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 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 City of Edinburgh Council, which has five active Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within its administrative boundary. The nearest AQMA, ‘Edinburgh AQMA No.1 City Centre’, lies approx. 6.7km northwest of the scheme extents (at its nearest point) and has been declared for nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

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

  • ‘Millerhill Recycling & Energy Recovery Centre’ – waste and waste-water management, declared for antimony, cadmium, carbon dioxide, chromium, copper, dioxins and furans, manganese, mercury, nickel, nitrogen oxides, and particulates (located approx. 2.7km northeast),
  • ‘Millerhill Anaerobic Digestion Facility, Dalkeith’ – waste and waste-water management, declared for ammonia, carbon monoxide, and methane (located approx. 2.9km northeast),
  • ‘East Lothian Eggs at Howden Farm’ – intensive livestock production and aquaculture, declared for ammonia (located approx. 3.4km southeast),
  • ‘Interflex Limited, Mayfield Industrial Estate, Dalkeith’ – other activities, declared for non-methane volatile organic compounds (located approx. 4.3km southeast),
  • ‘Oatslie Sandpit Landfill, Cleugh Road, Midlothian’ – waste and waste-water management, declared for carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and methane (located approx. 6.4km southwest)
  • ‘Edinburgh Sewage Treatment Works, Leith’ – waste and waste-water management, declared for ammonia, carbon dioxide, and methane (located approx. 7.9km northwest),
  • ‘MacFarlan Smith Limited, Wheatfield Road, Edinburgh’ – chemical industry, declared for non-methane volatile organic compounds and toluene (located approx. 8.8km northwest),
  • ‘North British Distribution, Wheatfield Road, Edinburgh’ – animal and vegetable products from the food and beverage sector, declared for carbon dioxide, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, hydrofluorocarbons, and non-methane volatile organic compounds (located approx. 8.8km northwest), and
  • ‘Drummond Moor (no2) Landfill. Rosewell, Midlothian’ – waste and waste-water management, declared for chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and methane (located approx. 9.2km southwest).

The baseline air quality within the scheme extents is primarily influenced by motor vehicles travelling along the A720 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 five listed buildings located within 300m of the scheme extents. The nearest record pertains to ‘Old Dalkeith Road Summerside Farmhouse, Stables and Cottage Range’ (ID: LB14186), which lies approx. 120m north from the eastern end of the scheme extents.

One scheduled monument (SM) is located within 300m of the scheme extents. This record pertains to ’Melville Grange, Homestead and Pit Alignments 600m Ese Of’ (ID: SM4592), which lies approx. 240m south of the WB carriageway boundary.

No other designated cultural heritage assets are located within 300m of the scheme extents.

Of lesser cultural heritage value, approx. 34 undesignated cultural heritage assets (UCHAs) lie within 300m of the scheme extents. The nearest record pertains to ‘Melville Grange’ National Record of Historic Environment (NRHE) (ID: 67794), which lies approx. 5m north of scheme at the western extents. 

Construction of the A720 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.

While one UCHA is located within close proximity to the scheme extents, the works will be restricted to the existing boundary and depth of the carriageway and will not be at risk of impacting this feature. Therefore, given this and the distance to the closest designated site there is no potential for impacts to cultural heritage features as a result of 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 Park (NP) or National Scenic Area (NSA).

The Landscape Character Type (LCT) within the scheme extents is ‘Lowland Rivers and Valleys - Lothians’ (no. 270) (Scottish Landscape Character Types). The key characteristics of which are:

  • Meandering rivers and tributary streams flowing northwards from the hills,
  • Predominantly incised river valleys, enclosed and often narrow, though with landform ranging from sections of broader floodplain to very narrow gorges with distinctive rock exposures, although the lower north and South Esk are more open in character,
  • Well wooded with extensive deciduous riparian woodland, and mature mixed policy woodlands associated with the numerous estates,
  • Scrub and pasture with open areas of valley sides, giving way to arable land with shelterbelts on upper slopes and fringes,
  • Large number of significant historic buildings, including vernacular cottages, 18th and 19th century farmsteads, churches (often with highly visible spires), industrial architecture, castles and towerhouses. Large country houses, often with extensive designed landscapes,
  • Remnants of the coal mining industry are evident around the North and South Esk, where rolling farmland, settlement, transport infrastructure, light industry and business uses, also illustrate the diversity of land uses, and
  • Views are generally contained by encloses topography and dense woodland opening out on the farmed and settled upper slopes which give longer distance views to the Pentland Hills to the west. Many valleys are rural and tranquil, whilst quiet and secluded locations occur within all the valleys.

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

  • Rectilinear farms and fields,
  • Motorways and major roads,
  • Restored agricultural land,
  • Golf course,
  • Managed woodland, and
  • Industrial scale farming unit

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

  • ‘Class 2’ – Land capable of producing a wide range of crops, and
  • ‘Class 3.1’ – Land capable of producing consistently high yields of a narrow range of crops and/or moderate yields of a wider range. Short grass leys are common.

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

  • 0.8ha of lowland mixed deciduous woodland, located directly alongside the WB carriageway at the western end of the scheme extents,
  • 1.2ha of lowland mixed deciduous woodland, located directly alongside the WB carriageway at the western end of the scheme extents, and
  • 0.6ha of lowland mixed deciduous woodland, located approx. 100m east from the eastern end of the scheme extents.

