Description of local environment

Air quality

Properties within 300m of the scheme – refer to ‘Population and Human Health’.

A search of the Air Quality in Scotland online mapping tool highlights that sites monitoring air quality in the wider area record bandings to be within the ‘green zone’ (Low Index 1-3).

The scheme is located within the Falkirk Council boundary area, which had six Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within its administrative boundary, five of which are now revoked. The closest active AQMA, ‘Falkirk Town Centre’, is located approx. 8km east of the scheme extents (at its nearest point) and is declared for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM10).

There are four sites registered on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) for pollutant releases to air within the last 10 years, within 10km of the scheme extents:

  • ‘Energen Biogas Limited, Cumbernauld’ – waste and waste-water management, declared for carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) (located approx. 3.3km southwest),
  • ‘Station Road, Cowie’ – paper and wood production and processing, declared for antimony (Sb), arsenic (As), benzopyrene (C2OH12), cadmium (Cd), CO2, carbon monoxide (CO), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), dioxins and furans, formaldehyde (CH2O), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), mercury (Hg), nickel (Ni), nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and zinc (Zn) (located approx. 8.9km northeast),
  • ‘Bakelite Synthetics UK Limited, Cowie’ – chemical industry, declared for formaldehyde (CH2O) (located approx. 8.8km northeast), and
  • ‘Greengairs Landfill, Meikle Drumgray Road, Airdrie’ – waste and waste-water management, declared for carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (located approx. 9.7km south).

The baseline air quality within the scheme extents is primarily influenced by motor vehicles travelling along the M80 trunk road. Secondary sources are most commonly derived from motor vehicles travelling along nearby local network roads and day-to-day agricultural land management activities.

Cultural heritage

According to the PastMap and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) online mapping tools, there are no designated cultural heritage assets located within 300m of the scheme extents.

There are three undesignated cultural heritage assets (UCHA) located within 300m of the scheme extents. The nearest record pertains to ‘Falkirk, Blaeberry Muir’ National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE) (ID: 46927), ‘Falkirk Museum’ NRHE (ID: 107874), and ‘Falkirk’ NRHE (ID: 116494) which are all located approx. 80m southeast of the scheme extents.

Construction of the M80 carriageway is likely to have removed any archaeological remains that may have been present within the trunk road boundary. The potential for the presence of unknown archaeological remains in the study area has therefore been assessed to be low.

Given that the works will be restricted to the existing M80 NB carriageway boundary and surrounding verges and that there are no designated cultural heritage assets located within 300m of the works, it is assessed that cultural heritage will not be impacted by the scheme. Therefore, this topic has been scoped out of further assessment.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme is not situated within a National Park (NP) or National Scenic Area (NSA).

The Landscape Character Types (LCT) within the study area is ‘Lowland River Valleys - Central’ (no. 152) (Scottish Landscape Character Types). The key characteristics of which are:

  • Well-defined river corridors, most with flat valley floor enclosed by often commanding hills,
  • Strong topographic and visual identify with varying scale and character,
  • Glacial terrain and deposits located on valley margins, often subject to mineral extraction,
  • Relatively high proportion of tree cover, with roadside and hedgerow trees and semi-natural woodland,
  • Dense areas of coniferous forest cover the slopes surrounding the reservoir in the Upper Carron Valley,
  • Road corridors often running parallel to river corridor form key linear features,
  • Settlement often closely linked to the river corridor and parallel road corridors,
  • Intensive settlement and urban development and urban development on margins of valleys south and north of Firth of Forth,
  • Predominance of traditionally managed estate, policy and designed landscapes,
  • Nature conservation importance of river and associated habitats,
  • Frequently enclosed and focussed views along the river valley, and
  • Visibility of remnant derelict land, motorway and road corridors, power lines, wind farms and industrial sites from the urban fringe of Falkirk/Denny.

Land use located within 300m of the scheme extents can be categorised as the following:

  • Motorway and major roads,
  • Medieval/ post-medieval reverse s-shaped fields,
  • Industrial-scale farming unit,
  • Managed woodland, and
  • Rectilinear farms and fields.

The national scale land capability for agriculture classifies land surrounding the scheme location as being:

  • ‘Class 3.2’ – Land capable of average crop production though high yields of barley, oats, and grass can be obtained. Grass leys are common.

