Unity Square, Nottingham

Environmental Statement ‐ Non Technical Summary

December 2013

in association with

1. Introduction

Peel Holdings is applying to Nottingham City Council (NCC) for Outline

planning permission to secure the delivery of a major regeneration scheme

for the Southside Regeneration Zone, south of Nottingham city centre. The

scheme is known as Sovereign House but is also referred to as Unity Square.

The scheme will comprise the following elements:

• Demolition of the existing buildings

• Hotel development of approximately 200 rooms

• Approximately 2,000 sq.m (21,528 sq.ft) of shops, bars and

restaurants at ground level

• Approximately 4,500 sq.m (48,438 sq.ft) of leisure space suitable for a

gym or crèche use

• Office development of approximately 27,000 sq.m (290,000 sq.ft)

• New car parking of approximately 190 spaces

• Areas of public realm

This document presents a summary of the proposed development, its main

environmental effects and the measures that are proposed to ensure that the

development will not have unacceptable impacts on the local environment or

community. The potentially significant environmental impacts of the

proposed development have been assessed through a process called

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). EIA is a procedure required under

the terms of the European Union Directive 2011/92/EU on the assessment of

the effects on certain public and private projects on the environment.

The EIA Directive is currently enacted into legislation through The Town and

Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2011.

Nottingham City Council determined that the proposals constitute EIA

Development under Schedule 2 10(b) Urban Development Projects (exceeding 0.5

hectares) of the 2011 EIA Regulations and therefore, an EIA was required to be

undertaken.

The potentially significant environmental impacts of the proposed development

have subsequently been documented in an Environmental Statement (ES) which

is submitted as part of the planning applications.

This document provides a Non-Technical Summary (NTS) of the ES. It provides

detail of the site and its surroundings, the proposed development, the likely

environmental impacts of the proposed development and what measures are

proposed to reduce, avoid or compensate for potentially adverse impacts and

maximise beneficial impacts (mitigation measures).

Benefits of the proposed development

The Environmental Statement has been prepared to consider the

environmental impacts of the proposals. The outcome of the statement

demonstrated that the scheme would not have a detrimental impact on

the environment.

The scheme will be built to high environmental and sustainability

standards:

o Offices will be Grade A and BREEAM ‘Excellent’.

o The hotel is to be built to BREEAM ‘Very Good’ as a minimum.

The scheme is in a key regeneration area. The site forms part of the

‘Southside Regeneration’ area as promoted by Nottingham City Council

and Invest Nottingham. Southside is to become the new commercial

‘heart’ for the City.

2. Environmental Impact Assessment

Scoping

Scoping is not a mandatory requirement of the EIA Regulations, but is seen as

good practice. The purpose of scoping is to ensure that the environmental

studies undertaken during the preparation of the ES provide all the relevant

information on the likely significant environmental effects of the project. An

EIA Scoping Opinion was received from Nottingham City Council on 3rd

October 2013 and is included in Appendix B1 of the ES.

The technical scope of the EIA has been informed by the following:

Schedule 4 of the EIA Regulations;

Previous technical assessments of the site;

Pre-application discussions between NJL and Nottingham City Council

Development Management Officers in July and August 2013;

Nottingham City Council Scoping Opinion; and

Further consultation undertaken as part of the EIA.

Through this scoping process, the environmental topics identified as having

the potential for significant environmental effects are:

Heritage;

Flooding and Drainage; and

Landscape and Visual.

Liaison with NCC did not establish a requirement for cumulative impact

assessment with other proposed developments. This position was kept under

review during the EIA process, and through the individual chapters adjacent

proposed developments were considered. For example, the Townscape and

Heritage chapter addressed the Meadows Gateway scheme and the LVIA

considered the Meadows Gateway and the Wilford Road schemes.

Impact Prediction

Each technical assessment within the EIA firstly establishes the existing conditions

known as the ‘environmental baseline’, which identifies potentially sensitive

receptors to environmental impact e.g. ecological sites, watercourses etc. The

environmental baseline is then the basis against which the potential impacts are

assessed.

Environmental impacts can be positive (known as ‘beneficial’) or negative (known

as ‘adverse’), temporary or permanent and vary in their duration and spatial

scale. The significance of an environmental impact is assessed based on a

combination of its magnitude (i.e. intensity) and the sensitivity of the receiving

receptor.

There is no statutory definition of significance.

In this ES the following descriptive terms are used:

Substantial;

Moderate;

Minor; and

Negligible.

Mitigation

Mitigation measures can be put in place to avoid, reduce or compensate for

potential adverse impacts, or to enhance beneficial impacts.

The EIA has identified appropriate mitigation measures based on the assessment

of potential significant impacts.

