2. Existing Conditions 2.1 Engineering 2.2 Location of Existing Services 2.3 Traffic 2.4 Accident Statistics 2.5 Climate 2.6 Environment

2. Existing Conditions

General updates to the information regarding the existing conditions described in the 1995 Stage 2 Report are contained in this chapter.

2.1 Engineering

2.1.1 Road Geometry and Carriageway Standards

The existing carriageway is generally between 6.5 and 7.3m wide with local widening at major junctions to facilitate offside ghost island turning lanes. The road alignment is fairly gentle with a calculated design speed of 100 kph Band A determined in accordance with DMRB: TD9/93 "Highway Link Design". However, if taken in isolation, the calculated design speed of the southern section between the dual carriageway and the A975 Rashiereive junction is only 85kph. The majority of horizontal curves lie within the 375m to 1050m range resulting in a road with limited overtaking opportunities. One section of the road around Hill of Menie, approximately 2 km north of Balmedie, is particularly severe with the combination of reverse curves and narrow verges creating a potentially hazardous section. Vertically, the alignment is satisfactory with a maximum gradient of 4%.

There are two principal junctions along the single carriageway in addition to a number of minor junctions and accesses connecting to the farming communities:

the A975 Rashiereive Junction; and
the B9000 Fountainbleau Junction.

All junctions are "at-grade" with the A975 junction having a designated ghost island right turning lane. All other junctions are simple 'T' junctions although road safety measures have now included the provision of a narrow separator lane at the B9000 Fountainbleau junction.

At the southern end of the scheme there are at-grade junctions on the dual carriageway section that provide access to Balmedie and Belhelvie to the west. Likewise, at the northern end of the scheme a number of at-grade junctions are located on the dualled section to gain access to Tipperty.

There are no footways along the route except for a short length at Foveran and verges are generally around 2m wide varying to facilitate sight distances.

Hard strips are absent except at the southern dual carriageway tie-in at Balmedie and from Fountainbleau to the northern dual carriageway tie-in.

The visibility in the northbound direction drops as low as 100 metres and in the southbound 80 metres. The forward visibility is below the desirable minimum stopping sight distance of 215 metres (for a design speed of 100 kph) for over 25 per cent of the route in both directions.

There are a number of small scattered and isolated properties adjoining the trunk road gaining access, either directly or via the local road network.

2.1.2 Road Drainage

A positive drainage system is provided over the length of the existing A90 under consideration. The surface water drainage between Balmedie and Foveran is in the form of gullies and carrier pipes discharging into local outfalls. There is no kerbing between Balmedie and Foveran except in the locality of the A975 Rashiereive junction where kerbing is provided. From Foveran northwards, the drainage takes the form of kerbs and gullies (again discharging into local watercourses). The drainage along the existing dual carriageways at either extreme of the scheme comprises a filter drain system. Generally, the junctions of accesses and side roads with the A90 have been kerbed such that a positive gully based system is provided.

2.1.3 Earthworks

There are no significant earthworks associated with the existing road, except in the following three locations:

Orrock House -	where the existing road cuts into a hillock on the west side creating a cutting of approximately 4m depth;
Foveran Burn -	where an embankment of approximately 5m height carries the existing road over the flood plain which is lower than the surrounding topography; and
Fountainbleau -	where the existing road, on its east side, is on approximately 2m of embankment

2.1.4 Structures

There is one substantial structure along the existing trunk road at Foveran (Pitgersie Bridge). This structure, constructed in the 1960s is a 6.1m x 20.7m x 5.9m high reinforced concrete single span bridge. The bed of Foveran Burn, beneath the bridge, has been subject to river training works: originally in the form of stone pitching and more recently taking the form of a concrete channel with approximate dimensions of 2.5m wide by 0.5m in depth. A large road drainage outfall is piped through the south east wingwall to discharge into Foveran Burn.

A metre wide cattle underpass exists approximately 100 metres north of Pitgersie Bridge and the underpass was extended on an earlier upgrading of the A90. The western half is constructed in stone and has an arched soffit, the eastern section is constructed in reinforced concrete and has a level soffit.

There are a number of smaller structures along the route which culvert ditches beneath the existing carriageway.

2.1.5 Existing Carriageway Conditions

Since 2002 the complete section from Balmedie to Tipperty has been resurfaced. The works undertaken were as follows:

Date	Location	Works
2002	A975 Newburgh Road - Foveran	New surface treatment
2003	Balmedie - Hill of Menie	New structural overlay
2003	Hill of Menie – A975 Newburgh Road	New surface treatment
2006	Foveran – Tipperty	New surface treatment

Table 2.1 Recent Resurfacing Works

The surface treatment works are relatively short term measures to improve surface texture with a 3 to 5 year design life whereas the surface overlay works are of a structural nature with an approximate 20 year design life.

2.2 Location of Existing Services

The location of the existing public utilities in the study area has been undertaken to ascertain the possible implications to the costs of proposed options. Plant locations were determined by consultation with statutory bodies in accordance with The New Road and Street Works Act 1991. Locations of public utility plant are shown in Figure 2.1. A brief summary of the main apparatus is shown in Table 2.1 below:

