Description of local environment

Air quality

The scheme is located on the M8 between Craigton and Govan, Glasgow City. The immediate extents are bordered by a thin section of grassland and deciduous trees. However, in a wider context the scheme lies within an urbanised environment, bordered by residential properties and urban green spaces to the south, and retail, industrial, and recreational facilities to the north.

Approximately 130 residential properties are located within 200m of the scheme, the majority (over 100) situated to the south. The closest receptors comprise around 30 residential properties on Bunessan Street, positioned approximately 60m from the carriageway and running parallel to the works. Benburb Football Club is located 110m north of the scheme, while Bellahouston Park lies 120m to the south. No other sensitive air quality sensitive receptors lie within 200m of the works.

Baseline air quality is primarily influenced by traffic travelling along the M8 carriageway, with additional contributions from nearby industrial activities to the north. The nearest manual count point (40811), located 170m east of the scheme, recorded an Annual Average Daily Flow (AADF) of 121,665 vehicles in 2024, including 5,723 Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs).

Glasgow City Council has declared one Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), Glasgow City Centre AQMA, designated for Particulate Matter (PM₁₀) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂). As this is located 2.9km east of the works, local pollutant concentrations (NO₂, PM₁₀, PM₂.₅) are considered to be within the relevant Scottish air quality objectives.

There are no sites registered on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) or air quality monitoring stations located within 1km of the scheme.

Cultural heritage

A desk-based assessment was undertaken using Pastmap. A study area of 300m was used for designated cultural heritage assets which can be seen in Table 1 below.

Table 1. Designated Cultural Heritage Assets within 300m

Name	Reference Number	Description	Distance from Scheme
995 Paisley Road West, Lodge To Bellahouston Park	LB33578	Listed Building (Category C) – Lodge (1907)	165m south of the carriageway.
1121 Paisley Road West, Palace Of Art	LB33579	Listed Building (Category B) – Four blocks and a courtyard (1938)	255m south of the carriageway.

A study area of 200m was used for non-designated cultural heritage assets. Please see Table 2 below.

Table 2. Non-Designated Cultural Heritage Assets within 200m

Name	Reference Number	Description	Distance from Scheme
Glasgow Airport Rail Link Environmental Statement / Archaeology And Cultural Heritage.	3305	Historic Environment Record (HER) – Archaeological Event Record	Runs parallel to the north of the carriageway, 10m from scheme at its closest point.
Glasgow, Craigton Road, Refuse Destruction And Electric Works.	312181 90319	National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) HER – Refuse Destructor and Works (19^th Century)	190m north of the carriageway.
Glasgow, Helen Street, Gas Holder Station.	44338 8829	NRHE HER – Gas Holder Station (Modern) and Gas Works (19^th Century)	75m north of the carriageway.
Glasgow, Paisley Road, White City Sports Ground.	297800 88395	NRHE HER – Stadium (20^th Century)	65m south of the carriageway.
Glasgow, 995 Paisley Road West, Bellahouston Park, Lodge.	160675 46923	NRHE HER – Lodge (Period Unassigned)	165m south of the carriageway.
Glasgow, Bellahouston Park.	209136 48569	NRHE HER – Barrage Balloon Site (Second World War)	130m south of the carriageway.
Glasgow, Ibrox Station.	167833 47227	NRHE HER – Railway Station (19^th Century)	125m northeast of the carriageway.
Glasgow, Broomloan Road.	44255	NRHE – Housing Estate (Modern)	130m northeast of the carriageway.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme is located on M8 between Craigton and Govan within Glasgow City. The immediate extents are bordered by a thin section of grassland and deciduous trees which provides screening to nearby receptors. An overbridge is present within the scheme extents, adjacent to the EB off slip road at NGR NS 54892 64309, which has a footway present within it. The wider surroundings comprise residential properties and urban green space to the south, with retail, industrial, and recreational facilities to the north.

Core Paths C31 and C31D are located within 300m of the scheme. C31 passes under the carriageway 15m west of the scheme, and C31D is located 240m south of the scheme. There are no National Cycle Network Routes or Bridleways within 300m of the scheme location.

According to Scotland’s Environment Web Map, there are no Ancient Woodland, National Scenic Areas (NSAs) or Gardens and Designed Landscapes located within 500m of the scheme extents. However, there is one Tree Preservation Order (TPO) located 440m southeast of the scheme.

