Landscape with high landscape value or high landscape sensitivity are of Citywide or national importance. In the City Hinterland there are large areas of High Value Landscapes that are required to be protected.
Prominent and Strategic Cork City Hinterland Areas :
Successive Cork County Development Plans have identified the importance of protecting prominent areas of the Hinterland which are of strategic importance to the purpose and function of the Hinterland and Hinterland settlements. These areas require the highest degree of protection because they are made up of the prominent open hilltops, valley sides and ridges that give Cork City its distinctive character and the strategic, largely undeveloped gaps between the main Hinterland settlements. These areas are reflected in Figure 6.5, Chapter 6 of the CCDP 2022-2028.
Scenic Routes :
The City Hinterland contains many vantage points from which views and prospects of great natural beauty may be obtained over both seascape and rural landscape. This scenery and landscape is of enormous amenity value to residents and tourists and constitutes a valuable economic asset. The protection of this asset is therefore of primary importance in developing the potential of the City. Therefore, the plan identifies seven specific Scenic Routes consisting of important and valued views and prospects within the City (see Section 6.37, Chapter 6 of the CCDP 2022-2028. Public rights of way provide accessibility but also represent economic, tourism and amenity assets in themselves, while Active Recreation and Open Spaces are also important as they are a key component of public realm. The quality and quantity of public realm in towns and cities is a key determinant of the quality of life that any place can offer its residents, workers and visitors. The Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 recognise the importance of sites with National and European designations and sets out policies and objectives for their protection. Therefore, it is not considered the implementation of the Plan will have significant negative effects on areas or landscapes which have recognised national, European Union or international protection status. Development which may arise from the Plan will be subject to an appropriate project level environmental assessment and Habitats Directive Assessment (where necessary). The Plan will have to comply, where relevant, with various legislation, policies, plans and programmes (including requirements for lower-tier Appropriate Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment, Ecological Impact Assessment and requirements as appropriate) that form the statutory decision-making and consent granting. Actions arising from the Plan will demonstrate compliance with the environmental protection measures in the Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028, as varied, and its associated SEA Environmental Report and Natura Impact Report. A Screening report for Appropriate Assessment has been undertaken and accompanies the Draft LECP and this SEA Screening report. The AA screening notes: "Following detailed review and assessment it is considered that the draft Cork City LECP will not result in likely significant effects to European Sites. This assessment is derived from consideration of the following factors: 1. The plan is a non-statutory plan and is wholly consistent with the landuse zoning objectives of the Cork City Development Plan 2022 -2028 which was subject to full SEA and AA. 2. The plan sits beneath the Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 within the statutory planning hierarchy 3. The existing environmental protection measures of the Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028 as detailed in the NIR and SEA of the respective plan.
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