmental impacts of the proposed development
have subsequently been documented in an Environmental Statement (ES) which
is submitted as part of the planning applications.
This document provides a Non-Technical Summary (NTS) of the ES. It provides
detail of the site and its surroundings, the proposed development, the likely
environmental impacts of the proposed development and what measures are
proposed to reduce, avoid or compensate for potentially adverse impacts and
maximise beneficial impacts (mitigation measures).
Benefits of the proposed development
The Environmental Statement has been prepared to consider the
environmental impacts of the proposals. The outcome of the statement
demonstrated that the scheme would not have a detrimental impact on
the environment.
The scheme will be built to high environmental and sustainability
standards:
o Offices will be Grade A and BREEAM ‘Excellent’.
o The hotel is to be built to BREEAM ‘Very Good’ as a minimum.
The scheme is in a key regeneration area. The site forms part of the
‘Southside Regeneration’ area as promoted by Nottingham City Council
and Invest Nottingham. Southside is to become the new commercial
‘heart’ for the City.
2. Environmental Impact Assessment
Scoping
Scoping is not a mandatory requirement of the EIA Regulations, but is seen as
good practice. The purpose of scoping is to ensure that the environmental
studies undertaken during the preparation of the ES provide all the relevant
information on the likely significant environmental effects of the project. An
EIA Scoping Opinion was received from Nottingham City Council on 3rd
October 2013 and is included in Appendix B1 of the ES.
The technical scope of the EIA has been informed by the following:
Schedule 4 of the EIA Regulations;
Previous technical assessments of the site;
Pre-application discussions between NJL and Nottingham City Council
Development Management Officers in July and August 2013;
Nottingham City Council Scoping Opinion; and
Further consultation undertaken as part of the EIA.
Through this scoping process, the environmental topics identified as having
the potential for significant environmental effects are:
Heritage;
Flooding and Drainage; and
Landscape and Visual.
Liaison with NCC did not establish a requirement for cumulative impact
assessment with other proposed developments. This position was kept under
review during the EIA process, and through the individual chapters adjacent
proposed developments were considered. For example, the Townscape and
Heritage chapter addressed the Meadows Gateway scheme and the LVIA
considered the Meadows Gateway and the Wilford Road schemes.
Impact Prediction
Each technical assessment within the EIA firstly establishes the existing conditions
known as the ‘environmental baseline’, which identifies potentially sensitive
receptors to environmental impact e.g. ecological sites, watercourses etc. The
environmental baseline is then the basis against which the potential impacts are
assessed.
Environmental impacts can be positive (known as ‘beneficial’) or negative (known
as ‘adverse’), temporary or permanent and vary in their duration and spatial
scale. The significance of an environmental impact is assessed based on a
combination of its magnitude (i.e. intensity) and the sensitivity of the receiving
receptor.
There is no statutory definition of significance.
In this ES the following descriptive terms are used:
Substantial;
Moderate;
Minor; and
Negligible.
Mitigation
Mitigation measures can be put in place to avoid, reduce or compensate for
potential adverse impacts, or to enhance beneficial impacts.
The EIA has identified appropriate mitigation measures based on the assessment
of potential significant impacts.
These mitigation measures are divided into:
Inherent mitigation measures – those ‘designed in’ to the scheme and certain to
be delivered;
Standard mitigation – e.g. construction mitigation with a high degree of
certainty over delivery; and
Actionable mitigation measures - those that require a controlling mechanism
or legal undertaking to be implemented, but are under the control of the
applicant, NCC or Statutory Bodies and therefore, have a good certainty over
delivery, e.g. Planning Conditions and legal planning agreements with NCC.
The purpose of defining mitigation in this way is to make it clear how the
mitigation is to be delivered.
Describing Potential Impacts
The determination of impact significance in each of the technical chapters is
presented under the following scenarios:
Impact Assessment - with inherent and standard mitigation measures
implemented; and
Residual Impact Assessment – with inherent, standard and actionable
mitigation measures implemented.
3. The Site and Surrounding
Unity Square is located in a very prominent ‘gateway’ position on Sherriffs
Way/Queens Bridge Road, in a high-profile location in the centre of
Nottingham. The site forms part of the ‘Southside Regeneration’ area as
promoted by Nottingham City Council and Invest Nottingham. Southside is to
become the new commercial ‘heart’ for the City.