Scotland’s Historic Land Use Assessment Map has highlighted that the land within the scheme has historically been used as ‘Motorway and Major Roads’. The land surrounding the scheme location has been used as ‘Industrial or Commercial Area’, ‘Urban Area’, and ‘Recreation Area’.

The Scottish Landscape Character Type (LCT) Assessment Map shows the landscape within the scheme extents is Urban. Urban areas are settlements with a population of more than 25,000 people. They are not classified as LCTs and do not have a description.

Biodiversity

NatureScot’s Sitelink resource does not highlight any European designated Sites designated for nature conservation i.e. Special Protection Areas (SPA), Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), or Ramsar Sites located within 2km or sharing connectivity with the scheme extents. Sitelink has not identified the presence of national designations (such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or Local Nature Reserves) within 1km of the scheme extents.

The National Biodiversity Networks (NBN) Atlas has not highlighted any protected species within 500m of the works. Furthermore, Amey’s South West (SW) database has no records of protected species wildlife casualties along the scheme extents within the last 10 years.

However, the NBN Atlas has highlighted the Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) located within 500m of the scheme. There are no records of this INNS within the verge of the scheme.

A search using Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) online mapping tool highlights the target species rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium) along the verge of the M8 EB carriageway within the scheme extents.

The scheme and the surrounding habitat have been reviewed by a senior ecologist utilising desktop resource, and the requirement for a site visit was scoped out. This is due to the transient nature of the works combined with the urbanised landscape.

Geology and soils

NatureScot’s SiteLink notes there are no Geological Conservation Review Sites (GCRS), geological SSSIs or Local Geodiversity Sites (LGS) within 500m of scheme extents. The closest GCRS is Victoria Park (ID: 10068) which is located approximately 3km north of the scheme extents.

The British Geology Viewer notes the soil geology within the scheme extents consists of the following:

Superficial deposits:

Raised Tidal Flat Deposits, Late Devensian-Gravel, sand and silt. These sedimentary deposits formed during the Quaternary period.

Bedrock geology:

Limestone Coal Formation-Sedimentary rock cycles, Clackmannan Group type. These sedimentary rocks formed during the Carboniferous period.

Due to the urbanised landscape, Scotland’s Soil Map cannot provide data on the soil within the scheme extents.

Material assets and waste

Please see Table 3 for the materials required for the scheme and their sources, and Table 4 for the expected waste produced by the scheme and its disposal.

Table 3. Key Materials Required for the Scheme

Activity	Material Required	Origin/ Content
Site Construction	· TS2010 Surface Course; · AC20 Bituminous Binder; · AC32 Bituminous Base; · Vehicle fuel; · Road marking materials; · Road studs; · Oil; and · Lubricant. · Possibility of filter stones.	· A proportion of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is used in asphalt production. Typical RAP values for base and binder are 10% -15% with up to 10% in surface course · TS2010 surface course allows a wider array of aggregate sources to be considered when compared to typical Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA). As a result, the use of TS2010 will reduce the usage of imported aggregates and increase the use of a wider range of sustainable aggregate sources. · All of the materials listed will contain a % of recycled material. The rest will come from primary sources. · This scheme is less than £350K there does not require a SWMP.

Activity

Material Required

Origin/ Content

Site Construction

· TS2010 Surface Course;

· AC20 Bituminous Binder;

· AC32 Bituminous Base;

· Vehicle fuel;

· Road marking materials;

· Road studs;

· Oil; and

· Lubricant.

· Possibility of filter stones.

· A proportion of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) is used in asphalt production. Typical RAP values for base and binder are 10% -15% with up to 10% in surface course

· TS2010 surface course allows a wider array of aggregate sources to be considered when compared to typical Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA). As a result, the use of TS2010 will reduce the usage of imported aggregates and increase the use of a wider range of sustainable aggregate sources.

· All of the materials listed will contain a % of recycled material. The rest will come from primary sources.

· This scheme is less than £350K there does not require a SWMP.

Table 4. Key Waste Produced by the Scheme

Activity	Waste Arising	Disposal/ Regulation
Site Construction	Road planings (inert bituminous materials); and Road Markings and Studs. Possibility of old filter stones.	Following on-site coring investigations and testing, no coal-tar was identified within the surfacing of the carriageway within the scheme extent.

Activity

Waste Arising

Disposal/ Regulation

Site Construction

Road planings (inert bituminous materials); and

Road Markings and Studs.