These mitigation measures are divided into:

Inherent mitigation measures – those ‘designed in’ to the scheme and certain to

be delivered;

Standard mitigation – e.g. construction mitigation with a high degree of

certainty over delivery; and

Actionable mitigation measures - those that require a controlling mechanism

or legal undertaking to be implemented, but are under the control of the

applicant, NCC or Statutory Bodies and therefore, have a good certainty over

delivery, e.g. Planning Conditions and legal planning agreements with NCC.

The purpose of defining mitigation in this way is to make it clear how the

mitigation is to be delivered.

Describing Potential Impacts

The determination of impact significance in each of the technical chapters is

presented under the following scenarios:

Impact Assessment - with inherent and standard mitigation measures

implemented; and

Residual Impact Assessment – with inherent, standard and actionable

mitigation measures implemented.

3. The Site and Surrounding

Unity Square is located in a very prominent ‘gateway’ position on Sherriffs

Way/Queens Bridge Road, in a high-profile location in the centre of

Nottingham. The site forms part of the ‘Southside Regeneration’ area as

promoted by Nottingham City Council and Invest Nottingham. Southside is to

become the new commercial ‘heart’ for the City.

The site is triangular in shape, approximately 0.89 hectares in area and is

currently occupied by a six-storey vacant and disused 1960s office block and

(Regina House) a factory building, a multi-storey car park and associated

buildings (shown in the following photographs).

The site is well served by the public transport network. The site is located

directly opposite Nottingham Station (also known as the Midland Railway

Station) which is in itself is being redeveloped (project known as The Hub)

and opposite the proposed new NET Tram interchange (both projects are

expected to be completed in 2014). To the north, the site is bounded by a

watercourse known as Tinkers Leen, Sheriffs Way to the east and Burnham

Way to the south.

The site location is shown in Figure 1 and an illustration of the scheme

proposals is shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 1. Existing site layout and site boundary

Figure 2. Illustrative scheme examples

Figure 3. Illustrative scheme example from the south east

4. The Proposed Development

The planning application seeks Outline consent for a regeneration led mixed

use scheme to be known as Unity Square, Nottingham.

Extant Permission

The site benefits from a previous outline planning consent (09/00947/POUT)

for the following proposed development:

“Demolition of existing buildings and erection of mixed use development

comprising up to 27,000sq.m offices (Class B1a); up to 10,000sq.m hotel (Class

C1); up to 2000sq.m shops (Class A1); financial and professional services (Class

A2); restaurants and cafes (Class A3); drinking establishments (Class A4); hot

food takeaway (Class A5); up to 1,000sq.m non-residential institution (Class

D1); and up to 3,500sq.m assembly and leisure (Class D2), with ancillary car

parking and associated infrastructure (OUTLINE).”

The application was made by Peel Holdings Ltd, and was approved by

Nottingham City Council on the 21st January 2010. A Variation of Condition

Application was submitted on 24th August 2010 and was approved on the 30th

November 2010.

Proposed Development

The built elements (buildings) application is in Outline, details of individual

elements of the scheme will be worked up at the Reserved Matters stage,

with this application setting minimum and maximum parameters for the

future development including building heights and widths.

The outline planning application seeks planning permission for:

“Application for demolition of existing buildings and construction of Class

B1 Office, Class C1 Hotel, Class A1-A5 retail development, ancillary car

parking and associated infrastructure – in outline.”

The scheme will consist of the following details:

Class B1 Office

• The proposals seek planning permission to bring forward a

maximum floorspace of 27,000sq.m / 290,000sq.ft (GIA), to be

used for Class B1 office purposes.

• The configuration and layout of the floorspace will be determined

through Reserved Matters Applications when occupier

specifications and requirements are known in greater detail.

Class C1 Hotel

• The proposals seek planning permission for a hotel totalling

approximately 200 rooms. This meets the requirements of a

range of mid/high end hotel occupiers.

Class A1-A5 Retail

• A maximum amount of floorspace of up to 21,528sq.ft /

2,000sq.m to be used for retailing purposes within these use

classes is sought to be set within the outline planning consent. It

is intended that the retail floorspace will be located at the ground

floor level to create active frontages.

Car Parking

• The proposals seek permission for a car park area comprising of

up to 190 spaces to be split for usage between users and

occupiers of the commercial office area and hotel employees and

guests.

5. Alternatives

The EIA Regulations require that the EIA considers ‘alternatives’ to the

proposed development and indicate the reasons for progressing the chosen

alternative, taking into account the environmental effects.

Site Location

The location of the Sovereign House (Unity Square) makes it integral to the

overall success of Nottingham due to its potential contribution to the city

economy. The site provides one of the first impressions of Nottingham to rail

users and is located at the junction of vehicular arterial routes into the heart

of Nottingham.