Utility Provider	Plant Location
BP plc	BP’s 36" pipeline crosses the A90 approximately 100m south of the start of the dual carriageway section at Tipperty.
BP LPG UK	A small number of properties within the area (approximately 15-20) are served by LPG gas pipework.
British Telecom	A major underground cable system follows the A90, from Balmedie to Tipperty. The cable is generally located within the west verge but crosses the existing road at numerous locations to serve the scattered properties. It is unknown if the plant is copper wire or fibre optic at this stage.
Cable & Wireless	There is no Cable and Wireless plant within the study area.
Orange	There is no Orange plant within the study area.
Scottish and Southern Energy	The main power distribution within the area is 11kV overhead lines with local low voltage spurs serving various properties. A fibre option cable also runs past Balmedie along the line of the A90 in the western verge before crossing into the southern verge of the A975 heading towards Newburgh.
Scottish Water	Water mains exist in the area although a number of properties still have private water supplies in the form of boreholes and wells. A 100mm PVC distribution main runs along the west verge of the existing A90 from South Orrock to Delfrigs. From this distribution main a spur diverts along the unclassified road past Dambrae and Seven Acres. A 100mm PVC distribution main runs through Aikenhill farm parallel with an existing track until it crosses the existing A90. It travels along the A90 in the eastern verge until it reaches the Mains of Newtyle access where it travels eastwards and continues to its termination at Montammo. A 12" asbestos concrete trunk main approaches from the south west passing to the west of Foveran. This main runs parallel to the A90 until West Pitmillan where it turns westwards and head round the west side of Tipperty. Within the village of Foveran there are three distribution mains running along Blairythan Terrace:one 150mm PVC and two 100mm PVC pipes. The 150mm PVC main travels down Blairythan Terrace before heading northwards along the eastern verge of the existing A90 towards Foveran School before crossing the road towards the Mill of Foveran. Here the pipe increases to a 200mm PVC which continues within the northern verge eastwards towards Linnhead. One of the 100mm PVC pipes terminates at the end of Blairythan Terrace in a fire hydrant whilst the other crosses the A90 before outfalling to the Foveran Burn.
Shell UK Ltd	Shell 20" pipeline crosses the A90 approximately 500m south of the start of the dual carriageway section at Tipperty
Telewest Communications	There is no Telewest Communications plant within the study area.
Thus	An existing Thus duct runs within the verge of the existing A90. The duct runs within the western verge between Balmedie and Rashierieve before crossing to the eastern side and continuing to Tipperty.
Transco	A medium pressure gas main exists throughout the area of interest and in general follows the line of the existing A90. A 180mm PE medium pressure main weaves its way along the route of the A90 alternating between east and west verges. The main diverts from the A90 past Foveran. The main veers slightly east of the existing road past Foveran School Road and rejoins the A90 approximately 350m north of Foveran School. Within Foveran village a low pressure main runs along Bairythan Terrace with two spurs into the village. The medium pressure main crosses the A90 at Pitmillan and follows the line of the "old" A90 past Fountainbleau before crossing the B9000 (west) and heading up the Tarty Road. The 180mm medium pressure main is joined at Fountainbleau with a 125mm PE medium pressure running along the B9000 (east) from Newburgh.

Table 2.2 Existing Public Utility Apparatus

2.3 Traffic

Up-to-date traffic surveys have been carried out and a new traffic model created that supersedes that used in the original 1995 work. In general traffic flows on this section of the A90 have risen significantly such that slow -moving convoys are now re-current during peak periods. The analysis of this effect is covered within the STAG Report, Carl Bro, November 2004³.

Automatic traffic counter data were made available to Carl Bro by Transport Scotland. From these data it was determined that the 2005 annual average daily traffic flow on the A90, just south of the B977 junction at Balmedie was 17,300 vehicles (two way) with approximately 11% of traffic being heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

In November 2005 a comprehensive set of surveys was undertaken to provide the main information required to develop the local traffic model. These surveys incorporated:

Two automatic traffic counter (ATC) surveys on the A90, one on the northern section and one on the southern section. These recorded hourly classified flows for a seven day period. The locations are shown as blue circles in Figure 2.2. The average daily traffic flow north of Balmedie was 20,400 vehicles per day (two way) and south of Tipperty was 17,700 vehicles per day (two way).
Nineteen manual classified turning counts undertaken from 07:00 to 19:00 on weekdays. The surveys recorded three classes of vehicle (cars and lights / HGV / PSV) recorded in 15 minute intervals. These locations are shown as red circles in Figure 2.2.
A vehicle registration survey using video cameras was carried out along the route. The two screenline points used were on the A90 immediately north of Millden and immediately north of Craigieford. These points can be seen by the purple circles in Figure 2.2. The vehicle registrations were recorded from 07:15 to 16:00; this was due to the lack of day light after these hours. The vehicle registrations were recorded in both directions, northbound and southbound. This provided information on the amount of through traffic on the route, which was found to average 62 % between the two survey points.

The traffic flows produced by the survey data for 2005 are shown in Figure 2.3.

2.4 Accident Statistics

Historic accident data for the A90 between Blackdog and the Ellon Road roundabout have been examined for the five year period between January 2000 and December 2004. In this period there were 1 fatal, 15 serious injury and 48 slight injury accidents. The accident locations can be seen in Figure 2.4 and are summarised in Table 2.3.

The accident locations were analysed and split between those occurring at links and those at junctions. These outputs were relevant to inform the use of the economic assessment software program, NESA (see Section 6.4).

Year	Casualties
Year	Slight	Serious	Fatal
2000	6	6	1
2001	6	2	0
2002	8	4	0
2003	16	0	0
2004	12	3	0
5 Year Total	48	15	1

Table 2.3: Historic Accident Statistics

2.5 Climate

Climatic information was obtained from the Dyce and Cultery weather stations. Information from Dyce was obtained for the period 1995 to 2005 and from 1989 to 1999 for Cultery, which is now closed. The two stations represent the two extremes of the scheme with Dyce situated inland at a height of 65m above mean sea level and Cultery some 3m above mean sea level.

The climate is typical of north east Scotland, drier but colder than the west coast of Scotland with short daylight periods during the winter.

Rainfall and frost frequencies are indicated in Table 2.4a & b. Snow can occur throughout the period from October to May with a maximum of approximately eight days in February at Dyce and five days in February at Cultery. Approximately 0.3 days per month average fog may be expected throughout the year at Dyce and one day per month at Cultery.