Possibility of old filter stones.

Following on-site coring investigations and testing, no coal-tar was identified within the surfacing of the carriageway within the scheme extent.

Noise and vibration

For baseline data on the scheme’s immediate surroundings and wider context, please refer to ‘Air Quality’.

Approximately 235 residential properties are located within 300m of the scheme, the majority of which lie to the south. The closest receptors, around 30 properties, are on Bunessan Street, situated approximately 60m south of the carriageway and running parallel to the scheme. Benburb Football Club is located 110m to the north, and Bellahouston Park lies approximately 120m to the south. No other noise or vibration -sensitive receptors are present within 300m of the works.

Baseline noise and vibration conditions are predominantly influenced by traffic travelling along the M8, with additional contributions from nearby industrial activities to the north. The nearest manual traffic count point (ID 40811), located approximately 170m east of the scheme, recorded an AADF of 121,665 vehicles in 2024, of which 5,723 were HGVs.

According to the Transportation Noise Action Plan (TNAP) 2019-2023 and the Glasgow Agglomeration Draft Noise Action Plan 2019 -2023, the scheme is not located within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA).

According to Scotland Noise Map, existing noise levels within the scheme extents range from approximately 77dB to 81dB (Lday) during daytime hours and from 70dB to 75dB (Lnight) at night. At the nearest identified receptor, the properties on Bunessan Street, baseline noise is recorded at around 67dB during the day and 60dB during the night, providing a representative indication of current acoustic conditions in the area.

Population and human health

A study area of 300m was used due to the like-for-like nature of the works, and their containment within the M8 highway boundary.

For baseline data on the scheme’s immediate surroundings and wider context, please refer to ‘Air Quality’.

There are approximately 235 residential properties within 300m of the scheme. The vast majority of which are located south of the scheme. The closest receptors consist of approximately 30 properties on Bunessan Street, positioned approximately 60m south of the carriageway parallel to the scheme. Benburb Football Club is located 110m to the north, and Bellahouston Park lies 120m to the south. No other sensitive receptors are present within 300m of the works.

Core Paths C31 and C31D are located within 300m of the scheme. C31 passes beneath the carriageway 15m west of the scheme, and C31D is located 240m south of the scheme. There are no National Cycle Network Routes or Bridleways within 300m of the scheme location. Streetlights are present within the central reserve of the carriageway, as well as bordering the off-slip carriageway. There are no lay-bys within the scheme extents, however, a hard shoulder is present along the majority of the carriageway.

There is an access point to Helen Street via the off-slip road. However, Helen Street has multiple other access points in the surrounding area. There are also no access points to residential properties or community facilities within the scheme extents.

Road drainage and the water environment

According to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s (SEPAs) Water Classification Hub, the closest watercourses is ‘Clyde Estuary – Inner (inc Cart)’ (ID: 200510) located 1.35km northeast of the scheme. This transitional water body has ‘Moderate’ ecological health according to the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Due to the urban nature of the area surrounding the scheme, there are no undesignated or unnamed watercourses within 500m of the works.

According to SEPA Flood Maps, Clyde Estuary – Inner (inc Cart) has a ‘Medium’ likelihood (0.5% annually) of flooding. However, this does not extend into the scheme extents. Within the scheme extents, there is a section of ‘High’ (10% annually) likelihood surface water flooding located at the start of the off-slip road.

Surface water runoff along the M8, within the scheme extents, is managed via roadside gullies located on the hard shoulder, and filter stones located on either side of the carriageway. Groundwater within the scheme consists of a mix between Govan Sand and Gravel (ID: 150779) and Paisley and Pollok (ID: 150551), both with an overall ‘Poor’ ecological health according to the WFD.

The works do not fall within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ). This indicates that the concentration of nitrates in the water is not at risk of exceeding levels set by the European Commission’s Nitrates Directive (91/676/EEC). Furthermore, the works do not fall within a surface Drinking Water Protected Area (DWPA). This highlights how according to the Water Environment (Drinking Water Protected Areas) (Scotland) Order 2005, the groundwater within the scheme is not intended to be consumed and is consequently not under tight controls regarding polluting activities.

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 greenhouse gases 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 South West Network Management Contract (SW NMC) network by 2028. Amey have set carbon goals for the SW NMC contract as a whole to be net-zero carbon by 2032.

< Previous | Contents | Next >