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 show that the air quality zones 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 currently has no Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within its administrative boundary. The nearest AQMA, ‘High Street, Musselburgh’, lies within the boundary of East Lothian Council approx. 51.8km northwest of the scheme extents (at its nearest point) and has been 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, within the last 10 years.

The baseline air quality within the scheme extents is primarily influenced by motor vehicles travelling along the A7 trunk road. Secondary sources are derived from vehicles travelling along nearby local network roads and day-to-day agricultural land management activities.

Cultural heritage

According to the PastMap and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) online mapping tool, there are no designated cultural heritage assets located within 300m of the scheme extents.

There are approx. 12 undesignated cultural heritage assets located within 300m of the scheme extents. The nearest record pertains to ‘Drinkstone Hill’ National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) and Historic Environment Record (HER) (ID: 341734) which lies approx. 70m east from the southern end of the scheme extents.

Construction of the A7 carriageway is likely to have removed any archaeological remains that may have been present within the carriageway boundary. The potential for the presence of unknown archaeological remains in the study area has therefore been assessed to be low.

Given the restriction of the works to the A7 carriageway and that no designated cultural heritage assets have been identified within 300m of the works, the potential for impacts is considered to be negligible, therefore ‘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 scheme extents is ‘Wooded Upland Fringe Valley’ (no. 119) and ‘Rolling Farmland – Borders’ (no. 99) (Scottish Landscape Character Types). The key characteristics of ‘Wooded Upland Fringe Valley’ are:

  • Small scale, intimate, enclosed character.
  • Strong visual containment.
  • Deeply incised river channels with frequent cliffs and steep slopes.
  • Heavily wooded valley floors and lower valley sides.
  • Contrasting open rolling slopes at higher levels above rivers.
  • Generally tranquil, unspoilt character.

The key characteristics of ‘Rolling Farmland – Borders’ are:

  • Undulating relief, becoming more pronounced at higher elevations.
  • Distinctive areas of flat or constant gentle gradients, giving wide horizons and skyscapes.
  • Large-scale strong geometric field pattern, enclosed by hedgerows, with scattered coniferous woods.
  • Mix of arable, ley pasture and permanent grazing land.
  • Moderately densely settled, with frequent farmsteads and small villages.
  • Well kempt, prosperous appearance.

Land use within the study area is comprised of the following:

  • Urban area.
  • Recreation area.
  • Managed woodland.
  • Medieval village.
  • Rectilinear fields and farms.

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

  • ‘Class 4.1’ - Land capable of producing a narrow range of crops, primarily grassland with short arable breaks of forage crops and cereal.

There are two areas of woodland registered on the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland database located within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • 4ha of lowland mixed deciduous woodland, located directly alongside the northbound (NB) carriageway boundary.
  • 3.3ha of wet woodland, located approx. 125m northeast of the scheme extents.

In addition to the above, the following woodlands are located within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • 0.9ha of broadleaved woodland, located directly alongside the NB carriageway boundary.
  • 0.7ha of mixed mainly broadleaved woodland, located directly alongside the NB carriageway boundary.
  • 0.6ha of conifer woodland, located approx. 145m southwest of the scheme extents.
  • 1.4ha of broadleaved woodland, located approx. 170m east of the scheme extents.

There are no areas of woodland registered on the Ancient Woodland Inventory Scotland database and no trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) located within 300m of 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 River Tweed Special Area of Conservation (SAC) flows directly beneath the A7 carriageway at the northern end of the scheme extents. No other European sites e.g., Special Protections Areas (SPAs) or Ramsar Sites are located within 2km of the scheme extents, or share connectivity with the works.

There are no Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) designated for biodiversity features within 300m of the scheme extents.

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

One invasive non-native species (INNS):

  • Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica).

The nearest record lies approx. 1.4km east of the scheme extents (recorded in 2022). No injurious weeds or invasive native perennials were recorded within 2km of the scheme extents (in the last 10-years).

A search of the Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) online mapping tool records the following plant species within the verge of the A7 carriageway boundary within the scheme extents (in the last 10-years):

One invasive native perennial:

  • Rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium).

No INNS or injurious weeds were recorded within the verges of the scheme extents (in the last 10-years).

The habitat immediately bordering the A7 carriageway consists primarily of mature/semi-mature mixed broadleaved and conifer woodlands, pastoral land, arable land, riparian woodland lining Ale Water, mature hedgerows, natural roadside vegetation (e.g., immature trees, shrubs, scrub, etc.), and made verges which undergo cyclic maintenance (e.g., grass-cutting, weed control, etc.). While there is a high availability of roadside vegetation, the habitat immediately bordering the A7 carriageway is of reduced ecological value, due to the likelihood of disturbances from fast-flowing traffic. The presence of the A7 carriageway also limits the connectivity and continuity for species between their potential habitats on either side of the carriageway.