The site is triangular in shape, approximately 0.89 hectares in area and is
currently occupied by a six-storey vacant and disused 1960s office block and
(Regina House) a factory building, a multi-storey car park and associated
buildings (shown in the following photographs).
The site is well served by the public transport network. The site is located
directly opposite Nottingham Station (also known as the Midland Railway
Station) which is in itself is being redeveloped (project known as The Hub)
and opposite the proposed new NET Tram interchange (both projects are
expected to be completed in 2014). To the north, the site is bounded by a
watercourse known as Tinkers Leen, Sheriffs Way to the east and Burnham
Way to the south.
The site location is shown in Figure 1 and an illustration of the scheme
proposals is shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 1. Existing site layout and site boundary
Figure 2. Illustrative scheme examples
Figure 3. Illustrative scheme example from the south east
4. The Proposed Development
The planning application seeks Outline consent for a regeneration led mixed
use scheme to be known as Unity Square, Nottingham.
Extant Permission
The site benefits from a previous outline planning consent (09/00947/POUT)
for the following proposed development:
“Demolition of existing buildings and erection of mixed use development
comprising up to 27,000sq.m offices (Class B1a); up to 10,000sq.m hotel (Class
C1); up to 2000sq.m shops (Class A1); financial and professional services (Class
A2); restaurants and cafes (Class A3); drinking establishments (Class A4); hot
food takeaway (Class A5); up to 1,000sq.m non-residential institution (Class
D1); and up to 3,500sq.m assembly and leisure (Class D2), with ancillary car
parking and associated infrastructure (OUTLINE).”
The application was made by Peel Holdings Ltd, and was approved by
Nottingham City Council on the 21st January 2010. A Variation of Condition
Application was submitted on 24th August 2010 and was approved on the 30th
November 2010.
Proposed Development
The built elements (buildings) application is in Outline, details of individual
elements of the scheme will be worked up at the Reserved Matters stage,
with this application setting minimum and maximum parameters for the
future development including building heights and widths.
The outline planning application seeks planning permission for:
“Application for demolition of existing buildings and construction of Class
B1 Office, Class C1 Hotel, Class A1-A5 retail development, ancillary car
parking and associated infrastructure – in outline.”
The scheme will consist of the following details:
Class B1 Office
• The proposals seek planning permission to bring forward a
maximum floorspace of 27,000sq.m / 290,000sq.ft (GIA), to be
used for Class B1 office purposes.
• The configuration and layout of the floorspace will be determined
through Reserved Matters Applications when occupier
specifications and requirements are known in greater detail.
Class C1 Hotel
• The proposals seek planning permission for a hotel totalling
approximately 200 rooms. This meets the requirements of a
range of mid/high end hotel occupiers.
Class A1-A5 Retail
• A maximum amount of floorspace of up to 21,528sq.ft /
2,000sq.m to be used for retailing purposes within these use
classes is sought to be set within the outline planning consent. It
is intended that the retail floorspace will be located at the ground
floor level to create active frontages.
Car Parking
• The proposals seek permission for a car park area comprising of
up to 190 spaces to be split for usage between users and
occupiers of the commercial office area and hotel employees and
guests.
5. Alternatives
The EIA Regulations require that the EIA considers ‘alternatives’ to the
proposed development and indicate the reasons for progressing the chosen
alternative, taking into account the environmental effects.
Site Location
The location of the Sovereign House (Unity Square) makes it integral to the
overall success of Nottingham due to its potential contribution to the city
economy. The site provides one of the first impressions of Nottingham to rail
users and is located at the junction of vehicular arterial routes into the heart
of Nottingham.
The site is situated within the Southside area which provides an important
link between the City Centre and the Meadows residential area. The
Southside is a designated regeneration zone and has been identified as the
natural extension of the city centre.
Peel has attempted to bring forward the regeneration of the Sovereign House
site since 2004. This is a significant amount of time and it is Peel’s opinion
that despite their best efforts throughout this process, they have been unable
to develop out the site owing to a range of market factors.
Importantly, planning permission was granted in November 2010 for a
residential led scheme at Sovereign House (the application was submitted in
October 2006). Though the planning application was submitted for 367
residential apartments, ultimately, planning permission was received for 256
apartments. This significant reduction had a terminal effect upon the viability
of the scheme.
