Description of local environment
Air quality
Baseline air quality levels are likely to be influenced by vehicle traffic from the A92 carriageway and surrounding residential and agricultural activities. The Annual Average Daily Flow (AADF) in 2024 for the A92 carriageway, within the scheme extents (estimated count point ID: 80086), accounted for 48,463 vehicles, with 3,738 of these being Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs).
Five residential properties have been identified within 200m of the scheme extents with the closest located 140m north on Main Road. Two non-residential air quality sensitive receptors have been identified within 200m of the scheme entitled Remus B&B (hotel) located 190m northwest of the works area and Dunfermline District Radio Car Club located 40m south.
Fife Council has not declared any Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs). No real-time air quality monitoring stations are present within 200m of the scheme extents.
The Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) has not identified any polluting facilities within 1km of the scheme extents.
Cultural heritage
Scotland’s Environment mapping resource has not identified any designated culturally significant assets within 300m or non-designated culturally significant assets within 100m of the scheme extents.
As a result of this, and the works containment within the A92 carriageway boundary, it has been determined that the project does not carry the potential to cause direct or indirect impact to cultural heritage. As such, impact has been assessed as being ‘no change’ and has been scoped out of requiring further assessment.
Landscape and visual effects
The area surrounding the scheme consists of sporadic residential properties, however, due to the presence of dense vegetation in the form of mature trees and scrub, combined with the general cut of the carriageway, no residential visual receptors are anticipated to have sight of the area of works.
Two Fife Council Core Paths have been identified with a view of the scheme extents:
- Auchtertool to Dundonald (path ID: R491) located approx. 100m west of the scheme extents via an overbridge; and
- Craigarter Plant Link (path ID: R436) traversing the scheme extents at its mid-point via an underpass.
No National Scenic Areas (NSAs) or Garden Designed Landscapes (GDLs) have been identified within 300m of the scheme extents (Scotland’s Environment Mapping Resource).
Scotland’s Landscape Character Type Map lists the landscape character type present within the scheme extents to be ‘Lowland Hills and Valleys’. Scotland’s Historic Land-Use Map lists the land surrounding the scheme extents as rectilinear farms and fields.
No trees under a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) have been identified within 300m of the scheme extents.
Biodiversity
The A92 carriageway verge within the scheme extents contains areas of dense, mature woodland and vegetation separating the carriageway from residential properties and agricultural land. Scotland’s Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) has identified two areas of ancient woodland within 500m of the scheme extents:
- Tullylumb/Beaton Wood (Long-established (of plantation origin)) (site ID: 14), approx. 5m south; and
- Sunnyside Plantation (Long-established (of plantation origin)) (site ID: 13), approx. 160m north.
No designated sites of ecological importance (such as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Ramsar sites or Special Protection Areas (SPAs) have been identified within 2km of the scheme extents (NatureScot’s Sitelink).
No other nationally designated sites (such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or Local Nature Reserves) have been identified within 200m of the scheme extents.
The NBN Atlas resource has not identified the presence of any Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) or Transport Scotland Target Species within 500m of the scheme extents. The Amey Environment NE INNS Map resource has not recorded the presence of any INNS within 500m of the scheme extents. This resource has indicated the presence of Transport Scotland Target Species common ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) and rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium) within the verge of the A92 carriageway adjacent to the area of works.
The scheme and the surrounding habitat have been reviewed by a senior ecologist utilising desktop resource, and, in turn, a site visit was scoped out. The transient nature of the works combined with the requirement of the works to be contained within the pavement boundary has allowed for this conclusion.
Geology and soils
The scheme is not located within 200m of any Geological Conservation Review sites (GCRs), or SSSIs designated for their geological significance (NatureScot’s Sitelink).
The National Soil Map of Scotland lists the soil present within the scheme extents to be that of mineral gleys. This resource states the surrounding land to be a ‘3.2’ with regard to the Land Classification for Agriculture.
- Limestone Coal Formation - Sedimentary rock cycles, Clackmannan group type. Sedimentary bedrock formed between 329 and 328 million years ago during the Carboniferous period.
- Till, Devensian - Diamicton. Sedimentary superficial deposit formed between 116 and 11.8 thousand years ago during the Quaternary period (western extents).
- Peat - Peat. Sedimentary superficial deposit formed between 2.588 million years ago and the present during the Quaternary period.
- Glaciofluvial Ice Contact Deposits - Gravel, sand and silt. Sedimentary superficial deposit formed between 2.588 million years ago and the present during the Quaternary period.
As a result of the works taking place strictly on made ground within the A92 carriageway boundary, it has been determined that the project does not carry the potential to cause direct or indirect impact to geology or soils. As such, impact has been assessed as being ‘no change’ and has been scoped out of requiring further assessment.
Material assets and waste
The works are required to side out and resurface the worn carriageway and reinstate road markings and studs. Materials used will consist of:
- Bituminous surfacing (TS2010, AC20 binder and AC32 base);
- Road marking materials (thermoplastic road marking paint) and studs;
- Vehicle fuel;
- Oil; and
Wastes are anticipated to be planings from the carriageway surface course, with no coal tar recorded from coring logs within scheme extents. The Contractor is responsible for the disposal/recycling of road planings, and this will be registered in accordance with a Paragraph 13(a) waste exemption issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), as described in Schedule 3 of the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 2011.