Monthly average wind speeds are shown in Table 2.4a & b below. No wind data are available from Cultery.

Temperature - Degrees C
	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC	ANNUAL
Absolute Maximum	17.2	16.1	18.6	20.2	23.8	26.7	27.1	29.7	25.1	22	16.9	14.9	29.7
Average Monthly Maximum	12.2	13.4	15.5	17.2	20.4	22.7	24	24	22.3	18.3	15	12.3	25.6
Mean Daily Maximum	6.8	7.4	9	10.9	13.7	16.3	18.2	18.7	16.2	12.7	9.3	6.7	12.2
Average Daily Mean	4.1	4.3	5.5	7.4	9.9	12.6	14.5	14.9	12.7	9.6	6.2	3.9	8.8
Mean Daily Minimum	1.4	1.2	2.1	3.9	6	8.9	10.8	11.1	9.3	6.6	3.1	1.2	5.5
Average Monthly Minimum	-5.2	-4.7	-5.2	-1.9	0	3.6	6	4.7	3.3	0	-4.1	-7.3	-9.7
Absolute Minimum	-12.1	-8.8	-12.9	-4.1	-2.4	-0.3	3.6	1.7	0	-1.9	-8.3	-18.1	-18.1
Av.Monthly Lowest Max.	2.3	2.2	3.7	5.7	8.6	10.9	13.2	14.3	11.9	8.2	3.7	1.1	0.6
Lowest Maximum	0.2	-0.1	1.1	3.6	6.2	8.9	11.8	12	10.8	6.5	1.6	-5.1	-5.1
Highest Minimum	9.5	12	11.5	10.6	12.4	16.5	17.4	16.8	16.4	14.3	10.7	9.2	17.4
Av.Monthly Highest Min.	6.8	7.2	7.4	8.3	10.7	13.1	15.3	15.6	14	11.5	9.4	7.5	16.3
Precipitation - Millimetres
Monthly Average Amount	60	50	63	67	61	64	53	58	67	104	102	85	834
Wettest Month	90.2	124.6	137.6	130.1	136.2	140.9	103.7	107.4	234.7	225.5	251.7	114.3	1097.9
Driest Month	24.5	10.1	17.1	26.1	21.4	19.2	12.4	12.3	16.1	32.9	48.8	32.6	543
Wettest Day	32.4	43.1	99.9	34.6	30.3	34.6	31.7	37.3	66.9	47.6	40.4	33.1	99.9
Av.Monthly Wettest Day	15.1	12.5	24.3	17.9	14.3	15.3	15.8	16	19.3	22.8	21.1	22.6	45.6
Wind Speed - Knots
Mean Speed	10.4	10.7	10	8.8	8.3	8.8	7.5	7.3	8.2	9.6	9.2	9	9
Highest Daily Mean	23.6	25	23.5	20.3	23.8	21.4	18.7	15.9	20.6	20.5	25.1	21.2	25.1
Av.Mon.Highest Dly Mean	20.6	20.1	20	17.1	16	17.1	15.6	14.6	15.8	18.5	19.2	18.7	22.3
Avge. Monthly Gust	52	51	47	42	38	35	35	35	41	43	45	47	55
No. Of Days With :
Air Frost (Min <0c)	9.5	9.9	6.8	2.9	0.9	0.1	0	0	0	0.8	5.3	10.6	46.8
Ground Frost (G.Min <0c)	19.3	20.1	17.2	10.8	4.9	0.8	0.1	0.5	1.8	7.1	14.1	18.6	115.3
Concrete Frost (C.Min <0c)	16.9	18.2	12.9	5.5	1.6	0	0	0	0.2	2.5	10	15.7	83.5
*Snow/Sleet Falling	6.5	8.3	6.2	2.8	0.6	0	0	0	0	0.2	3.4	7.6	35.6
Snow Lying At
09h Utc	2.5	4.8	2.5	0.3	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4.5	15.5
*Thunder Heard	0.2	0.1	0	0.3	0.4	1	0.3	1.2	0	0.2	0.1	0.1	3.7
*Hail (>5mm Diam.)	0.2	0.1	0	0.1	0.3	0	0	0	0	0.1	0.3	0.2	1.2
*Ice Pellets (<5mm Diam.)	1.8	1.9	2.7	1.9	1.2	0.4	0	0	0	0.3	1	2.3	13.5
Fog At 0900h	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.5	0.3	0	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.2	0.2	0.1	2.9

Table 2.4a Climatological Means and Extremes – Dyce Weather Station (1995 to 2005)