Peel’s investment into the Sovereign House site has already been substantial
over the last 5 years. So far a deliverable scheme has not been achieved.
However they remain committed at this stage, through the submission of this
application to seek to deliver a high quality, mixed use scheme which would
represent significant inward investment into Nottingham.
Sustainable Development
It is worth noting the sustainable location of the site. The site benefits greatly
from being in such close proximity to the train station ensuring it is a highly
accessible site for commercial purposes.
The site is located within a regeneration zone. These are characterised as land
areas which are promoted for expedited redevelopment in order that they
contribute positively to the wider urban area and citywide economy. From a
developer/landowner perspective, regeneration zones carry a much higher risk
profile than more stable established and attractive urban areas.
Peel’s ability to provide inward investment to redevelop this prominent site
should therefore be considered within this context.
Site Evolution
The scheme has evolved over a number of years to provide a development that
the market requires, in a key regeneration area of Nottingham.
The site layout has been revised during the preparation of the application
process, based on factors identified through the ES, such as building heights and
the impact it will have on surrounding heritage assets.
The development evolution can now deliver a sustainable development, with
careful design considerations, in an area that has been allocated for regeneration.
6. Summary of Potential Environmental Impacts
The application seeks outline planning permission controlled by parameters.
As such, the submission includes fixed maximum parameters for certain key
elements of the scheme which will be adhered to in subsequent reserved
matters applications. Along with these ‘maximum parameters’ an illustrative
scheme has been designed to show how the development may look. The
following environmental assessments have considered both the maximum
and illustrative schemes, this process provides a ‘worst case’ and ‘likely’
impact scenario.
Townscape and Heritage
Nottingham has a number of heritage buildings and assets. Due to the
proposed development being located in the heart of the City Centre, in a
gateway location, an assessment on the heritage buildings and assets was
undertaken. This is called a Heritage and Townscape Impact Assessment
(HTIA).
The methodology for this HTIA was agreed with Nottingham City Council
(NCC).
As views form an important part of Nottingham’s townscape character, the
HTIA is based on the approach set out in Seeing the History in the View: A
Method for Assessing Heritage Significance within Views (English Heritage,
April 2008). This proposes a systematic and consistent methodology for
assessing the historical significance of views, and has been tailored to also
include townscape and heritage assets.
As agreed with NCC the HTIA assesses the impact of proposed development
on:
• The setting of the Midland Railway Station
• The setting of the Station Conservation Area
• The setting of the Canal Conservation Area
• The local townscape and character
Nottingham’s topography lends itself to a number of key views, particularly
from the older parts of the city such as the Castle and Lace Market Cliffs. Key
views are assessed within the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)
and are not in the HTIA.
Through the use of Design Principles, Inherent Mitigation Measures have been
applied throughout the design process in order to minimise impacts to the
identified townscape character, heritage features and also views of the
proposed development. Some of the inherent mitigation measures are
demonstrated in the Parameter Plans and others are more effectively applied
in the Illustrative Scheme.
Actionable Mitigation Measures include items such as the detailed massing,
the detailed design of elevations and the colour and materials used for
external finishes. Breaking down the mass of the proposed development to
allow spaces between and a broken profile against the sky will help retain key
views where possible. These will be applied through the development of the
Reserved Matters Application and through Planning Conditions applied by the
Local Planning Authority.
The HTIA assessment demonstrates that the proposed development (in the
form of the illustrative scheme), completed within the proposed design
parameters, will have an overall moderate and beneficial effect.
A summary of the main effects of the Illustrative Scheme are as follows:
Midland Railway Station
The assessment has demonstrated that the proposed illustrative scheme will
have a beneficial or neutral effect on the setting of the Midland Railway
Station.
Station Conservation Area
The assessment has demonstrated that the proposed illustrative scheme will
have a neutral effect on the setting of the Station Conservation Area.
Canal Conservation Area
The assessment has demonstrated that the proposed illustrative scheme will
have a neutral effect on the setting of the Canal Conservation Area.