There is one area of woodland registered on the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland database within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • 0.9ha of wet woodland, located approx. 30m south from the western end of the scheme extents, bordering the southbound (SB) carriageway.

In addition to the above, the following woodlands are located within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • 1.5ha of conifer woodland, located directly alongside the NB carriageway boundary at the eastern end of the scheme extents,
  • 0.9ha of mixed mainly broadleaved woodland, located approx. 30m south from the western end of the scheme extents,
  • 0.9ha of mixed mainly conifer woodland, located approx. 145m south of the scheme extents, and
  • 0.6ha of mixed mainly conifer woodland, located approx. 175m northeast of the scheme extents.

There are no areas of woodland registered on the Ancient Woodland Inventory Scotland database within 300m of the scheme extents and there are no trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) with connectivity to the scheme extents.

The existing M80 trunk road is a prominent linear landscape feature. The trunk road corridor, for example, has a distinct character shaped by high volume, fast-flowing traffic, road markings, safety barriers, signage, landscaping, etc. The scale of the trunk road detracts from the quality and character of the wider landscape.

Biodiversity

The NatureScot Sitelink online mapping tool identifies that the scheme is not situated within 2km of any European Sites designated for biodiversity features e.g. Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPA), or Ramsar sites.

However, the scheme lies approx. 3.8km northwest of Slamannan Plateau SPA and approx. 12.3km southwest of the Firth of Forth SPA and Ramsar Site and therefore lies within the disturbance zone for several of the qualifying features of both SPAs.

Slamannan Plateau Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) (component of the SPA) lies approx. 3.8km southeast of the scheme extents (straight line distance, at its nearest point).

The Firth of Forth SSSI (component of the SPA) lies approx. 12.3km northeast of the scheme extents (straight line distance, at its nearest point).

There are no Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS), SSSIs or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) designated for biodiversity features located within 300m of the scheme extents.

A Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) survey was undertaken by surveyors in July 2024. Habitats within the northern extents of this scheme are comprised of a small area of conifer plantation located on a sloped embankment, and a watercourse which runs along the bottom of the woodland, with arable fields found in the wider area.

A search of the NBN online mapping tool records the following species as detailed in the Network Management Contract (NMC) within 2km of the scheme extents (in the last 10-years):

Four injurious weeds:

  • Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius),
  • Common ragwort (Senecio jacobaea),
  • Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense), and
  • Oil seed rape (Brassica napus).

One invasive native perennial:

  • Rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium).

No invasive non-native species (INNS) were recorded within 2km of the scheme extents (in the last 10-years).

A search of the Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) online mapping tool records the following plant species as detailed in the NMC within the scheme extents:

One invasive native perennial:

  • Rosebay willowherb.

While not within the scheme extents INNS Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) has been identified along the southbound carriageway verge opposite the existing gantry within the northern extents of the scheme at NGR: NS 80191 80185. 

Habitat immediately bordering the scheme extents predominantly consists of large areas of open managed grassland and pastoral land, a combination of dense broadleaved and coniferous mature tree woodland directly alongside the NB carriageway boundary, semi-mature/mature broadleaved tree shelterbelts, steep sloped embankments, mature hedgerows, natural roadside vegetation (e.g., immature trees, shrubs etc.) and made verges which undergo cyclic maintenance (e.g., grass-cutting, weed control, etc.). While there is high availability of roadside vegetation, the habitat immediately bordering the trunk road is assessed to be of reduced ecological value, due to the likelihood of trunk road disturbances from high volume, fast-flowing traffic and that the M80 trunk road limits the connectivity and continuity for species between their potential habitats on either side of the road.

Geology and soils

The M80 within the scheme extents is not located within a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS), and there are no Local Geodiversity Sites (LGS) within 300m, or which share connectivity to the scheme extents. 

The National Soil Map of Scotland online mapping tool records two generalised soil types beneath the scheme extents:

  • Brown soils.
  • Mineral gleys.

There are two major soil groups recorded beneath the scheme extents:

  • Brown soils.

The British Geological Survey online mapping tool records the superficial geology within the scheme extents as:

  • Till, Devensian – Diamicton.

