Description of local enviroment

Air quality

The scheme does not fall within any Air Quality Management Areas (Scottish Air Quality) which have been declared by the Highland Council.

There are no air quality monitoring sites located within 10km of the scheme (Air Quality in Scotland).

There are no Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) monitoring sites located within 10km of the scheme.

Baseline air quality in the study area is mainly influenced by vehicles travelling along the A82 trunk road.

Cultural heritage

According to PastMap (PastMap), only two features listed on the Canmore database are located within 300m of the scheme. Both of these are milestones which lie directly adjacent to the A82 within the scheme extents.

There are no Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings, Historic Environment Records, Garden & Designed Landscapes, Conservation Areas, World Heritage Sites or Inventory Battlefields located within 300m of the scheme.

The works are like-for-like and restricted to previously engineered ground within the boundaries of the A82 trunk road. Therefore, this receptor has no constraints that are likely to be impacted by the proposed works and as such, ‘cultural heritage’ is scoped out and is not discussed further within this RoD.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme is situated within the Ben Nevis and Glen Coe National Scenic Area (NSA) (NatureScot), which has the following special qualities:

  • A land of mountain grandeur
  • A land of classic highland vistas
  • Human settlement dwarfed by mountain and moorland
  • The expansive Moor of Rannoch
  • The spectacular drama of Glen Coe
  • The wooded strath of lower Glen Coe
  • The narrow and enclosed Loch Leven
  • The impressive massif of Ben Nevis
  • The wild Mamores and secretive Glen Nevis
  • The fjord-like upper Loch Leven
  • Long and green Glen Etive
  • The dark heritage

The scheme is not located within any National Parks (SiteLink).

The scheme is located within a rural location on the A82, with land surrounding the scheme dominated by boggy moorlands, sparse tree coverage and various lochs across the landscape.

The Landscape Character Type (LCT) within the scheme extent is recorded as ‘Boggy Moorland – Lochaber’ (LCT No. 232), which is noted for the following key characteristics:

  • Vast waterlogged landscape, although one whose scale can be reduced by low hanging cloud and mist.
  • Amphitheatre setting - a massive basin encircled by curtain of hills which are often accentuated by cloud draped summits.
  • Large scale recurring landcover pattern of grass, rush and heather, scattered glacial erratics and mounds, pools and lochans with a few stunted trees.
  • Lochans with trees and rocks provide local foci within the landscape.
  • Small scale pattern of seasonal flowers and lichens draw the eye from the expanse into the detail of the bog surface.
  • Minimal obvious human influence, giving a remote and wild landscape character.

The A82 Trunk Road connects Alexandria with Crianlarich, Fort William and Inverness. It commences immediately north of Tullichewan Roundabout in Alexandria leading generally northwards for a distance of 243 kilometres to its junction with the A9 at (but excluding) Longman Roundabout in Inverness. The A82 is predominantly single carriageway along its length, with some lengths of ‘2+1’ carriageway.

Biodiversity

The following designated sites are located within 2km of scheme extents (NatureScot):

The scheme extent is located within the boundary of Rannoch Moor Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

The scheme extents is located within the boundary of Glen Etive and Glen Fyne Special protection Area (SPA).

River Tay SAC lies approximately 300m northeast of the scheme.

Rannoch Lochs SPA lies approximately 300m northeast of the scheme.

Due to proximity and potential ecological connectivity of the schemes to the noted European sites, a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) Proforma was conducted.

Rannoch Moor Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) overlaps Rannoch Moor SAC and covers the scheme extents.

No other locally or nationally designated biodiversity sites are located within 300m of the scheme (NatureScot).

The NBN Atlas also has records of several bird species within 2km over a 10-year period. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, all wild birds and their active nests are protected.

A further search of the NBN Atlas for records of invasive/injurious plants (as listed in the NMC Contract) within 2km of the scheme (within the last 10 years), has returned record of the following species:

  • Broad leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius)
  • Common ragwort (Senecio jacobae)
  • Rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium)
  • Spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare)

Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) does not record any invasive non-native species (INNS) or injurious weeds within 300m of the scheme.

Habitat surrounding the A82 at this location is dominated by boggy moorlands, sparse tree coverage and various lochs.

There are no areas of woodland within 300m of the scheme listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (Scotland’s Environment).

No Tree Preservation Orders (TPO) are located within 300m of the scheme (Highland Council).

Geology and soils

The A82 within the scheme extents is not located within a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS) or geological SSSI and there are no Local Geodiversity Sites (LGS) with connectivity to the scheme extents.