Wider Townscape
The assessment has demonstrated that the proposed illustrative scheme will
have a neutral effect on the setting of the wider townscape area. As noted
previously, the Station Conservation Area Character Appraisal and
Management Plan published by NCC presents a balanced view which is
supportive of the opposing needs to regenerate and conserve at the same
time as can be seen in the following quote from the document:
“Whilst the preservation and enhancement of the Area’s historic environment
is particularly important, the Conservation Area lies within the Southside
Regeneration Area and close to the Meadows, which offer the opportunity to
promote regeneration and development initiatives in the area”.
Ultimately, the proposals for the Sovereign House site will result in a
significant change to the area, but on balance the proposals have the potential
to transform and regenerate a currently under-utilised part of the city centre
and it will support the regeneration of the Southside Regeneration Zone.
Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
The Landscape and Visual Impact Chapter assesses the potential impact on key
views into and across the city and also on residential visual amenity. The key
views have been identified through site assessment and reference to the
Nottingham City Council Urban Design Guide which has made an assessment
of whole city with regard to important views and vistas.
These viewpoints were as follows:
1 View from Trent Bridge
2 View from Meadows Way
3 View from the Castle upper terrace
4 View from Queens Walk
5 View from the Embankment
Photomontages were produced to gain an understanding of the proportions of
the development within the surrounding context and to show the proposals
within the specified viewpoints.
The LVIA then assessed the development from the specified viewpoints using
the criteria of impact prediction outlined previously.
The assessment considered potential impacts of the maximum parameters of
the proposed development on identified landscape and visual receptors. The
following table provides a summary of the predicted effects:
Summary table of effects
Receptor Effect Mitigation
Landscape Minor Beneficial None
Residential Receptors Minor Beneficial None
View 1 Trent Bridge Minor Beneficial None
View 2 Queens Walk Minor Beneficial None
View 3 Nottingham
Castle Minor Beneficial Inherent
View 4 Embankment Negligible Neutral None
View 5 Sheriffs Way Minor Beneficial None
Flooding and Drainage
The site is defined as being located within flood zones 2 and 3a.
Approximately 20% of the site is located within flood zone 2 – medium
probability - which is defined as comprising land assessed as having between a
1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 annual probability of river flooding (1% - 0.1%). The
remaining 80% of the site is located within flood zone 3a – high probability -
which is defined as comprising land assessed as having a 1 in 100 or greater
probability of river flooding (>1%).
A Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) has been undertaken for the site and was
submitted as part of the suite of technical documents in support of the
planning application. The FRA includes an assessment of both the existing and
proposed drainage.
The site is already developed with both foul and surface water drainage
infrastructure installed discharging to either Tinkers Leen or the wider public
sewerage network.
It is considered that the impacts on surface run-off, flooding, water quality,
groundwater levels and groundwater quality will be reduced or will be
negligible with a drainage design which is compliant with the FRA and the
implementation of the site mitigation measures during construction and
operation. These are as follows:
• Surface Water run-off will be reduced by 50%. This is an overall
reduction which is applicable to the entire development through the
removal of any surface water discharge to the public sewerage
network and the restriction on outfall rate to Tinkers Leen to the 1 in
2 year storm event based on 50% of the site catchment area.
• Mitigation measures are provided for the handling of surface water
during both construction and the general operation of the scheme.
Within the final scheme the use of a petrol interceptor has been
included to provide suitable treatment to surface water flows prior
to the discharge of site. The quality will therefore remain un-
affected.
• Groundwater levels will remain un-altered as the current proposals
for dealing with surface water do not include the use of infiltration
drainage techniques. Investigation of the underlying strata identifies
it as consisting mainly of clay which negates the ability to utilise
infiltration type drainage.
• Mitigation measures are provided for the handling of surface water
during both construction and the general operation of the scheme.
Neither of which involve the use of infiltration techniques. Ground
water quality therefore will remain un-affected.
7. Further Information
Copies of the ES, together with the planning application documents, will be
made available for inspection at the following location:
Nottingham City Council Loxley House Station Street Nottingham NG2 3NG Comments on the ES should be addressed to Rob Percival at the above address. Copies of this Non-Technical Summary (NTS) are available free of charge. Hard copies of the ES can be purchased for a cost of £75 and electronic versions on CD are £5. The ES is also available at: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk For a copy of either the NTS or ES please contact NJL Consulting: NJL Consulting Unit 8 – Ashbrook Office Park Longstone Road Heald Green M22 5LB Tel: 0845 362 8202 Email: [email protected]