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Project Summary Project Description Application of Tools Opinion of Tools Decision making process Contact Details

Application of tools

Name of the case study
Ebbw Valley Railway


Name of tool
Demand forecasts

Description of tool - character
This is a forecasting tool used to assess potential demand for the reopened railway. Demand forecasting was completed on 15 stations, followed by a disqualification process of the possible station location one by one. All modelling was done using a computer program. Some stations are on old sites, other stations can’t be reused due to changes, e.g. land has been sold or new regulations have come in making a location unsuitable.

Description of tool - availability
A number of computer packages are available for transport modelling.

Description of tool - existing
This is a standard tool used in this type of project.

Description of tool - adaptation
Consultants at Capita Symonds used modelling packages to reflect local demand.


Name of tool
Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment

Description of tool - character
The EIA is a generic assessment tool implemented as a statutory requirement within Europe as a result of Directive 85/337/EEC introduced in 1985 and since reinforced by amendments in 1997 and 2003 to assist with transparency, public participation and scope. EIAs are carried out on public and private projects which are likely to have significant effects on the environment. The key elements of an EIA are: Scoping (identifying key issues and concerns of interested parties); screening (decide whether an EIA is required based on information collected); Identifying and evaluating alternatives (list alternative sites and techniques and the impacts of each); Mitigating measures dealing with uncertainty (review proposed action to prevent or minimise the potential adverse effects of the project) and Issuing environmental statements (report the findings of the EIA).

EIAs were carried out on each of the six proposed Ebbw Valley railway stations prepared in accordance with The Town and County Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulation 1999. The findings were incorporated into the Environmental Statement. The assessment was based on the guidelines from the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) Volume 11 and Environmental Assessment. Although completed as part of the planning process, the assessment was not submitted with the planning applications for the stations (later assessments will be required for any further stations opened), but served as an Executive Summary for each station and these documents will accompany the Planning Applications. The Executive Summaries are free-standing documents and are not included in this Environmental Statement.

The Environmental Statement which reports findings of the EIA covered issues such as air quality, cultural heritage, ecology and nature conservation, landscape and land use, traffic and vehicle travellers, noise and vibration, pedestrians, cyclists and community effects, watercourses and drainage, geology and soils, disruption due to construction etc.. This was undertaken internally in consultation with the Environment Agency and Countryside Commission for Wales. The statement contains information from external consultants on specialist areas such as bat conservation and Architectural heritage. The local authority environment/ biodiversity officers were also consulted for their local knowledge.

Description of tool - availability
This generic tool is a statutory process in Europe that is the result of Directive 85/337/EEC introduced in 1985, and amended by Directive 97/11/EC and as applied by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Directive 85/337/EEC can be obtained from the European Union website http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/eia/full-legal-text/85337.htm for free, but most EIA are completed by consultants.

Description of tool - existing
As a generic tool this is an original tool.

Description of tool - adaptation
The EIA tool is not a rigid format and therefore can be adapted to the local context.


Name of tool
Feasibility Study

Description of tool - character
The feasibility study, an assessment tool, is designed to establish whether there is a need for the scheme. The initial feasibility study ?Phase One study? was completed in 1999, looking mainly at the projects engineering. The second ‘Phase Two study’ was completed in 2001. This was an assessment of forecast demand for the railway and investigated the cost and potential use of options such as bus, light rail and heavy rail. This reported positively for heavy rail as it incorporated the existing transport system. This work included a trip matrix looking at how much traffic would be taken off the road as a result of the development. This work was undertaken by external transportation consultants.

Description of tool - availability
The tool is project specific and therefore no standard template is available.

Description of tool - existing
This is a standard tool used in this type of project.

Description of tool - adaptation
The tool is adapted to reflect local context.


Name of tool
Public consultation exercise

Description of tool - character
The public consultation exercise, a monitoring tool, that involved stakeholders and the general public, was considered key in the formulation of the final proposals (for example station design).

A Members Preview exhibition was held to inform Welsh Assembly Government officers, the Unitary Authorities (municipalities), Assembly Members and Municipality Councillors of the plans. The media were also invited. Press release notes and an exhibition advertisement were prepared following agreement with Blaenau Gwent County Council Borough Council. The advertisement was placed in the key local and national Welsh newspapers.

In order to complete the exercise a series of nine exhibitions were held from Saturday 18th January – 1st February 2003 along the route of the railway and in key feeder areas. This involved an exhibition showing the preferred scheme for the railway and outline designs for the six railway stations. A bilingual brochure published by TIGER and approved by the three local authorities was produced to accompany the exhibitions. The brochure, which contained a questionnaire for members of the public, was also posted to various stakeholders, placed at deposit points along the route such as at Post Offices and council offices and delivered to people living adjacent to the proposed station sites. The main aim of the exhibition was to make the general public and other interested stakeholders aware of the scheme and specific design proposals at the six station sites. It was felt that this mandate was met by virtue of the fact that a total of 1678 people attended the exhibitions.

Description of tool - availability
The tool is project specific and therefore no standard template is available.

Description of tool - existing
This is a standard tool used in this type of project.

Description of tool - adaptation
Local consultants from Capita Symonds designed to consultation around the local context.


Name of tool
Road side questionnaires

Description of tool - character
This indicator and monitoring tool involved the administration of approximately 1,000 roadside questionnaires in order to find peoples sensitivity to cost and time in terms of the maximum journey time people are willing to travel. This indicated the number of stations/stops that the journey should consist of.

Description of tool - availability
The tool is project specific and therefore no standard template is available.

Description of tool - existing
This was based upon standard questionnaire design.

Description of tool - adaptation
Questions were designed to reflect local context.


What tools were used to assess sustainability?

Demand forecasts

Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment

Feasibility Study

Public consultation exercise

Road side questionnaires

More information

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