A preliminary roost assessment (PRA) was undertaken by BEAR Scotland surveyors on the 10th of March 2026 and on the 8th of June 2026, an ecological constraints survey (ECS) was undertaken to identify any potential constraints along Ale Water (the River Tweed SAC) prior to the proposed resurfacing works. Habitats in the wider area surrounding Ale Water included mature riparian woodland with species such as beech (Fagus sylvatica), oak (Quercus robur), sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), lime (Tilia europaea), willow (Salix alba), and alder (Alnus glutinosa).

Geology and soils

The A7 within the scheme extents is not located within a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS) and there are no Local Geodiversity Sites (LGS) located within 300m of the scheme extents.

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

  • Brown Soils.
  • Alluvial soils.

There is one major soil group recorded within the scheme extents:

  • Brown Soils.
  • Alluvial soils.

The British Geological Survey online mapping tool records the superficial geology within the scheme extents as:

  • Till, Devensian – Diamicton.
  • Alluvium – Silt, Sand, and Gravel.

The bedrock geology within the scheme extents is recorded as:

  • Hawick Group – Wacke.

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

Given the restriction of the works to the A7 carriageway and the lack of any excavation works, local geology and soils are unlikely to be affected by the proposed resurfacing works. As such, ‘Geology and Soils’ has been scoped out of further environmental assessment.

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are required to resurface the worn A7 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 of less than £350,000. As a result, a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is not required.

The scheme involves removal of the surface course, as well as areas of binder and base. The main waste produced during the works will be approx. 1010 tonnes of road planings (bituminous materials), which will be removed from site, none 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 night-time modelled noise level (LNGT) within the scheme extents ranges between 55 and 60 decibels (dB), with levels dropping to between 45 and 50 dB at the nearest noise sensitive receptor (NSR) (residential property).

Baseline noise and vibration in the study area is mainly influenced by vehicles traveling along the A7 trunk road. Secondary sources are derived from vehicles travelling along nearby local network roads, day-to-day woodland and agricultural land management activities.

Population and human health

There are numerous residential properties and business premises located within 300m of the scheme extents. The nearest property (residential) lies approx. 25m east of the A7 carriageway boundary and has no screening from the scheme extents. The remaining residential properties have either partial to full screening from the scheme due to mature tree shelterbelts, hedgerows, intervening topography and/or other properties.

There is one pedestrian footpath located alongside the southbound (SB) carriageway boundary at the northern end of the scheme extents only.

There are no other non-motorised (NMU) or community facilities with connectivity to the scheme extents and there is no street lighting present throughout the scheme.

The A7, within the scheme extents, is a single carriageway with a speed limit of 60 mph applying throughout. The Average Daily Traffic (ADT) flow is low (5,757 motor vehicles (ID: 110456, 2026 data)) (Drakewell Traffic Data).

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:

  • ‘Ale Water (Woll Burn confluence to Teviot Water)’ (ID: 5236), which flows beneath the northern end of the scheme extents. It is a river in the River Tweed catchment of the Solway Tweed river basin district with the main stem approx. 28.5km in length and an overall ecological classification of ‘Poor’. This water body has been designated as a heavily modified water body on account of physical alterations that cannot be addressed with a significant impact on water storage for public drinking.

Six unclassified waterbodies, considered to be a minor tributary or drainage channels, lie within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • ‘Drain one, which flows beneath the northern end of the scheme extents,
  • ‘Drain two‘, located approx. 50m west of the scheme extents,
  • ‘Pond one’, located approx. 100m west of the scheme extents,
  • ‘Drain three‘, located approx. 135m southwest of the scheme extents,
  • ‘Tathyhole Sike’, located approx. 170m east of the scheme extents,
  • ‘Drain four‘, located approx. 180m west of the scheme extents, and
  • ‘Pond two’, located approx. 200m southwest of the scheme extents.

These waterbodies are considered to be too small (in terms of catchment area) to be classified as a main stem waterbody by SEPA under the water framework directive (WFD).

A search of the SEPA’s Flood Map online mapping tool records that the A7 carriageway has between a low (0.1% chance) and high (10% chance) of surface water flooding each year.

A search of the Scotland’s Environment (SE) online mapping tool determined that the trunk road, within the scheme extents, lies on the ‘Peebles, Galashiels, and Hawick’ groundwaters, which has been classified as ‘Good’.

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).