Scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment

A study was undertaken to determine the principal environmental issues arising from the proposed scheme. It included detailed consultations with both statutory agencies and non-statutory local organisations. On the basis of the consultations and the comments made during the study, it was concluded that the following issues should be addressed in the Environmental Impact Assessment:

• Traffic and Access
• Noise and Vibration
• Air Quality
• Business and Community Issues
• Landscape, Townscape and Visual Impact
• Effects on the River Tyne
• Ecology and Nature Conservation
• Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
• Water
• Excavation and Waste Management

The Environmental Statement describes the findings of the Assessment. It contains technical chapters evaluating each of these topics. Each chapter describes current conditions derived from consultations and desk studies, from which potential impacts resulting from the scheme have been identified and considered in detail. Additional environmental surveys have been undertaken in support of the assessment process. Surveys have been undertaken of noise, air quality, the ecology of the river and the land affected by the scheme, and ground conditions including contaminated land. A detailed investigation of the river sediments along the alignment of the immersed tube has also been undertaken.

A Non-Technical Summary provides a brief overview of the Environmental Statement. The following sections provide an overview of each subject in turn, dealing where appropriate with specific issues relating to North Tyneside and South Tyneside.