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

  • 12.8ha of long established (of plantation origin) woodland, located approx. 70m south of the scheme extents, and
  • 24.1ha of long established (of plantation origin) woodland, located approx. 230m southwest of the scheme extents.

In addition to the above, the following woodland is also located within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • 2.25ha of broadleaved woodland, located approx. 200m north of the scheme at the eastern extents,
  • 2.2ha of broadleaved woodland, located approx. 225m southwest of the scheme extents,
  • 1.2ha of mixed mainly broadleaved woodland, located approx. 235m west of the scheme extents, and
  • 1.8ha of broadleaved woodland, located approx. 190m north of the scheme at the western 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 tools identifies that the scheme is not situated within 2km of any European Sites designated for biodiversity features e.g. Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPA), or Ramsar sites. However, the Firth of Forth SPA and Ramsar site lies approx. 5.2km south of the Forth of Forth SPA and Ramsar site and is therefore within the buffer zone for several of the qualifying features.

The Firth of Forth Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (component of the SPA and Ramsar site) lies approx. 5.2km north of the scheme extents.

There are no Special Sites of Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS) 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):

Three invasive non-native species (INNS):

  • Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum),
  • Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), and
  • Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica).

Two injurious weeds:

  • Common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), and
  • Creeping thistle (Cirisium arvense).

One invasive native perennial:

  • Rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium).

The closest record pertains to common ragwort, which lies approx. 0.17km south of the scheme extents (recorded in 2018).

A search of the Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) online mapping tool records the following plant species within the verge of the A720 WB carriageway boundary within the scheme extents:

One INNS:

  • Giant hogweed.

One injurious weed:

  • Common ragwort.

One invasive native perennial:

  • Rosebay willowherb.

The habitat immediately bordering the A720 WB carriageway consists primarily of large areas of agricultural land separated by field boundaries, steep embankments sloping towards the A720 trunk road, mature hedgerows and/or tree shelterbelts, natural roadside vegetation (e.g., immature trees, shrubs etc.) and made verges which undergo cyclic maintenance (e.g., grass-cutting, weed control, etc.). While there is high availability of roadside vegetation, the habitat immediately bordering the trunk road is assessed to be of reduced ecological value, due to the likelihood of trunk road disturbances from high volume, fast-flowing traffic and that the A720 trunk road limits the connectivity and continuity for species between their potential habitats on either side of the road.

Geology and soils

The A720 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 two generalised soil types within the scheme extents:

  • Mineral gleys, and
  • Brown Soils.

There are two major soil groups recorded within the scheme extents:

  • Gleys, and
  • Brown soils.

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

  • Glaciofluvial Ice Contact Deposits – Sand and Gravel, and
  • Till, Devensian – Diamicton.

The bedrock geology within the scheme extents is recorded as:

  • Scottish Lower Coal Measures Formation – Sedimentary Rock Cycles, Coal Measure Type.

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

Factor has no constraints that are likely to be impacted by the proposed works and has therefore been scoped out of further environmental 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 surface course class 1.
  • TS2010 10mm surface course class 2.
  • EME2 14mm aggregate binder.
  • Tack/bond coat.
  • Paving grade bitumen.
  • Thermoplastic extrusion road markings.
  • Embedded and surface mounted road studs.

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

The 1.61km scheme involves removal of the surface course and localised areas of base and binder. In total, approx. 2554 tonnes of bituminous material (European Waste Catalogue Code: 17 03 02) 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 Noise Management Area (CNMA) or Candidate Quiet Areas (CQA).

The night-time modelled noise level (LGNT) within the scheme extents ranges between 70 and 75 decibels (dB), with levels dropping to between 60 and 65 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 A720 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

Several residential properties and one farm lie within 300m of the scheme extents. The nearest properties (residential, approx. four terraced properties) lie approx. 60m north of the scheme towards the western extents and are almost fully screened from the scheme extents (e.g., due to semi-mature/mature tree shelterbelts, hedgerows, and sloped embankments). The remaining properties have full screening from the scheme extents due to a combination of semi-mature/mature tree shelterbelts, mature hedgerows, minor sloped embankments, intervening topography and/or other properties.

There is one pedestrian footpath/crossing point and one cycle lane located at the eastern end of the scheme extents which crosses the A720 WB carriageway on approach to Sheriffhall Roundabout. There is street lighting present around and on approach to Sheriffhall Roundabout however, the rest of the scheme extents do not have street lighting.

The A720, within the scheme extents, is a dual carriageway with a speed limit of 70 mph applying throughout. The Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) flow is high (49,120 motor vehicles (ID: 80602, 2023 data)) (Road Traffic Statistics).

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.

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

  • ‘Pond one’, located approx. 20m south of the WB carriageway boundary,
  • ‘Dean Burn’, located approx. 35m south of the WB carriageway boundary (at its nearest point),
  • ‘Park Burn’, located approx. 135m southwest from the western end of the scheme extents, and

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 (WFD).

A search of the SEPA’s Flood Map online mapping tool records that the A720 WB carriageway within the scheme extents has a medium risk 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 ‘Dalkeith’ groundwater, which has been classified as ‘Poor’.

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).