Description of local environment

Air quality

Receptors – refer to ‘Population and Human Health’.

A search of the Air Quality in Scotland online mapping records 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 City of Edinburgh Council, which has five active Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within its administrative boundary, the closest of which, ‘Edinburgh AQMA No. 1 City Centre’, lies approx. 5.4km northwest of the scheme and has been declared for nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

There are 11 sites registered on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) for pollutant releases to air within 10km of the scheme within the last 10 years:

  • Oatslie Sandpit Landfill, Cleugh Road, Midlothian – Waste and Waste-Water Management, declared for carbon dioxide (CO2), chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and methane, located approx. 4.6km south of the scheme.
  • North British Distillery, Wheatfield Road, Edinburgh – Animal and Vegetable Products from the Food and Beverage Sector, declared for CO2, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), located approx. 5.6km northwest of the scheme.
  • MacFarlan Smith Limited, Wheatfield Road, Edinburgh – Chemical Industry, declared for NMVOCs and toluene, located approx. 5.7km northwest of the scheme.
  • Millerhill Recycling and Energy Recovery Centre – Waste and Waste-Water Management, declared for antimony, cadmium, CO2, chromium, copper, dioxins and furans as WHO TEQ, manganese, mercury, nickel, NO2 and particulate matter (PM) PM5 and smaller, located approx. 6.6km northeast of the scheme.
  • Millerhill Anaerobic Digestion Facility, Dalkeith – Waste and Waste-Water Management, declared for ammonia, carbon monoxide and methane, located approx. 6.7km northeast of the scheme.
  • Sighthill Biscuit Factory, Edinburgh – Animal and Vegetable Products from the Food and Beverage Sector, declared for HFCs, located approx. 6.9km northwest of the scheme.
  • Drummond Moor (No2) Landfill, Rosewell, Midlothian – Waste and Waste-Water Management, declared for CFCs, HCFCs and methane, located approx. 7.8km south of the scheme.
  • Interflex Limited, Mayfield Industrial Estate, Dalkeith – Other Activities, declared for NMVOCs, located approx. 8.1km southeast of the scheme.
  • East Lothian Eggs at Howden Farm – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, located approx. 8.3km east of the scheme.
  • Gogarbank Poultry, Corstorphine, Edinburgh – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, PM10 and smaller, located approx. 8.7km northwest of the scheme.
  • Edinburgh Sewage Treatment Works, Leith – Waste and Waste-Water Management, declared for ammonia, CO2 and methane, located approx. 9.1km northeast of the scheme.

Baseline air quality in the study area is mainly influenced by 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

The PastMap and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) online mapping tools records six designated sites within 300m of the scheme extents, consisting of one conservation area (CA) and five listed buildings, the closest of which lies approx. 19m north of the scheme:

  • Morton Mains CA.

Of lesser cultural heritage, 20 undesignated cultural heritage assets (UCHAs) lie within 300m of the scheme extents, the closest of which lies approx. 58m south of the scheme:

  • Straiton, Edinburgh Historic Environment Record (HER) (Reservoir).

Construction of the A720 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 Morton Mains CA is in close proximity to the scheme extents they are separated from the works by the active eastbound carriageway (EB), additionally, the works will be restricted to the existing A720 boundary and will not be at risk of impacting the conservation area. 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 ‘Lowland River Valleys – Lothians’ (no. 270) (Scottish Landscape Character Types). The characteristics of which are:

  • Meandering rivers and tributary streams flowing northward 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 within 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 18th 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.
  • Views are generally contained by enclosed 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 300m of the scheme is categorised into the following:

  • Motorway and major roads.
  • Rough grazing.
  • Rectilinear fields and farms.
  • Recreation area.
  • Power generation.
  • Designed landscape.

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.
  • ‘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.
  • ‘Class 5.2’ - Land capable of use as improved grassland. Few problems with pasture establishment but may be difficult to maintain.

There are four areas of lowland mixed deciduous woodland on the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland (NWSS) within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Nearly-native wet woodland (approx. 2.1ha) lies approx. 14m north of the scheme.
  • Native blackthorn scrub (approx. 0.7ha) lies approx. 71m southeast of the scheme.
  • Nearly-native lowland mixed deciduous woodland (approx. 1.8ha) lies approx. 141m north of the scheme.
  • Native wet woodland (approx. 1ha) lies approx. 237m northwest of the scheme.

One area of woodland on the Ancient Woodland Inventory Scotland, assessed to be long-established of plantation origin, lies within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • 6.4ha lies approx. 141m north of the scheme.

There are no trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) with connectivity to the scheme extents however, all trees within a CA (i.e., Morton Mains CA) are protected.

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 within the buffer zone of several of the qualifying species of the Firth of Forth Special Protection Area (SPA) and Ramsar Site, Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrew’s Bay Complex SPA, Gladhouse Reservoir SPA and Ramsar Site, Fala Flow SPA and Ramsar Site and Westwater SPA and Ramsar Site.

