6.14 Landscape shapes our image of a place, gives us a sense of place, an identity and can be a source of pride and inspiration, and so influence our well- being and quality of life. All aspects of our natural, built and cultural heritage come together in the landscapes we experience. Landscape is a finite resource but is constantly changing through natural processes and through human activity. 6.15 Cork City as a focus for economic development and population growth is under constant pressure of development. The challenge for Cork City Council is to manage the city’s landscape in a manner that facilitates economic growth and development while protecting and enhancing the city’s key landscape assets and resources.
6.18 Planning applications within areas or on sites benefiting from such landscape protection must demonstrate that there is no resulting adverse impact on the landscape assets and character of the area, by means of a design statement that includes a landscape assessment and visual impact assessment the impact. The City Council may seek discretionary Environmental Impact Assessments on development proposals that it considers would be likely to have a negative impact on the landscape.
Landscape Preservation Zones
6.19 Landscape Preservation Zones (LPZs) are areas zoned ZO 18 Landscape Preservation Zones (see Chapter 12 Land Use Zoning Objectives) in order to protect their character and amenity value. These areas are considered to be highly sensitive to development and as such have limited or no development potential. Typically, the landscape character of these areas combines distinctive landscape assets such as topography, slope, tree cover, setting to historic structures, open spaces and other landscape assets – see Table 6.5. 6.20 The objective of LPZs is to preserve and enhance the landscape character and assets of the sites. There is a presumption against development within LPZs, with development only open for consideration where it achieves the site-specific objectives set out in Tables 6.6-6.10. In exceptional circumstances, there may be limited scope for development to enable existing occupiers to adapt existing buildings to their evolving requirements, providing that the form or nature of development is compatible with the landscape character of the area. This might include a change of use or minor extensions.
Cork City Landscape Study
6.16 A Cork City Landscape Study was commissioned by Cork City Council in 2008 to establish principles and provide the framework for protecting and enhancing the natural environment and positively managing its change, as well as providing the context within which the design of developments can take place in an appropriate manner. This Study referred to the pre-2019 City area, and Cork City Council will undertake a revised landscape study that addresses the entirety of the administrative area including the urban towns, villages and suburbs.
Landscape Protection
6.17 Cork City Council seeks to protect and enhance the landscape character of the City by protecting the significant landscape elements that contribute to the general amenity of Cork City. This is achieved through a number of land use mechanisms in this Plan, including the designation of Land Preservation Zones (LPZ) and Areas of High Landscape Value (AHLV).
174
Cork City Draft Development Plan 2022-2028
Volume 1 I Chapter 6
Powered by FlippingBook