Description of local environment

Air quality

Receptors – refer to ‘Population and Human Health’.

A search of the Air Quality in Scotland online mapping records show that air quality monitoring sites in the wider area record bandings in the ‘green zone’ (Low Index 1-3).

The scheme lies within the boundary of the Scottish Borders Council, which has no active Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within its administrative boundary. The closest active AQMA lies within the boundary of East Lothian Council, ‘High Street, Musselburgh’, located approx. 34.8km northwest of the scheme and has been declared for nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

There are seven sites registered on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) for pollutant releases to air within 10km of the scheme within the last 10 years:

  • Cottage Wood Poultry Farm, Earlston – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, located approx. 4.2km southeast of the scheme.
  • Addistone Poultry Farm, Earlston – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, located approx. 4.8km southeast of the scheme.
  • West Morriston Free Range Poultry Farm – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, located approx. 5.4km southeast of the scheme.
  • Springfield Poultry Farm, Earlston – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, located approx. 5.7km southeast of the scheme.
  • Standingstone Poultry Farm, Earlston – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, located approx. 5.8km southeast of the scheme.
  • Easter Langlee Landfill Site, Galashiels – Waste and Waste-Water Management, declared for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), methane and methyl chloroform, located approx. 7.6km southwest of the scheme.
  • Galashiels STW, Winston Road, Galashiels – Waste and Waste-Water Management, declared for methane, located approx. 9.1km southwest of the scheme.

Baseline air quality in the study area is mainly influenced by vehicles travelling along the A68 trunk road. Secondary sources are derived from day-to-day agricultural land management activities.

Cultural heritage

The PastMap and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) online mapping tools records one designated site within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • The Roan Including Cottage and Walled Garden, Category C Listed Building (ID: LB51574) which lies approx. 280m west of the scheme.

Of lesser cultural heritage value, five undesignated cultural heritage assets (UCHAs) lie within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Blainslie National Record of the Historic Environment (NHRE) and Historic Environment Record (HER) lie approx. 210m west of the scheme.
  • The Roan NRHE and HER lie approx. 280m west of the scheme.
  • Bridehaugh HER lies approx. 280m southeast of the scheme.

Construction of the A68 carriageway is likely to have removed any archaeological remains that may have been present within the trunk road boundary. The potential for the presence of unknown archaeological remains in the study area is therefore assessed to be low.

While one Listed Building lies approx. 280m west of the scheme and five UCHAs are located within 300m of the scheme extents, the works will be restricted to the existing A68 carriageway boundary and as such, will not be at risk of impacting these features. Therefore, there is no potential for impacts to cultural heritage from the proposed works and this topic has been scoped out of further environmental assessment.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme is not situated within a National Scenic Area or National Park (NP).

The Landscape Character Type (LCT) within the study area is ‘Pastoral Upland Fringe Valley’ (no. 117) (Scottish Landscape Character Types). The characteristics of which are:

  • Medium scale pastoral valley with flat floor enclosed by upland fringe pastures, often with rough grassland and moorland covered hills above.
  • Smooth large-scale landform modified in places by bluffs and moraine on valley floor, scree slopes or rock outcrops on valley sides.
  • Narrow, often wooded tributary side valleys.
  • Broadleaf woodlands and scrub on bluff slopes and scattered trees along river banks, occasional coniferous plantations and shelterbelts on valley sides.
  • Valley floor pastures enclosed by drystone dykes with occasional hedgerows, interspersed with occasional patches of scrub, coarse grass and rushes.
  • Scattered villages, farmsteads and mansion houses with policy woodlands.

Land use within 300m of the scheme is categorised into the following:

  • Rectilinear fields and farms.
  • Managed woodland.

The national scale land capability for agriculture classifies land surrounding the scheme as being:

  • ‘Class 3.2’ - Land capable of average production though high yields of barley, oats and grass can be obtained. Grass leys are common.

There are three areas of woodland registered on the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland (NWSS) within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Hawthorn scrub (approx. 1.6ha) lies approx. 20m east of the scheme.
  • Lowland mixed deciduous woodland (approx. 1.3ha) lies approx. 145m south of the scheme.
  • Lowland mixed deciduous woodland (approx. 2.5ha) lies approx. 230m east of the scheme.

One area of woodland registered on the Ancient Woodland Inventory Scotland lies within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Tower Wood, Ancient of Semi-Natural Origin (approx. 3.5ha) lies approx. 230m east of the scheme.