Two Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS) lie within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Lothian Burn LNCS lies approx. 14m north of the scheme.
  • Swanston Burn LNCS lies approx. 45m northwest of the scheme.

There are no Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) designated for biodiversity features within 300m of the scheme extents. However, a number of the SPA’s stated above are underpinned by SSSIs. The Firth of Forth SSSI underpins the Firth of Forth SPA and is located approx. 8.9km north of the scheme. Gladhouse Reservoir SSSI underpins the Gladhouse Reservoir SPA and is located 13km southeast. Fala Flow SSSI underpins the Fala Flow SPA and is located approx. 17.4km southeast of the scheme. Lastly Westwater SSSI underpins the Westwater SPA and is located approx. 19km southwest of the scheme.

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

Three Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS)

  • Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica).
  • Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum).
  • Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum).

Injurious Weeds

  • Broadleaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius).
  • Common ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).
  • Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense).
  • Curled dock (Rumex crispus).

One Invasive Native Perennial

  • Rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium).

The closest record pertains to injurious weeds broadleaved dock and creeping thistle approx. 0.6km east of the scheme (recorded 2015).

A search of the Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) online mapping tool records one instance of INNS giant hogweed (recorded 2018) within the WB verge of the scheme extents.

BEAR Scotland Ecological Constraints Survey

An ecological constraints survey was undertaken by BEAR Scotland on 10th September 2025 of all accessible areas within 200m of the scheme. Habitats bordering the scheme consisted of areas of broadleaved woodland dominated by beech (Fagus sylvatica) and cherry (Prunus avium) with occasional oak (Quercus robur), willow (Salix sp.), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) and arable and pastoral land, with small watercourses present through woodland habitats both to the north and south of the scheme.

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 therefore comprise a narrow strip of homogenous species-poor semi-improved grassland and roadside broadleaved tree shelterbelt (approx. 5m to 10m wide). Roadside vegetation generally offers low ecological habitat due to its limited scale, fragmented nature and high potential for disturbance owing to cyclic trunk road 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 surrounding the scheme forms a pattern of open and exposed fields containing both arable and pastoral land. The result of intensive agricultural land management is to 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.

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) within 300m of the scheme extents. 

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

  • Brown Soils.
  • Alluvial Soils.

The major soil group beneath the scheme extents are:

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

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

  • Glaciofluvial Ice Contact Deposits, Sand and Gravel.
  • Till, Devensian (Diamicton).
  • Lacustrine Deposits, Clay, Silt and Sand.

The bedrock geology in the scheme extents is recorded as:

  • Hopetoun Member, Sedimentary Rock Cycles (Strathclyde Group Type).
  • Kinnesswood Formation, Sandstone.
  • Fairmilehead Volcanic Member, Olivine – Basalt.

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 A720 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 Class 1 10mm Surface Course.
  • EME2 14mm Binder Course.
  • Tack/Bond Coat.
  • Paving Grade Bitumen.
  • Weatherline+ Thermoplastic Extrusion Road Markings.
  • Embedded Road Studs.

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

The 1465m scheme involves removal of surface course and localised areas of base and binder. In total, approx. 4910 tonnes of bituminous material (European Waste Catalogue Code: 17 03 02) will be removed from site, none of which is classified as 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 (Lngt) ranges between 70 and 75 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., farmstead).

The baseline noise and vibration in the scheme extents is primarily influenced by vehicles travelling along the A720 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

Two residential properties, a farmstead and an early learning centre lie within 300m of the scheme extents, the closest of which (farmstead) lies approx. 177m north of the scheme and is fully screened from the scheme by roadside tree shelterbelt.

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

Street lighting is not present within the scheme extents.

The A720, within the scheme extents, is a dual carriageway with the national speed limit applying throughout. The Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) flow is high (78,344 motor vehicles (ID: 74289, 2024)).

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:

  • Burdiehouse Burn/Swanston Burn is a river in the Edinburgh Coastal catchment of the Scotland river basin district (ID: 3600), which is spanned by the A720 at the eastern and western extents of the scheme. The main stem is approximately 15.3km in length and spans the A720. The water body has been designated as a heavily modified water body on account of physical alterations that cannot be addressed without a significant impact on the drainage of agricultural land and has been classified as being in ‘Poor’ condition.

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

  • Pentland Burn, a tributary of Lothian Burn, is culverted beneath the scheme extents. It is separated from the scheme by roadside verge and sloped embankment.
  • An issue is culverted beneath the scheme extents, this waterbody is also a tributary of Lothian Burn and is separated from the scheme by roadside verge and a sloped embankment.
  • A pond lies approx. 153m south of the scheme.

A search of the SEPA’s Flood Map online mapping tool records that the A720 within the scheme extents is at low risk of surface water flooding (i.e., each year this area has a 0.1% chance of flooding).

A search of Scotland's Environment (SE) online mapping tool determined that the trunk road lies on the ‘Penicuik’ groundwater which has been classified as ‘Poor’ and ‘Fairmilehead’ groundwater 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).