Description of local environment

Air quality

Properties within 300m of the scheme – refer to ‘Population and Human Health’.

A search of the Air Quality in Scotland online mapping tool records air quality monitoring sites in the wider areas to be within the ‘green zone’ (Low Index 1-3).

The scheme is located within the ‘Scottish Borders’ Council boundary area, which currently has no Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within its administrative boundary. The closest AQMA, ‘Musselburgh High Street’, is located approx. 72.5km north of the scheme extents and is declared for nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

There are no sites registered on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) for pollutant releases to air within 10km of the scheme extents, within the last 10 years.

The baseline air quality within the scheme extents is primarily influenced by motor vehicles travelling along the A68 trunk road. Secondary sources are most commonly derived from woodland management activities

Cultural heritage

The PastMap online mapping tools records no designated cultural heritage assets located within 300m of the scheme extents.

There are three undesignated cultural heritage assets (UCHAs) located within 300m of the scheme extents, all which are located outwith the trunk road boundary and the closest lies approx. 120m northwest of the scheme extents.

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 has therefore been assessed to be low.

Given that the works will be restricted to the existing A68 carriageway boundary and depth, that no designated cultural heritage features are located within 300m and the closest UCHA being 120m away, the potential for impacts to cultural heritage have been deemed negligible. As such cultural heritage has been scoped out of further environmental assessment.

Landscape and visual effects

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

The Landscape Character Type (LCT) within the study area is ‘Southern Uplands with Forest - Borders’ (no. 96) (Scottish Landscape Character Types), the key characteristics of which are:

  • Large scale rolling landform with higher dome or cone-shaped summits.
  • Dominant coniferous forest cover characterised by Sitka spruce plantations with occasional areas of pine and larch.
  • Dispersed settlement pattern of farmsteads and forestry buildings, mainly within sheltered valleys.
  • Scattered pockets of past land use from prehistoric to post-medieval times
  • Simple, uniform character.
  • Strong sense of enclosure, quietness and tranquillity.

Land use located within 300m of the scheme extents can be categorised as the following:

  • Plantation, and
  • Rough grazing.

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

  • ‘Class 5.2’ – Land capable of use as improved grassland. Few problems with pasture establishment but may be difficult to maintain.
  • ‘Class 6.3’ – Land capable of use as rough grazings with low quality plants.

The scheme is flanked by extensive areas of plantation conifer woodland on either side of the carriageway:

There are no areas of woodland registered on the Ancient Woodland Inventory Scotland and 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 low volume, fast-flowing traffic, road markings, signage and landscaping. The scale of the trunk road detracts from the quality and character of the wider landscape.

Biodiversity

The NatureScot SiteLink online mapping records the scheme is not situated within 2km of, and does not share connectivity with, any ‘European Site’ designated for biodiversity features e.g., Special Area of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Area (SPA), Ramsar.

There are no Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Local Nature Conservation Site’s (LNCS) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) designated for biodiversity features that have been identified within 300m of the scheme extents.

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

Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS)

  • Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica).

The closest record to the scheme extents is located approx. 1.3km north of the of the scheme extents.

A search of the Asset Performance Management System (AMPS) online mapping tool records the following plant species within the verges of the A68 surrounding the scheme extents:

Invasive native perennial:

  • Rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium) (2025).

The habitat immediately bordering the A68 carriageway consists of vast areas of plantation woodland, and made verges which undergo cyclic maintenance (e.g., grass-cutting, weed control, etc.). While there is high availability of roadside vegetation, the habitat predominantly consists of plantation conifer woodland which is of reduce biodiversity value, furthermore the A68 trunk road limits the connectivity and continuity for species between their potential habitats on either side of the road.

Geology and soils

The A68 within the scheme extents is not located within a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS), and there are no Local Geodiversity Sites (LGS) within 300m or which share connectivity to the scheme extents. 

The National Soil Map of Scotland online mapping tool records the generalised soil type beneath the scheme extents:

  • Mineral gleys, and
  • Peaty gleys.

The major soil group beneath the scheme extents:

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

  • Till, Devensian (Diamicton).

The bedrock geology in the scheme extents is recorded as:

  • Ballagan formation - sandstone, siltstone and dolomitic limestone.

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

Given the restriction of the works to the A68 carriageway boundary, and the lack of any earthworks, local geology and soils are unlikely to be affected by the proposed works. Therefore, geology and soils has been scoped out of further environmental assessment.

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are required to resurface the worn carriageway and reinstate road markings. Materials used will consist of:

  • TS2010 10mm Site Class 1/2/3.
  • AC20 Dense Binder 40/60 (Warm Mix).
  • AC32 Dense Base Course (Warm Mix).
  • Tack/Bond coat, paving grade bitumen to seal vertical faces.
  • Eurolite Thermoplastic Road Markings.
  • Embedded Road Studs.

The scheme has a value greater than £350,000. As a result, a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is required.

The scheme involves removal of the surface course and localised areas of binder and base. The main waste produced during the works will be 2,916 tonnes of bituminous materials which will be removed from site, approx. five tonnes of which is classified as hazardous material containing coal tar.

Noise and vibration

Receptors – refer to ‘Population and Human Health’.

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

The noise level (LDEN) modelled within the scheme extents ranges between 60 and 65 decibels (dB) dropping to between 50 and 55dB at the nearest sensitive receptor (NSR) (residential) (Scotland’s Noise Scotland’s Environment).

The baseline noise and vibration in the scheme extents is primarily influenced by vehicles travelling along the A68 trunk road. Secondary sources are most commonly from woodland management activities.

Population and human health

One residential property is located within 300m of the scheme extents. The property is located approx. 80m west of the scheme and has limited screening provided by large garden trees.

There are no non-motorised user (NMU) facilities are present within the scheme extents.

Street lighting is absent throughout 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 (1,588 motor vehicles (ID: JTC00047, 2026)).

Road drainage and the water environment

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) River Basin Management Plan online mapping tool records no classified surface waterbodies within 300m of the scheme extents.

One small minor unclassified surface waterbody, considered to be a minor tributary, is located within 300m of the scheme: Details are as follows:

  • Waterbody1 - located approx. 30m east of the scheme extents (at the nearest point).

A search of the SEPA’s Flood Map online mapping tool records that the trunk road within the northern scheme extents is recorded as having a medium to high likelihood (each year this area has a 0.5% to 10% chance of flooding) of surface water flooding each year.

A search of the Scotland’s Environment (SE) online mapping tool determined that the motorway, within the scheme extents, lies on the ‘Wauchope Forest’ groundwater, which has been classified as ‘Good’.

A search of the Scotland's Environment (SE) determined that the trunk road, within the scheme extents, does 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).