Description of local environment

Air quality

Receptors – refer to ‘Population and Human Health’.

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

The scheme lies within the boundary of Fife Council, which has no active Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) within its administrative boundary. The closest AQMA lies within the boundary of the City of Edinburgh Council, ‘Air Quality Management Area Glasgow Road 2013’, approx. 9.4km south of the scheme and has been declared for nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

There are 11 sites registered on the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) for pollutant releases to air within 10km of the scheme within the last 10 years:

  • Rosyth Dockyard, Dunfermline – Other Activities, declared for Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds (NMVOCs), located approx. 2.4km west of the scheme.
  • Muir Dean Coal Site, Drumcooper Farm Crossgate – Mineral Industry, declared for carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, located approx. 5km northeast of the scheme.
  • Glendevon Poultry Farm, Wagon Road, Dunfermline – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, located approx. 5.4km northwest of the scheme.
  • Elmbank Poultry Farm, Crossgates, Fife – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia and methane, located approx. 5.4km northeast of the scheme.
  • Dalmeny Hound Point, South Queensferry – Energy Sector, declared for Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds, located approx. 5.6km southeast of the scheme.
  • Mossbank Poultry Farm, Cowdenbeath, Fife – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, located approx. 7.5km northeast of the scheme.
  • Craigies Poultry Farm, Townhill, Dunfermline – Intensive Livestock Production and Aquaculture, declared for ammonia, located approx. 7.6km northwest of the scheme.
  • Fife Council, Lochhead Landfill, By Wellwood, Fife – Waste and Waste-Water Management, declared for CO2, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and methane, located approx. 7.8km northwest of the scheme.
  • Fife Ethylene Plant, Mossmorran – Chemical Industry, declared for benzene, butadiene, CO2, carbon monoxide, methane, NO2, NMVOCs, particulate matter (PM) (total) and toluene, located approx. 8.7km northeast of the scheme.
  • Fife NGL Plant, Cowdenbeath – Energy Sector, declared for CO2, carbon monoxide, NO2, nitrous oxide, NMVOCs, sulphur dioxide (SO2) and sulphur trioxide (SO3), located approx. 9.5km northeast of the scheme.
  • Hillwood Quarry, Ratho, Midlothian – Mineral Industry, declared for CO2 and PM10 and smaller, located approx. 9.9km south of the scheme.

Baseline air quality in the study area is mainly influenced by vehicles travelling along the M90 trunk road. Secondary sources are derived from the adjacent quarry and day-to-day agricultural land management activities.

Cultural heritage

The PastMap and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) online mapping tools records two designated sites within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Battle of Inverkeithing II Inventory Battlefield (IB) lies within the scheme extents.
  • Jamestown, Forth Bridge, North Approach Railway Viaduct Listed Building (LB) (ID: LB49652) lies approx. 190m southeast of the scheme.

Approx. 27 undesignated cultural heritage assets (UCHAs) pertaining to National Records of the Historic Environment (NRHE) and NRHE Maritime lie within 300m of the scheme extents, the closest of which lies adjacent to the M90 within the scheme extents:

  • Castleland Hill NRHE.

Construction of the M90 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 is therefore assessed to be low.

Landscape and visual effects

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

The Landscape Character Types (LCT) within the study area are ‘Coastal Hills - Fife’ (no. 192) (Scottish Landscape Character Types). The characteristics of which are:

  • Close association with the coast, either through views of the sea, the Firths or the estuaries or indirect coastal experiences of sounds, smell, etc.
  • Predominantly medium to large, open, undulating arable fields, often with no field boundaries or with mainly wire fences, low hedges or some stone dykes and little other vegetation cover.
  • Isolated farms and extended or converted farmsteads amongst open, exposed fields.
  • Extensive seaward views across the North Sea or the Firths and land beyond, but generally landward views are contained by hills in the near distance.
  • Distinctive edges to the character type, created either by distinct breaks of slope or by rivers, roads, built development or the Coastal Cliffs or Coastal Braes.
  • General lack of tree cover, with relatively few forests and shelterbelts.
  • Some pasture and rough hill grazing on the poorer hill soils. Occasional field corner plantations and small semi-natural woodlands alongside burns.
  • Infrequent, small, often exposed and conspicuous settlements of stone or white or pale colour-washed render and grey roofs and single storey or two storey houses with small windows to the sea.
  • Designed landscapes, castles, dovecotes historic villages and rural churches.
  • Golf courses, primarily in eastern parts.
  • Medium to large scale, often open or exposed coastal landscape, where the character is always influenced by the sea and can be particularly affected by the weather conditions and views of the sky and the sea.
  • Generally a simple, sloping, organised, tended, farming landscape with regular or geometric patterns.