Temperature - Degrees C
	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT	NOV	DEC	ANNUAL
Absolute Maximum	15	16.6	18.2	18.3	23.4	28.4	26.5	25.5	26.7	21.1	17	15.8	28.4
Average Monthly Maximum	12.3	13.4	15.6	16.1	18.4	21.1	23.3	22.6	20	17.4	13.9	12.1	24.4
Mean Daily Maximum	6.7	7.5	9.1	10.3	12.8	15.5	17.8	18.2	15.4	12.1	8.7	6	11.9
Average Daily Mean	3.8	4.4	5.6	6.7	8.9	11.6	13.9	13.9	11.7	8.8	5.7	2.9	8.3
Mean Daily Minimum	0.9	1.2	2.1	3.1	4.9	7.7	10	9.7	8	5.4	2.7	-0.2	4.8
Average Monthly Minimum	-4.3	-5.3	-4.5	-2.4	-1.2	2	4.1	4.1	1.3	-1.1	-4.1	-8	-8.7
Absolute Minimum	-7.2	-12	-8	-4	-3.2	0.4	2.5	0	0	-3.8	-11	-18	-18
Av.Monthly Lowest Max.	2.5	2.7	4.3	5.2	8.5	11	13.6	14.5	11.9	7.6	3.8	0.2	0.3
Lowest Maximum	1	0.5	2.8	4.1	7	9.4	11	11.8	11	5	0	-5	-5
Highest Minimum	8	11.2	8.3	8.7	11.4	13.3	15	14.6	15	12.4	10.1	8.8	15
Av.Monthly Highest Min.	6.1	6.8	6.7	7.4	9.8	11.9	13.7	13.9	13.2	11.5	9.5	7.1	13.9
Precipitation - Millimetres
Monthly Average Amount	41	49	41	47	44	55	49	51	64	73	71	52	637
Wettest Month	74	97.9	66.4	88.2	96.2	93.9	118.9	97.9	193.3	107.9	147.8	87.9	721.8
Driest Month	9.7	19.6	12.9	21.9	13.4	16.9	15.2	14.3	23.1	31.3	22.8	24	438.9
Wettest Day	18.6	35	22	20.2	19.6	27.4	21.8	29.5	58	30	28.8	26	58
Av.Monthly Wettest Day	9.9	14.6	12	10.6	11.9	12	11.3	14.2	21.5	17.2	14.4	14.6	27.7
No. Of Days With :
Air Frost (Min <0c)	11.1	9.3	6.6	4.2	2.2	0	0	0	0	2.4	8.2	14.7	58.7
Ground Frost (G.Min <0c)	23.1	17.8	14.8	11.2	8.8	1.4	0.1	0.4	2.5	7.9	15	23.8	126.9
*Snow/Sleet Falling	3.2	4.5	2.9	1.6	0.5	0	0	0	0	0.5	1.4	5.1	19.7
Snow Lying At	1.7	1.5	1	0.3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.9	2.6	8
09h Utc
*Thunder Heard	0.1	0	0	0.1	0.2	0.1	0	0.5	0	0	0	0.3	1.3
*Hail (>5mm Diam.)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Fog At 0900H	0.3	0.4	1.2	1	0.5	0.8	2.1	1.4	1.5	1.1	0.7	0.4	11.3

Table 2.4b Climatological Means and Extremes – Cultery Weather Station (1989 to 1999)

2.6 Environment

2.6.1 Introduction

Information for this section of the report and the appraisal of potential effects on the different options (see Section 5) follows the order of topics in the DMRB Volume 11⁴ with much of the data drawn from the 1995 Stage 2 Report and the following sources:

written consultations with a range of statutory agencies and other organisations including:
- Aberdeen Bat Group
- Aberdeenshire Council Environment Team
- Aberdeenshire Council Contaminated Land
- Aberdeenshire Council Archaeology
- Aberdeenshire Council Flood and Coastal Protection
- Aberdeenshire Council Transport and Infrastructure
- Aberdeenshire Council Planners
- Forestry Commission
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
- Historic Scotland
- North East Scotland Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) Officer
- North East Scotland Biological Records Centre (NESBREC)
- National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS)
- Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
- Scottish Ornithologist’s Club (SOC)
- Scottish Water
- Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT)
- Scotways
- Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department (SEERAD)
- Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
- Sport Scotland
- Scottish Rural Property and Business Association (SRPBA

The issues raised by the above consultees are summarised in Appendix B

discussions with landowners in the study area;
desk based review of information including relevant maps; designations and archaeological records;
site visits by the environmental team to collect information on land uses; ecology; landscape and visual impacts and assess the potential for mitigation;
a ground investigation undertaken for Carl Bro by LandDrill Geotechnics Ltd in September 2006; and
specific surveys for protected species including badger⁵, otter⁶, bats⁷, water vole⁸ and breeding birds.

The major environmental designation in the vicinity of the scheme is the Ythan Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (see Section 2.6.4) as shown in Figure 2.5. Key environmental baseline features in the study corridor are shown on Figure 2.6.

The baseline reviews and surveys sought to update the information from the work in 1995 and also to collate information for options not considered in detail at that time. Summary descriptions of existing environmental conditions for each topic are provided below and environmental constraints are included on Figure 2.6. This information was used in the appraisals presented in Chapter 5.

2.6.2 Air Quality

The main requirements in the UK for air quality are in relation to compliance with national standards. The principal air quality standards applied in Scotland are the standards and objectives of the Air Quality (Scotland) Regulations 2000 and its Amendment in 2002 which were enacted as part of the UK Air Quality Strategy (AQS) under Section 80 of the Environment Act 1995.

The main pollutants of concern for road traffic are generally considered to be nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter (PM10), carbon monoxide (CO) and benzene (C6H6). Of these pollutants, emissions of NO2 and PM10 are most likely to result in exceedences of the relevant air quality standards. This air quality assessment therefore only considers these two pollutants. Other pollutants have not been considered further as the impact of road improvements on these pollutants will be less than that for NO2 and PM10.

The standards and objectives that are relevant to this assessment are summarised in Table 2.5.

Pollutant	Objective	Concentration measured as	Date to be achieved
Nitrogen dioxide	200µg/m³ not to be exceeded more than 18 times a year	1 hour mean	31 December 2005
Nitrogen dioxide	40µg/m³	Annual mean	31 December 2005
Particles (PM10)	50µg/m³ not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year	24 hour mean	31 December 2004
	40µg/m³	Annual mean	31 December 2004
	50µg/m³ not to be exceeded more than 7 times a year	24 hour mean	31 December 2010
	18µg/m³	Annual mean	31 December 2010

Table 2.5 Relevant Air Quality Standards and Objectives

Pollutants ‘standards’ relate to ambient pollutant concentrations in air and are set on the basis of medical and scientific evidence of how each pollutant affects human health. Pollutant ‘objectives’, however, are future dates by which each standard is to be achieved, taking into account economic considerations, practicability and technical feasibility.