In addition, the following woodland lies within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Broadleaved woodland (approx. 3.6ha total).
  • Young trees (approx. 0.7ha).
  • Mixed mainly broadleaved (approx. 1.4ha).
  • Mixed mainly conifer (approx. 0.9ha).

There are no trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) with connectivity to the scheme extents.

The existing trunk road is a prominent linear landscape feature. The trunk road corridor, for example, has a distinct character shaped by fast-flowing traffic, road markings, safety barriers, signage, landscaping etc. The scale of the trunk road detracts from the quality and character of the wider landscape. 

Biodiversity

The NatureScot Sitelink online mapping tool identifies that the scheme lies approx. 81m west of the River Tweed Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the unclassified waterbody, Kitty Burn, is culverted below the A68 within the scheme extents and has connectivity to the River Tweed SAC.

One Local Nature Conservation Site (LNCS) lies within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Whitslaid LNCS lies approx. 230m east of the scheme.

There are no Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) within 300m of the scheme extents.

The NBN atlas holds records of numerous bird species within 2km over a ten-year period. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), all wild birds and their active nests (typically active March to August inclusive) are protected. Only records with open-use attributions (OGL, CC0, CC-BY) were included in the search criteria.

A search of the NBN online mapping tool records one invasive plant species as listed within the Network Management Contract (NMC) lie within 2km of the scheme extents (within the last 10-years):

Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS):

  • Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica).

The closest record lies approx. 0.9km southeast of the scheme (recorded 2022).

A search of the Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) online mapping tool records invasive native perennial rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium) intermittently throughout the verge of the A68 carriageway within the scheme extents. There are no records of INNS or injurious weeds within the scheme extents.

An Ecological Constraints Survey (ECS) was carried out by BEAR Scotland’s Environmental Team on Tuesday 30th June 2026. Kitty Burn, two other tributaries of Leader Water (hereafter referred to as Watercourse 1 and Watercourse 2), which are culverted below the A68 within the scheme extents, and a section of Leader Water, were surveyed.

Habitat immediately bordering the trunk road tends to be of low intrinsic value because the existing road verge is subject to cyclic maintenance e.g., grass cutting, weed control, tree, and shrub cut-back etc. The roadside verges are comprised of homogenous managed areas of semi-improved grassland alongside sections of broadleaved woodland, tree lines and scrub. Roadside vegetation generally offers low ecological habitat due to its limited scale, fragmented nature and high potential for disturbance owing to cyclic landscape maintenance and the proximity of the trunk road (with its fast-flowing traffic). The presence of the trunk road also restricts continuity of, and connectivity between, habitats either side of the trunk road boundary.

Outwith the trunk road boundary, agricultural land surrounds the scheme. The areas of agricultural land management restrict the occurrence of semi-natural and natural vegetation types. Most field boundaries are comprised of post-and-wire fencing and vegetative features further delineating field boundaries e.g., woodland, shrub hedgerow, rough grassland, ruderal herb stands and scrub. Linear features at field boundaries have wildlife value, both as corridors in an intensively managed landscape, and as habitats for birds and small animals. In addition, woodland bordering the A68 within the scheme extents and Leader Water could offer valuable habitats for birds and small animals.

Geology and soils

The A68 within the scheme extents is not located within a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS) and there no Local Geodiversity Sites (LGS) within 300m of the scheme extents.

The National Soil Map of Scotland online mapping tool records the generalised soil types as:

  • Brown Soils.
  • Mineral Gleys.
  • Alluvial Soils.

The major soil groups within the scheme extents are categorised as the following:

  • Brown Soils.
  • Alluvial Soils.

The British Geological Survey online mapping tool records that the superficial geology within the scheme extents is comprised of:

  • Till, Devensian (Diamicton).
  • Alluvium (Silt, Sand and Gravel).

The bedrock geology beneath the scheme extents is comprised of:

  • Great Conglomerate Formation, Conglomerate and [subequal / subordinate] Sandstone (Interbedded).

There is no evidence of historical industrial processes or the storage of hazardous materials that could have given rise to significant land contamination.

The works will be limited to the like-for-like replacement of the existing A68 carriageway boundary and depth. There are no geological designated features within or in close proximity to the scheme extents. Therefore, it is considered that there is no potential for impacts to geology and soils and this topic has been scoped out of further assessment.

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are required to replace the worn carriageway surface and reinstate road markings.