Land use within 300m of the scheme is categorised into the following:

  • Motorway and major roads.
  • Managed woodland.
  • Rectilinear fields and farms.
  • Railway features.
  • Industrial or commercial area.
  • Urban area.
  • Designed landscape.
  • Restored agricultural land.
  • Recreation area.
  • Rough grazing.

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

  • ‘Class 888’ – Urban.

There are three areas of woodland on the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland (NWSS) within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Hawthorn scrub (approx. 1.3ha) lies approx. 20m east of the scheme.
  • Nearly-native hawthorn scrub (approx. 1ha) lies approx. 40m east of the scheme.
  • Nearly-native lowland mixed deciduous woodland (approx. 1.8ha) lies approx. 254m northeast of the scheme.

One area of woodland of Long-Established of Plantation Origin recorded on the Ancient Woodland Inventory Scotland lies within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • 12ha lies approx. 141m west of the scheme.

In addition, two areas of broadleaved woodland lie within 300m of the scheme:

  • 0.7ha lies approx. 22m east of the scheme.
  • 2.1ha lies approx. 32m east of the scheme.

There are no trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) with connectivity to the scheme extents.

The existing trunk road is a prominent linear landscape feature. The trunk road corridor, for example, has a distinct character shaped by 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 lies within the buffer zone of several of the qualifying features of the Firth of Forth SPA and Ramsar Site and Forth Islands SPA, the Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA and Loch Leven SPA and Ramsar Site. The Firth of Forth SPA and Ramsar Site lies approx. 384m east of the scheme, Forth Islands SPA lies approx. 1.7km southeast of the scheme, the Outer Firth of Forth and St Andrews Bay Complex SPA lies approx. 2.8km east of the scheme and Loch Leven SPA and Ramsar Site lies approx. 16.5km north of the scheme.

One Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) lies within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Ferry Hills SSSI (EU Site Code: 135444) located approx. 115m northeast of the northern extents of the scheme.

While not within 300m the Firth of Forth SPA is underpinned by the Firth of Forth SSSI.

In addition, Forth Islands SPA is underpinned by Long Craig Island SSSI.

Loch Leven SPA is also underpinned by Loch Leven SSSI.

There are no Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) or Local Nature Conservation Sites (LNCS) lie within 300m of the scheme extents.

A search of the NBN online mapping tool records ten plant species as listed within the Network Management Contract lie within 2km of the scheme extents (within the last 10-years):

Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS)

  • Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera).
  • Giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum).
  • Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica).
  • Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum).

Injurious Weeds

  • Broadleaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius).
  • Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense).
  • Spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare).
  • Curled dock (Rumex crispus).
  • Common ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris).

Invasive Native Perennial

  • Rosebay willowherb (Chamaenerion angustifolium).

The closest record pertains to rosebay willowherb approx. 0.15km east of the scheme (recorded 2022).

A search of the Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) online mapping tool records no INNS, injurious weeds or invasive native perennials within the scheme extents.

Habitat immediately bordering the trunk road tends to be of low intrinsic value because the existing road verge is subject to cyclic maintenance e.g., grass cutting, weed control, tree, and shrub cut-back etc. The roadside verges are comprised of a homogenous managed areas of semi-improved grassland alongside sections of broadleaved woodland, tree lines and scrub. Roadside vegetation generally offers low ecological habitat due to its limited scale, fragmented nature and high potential for disturbance owing to cyclic landscape maintenance and the proximity of the trunk road (with its fast-flowing traffic). The presence of the trunk road also restricts continuity of, and connectivity between, habitats either side of the trunk road boundary.