Under Part IV of the Environment Act 1995, local authorities must review and document local air quality within their area by way of staged appraisals and respond accordingly, with the aim of meeting the air quality objectives by the years defined in the Regulations. Where the objectives of the Air Quality Regulations are not likely to be achieved by the objective year, an authority is required to designate an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA). For each AQMA the local authority is required to draw up an Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) to secure improvements in air quality and show how it intends to work towards achieving air quality standards in the future.

Air quality within the study corridor is good. Aberdeenshire Council has recently completed a review and assessment of air quality in its area which confirms this⁹. Concentrations of all pollutants considered in this review were found to be well below the statutory objectives.

Air quality within the study corridor will be influenced by traffic on the A90 as there are no other major roads or sources of pollution nearby. Background concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10) taken from the National Air Quality Information Archive for 2005 and 2010 are given in Table 2.6. Concentrations given in the table are for OS grid location (NJ 9750 2350). Background concentrations of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are also given as these were used in the calculations undertaken in the assessment of impacts.

Pollutant	Year
Pollutant	2005	2010
NOx	4.3µg/m³	3.3µg/m³
NO2	3.4µg/m³	2.3µg/m³
PM10	10.8µg/m³	10.3µg/m³

Table 2.6 – Background Pollution Concentrations taken from the

National Air Quality Information Archive

The background concentrations in 2005 are well below the annual mean statutory objectives for both NO2 and PM10 which are 40µg/m³ to be achieved by 2005 and 2004 respectively. Concentrations are expected to have improved further by 2010, by which time an annual mean objective of 18µg/m³ will apply for PM10 concentrations only, and this objective will easily be met at background locations.

No monitoring of pollution concentrations has been undertaken close to the study corridor as this was not considered to be necessary given the low background levels.

2.6.3 Cultural Heritage

There are seven nationally important listed buildings in proximity to the study corridor (see Figures 2.6 and 2.7). These are:

Orrock House and Gatepiers (NGR NJ9640 1956 and NJ 9637 1960): a Category A Listed, three storey, three gabled mansion house with single storey piend¹⁰ roofed wings of the same depth as the main block. The gatepiers are Category B Listed.
Menie House and Lodge (NGR NJ 9776 2048): a Category B Listed two storey mansion house with a lake and fine garden. There is also a lodge house associated with the property (NGR NJ 9691 2067) which in itself is not listed however because it was built within the curtilage of a listed building (Menie House) before 1948 it is therefore also Category B Listed following Historic Scotland Guidance¹¹.
The Mill of Foveran (NGR NJ 9760 2398): a Category B Listed building consisting of a farmhouse and mill. The mill has been raised in height in the past but is now gutted workings.
Orrock House, Dovecot (NGR NJ 9719 2270): a Category B Listed circular doocot, c 1782.
Belhelvie Ruined Church (NGR NJ 9691 1964): a Category B listed ruined church, churchyard and morthouses.

There are also numerous sites of local archaeological importance (see Figure 2.7) in the area of which the following are situated close to the different sub-options (see Appendix B):

Blairton Cottage (NGR NJ 9647 1864) - nothing is visible of the cottage and its site lies beneath the existing A90.
Newtyle House (NGR NJ 973602200) – currently a residential house, possible the site of a manor.
Sidney Cottage sand and gravel workings (NGR NJ 9670 1960) – workings of a relatively recent date but are now disused and landscaped.
Sidney Cottage (NGR NJ 9678 1954) – residential cottage still in use.
Kirkhill Cottage (NGR NJ 9682 2227) – site of a residential cottage, no longer visible, in what is now a cultivated field.
Kier (exact location unknown) – a Bronze Age cist burial of regional importance.
Dykenook (NGR NJ 9609 1817) - a demolished farmstead of local importance.
Menie Smith Gravel Pit (NGR NJ 9711 2103) – site of a now destroyed gravel pit of local importance
Pitgersie Bridge Cropmark (NGR NJ 9734 2390) – a cropmark of potentially regional importance.
South Farden (NGR NJ 9732 2606) – a demolished farmstead of local importance.
Menie Cropmark (NGR NJ 9704 2050) – a cropmarked field of potentially regional importance.
Blairton Milestone (NGR NJ 9634 1858) – a locally important milestone.
Blairton (NGR NJ 9665 1931) – Locally important public house (Cock and Bull) that used to be a Post Office.

2.6.4 Ecology and Nature Conservation

SNH has advised that there are the following designated sites within 3km of the study corridor (Figure 2.5):

Sands of Forvie and the Ythan Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)¹²: a large sand dune system, probably the least disturbed in Britain, which supports several internationally important habitats and internationally important populations of breeding birds. The system is closely associated with the adjacent Foveran Links SSSI.
Foveran Links SSSI: the site comprises a dynamic assemblage of sandy beach, dune formations, a large wind eroded sand plain and a shifting sand spit. It is of special interest due to the very high quality example of the dune features that characterise the sand dune coastline of north east Scotland. It is also important for the study of a wide variety of coastal landforms and processes and supports a range of important plant communities reflecting the acid nature of the sand and varying stability of the different dune types and associated land forms.
Ythan Estuary, Sands of Forvie and Meikle Loch Ramsar Site¹³, Special Area of Conservation (SAC)¹⁴ and Special Protection Area (SPA¹⁵): This site covers an area of 734.05ha and is designated for supporting the following Annex I¹⁶ habitats:
embryonic shifting dunes;
shifting dunes along the shoreline with Ammophila arenaria (white dunes);
decalcified fixed dunes with Empetrum nigrum (this is the priority feature); and
humid dune slacks.
Forvie National Nature Reserve¹⁷: A large area of sand dunes and coastal heath lying next to the Ythan Estuary and included within the SAC.

The Foveran Burn and the Tarty Burn (which all sub-options would cross) discharge into the Ythan Estuary. SNH in their consultation response drew attention to the importance of preventing construction run-off entering these burns and impacting on protected species or the designated sites.

