Potential impacts on groundwater quality or quantity, flood risk, water quality and private water supplies, and changes to peat and carbon-rich soils will be considered in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
A peat depth survey has been conducted that has identified peat is present on the site in pockets, some deep, and is not continuous. Where possible these areas have been avoided in the design of the Proposed Development, however where peat is encountered it will be used for peat restoration in areas of eroded peat on site.
The site has a number of incised watercourses and erosional gullies that radiate off site to the River Nant in the south, the Feochan Mhor watercourse in the north and the Allt Nathais watercourse in the north east. The infrastructure design has avoided all of these watercourses that are shown on 1:25,000 and 1:50,000 Ordnance Survey mapping and has minimised the number of significant water crossings.
The site has no risk of river flooding for the majority of the site although a number of watercourses show a medium to high risk of surface water flooding in close proximity to the watercourses. These areas have been identified and avoided.
There are a number of private water supplies within surface water catchments connected to the site although these are not considered to be at risk of impact by the development. No impacts to groundwater are anticipated.
These considerations will be fully addressed as part of the EIA.