Outwith the trunk boundary, agricultural land lies west of the scheme with urban developments west, north and east of the scheme and an industrial estate northeast of the scheme. However, there are a number of woodland habitats bordering the scheme to the southwest and northeast. The areas of agricultural land management restrict the occurrence of semi-natural and natural vegetation types. Most field boundaries are comprised of wooden fencing and vegetative features further delineating field boundaries e.g., woodland, shrub hedgerow, rough grassland, ruderal herb stands and scrub. Linear features at field boundaries have wildlife value, both as corridors in an intensively managed landscape, and as habitats for birds and small animals.

Geology and soils

The M90 within the scheme extents is not located within a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS) however, North Queensferry (A90) Road Cuttings GCRS designated for Carboniferous – Permian Igneous, lies approx. 10m east of the scheme (at its closest point).

There are no Local Geodiversity Sites (LGS) within 300m of the scheme extents.

Ferry Hills SSSI lies approx. 20m east of the southern extents of the scheme and approx. 115m northeast of the northern extents of the scheme and is designated for Carboniferous – Permian Igneous.

The National Soil Map of Scotland online mapping tool records the generalised soil types as:

  • Made Up Ground.
  • Brown Soils.
  • Mineral Gleys.

The major soil groups within the scheme extents are categorised as the following:

  • Restored Soils.
  • Brown Soils.

The British Geological Survey online mapping tool records that the superficial geology within the scheme extents is comprised of:

  • Till, Devensian (Diamicton).
  • Raised Tidal Flat Deposits, Late Devensian (Silt and Clay).

The bedrock geology within the scheme extents is recorded as:

  • Midland Valley Sill-Complex, Quartz-Microgabbro.
  • Anstruther Formation, Sedimentary Rock Cycles (Strathclyde Group 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 worn carriageway surface and reinstate road markings. Materials used will consist of:

  • TS2010 10mm Agg Site Class 1 (Approx 10% recycled material).
  • AC20 Binder (Approx 28-48% recycled material).
  • AC32 Base (Approx 28-48% recycled material).
  • Tack/Bond Coat.
  • Paving Grade Bitumen.
  • Weatherline+ Thermoplastic Extrusion Road Markings.
  • Embedded Road Studs.

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

The 1,232m scheme involves removal of surface course and localised areas of base and binder. In total, approx. 5500 tonnes of bituminous material (European Waste Catalogue Code: 17 03 02) will be removed from site, none of which is classified as hazardous material containing coal tar.

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 modelled noise level (LNGT) ranges between 70 and 75 decibels (dB) within the scheme extents (Scotland’s Noise), with levels dropping to between 60 and 65 dB at the nearest noise sensitive receptor (NSR) (i.e., residential property).

The baseline noise and vibration in the scheme extents is primarily influenced by vehicles travelling along the M90 trunk road. Secondary sources most likely arise from day-to-day agricultural activities and from motor vehicles travelling along nearby roads.

Population and human health

Numerous residential properties lie within 300m of the scheme extents, the closest of which lies approx. 54m west of the scheme and is fully screened from the scheme by a sloped embankment and tree shelterbelt.

Core Path R635 crosses the M90 within the scheme extents via Dunfermline Wynd overbridge.

There are no other non-motorised user (NMU) or community facilities with connectivity to the scheme extents.

Street lighting is present throughout the scheme extents.

The M90, within the scheme extents, is a motorway with the national speed limit applying throughout. The Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) flow is high (71,023 motor vehicles) (ID: 74410, 2024) and is comprised of:

  • 173 two wheeled motor vehicles.
  • 52,695 cars and taxis.
  • 287 buses and coaches.
  • 12,793 light goods vehicles.
  • 5,075 heavy goods vehicles.

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.

Three unclassified surface waterbodies lie within 300m of the scheme extents:

  • Balancing Pond1 lies approx. 167m southeast of the scheme.
  • Balancing Pond2 lies approx. 170m southeast of the scheme.
  • A drain lies approx. 217m west of the scheme.

A search of the SEPA’s Flood Map online mapping tool records that the M90 within the scheme extents is at a low – medium risk of surface water flooding (i.e., each year this area has a 0.1 – 0.5% chance of flooding).

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

The scheme extents do 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).