A protected species survey was carried out between July and November 2006. A search corridor of 500m (up to 1km if necessary) outwith of the proposed most easterly and westerly alignment options was implemented to cover all the various route sub-options. The badger survey indicated that badger is present within the woodland to the east of the existing A90 in the vicinity of Stoneyards and in the Menie Estate. There is evidence of otter¹⁸ in the survey area. There was no evidence of water vole found in the scheme area. There is little woodland in the area apart from small groups of mature deciduous trees, mixed shelterbelts and a small area of young mixed plantation forestry. These stands are mainly associated with settlements, farms and scattered residential properties.

A bat survey was carried out in August 2006 to identify areas of potential bat interest. In general the area surrounding the scheme is intensively farmed arable fields with very few hedgerows or tree lines suitable for bats. No formal records of bats have been identified¹⁹. There are, however, a few small areas of woodland which have potential interest for bats which would require further checks if these were to be impacted by the chosen preferred route.

A breeding bird survey undertaken in June and July 2006 covering an area of 500m from the route sub-options which identified a number of species of conservation concern²⁰ in the area of and around the scheme:

Kestrel
Grey partridge
Oystercatcher
Lapwing
Skylark
Meadow pipit
Starling
Lesser redpoll
Linnet

Dunnock
Song thrush
Grasshopper warbler
Willow warbler
Goldcrest
House sparrow
Bullfinch
Yellowhammer
Reed bunting

2.6.5 Landscape

The landscape of the study area is described in SNH’s Landscape Character Assessment (LCA)²¹ as Agricultural Heartlands and specifically as Formantine Lowlands. This area is distinguished by its patchwork of mixed agriculture and scattered woodland and by numerous towns and villages linked by a network of main roads and lanes. Key characteristics which contribute to this landscape are:

gently undulating lowland plateau;
extensive areas of open farmland with large geometric fields with post and wire fencing;
drystone dykes are rare owing to the absence of outcropping rocks;
prominent lines of trees and estates with associated woodlands giving local variation in character;
roads and transmission lines criss-cross the area, the latter often very visible; and
open character provides expansive views across the landscape.

The area is affected by two local landscape designations in the Aberdeenshire Local Plan, Undeveloped Coast and Area of Landscape Significance (ref. Section 2.6.12) an extract of which is replicated below.

Aberdeenshire Local Plan, Undeveloped Coast and Area of Landscape Significance

Based upon the Ordnance Survey mapping with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationary Office. (c) Crown Copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Aberdeenshire Council 2006. Licence Number 0100020767.

This map was taken from Aberdeenshire Local Plan 2006 with the permission of Aberdeenshire Council

The study corridor is in the north-east lowlands of Scotland which are formed, in part by the Buchanan Platform, a peneplain²² tilted to the east and largely covered by glacial drift, stretching from Aberdeen to the Moray Firth.

The study area as a whole falls gently from west to east, towards the North Sea, and is generally higher in the south and lower in the north where it falls towards the estuary of the River Ythan. The highest points are at Cowhill and Aikenshill, some 85m AOD and the low point is at the Foveran Burn, approximately 25m AOD. The existing A90 lies between 1.5 and 4km from the coast where the land lies at between 30 and 60m AOD.

A series of east/west ridges creates a gentle landform. The southern, generally higher, half of the study area is undulating and, in places, intimate in scale. The northern half of the study area consists of broad ridges and valleys, a much larger and more open rolling landscape. Small watercourses between the ridges run eastward to the sea. The most notable of these watercourses is the Foveran Burn. The break between the more open and the smaller scale landscapes is the south side of the broad valley of the Foveran Burn on the ridge between Kirkhill and Newtyle.

The gently undulating topography, together with the fairly warm and moderately dry climate has favoured intensive farming of the area. The landscape of the study area reflects this and the topography, with the pattern of agriculture generally slightly smaller scale and less intense in the southern half, and larger scale and more intense in the northern half.

2.6.6 Land Use and Agriculture

The key land use in the area is intensively managed farmland (a mix of arable and pasture), predominantly of Grade 3.1²³ and 3.2²⁴. The field patterns dominate the area although there are few well defined hedges and field boundaries are predominantly post and wire fencing. There are, a few, scattered, and often broken hedgerows and dry stone (boulder rubble) dykes in the south, where the fields tend to be smaller (see Section 2.6.5). Settlements are scattered and consist predominantly of traditional single and one and a half storey cottages and farmsteads. The main villages are Balmedie, Foveran and Tipperty. There are also a number of small hamlets associated with the A90 including Dambrae, Delfrigs and Rashiereive.

The road network dominated by the existing A90 is the only major communication link between the communities in the study corridor. In the outlying areas, the village of Newburgh is connected to the current A90 by the B9000 travelling west and the A975 travelling south west. Balmedie in the south provides the main shopping and community facilities including a post office and leisure centre. There are primary schools at Balmedie, Foveran and Tipperty with the fenced playground of Foveran Primary School located close to the existing A90. The main commercial properties in the area are the Cock and Bull Public House (with licensed restaurant) north of Balmedie, the Bon Accord Training Centre at Hill of Menie, and a car dealership, a steel fabrication yard and the Bon Accord Granite Centre at Rashierieve. There is a church at Drumhead and a car dealership.