The site is situated within the Southside area which provides an important

link between the City Centre and the Meadows residential area. The

Southside is a designated regeneration zone and has been identified as the

natural extension of the city centre.

Peel has attempted to bring forward the regeneration of the Sovereign House

site since 2004. This is a significant amount of time and it is Peel’s opinion

that despite their best efforts throughout this process, they have been unable

to develop out the site owing to a range of market factors.

Importantly, planning permission was granted in November 2010 for a

residential led scheme at Sovereign House (the application was submitted in

October 2006). Though the planning application was submitted for 367

residential apartments, ultimately, planning permission was received for 256

apartments. This significant reduction had a terminal effect upon the viability

of the scheme.

Peel’s investment into the Sovereign House site has already been substantial

over the last 5 years. So far a deliverable scheme has not been achieved.

However they remain committed at this stage, through the submission of this

application to seek to deliver a high quality, mixed use scheme which would

represent significant inward investment into Nottingham.

Sustainable Development

It is worth noting the sustainable location of the site. The site benefits greatly

from being in such close proximity to the train station ensuring it is a highly

accessible site for commercial purposes.

The site is located within a regeneration zone. These are characterised as land

areas which are promoted for expedited redevelopment in order that they

contribute positively to the wider urban area and citywide economy. From a

developer/landowner perspective, regeneration zones carry a much higher risk

profile than more stable established and attractive urban areas.

Peel’s ability to provide inward investment to redevelop this prominent site

should therefore be considered within this context.

Site Evolution

The scheme has evolved over a number of years to provide a development that

the market requires, in a key regeneration area of Nottingham.

The site layout has been revised during the preparation of the application

process, based on factors identified through the ES, such as building heights and

the impact it will have on surrounding heritage assets.

The development evolution can now deliver a sustainable development, with

careful design considerations, in an area that has been allocated for regeneration.

6. Summary of Potential Environmental Impacts

The application seeks outline planning permission controlled by parameters.

As such, the submission includes fixed maximum parameters for certain key

elements of the scheme which will be adhered to in subsequent reserved

matters applications. Along with these ‘maximum parameters’ an illustrative

scheme has been designed to show how the development may look. The

following environmental assessments have considered both the maximum

and illustrative schemes, this process provides a ‘worst case’ and ‘likely’

impact scenario.

Townscape and Heritage

Nottingham has a number of heritage buildings and assets. Due to the

proposed development being located in the heart of the City Centre, in a

gateway location, an assessment on the heritage buildings and assets was

undertaken. This is called a Heritage and Townscape Impact Assessment

(HTIA).

The methodology for this HTIA was agreed with Nottingham City Council

(NCC).

As views form an important part of Nottingham’s townscape character, the

HTIA is based on the approach set out in Seeing the History in the View: A

Method for Assessing Heritage Significance within Views (English Heritage,

April 2008). This proposes a systematic and consistent methodology for

assessing the historical significance of views, and has been tailored to also

include townscape and heritage assets.

As agreed with NCC the HTIA assesses the impact of proposed development

on:

• The setting of the Midland Railway Station

• The setting of the Station Conservation Area

• The setting of the Canal Conservation Area

• The local townscape and character

Nottingham’s topography lends itself to a number of key views, particularly

from the older parts of the city such as the Castle and Lace Market Cliffs. Key

views are assessed within the Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)

and are not in the HTIA.

Through the use of Design Principles, Inherent Mitigation Measures have been

applied throughout the design process in order to minimise impacts to the

identified townscape character, heritage features and also views of the

proposed development. Some of the inherent mitigation measures are

demonstrated in the Parameter Plans and others are more effectively applied

in the Illustrative Scheme.

Actionable Mitigation Measures include items such as the detailed massing,

the detailed design of elevations and the colour and materials used for

external finishes. Breaking down the mass of the proposed development to

allow spaces between and a broken profile against the sky will help retain key

views where possible. These will be applied through the development of the

Reserved Matters Application and through Planning Conditions applied by the

Local Planning Authority.

The HTIA assessment demonstrates that the proposed development (in the

form of the illustrative scheme), completed within the proposed design

parameters, will have an overall moderate and beneficial effect.

A summary of the main effects of the Illustrative Scheme are as follows:

Midland Railway Station

The assessment has demonstrated that the proposed illustrative scheme will

have a beneficial or neutral effect on the setting of the Midland Railway

Station.

Station Conservation Area

The assessment has demonstrated that the proposed illustrative scheme will

have a neutral effect on the setting of the Station Conservation Area.