The British Geological Survey online mapping tool records that the bedrock geology within the scheme extents is recorded as ‘Rannoch Moor Pluton – Granodiorite’, which is an igneous bedrock.

The mapping tool records the following superficial deposits within the scheme extents ‘Till and morainic deposits – diamicton, sand and gravel’, which is a sedimentary deposit.

Soils within the scheme extent are recorded as being ‘Class 1’, as displayed on Scotland’s Peat Map. Class 1 is considered to be peat soil - nationally important carbon-rich soils, deep peat and priority peatland habitat. Areas likely to be of high conservation value.

Works will be restricted to previously engineered ground within the A82 trunk road boundary. Therefore, this receptor has no constraints that are likely to be impacted by the proposed works and as such, ‘geology and soils’ is scoped out and is not discussed further within this Record of Determination (RoD).

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are necessary to resurface sections of the A82 carriageway, requiring base/binder inlay, and reinstatement of road markings and studs. Materials used will consist of:

  • Asphaltic material
  • Bituminous emulsion bond coat
  • Milled in road studs
  • Thermoplastic road marking paint

Wastes are anticipated to be removed planings from the surface course, which will be recovered for re-use in line with BEAR Scotland’s Procedure 126: The Production of Fully Recovered Asphalt Road Planings. The Contractor is responsible for the disposal of road planings and this has been registered in accordance with a Paragraph 13(a) waste exemption issued by SEPA, as described in Schedule 3 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 2011.

The scheme value exceeds £350,000, and as such a site waste management plan (SWMP) is required. Coal tar has not been highlighted as being present within the scheme extent.

Noise and vibration

The scheme does not lie within any Candidate Noise Management Areas (Transport Scotland).

Noise modelled data from Environmental Noise Directive (END) Round 4 Noise Mapping indicates 24 hour annual average noise level (Lden) between 65 and 70dB at the scheme location (SpatialData).

Baseline noise and vibration in the study area is mainly influenced by vehicles travelling along the A82 trunk road.

Population and human health

There are no residential properties located within 300m of the scheme.

There are no access roads, pedestrian paths or other non-motorised user facilities located within the scheme extents. There is one access point to a parking area located near the middle of scheme extents on the western side of the carriageway.

There are no National Cycle Routes (OSMaps), walking routes (WalkHighlands) or core paths (Scotland’s Environment) noted within 300m of scheme extents. 

The nearest traffic count point is located approximately 8km south of the scheme extents (ID: 95095), which estimates an annual average daily flow (AADF) of 3,961 vehicles in 2023, with 319 heavy goods vehicles making up 8% of AADF (Department for Transport).

TM will involve a nighttime single lane closure (19:00 - 06:00), with a 10mph convoy system in place. TM will be removed during the daytime hours.

Road drainage and the water environment

Lochan na h-Achlaise (ID:100231) lies approximately 10m west of the scheme extents at its closest point and has been classified by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) in 2023 as having an overall condition of ‘high’ (SEPA Water Classification Hub).

Allt Bhreacnais (ID:10291) lies approximately 100m east of the scheme extents, and has been classified by the SEPA under the WFD in 2023 as having an overall condition of ‘good’ (SEPA).

Loch Ba (ID:100228) lies approximately 100m north of the scheme extents at its closest point and has been classified by the SEPA under the WFD in 2023 as having an overall condition of ‘high’ (SEPA).

There are also several minor unnamed watercourses which are channelled underneath the A82 within the scheme extents (SEPA).

The scheme is located within the ‘Upper Glen Coe’ groundwater body (ID: 150693) which was classified by SEPA in 2023 as being in ‘good’ condition (SEPA) and is also a Drinking Water Protected Area (Ground).

SEPA Flood Map has highlighted some sections of the A82 as having a high likelihood of surface water flooding within the footprint of the scheme extents (i.e. a 10% chance of flooding each year).

Climate

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 sets out the target and vision set by the Scottish Government for tackling and responding to climate change (The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009). The Act included a target of reducing CO2 emissions by 80% before 2050 (from the baseline year 1990). The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 amended the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 to bring the target of reaching net-zero emissions in Scotland forward to 2045 (Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019).

The Scottish Government has since published its indicative Nationally Determined Contribution (iNDC) to set out how it will reach net-zero emissions by 2045, working to reduce emissions of all major greenhouse gases by at least 75% by 2030 (Scotland's contribution to the Paris Agreement: indicative Nationally Determined Contribution - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)). By 2040, the Scottish Government is committed to reducing emissions by 90%, with the aim of reaching net-zero by 2045 at the latest.

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). 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 a legally binding target of net-zero by 2045.