The bedrock geology within the scheme extents is recorded as:

  • Scottish Middle Coal Measures Formation – Sedimentary Rock Cycles, Coal Measure Type.
  • Scottish Lower Coal Measures Formation – Sedimentary rock Cycles, Coal Measure Type.

There is no evidence of historical industrial processes or the storage of hazardous materials that could have given rise to significant land contamination.

Material assets and waste

The proposed works are required to replace the existing M80 gantry, install new signage, and install new VRS at the existing and new gantry/sign locations along the M80 NB carriageway. Materials used will consist of:

  • Sign posts and faces.
  • Steel reinforcement.
  • Structural steelwork.
  • Steel VRS barriers.

As the value of the scheme is greater than £350,000, a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is required for these works.

The 0.7km scheme involves removal of the existing M80 gantry and signage. In total, approx. 71.5 tonnes of excavated material (including wood, soils and stones) (European Waste Catalogue Code: 17 02 01 and 17 05 04), approx. 70 tonnes of concrete (European Waste Catalogue Code 17 01 07), and approx. 51 tonnes of steel (European Waste Catalogue Code: 17 04 05) will be removed from site, none of which is classified as hazardous material.

Noise and vibration

Receptors – refer to ‘Population and Human Health’.

Works are not located within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) or Candidate Quiet Areas (CQA).

The night-time noise level (LDEN) modelled within the scheme extents is recorded as between 75 and 80 decibels (dB) with noise levels decreasing to between 55 and 60 decibels for the nearest surrounding Noise Sensitive Receptor (NSRs) (residential property).

The baseline noise and vibration in the scheme extents is primarily influenced by vehicles travelling along the M80 trunk road. Secondary sources are most commonly from day-to-day urban and agricultural activities, and from motor vehicles travelling along nearby local network roads.

Population and human health

There is one residential property located within 300m of the scheme extents. This property lies approx. 255m northeast of the scheme extents and is fully screened from the scheme extents due to intervening woodland and topography.

There are no non-motorised user (NMU) or community facilities with connectivity to the scheme extents and street lighting is not present throughout the scheme.

The M80, within the scheme extents, is a motorway with a speed limit of 70mph applying throughout. The Average Daily Traffic (ADT) flow is moderate (15,548 motor vehicles (ID: JTC00616, 2026 data)) (Drakewell Traffic Statistics).

Road drainage and the water environment

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) River Basin Management Plan online mapping tool records no classified surface waterbodies within 300m of the scheme extents.

Two unclassified surface waterbody has been identified within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • ‘Drain one’, lies approx. 35m north from the eastern end of the scheme (at its nearest point) and crosses below the M80 approx. 100m east of the scheme.
  • ‘Pond one’, which is lies approx. 90m north of the scheme extents,

These waterbodies are too small (in terms of catchment area) to be classified as a main stem waterbody by SEPA under the WFD.

A search of the SEPA’s Flood Map online mapping tool records that the scheme extents have a low risk of surface water flooding each year (i.e., there is a 0.1% chance of surface water flooding).

A search of Scotland's Environment (SE) online mapping tool determined that the trunk road lies on the ‘Denny’ groundwater, which has been classified as ‘Poor’.

A search of the SE determined that the trunk road, within the scheme extents, does not lie within a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ).

Climate

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘The Act’), and its subsequent amendment under the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, sets the framework for the Scottish Government to address climate change. The Act has an ambitious target to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with any residual emissions balanced by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is five years earlier than the rest of the UK due to the greater potential for carbon sequestration in Scotland.

The Act was amended to replace interim targets with carbon budgets. Carbon budgets are legally binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland over five-year periods. In line with the Act, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) published advice on the level of Scotland’s four carbon budgets, covering the period 2026 to 2045, recommending what the Scottish Government sets its carbon budgets at for annual average levels of emissions. These recommendations are based on an ambitious but credible route to Net Zero for Scotland by 2045.

Emissions reductions from surface transport are the largest contribution to meeting the first two carbon budgets. The pathway for surface transport emission reduction is primarily driven by the uptake of electric vehicles, in addition to measures to enable a shift from car use to public transport and active travel, which all play a role in reducing emissions from fossil fuel cars. Ensuring efficiency of existing transport infrastructure and improving/providing new active travel facilities is therefore important to support these carbon reduction budgets.

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 the above noted legally binding target of net-zero by 2045. 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).