Canal Conservation Area

The assessment has demonstrated that the proposed illustrative scheme will

have a neutral effect on the setting of the Canal Conservation Area.

Wider Townscape

The assessment has demonstrated that the proposed illustrative scheme will

have a neutral effect on the setting of the wider townscape area. As noted

previously, the Station Conservation Area Character Appraisal and

Management Plan published by NCC presents a balanced view which is

supportive of the opposing needs to regenerate and conserve at the same

time as can be seen in the following quote from the document:

“Whilst the preservation and enhancement of the Area’s historic environment

is particularly important, the Conservation Area lies within the Southside

Regeneration Area and close to the Meadows, which offer the opportunity to

promote regeneration and development initiatives in the area”.

Ultimately, the proposals for the Sovereign House site will result in a

significant change to the area, but on balance the proposals have the potential

to transform and regenerate a currently under-utilised part of the city centre

and it will support the regeneration of the Southside Regeneration Zone.

Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment

The Landscape and Visual Impact Chapter assesses the potential impact on key

views into and across the city and also on residential visual amenity. The key

views have been identified through site assessment and reference to the

Nottingham City Council Urban Design Guide which has made an assessment

of whole city with regard to important views and vistas.

These viewpoints were as follows:

1 View from Trent Bridge

2 View from Meadows Way

3 View from the Castle upper terrace

4 View from Queens Walk

5 View from the Embankment

Photomontages were produced to gain an understanding of the proportions of

the development within the surrounding context and to show the proposals

within the specified viewpoints.

The LVIA then assessed the development from the specified viewpoints using

the criteria of impact prediction outlined previously.

The assessment considered potential impacts of the maximum parameters of

the proposed development on identified landscape and visual receptors. The

following table provides a summary of the predicted effects:

Summary table of effects

Receptor Effect Mitigation

Landscape Minor Beneficial None

Residential Receptors Minor Beneficial None

View 1 Trent Bridge Minor Beneficial None

View 2 Queens Walk Minor Beneficial None

View 3 Nottingham

Castle Minor Beneficial Inherent

View 4 Embankment Negligible Neutral None

View 5 Sheriffs Way Minor Beneficial None

Flooding and Drainage

The site is defined as being located within flood zones 2 and 3a.

Approximately 20% of the site is located within flood zone 2 – medium

probability - which is defined as comprising land assessed as having between a

1 in 100 and 1 in 1000 annual probability of river flooding (1% - 0.1%). The

remaining 80% of the site is located within flood zone 3a – high probability -

which is defined as comprising land assessed as having a 1 in 100 or greater

probability of river flooding (>1%).

A Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) has been undertaken for the site and was

submitted as part of the suite of technical documents in support of the

planning application. The FRA includes an assessment of both the existing and

proposed drainage.

The site is already developed with both foul and surface water drainage

infrastructure installed discharging to either Tinkers Leen or the wider public

sewerage network.

It is considered that the impacts on surface run-off, flooding, water quality,

groundwater levels and groundwater quality will be reduced or will be

negligible with a drainage design which is compliant with the FRA and the

implementation of the site mitigation measures during construction and

operation. These are as follows:

• Surface Water run-off will be reduced by 50%. This is an overall

reduction which is applicable to the entire development through the

removal of any surface water discharge to the public sewerage

network and the restriction on outfall rate to Tinkers Leen to the 1 in

2 year storm event based on 50% of the site catchment area.

• Mitigation measures are provided for the handling of surface water

during both construction and the general operation of the scheme.

Within the final scheme the use of a petrol interceptor has been

included to provide suitable treatment to surface water flows prior

to the discharge of site. The quality will therefore remain un-

affected.

• Groundwater levels will remain un-altered as the current proposals

for dealing with surface water do not include the use of infiltration

drainage techniques. Investigation of the underlying strata identifies

it as consisting mainly of clay which negates the ability to utilise

infiltration type drainage.

• Mitigation measures are provided for the handling of surface water

during both construction and the general operation of the scheme.

Neither of which involve the use of infiltration techniques. Ground

water quality therefore will remain un-affected.

7. Further Information

Copies of the ES, together with the planning application documents, will be

made available for inspection at the following location:

Nottingham City Council Loxley House Station Street Nottingham NG2 3NG Comments on the ES should be addressed to Rob Percival at the above address. Copies of this Non-Technical Summary (NTS) are available free of charge. Hard copies of the ES can be purchased for a cost of £75 and electronic versions on CD are £5. The ES is also available at: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk For a copy of either the NTS or ES please contact NJL Consulting: NJL Consulting Unit 8 – Ashbrook Office Park Longstone Road Heald Green M22 5LB Tel: 0845 362 8202 Email: info@njlconsulting.co.uk