Description of local environment

Air quality

There are no Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA) declared by Stirling Council (Air Quality Management Areas).

There are no Air Quality Monitoring Sites (AQMS) located within 10km of the scheme (Scottish Air Quality).

There are no facilities of air pollutant releases listed on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) within 10km of the scheme (Scottish Pollution Release Inventory).

In 2023, the average daily flow (AADF) of traffic was estimated on the A84 trunk road at a monitoring site (Site: 50766) located within the scheme extents accounted for 3594 vehicles, including 210 (5.84%) heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) (Road Traffic Statistics).

Baseline air quality for this scheme is primarily influenced by traffic along the A84 trunk road. Secondary releases are likely delivered by land management within the wider area.

Cultural heritage

A desktop study of Historic Environment Scotland’s data on Pastmap found the following features of cultural heritage within 300m of the scheme:

  • Strathyre, Immervoulin (Reference LB4195; Category C) lies adjacent to the A84 trunk road (NGR: NN 56066 16626)
  • Strathyre, Coire Buidhe and St Ola (Reference LB50345; Category C) lies adjacent to the A84 trunk road (NGR: NN 56108 17024)
  • Strathyre, Monument to Dugald Buchanan (Reference LB50348; Category C) lies adjacent to the A84 trunk road (NGR: NN 56073 17083)
  • Strathyre, Corriegowrie (Reference LB50346; Category C) lies adjacent to the A84 trunk road (NGR: NN 56096 17158)
  • Strathyre, Bridge Over the River Balvag (Reference LB4194; Category B) lies approximately 240m southwest of the scheme end point (NGR: NN 56043 17202)
  • Strathyre, Dochfour and Mandalay (reference LB50347; Category C) lies approximately 161m south of the scheme end point (NGR: NN 56168 17240)

There are numerous records of cultural heritage listed on the Historic Environment Records (HER) and Canmore databases within 300m of the scheme (Pastmap). Features recorded on HER and Canmore are undesignated and do not have any statutory protection. The closest of these, Strathyre, Main Street, Coire Buidhe and St Ola – Canmore; Strathyre, Memorial to Dugald Buchanan – Canmore and HER and the Buchanan Monument – HER, lie adjacent to the A84 trunk road within the scheme extents.

There are no Scheduled Monuments, Garden & Designed Landscapes, Conservation Areas, Battlefields or World Heritage Sites within 300m of the scheme. 

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme does not fall within a National Scenic Area (NSA) (SiteLink) however, the scheme does fall entirely within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (LLTNP) (8621) which has been designated for the following special general qualities:

  • A world-renowned landscape famed for its rural beauty
  • Wild and rugged highlands contrasting with pastoral lowlands
  • Water in its many forms
  • The rich variety of woodlands
  • Settlements nestled within a vast natural backdrop
  • Famous through-routes
  • Tranquillity
  • The easily accessible landscape splendour

The Landscape Character Type (LCT) within the study area is ‘Straths and glens with lochs’ (no. 254) (NatureScot). The key characteristics of this LCT are:

  • Strongly enclosed by steep and often rugged hill slopes with lochs filling much of the space between, leaving only a narrow flatter margin against the loch shore.
  • Lochs generally long and narrow.
  • Narrow passes occur between some lochs. Subtle promontories and narrow beaches feature on loch shorelines – these particularly appreciated in long views down the length of the lochs. Modification of natural lochs and water catchments in the Park, giving rise to a variety of structures including dams and aqueducts – many of these comprise distinctive 19th Century structures.
  • Settlements often located at the head of lochs and major through roads are aligned through some of these glens and straths.
  • Scattered traditional dwellings or clusters of buildings usually located close to alluvial pastures at the intersection with side glens and water courses on some loch shores.
  • Tourism and recreation facilities along loch shores.
  • Highland-type designed landscapes, grand houses, hunting lodges and associated features, policies and parklands occupy prime loch shore positions. Pier and timber boat houses are a common feature in association with houses and estates particularly on Loch Ard.
  • Lochs are highly visible, with roads and cycle/walking routes aligned close to their shores.
  • Long views are possible across open water to the Highland Summits and the combination of craggy towering hills and smooth water is an essential component of the scenic richness of the National Park.

The scheme is located on a section of the A84 carriageway that runs through the rural village of Strathyre, within Stirling Council. Land use surrounding the scheme is typically dominated by dense woodland found on either side of the A84 carriageway. The immediate land adjacent to the carriageway scheme extents is a residential area. To the west of the A84 carriageway is the River Balvag meandering its way throughout the landscape.

The A84 Trunk Road connects Stirling with Doune, Callander and Lochearnhead. It commences from its junction with the M9 at and including the eastern most roundabout at Craigforth Stirling (M9 junction 10) leading generally north-westwards for a distance of 44.7 kilometres to its junction with the A85 in Lochearnhead. The A84 is a single carriageway along its length.

Biodiversity

The scheme is located approximately 20m east of the River Teith Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which encompasses the River Balvag at this section.

Due to proximity and ecological connectivity of the works to the River Teith SAC, a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) has been produced. Refer to the relevant assessment section below for details.

There are no Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS), Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) or National Nature Reserve (NNR) (SiteLink) within 300m of the scheme. Approximately 1.5km south of the scheme start point is the Loch Lubnaig Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (NatureScot Site Code 1004) which overlaps the River Teith SAC.