This scheme value is not in excess of £350k and therefore a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is not required to be produced.
Noise and vibration
Baseline noise and vibration levels are likely to be influenced by vehicle traffic from the A92 carriageway and surrounding residential and agricultural activities. The AADF in 2024 for the A92 carriageway, within the scheme extents (estimated count point ID: 80086), accounted for 48,463 vehicles, with 3,738 of these being HGVs.
Within 300m, 12 residential properties have been identified with the closest located 140m north on Main Road. Two non-residential noise sensitive receptors have been identified within 300m of the scheme entitled Remus B&B (hotel) located 190m northwest of the works area and Dunfermline District Radio Car Club located 40m south.
Scotland’s Noise Map has indicated modelled day-evening-night noise levels (Lden) in the areas surrounding the carriageway to be around 60-80 dB within 100m. Night-time noise levels (Lnight) surrounding the carriageway show levels of 50-70 dB within 100m. The scheme is not located within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined within the Transportation Noise Action Plan.
Population and human health
The A92 carriageway within the scheme extents is located south of the town of Cardenden, Fife. This section of the A92 carriageway links smaller towns such as Cardenden, Lochgelly and Cowdenbeath with larger settlements such as the city of Dunfermline and the town of Kirkcaldy. Whilst these smaller towns play host to amenities and facilities such as educational facilities, medical facilities and care facilities, a greater abundance and complexity of these facilities can be found within Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy.
The A92 carriageway within the scheme extents is not street-lit and contains no bus stops, no pedestrian footways and no access/egress points. A layby is present within the scheme’s eastern extent. An overbridge and underpass containing footways are present within the scheme extents, traversing the A92 carriageway.
Three Fife Council Core Paths have been identified within 300m of the scheme extents:
- Auchtertool to Dundonald (path ID: R491) located approx. 100m west of the scheme extents via an overbridge;
- Craigarter Plant Link (path ID: R436) traversing the scheme extents at its mid-point via an underpass; and
- Cardenden to Kirkcaldy (Dogton) (path ID: R437) located approx. 40m north of the scheme extents.
No National Cycle Network (NCN) routes have been identified within 300m of the scheme extents.
Road drainage and the water environment
SEPA’s Water Classification Hub has identified the Den Burn watercourse (site ID: 6310), classified under the Water Framework Directive (WFD) as being in ‘Poor’ condition flowing beneath the scheme extents. Multiple field and road drains are also present within 500m of the A92 carriageway within the area of works.
SEPA’s Water Classification Hub has identified the groundwater conditions within the scheme extents (entitled ‘Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy’, site ID: 150645) as being in ‘Poor’ condition.
SEPA’s Flood Map has identified the A92 carriageway within the scheme extents to be at a ‘High’ (approx. 10% each year) risk of surface water flooding. The immediate area surrounding the Den Burn watercourse beneath the scheme extents is listed as having a ‘High’ (approx. 10% each year) risk of river water flooding according to this resource.
The A92 carriageway within the scheme extents is drained via top-entry gullies and filter drains and is not within a Scottish Government Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ).
Climate
Carbon Goals
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, as amended by the Scottish Carbon Budgets Amendment Regulations 2025 sets out the statutory framework for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Scotland. The prior annual and interim targets have been replaced by five-year carbon budgets, which sets limits on the amount of GHGs that can be emitted in Scotland.
The proposed carbon budgets are aligned with advice from the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC) and calculated in accordance with the 2009 Act. The 2025 Regulations define the baseline years for emissions reductions as 1990 for GHGs including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, and 1995 for others such as hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulphur hexafluoride (as set out in Section 11 of the Act). The budgets are as follows:
- 2026 - 2030: Average emissions to be 57% lower than baseline.
- 2031 - 2035: Average emissions to be 69% lower than baseline.
- 2036 - 2040: Average emissions to be 80% lower than baseline
- 2041 - 2045: Average emissions to be 94% lower than baseline.
These budgets are legally binding and will be supported by a new Climate Change Plan, which will outline the specific policies and actions required to meet the targets.
Transport Scotland remains committed to reducing carbon across Scotland’s transport network, this commitment is being enacted through the Mission Zero for Transport. Transport is the largest contributor to harmful climate emissions in Scotland, and Transport Scotland are committed to reducing their emissions by 75% by 2030 and to a legally binding target of net-zero by 2045.
Amey’s Company Wide Carbon Goal is to achieve Scope 1 and 2 net-zero carbon emissions, with a minimum of 80% absolute reduction on our emissions by 2035. Amey is aiming to be fully net-zero, including Scope 3 emissions, by 2040.
Amey are working towards a contractual commitment to have carbon neutral depots on the North East Network Management Contract (NE NMC) network by 2028. Amey have set carbon goals for the NE NMC contract as a whole to be net-zero carbon by 2032.