Materials used will consist of:

  • TS2010 10mm Site Class 1/3.
  • AC20 Dense Binder 40/60 (Warm mix).
  • AC32 Dense Base 40/60 (Warm mix).
  • Tack/Bond coat, paving grade bitumen to seal vertical faces.
  • Eurolite Thermoplastic Road Markings.
  • Embedded Road Studs.

As the value of the scheme is greater than £350,000, a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is required for this scheme.

The 1,302m scheme involves removal of surface course and localised areas of binder. In total, approx. 4,254 tonnes of bituminous material (European Waste Catalogue Code: 17 03 02) will be removed from site, 141 tonnes of which is classified as hazardous material containing coal tar.

The planings containing coal tar will be removed offsite and stored for a single night at a designated location prior to being recycled within a separate BEAR Scotland scheme.

Noise and vibration

Works are not located within a Candidate Quiet Area (CQA).

The night-time modelled noise level (LNGT) ranges between 60 and 65 decibels (dB) within the scheme extents (Scotland’s Noise), with levels dropping to between 35 and 40 dB at the nearest noise sensitive receptor (NSR) (i.e., residential property).

The baseline noise and vibration in the scheme extents are primarily influenced by vehicles travelling along the A68 trunk road. Secondary sources most likely arise from day-to-day agricultural activities and from motor vehicles travelling along nearby roads.

Population and human health

Three residential properties lie within 300m of the scheme extents, the closest of which lies adjacent to the scheme extents and is not screened from the scheme.

There are no non-motorised user (NMU) or community facilities with connectivity to the scheme extents.

Street lighting is not present within the scheme extents.

The A68, within the scheme extents, is a single carriageway with the national speed limit applying throughout. The Average Daily Traffic (ADT) flow is low (6,908 motor vehicles) (ID: ATC07030, 2026).

Road drainage and the water environment

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) River Basin Management Plan online mapping tool records one classified surface waterbody within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Leader Water / Kelphope Burn (Cleekhimin Burn confluence to River Tweed) is a river, in the River Tweed catchment of the Solway Tweed river basin district (ID: 5266). The main stem is approximately 23.2km in length, lies approx. 81m east of the scheme and is classified as being in ‘Moderate’ condition.

Seven unclassified waterbodies lie within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Issue1, Issue2 and Kitty Burn are culverted below the A68 within the scheme extents and are tributaries of Leader Water / Kelphope Burn. All waterbodies are separated from the scheme extents by adjacent roadside verge.
  • A drain lies approx. 171m south of the scheme and is a tributary of Leader Water / Kelphope Burn.
  • Issue3 lies approx. 180m west of the scheme.
  • Pond1 lies approx. 191m east of the scheme.
  • Pond2 lies approx. 255m east of the scheme.

A search of the SEPA’s Flood Map online mapping tool records that the A68 within the scheme extents is not at risk of surface water flooding.

A search of Scotland's Environment (SE) online mapping tool determined that the trunk road lies on the ‘Lauder’ groundwater, which has been classified as being in ‘Good’ condition.

The scheme extents do not lie within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ).

Climate

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘The Act’), and its subsequent amendment under the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, sets the framework for the Scottish Government to address climate change. The Act has an ambitious target to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with any residual emissions balanced by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is five years earlier than the rest of the UK due to the greater potential for carbon sequestration in Scotland.

The Act was amended to replace interim targets with carbon budgets. Carbon budgets are legally binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland over five-year periods. In line with the Act, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) published advice on the level of Scotland’s four carbon budgets, covering the period 2026 to 2045, recommending what the Scottish Government sets its carbon budgets at for annual average levels of emissions. These recommendations are based on an ambitious but credible route to Net Zero for Scotland by 2045. 

Emissions reductions from surface transport are the largest contribution to meeting the first two carbon budgets. The pathway for surface transport emission reduction is primarily driven by the uptake of electric vehicles, in addition to measures to enable a shift from car use to public transport and active travel, which all play a role in reducing emissions from fossil fuel cars. Ensuring efficiency of existing transport infrastructure and improving/providing new active travel facilities is therefore important to support these carbon reduction budgets. 

Transport is the largest contributor to harmful climate emissions in Scotland. In response to the climate emergency, Transport Scotland are committed to reducing their emissions by 75% by 2030 and to the above noted legally binding target of net-zero by 2045. Transport Scotland is committed to reducing carbon across Scotland’s transport network and this commitment is being enacted through the Mission Zero for Transport (Mission Zero for transport | Transport Scotland).