The National Biodiversity Network Atlas (NBN Atlas) holds 527 records of bird species within 2km of the scheme (the search criteria included only records during the past ten years, and which have open-use attributions (OGL-CC0-CC-BY). Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), all wild birds and their active nests are protected, with certain species receiving additional protections.

The NBN Atlas holds one record of invasive and injurious plant species (as listed on the Network Management Contract (NMC)) within 300m of the scheme using the same search criteria:

  • American Skunk-cabbage (Lysichiton americanus)

A search using Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) does not hold any records of invasive or injurious plant species within 300m of the scheme.

Habitat surrounding the A84 is dominated by conifer and mixed woodland and pockets of pastoral fields used for crop growing and grazing, as well as the residential area of Strathyre. Freshwater habitat is provided by River Balvag which lies approximately 20m west from the A84 carriageway.

The majority of the scheme lies within or in proximity to three areas of ancient woodland as listed on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI). The areas of ancient woodland are either of ‘ancient (of semi-natural origin)’; or ‘other’. The following woods are within the footprint of the scheme extent:

  • Wood ID: 16503
  • Wood ID: 16532
  • Wood ID: 16533

There are no areas of trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) by LLTNP Planning within 300m of the scheme extent.

Geology and soils

There are no Geological Conservation Review Sites (GCRSs), or geological SSSI’s located within 300m of the scheme (SiteLink).

Component soils around the scheme extent are described as ‘Brown Earths’. The parent material is described as drifts derived from arenaceous schists and strongly metamorphosed argillaceous schists of the Dalradian Series (Scotland’s Soils).

Soils in the area around the scheme extent are ‘Class 0’ mineral soils and peatland habitats are not typically found on such soils (Carbon and Peatland Map 2016).

Bedrock geology found within the scheme is Loch Katrine Volcaniclastic Formation – Metasandstone which is metamorphic bedrock. The superficial deposits within the scheme are Alluvium and River Terrace Deposits (gravel, sand, silt and clay) which are sedimentary superficial deposits (BGS Geology Viewer).

Works will be restricted to previously engineered ground within the A84 trunk road boundary.

Material assets and waste

The resurfacing works are required to replace worn surface and general maintenance of the A84 trunk road. 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.

There is no requirement for a site compound.

A Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is not required and coal tar has not been highlighted as being present within the scheme extent.

Noise and vibration

For residential, community and commercial receptors refer to the ‘Population and Human Health’ section below.

The works do not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by Transport Scotland’s Transportation Noise Action Plan (TNAP) 2019-2023.

A search of the latest Round 4 noise mapping data, as displayed on the Scottish Government's GeoNetwork Map returned records for noise levels during the night (LNGT) within the A84 and its verges between 50 and 60 dB.

Baseline noise levels are likely to be primarily influenced by traffic travelling along the A84. Secondary sources are derived from day-to-day urban and agricultural/forestry land management activities.

Population and human health

As the scheme extent is located within a residential area in the rural village of Strathyre, there are numerous residential and business properties, as well as on-street parking, public footpaths, public services, and bus stops within proximity to the scheme extent. As such, there is no roadside verge screening provided to properties adjacent to the trunk road.

The National Cycle Network (NCN) route 7 (OS Maps) runs parallel to the A84 carriageway and lies approximately 200m west of the scheme with an access point from the village located approximately 28m to the west of the A84 carriageway within the scheme extents (NGR: NN 56061 17197).

There are several Core paths located within 300m of the scheme listed on Core Paths within LLTNP (LLTNP Core Paths):

  • S1097 (Named Route NCN7) – runs parallel to the A84 carriageway within the scheme extent
  • S0839
  • S0400 – crosses the A84 carriageway within the scheme extent
  • S0840
  • S0720 (Named Route RRW)
  • S1063 (Named Route NCN7) – runs parallel to the A84 carriageway within the scheme extent

There are three designated walking routes within 300m of the scheme extents listed on (WalkHighlands) including:

  • The Strathyre Circuit – crosses and runs parallel to the A84 carriageway within the scheme extent
  • Beinn an t-Sidhean, Strathyre – runs parallel to the A84 carriageway within the scheme extent
  • Rob Roy Way: Strathyre to Killin – crosses the A84 carriageway within the scheme extent

Road drainage and the water environment

The scheme extent and surrounding area is underpinned by Trossachs groundwater (ID: 150680) which is 541.9 square kilometres in area. In 2023, this was assigned ‘Good’ by SEPA under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD). The scheme falls into a Drinking Water Protected Area for groundwater. A Drinking Water Protected Area for surface water is located approximately 460m northeast of the scheme.

The River Balvag is a river (ID: 4737) in the River Forth catchment of the Scotland river basin district. The main stem is approximately 10 kilometres in length and it flows from the south into Loch Lubnaig and lies at a distance of 20m west of the scheme at its closest point. In 2023, it was assigned ‘Good’ by SEPA under the WFD.

One named but unclassified waterbody (Tighanes Burn) and several unclassified and unnamed surface waterbodies and/or culverted drainage channels are culverted beneath the A84 and/or lie within 300m of the scheme.

SEPA Flood Map has highlighted a high likelihood of river water flooding at various small points along the scheme extent (i.e. a 10% chance of flooding) each year. Similarly, there is also a high likelihood of surface water flooding at various small points along the scheme extent.

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 includes 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.