The Forestry Commission indicated that there are six areas of forestry planted under Forestry Grant Schemes:

Fornety (NGR NJ 976 264) – 75.44ha, commercially planted scheme for foliage and young Christmas Trees. There is a requirement for the owner to keep the land in forestry for at least 20 years. There is a strip of broadleaves immediately inside the fence adjacent to the existing A90 which if removed would require additional broadleaved planting elsewhere to mitigate the loss. There would be additional costs associated with relocation of the deer fence. There are two claimed rights of way within the scheme.
Oldmilll Croft (NGR NJ 974 244) – 2ha young, mixed, predominantly native broadleaved woodland for amenity and wildlife value. The outer perimeter is deer fenced.
Aikenshill (NGR NJ 964 214) – 33ha of new woodland, the primary objective of which is the production of quality softwood. The majority of the plantation is sitka spruce, with some lodgepole pine and Japanese larch. A small area of mixed broadleaves has been planted for amenity and landscape diversity.
Dambrae (NGR NJ 966 208) – A 4ha area, adjacent to Aikenshill planting, planted as a native broadleaved woodland. The trees are planted in and around a designed open space to create a variety of habitats throughout the area. There are three ponds associated with the scheme, one large one in front of the property and two behind.
Menie House Estate (NGR NJ 969 207) – Three small areas of mixed woodlands designed to maximise game cover. A small area on the western boundary of the estate is the most likely to be impacted.
Millden (NGR NJ 958 165) – Numerous small areas of new planting within the East Aberdeenshire Golf Course.

2.6.7 Traffic Noise and Vibration

As there are no major industries in the Balmedie to Tipperty area (see Section 2.6.6) the predominant source of noise pollution is from traffic on the existing A90 and other local road traffic routes in its vicinity. For a Stage 2 assessment it is not always necessary to complete a baseline noise survey where ambient noise levels can be accurately predicted. For this assessment, given the heavily trafficked nature of the A90, existing ambient noise levels have been identified by means of detailed noise mapping for the site and surrounding areas (see Figure 2.8). This approach facilitates direct comparison with the future ‘with scheme’ predicted noise levels.

It was anticipated however, that a noise survey would be required for a subsequent Stage 3 assessment, and it was therefore decided to complete this prior to the preparation of this addendum, so that the dominant local noise sources could be confirmed. The noise survey was undertaken over the course of an approximate 72 hour mid week period in March 2006. During the noise survey, it was confirmed that road traffic on the A90 and other local routes were the dominant noise sources in the area. An additional noise source that provided sporadic contribution to the noise environment was that from passing helicopters travelling between Aberdeen Airport and the North Sea oil rigs.

2.6.8 Pedestrians, Cyclists, Equestrians and Community Effects

The road network, dominated by the existing A90, is the key communication link between local communities in the corridor (see Section 2.6.6). Access from local roads onto the A90 can be difficult when traffic flows are heavy.

The National Catalogue of Rights of Way does not show any rights of way in the vicinity of the study corridor. Feedback from consultees and residents in the area indicates that there is informal recreation in the area (walking, cycling and horse-riding). There are a number of Forestry Grant Schemes in the area of the scheme (see Section 2.6.6). While these cannot obstruct any public right of way over land there is no condition to provide new public access. However the owner/manager must comply with the responsibilities of a land manager in relation to responsible access secured by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2006. It appears from site visits and discussions with local people that these planted areas are used for informal recreation. Aberdeenshire Council has also advised that there are two claimed rights of way within the Fornety Farm Woodland Scheme. At Seven Acres, Hill of Menie Croft and Boghead there are some horse riding facilities and riders are likely to use the surrounding area for recreation.

2.6.9 Vehicle Travellers

The current A90 is regularly subject to platooning traffic and this causes difficulties for overtaking and for those wanting to turn right across traffic onto the A90 and in particular for farm vehicles. Driver stress levels are considered to be high given the traffic volume and limited overtaking opportunities.

2.6.10 Water Quality, Drainage and Hydrology

The key surface water features present in the area are:

the Foveran Burn approximately 3km south of Tipperty (River Quality A2)²⁵; and
the Tarty Burn passing through Tipperty (River Quality B)²⁶.

There are other small watercourses including the Sandend, Blairton and Menie Burns as well as various other unnamed burns and ditches which cross the study area typically flowing east to west. None of these are monitored regularly by SEPA. It is not known if surface water is abstracted within the study area for irrigation, although there is a disused wind pump indicating use at least in the past. The sensitivity of the burns discharging to the Ythan is high (see Section 2.6.4). There are fisheries present within the Ythan Estuary, some 2.25km away from all the sub-options.

There are likely to be small amounts of groundwater in the drift deposits. Water in the alluvial deposits is likely to be in hydraulic continuity with the rivers. Small perched bodies of groundwater may occur within both mapped glacial sands and gravels and unmapped sand and gravel horizons within the till. Groundwater that was encountered within the boreholes during the ground investigation survey tended to drop after being struck indicating that there is probably not much hydrostatic pressure present within the drift deposits.

There are two areas of drift deposits identified on maps²⁷ as of potential hydrogeological significance. These are an area of Quaternary sands and gravels north of Balmedie which is identified as a locally important aquifer. This is described as sand and gravel of glacio-fluvial origin. The yields from these deposits are variable depending on the thickness of deposits. The quality of the groundwater is also variable.

The other area of drift deposits identified is an area of river alluvium along the course of the Foveran Burn. This is described as sand, silt and clay deposits which give very low yields. The ground water chemistry is variable but poor.

The solid deposits beneath the site are generally indicated either impermeable to ground water or offer little potential for groundwater. There is the chance of rare springs occurring near the surface, however these are normally of poor yield and water quality.

Site investigation boreholes for the scheme indicate that water is often struck in the drift deposits at typically between 3 to 5m below ground level.

The Groundwater Vulnerability Map of Scotland 1995 shows the proposed road scheme corridor to be underlain in various places by a moderately permeable aquifer which is described as fractured or potentially fractured rocks which do not have a high primary permeability or other formations of variable permeability, and also in various places by a non-permeable aquifer, (described as formations with negligible permeability that are generally regarded as containing insignificant quantities of groundwater).

The southern section of the corridor between Blackdog and the southern half of Balmedie is underlain by a moderately permeable aquifer. The middle section between the northern half of Balmedie and to the south of the Foveran Burn is underlain by a non-permeable aquifer. The northernmost section is mainly underlain by a non-permeable aquifer apart from areas of moderate permeability associated with the Foveran Burn.

2.6.11 Geology and Soils and Contaminated Land

The following geological formations and soils have been identified within the study corridor:

Conglomerate (Devonian);
Aberdeen Formation (Dalradian);
Ellon Formation (Dalradian);
Intrusive Rocks (Permo Carboniferous);
Late and Post Tectonic; and
Pre and Syn Tectonic.

The location of these is shown in Figures 2.9 and 2.10 and detailed in Table 2.7 below.

Geological Formation	General Description	Rock Types	Location
Conglomerate (Devonian)	Sedimentary strata of the Lower Old Red Sandstone Group	Conglomerate, with subsidiary horizons of sandstone and clay	Southern part of the site south of the Belhelvie fault
Aberdeen Formation (Dalradian)	Metamorphosed sandstones	Psammite, semipelite and subsidiary pelite with very sparse calc-silicate ribs	Southern half of the study area between approximately Belhelvie fault in the south to Aikenshill in the north
Ellon Formation (Dalradian)	Metamorphosed sandstones	Cordierite-bearing sheared and recrystallised psammite, semipelite and pelite with metamorphosed amphibolite bands	Northern half of the study area from Aikenshill in the south to Tipperty in the north
Intrusive Rocks (Permo Carboniferous)	Intrusive rocks	Dolerite and basalt dykes and indicated to be typically east-west trending and thin in width	Intrusions present north of Delfrigs and north of Westfield
Late and Post Tectonic (Exact Age unknown)	Part of the Belhelvie, Insch and Udny-Pitmeddan complexes	Gabbro, norite and peridotite	South and west of Balmedie
Pre and Syn Tectonic (Exact age unknown)	Metamorphic rocks	Metamorphosed amphibolite and hornblende-schist which was originally dykes and sheets	North of the site at Delfrigs and north of Foveran

Table 2.7: Geological Resources in the Study Corridor

The majority of the site is blanketed by superficial or drift deposits, apart from localised areas at Newtyle House and a larger area at Fountainbleau where rock is expected to be shallow.

The drift deposits are principally glacial and in particular comprise glacial till or boulder clay. The thickness of drift deposits vary locally across the site with thicknesses of between 2m and 16m. Generally a drift of 8m of drift is present across the majority of the study area. This change in drift deposit thickness is assumed to coincide with the rolling topography.

Areas of alluvium were identified locally following the watercourses (see Section 2.6.10). These were described by the ground investigation contractors, as deposits of sands, gravel, silt and clay, underlying floodplains and infilling basins.

Peat is identified locally on the geological map in the area to the west of Delfrigs. These are accumulations of wet, acidic, partly decomposed vegetation blanketing upland areas and infilling basins.

Glacio-fluvial deposits are present locally across the length of the site in the form of ice contact deposits: sand and gravel, forming mound and ridges, generally poorly sorted, with fragments of Dalradian metamorphic and Caledonian igneous rocks, Palaeozoic and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks.

Glacio-lacustrine deposits are present locally in the south of the site around Balmedie. These are described as silty clay and sand, red-brown in colour, laminated or massive with sparse shell fragments.

No areas of contaminated land have been identified within the study corridor. No significant deposits of made ground are indicated on the geological maps of the area, however significant deposits are expected to occur where former sand and gravel pits were present within the study area (to the south of Balmedie for example). These former pits are likely to have in excess of 5m of fill material which in some cases includes domestic waste where these quarries are used as landfills. Relatively small quantities of undocumented made ground are possibly present due to the historic and current development along the proposed alignments.

2.6.12 Policy and Plans

The major source of national guidance on land use and planning are Scottish Planning Policies (SPPs) produced by the Scottish Executive, which are in the process of replacing National Planning Policy Guidance Documents (NPPGs). These are both supported by Planning Advice Notes (PANs) and Scottish Executive circulars. The main transport related guidance is SPP: 17: Planning for Transport²⁸ and PAN 75: Planning for Transport²⁹. Following the White Paper Scotland’s Transport Future³⁰ a "National Transport Strategy" has been prepared and is due for publication by the end of 2006.

Strategic Guidance for the study area is contained within Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Structure Plan North East Scotland Together 2001-2016. The main transport policies within the structure plan are:

Policy 30: The Main Communications Network within the North East and Beyond: Encourages the improvement of main trunk transport networks including roads both inside and outside the plan area.
Policy 31: Connecting Communities within the North East: New transport proposals will be well related to existing settlements and help to maintain the viability and vitality of the economy. However priority will be given to schemes which increase the proportion of journeys taken using public transport.
Policy 32: Transport Infrastructure: Safeguarding Land and minimising Environmental Impacts: Provided it does not entail excessive cost the environmentally best scheme shall always be selected. Development proposals that result in a breach of National Air Quality Standards shall not be permitted.
Policy 33: Sharing the Responsibility of Transport: Developer contributions secured by planning or legal agreement will be required to mitigate any adverse effects of the travel patterns created by the development on the existing transport infrastructure or services, or the wider community.

The Aberdeenshire Local Plan, adopted in 2006, contains policies relevant to the scheme. A table summarising these is included in Appendix C.

There are nine main areas in Balmedie designated for development within the Aberdeenshire Local Plan (see Figure 2.2 of local plan reproduced below). To the south of Balmedie there are areas designated for employment uses and for future housing development. There are sites within Balmedie itself designated for housing and community facilities. In additional, on the west side of Foveran two sites have been designated as appropriate for a total of 18 houses.

Aberdeenshire Local Plan 2006