Appropriate Assessment of the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
Screening for Appropriate Assessment
Section 3
3.1 Introduction to Screening This stage of the process identifies any potential significant effects to European Sites from a project or plan, either alone or in combination with other projects or plans. An important element of the AA process is the identification of the “‘conservation objectives”, “Qualifying Interests” (QIs) and/ or “Special Conservation Interests” (SCIs) of European Sites requiring assessment. QIs are the habitat features and species listed in Annexes I and II of the Habitats Directive for which each European Site has been designated and afforded protection. SCIs are wetland habitats and bird species listed within Annexes I and II of the Birds Directive. It is also vital that the threats to the ecological / environmental conditions that are required to support QIs and SCIs are considered as part of the assessment. The following NPWS Generic Conservation Objectives have been considered in the screening: For SACs, to maintain or restore the favourable conservation condition of the Annex I habitat(s) and/or the Annex II species for which the SAC has been selected; and For SPAs, to maintain or restore the favourable conservation condition of the bird species listed as Special Conservation Interests for this SPA. Where available, Site-Specific Conservation Objectives (SSCOs) designed to define favourable conservation status for a particular habitat 3 or species 4 at that site have been considered. 3.2 Identification of Relevant European Sites The Department of the Environment (2009) Guidance on AA recommends a 15 km buffer zone to be considered. Although sites beyond this buffer zone would be considered if relevant, a review of all sites within this zone has allowed a conclusion to be made that, in the absence of significant hydrological/ hydrogeological 5 links, the characteristics of the Plan will not impose effects beyond the 15 km buffer. Details of European Sites that occur within 15 km of and/downstream of the City are provided in Table 3.1 and mapped on Figure 3.1. European Sites and Rivers and Catchments are also mapped in Figure 3.1. Information on QIs, SCIs and site-specific vulnerabilities and sensitivities (see Appendix I) and background information (such as that within Ireland’s Article 17 Report to the European Commission, site synopses and Natura 2000 standard data forms) have been considered by both the AA screening assessment (provided under this section) and Stage 2 AA (provided under Section 4). Conservation objectives that have been considered by the assessment are included in the most up to date National Parks and Wildlife Service Conservation Objective documents. The assessment considers available conservation objectives. Since conservation objectives focus on maintaining the favourable conservation condition of the QIs/SCIs of each site, the screening process concentrated on assessing the potential effects of the Plan against the QIs/SCIs of each site. The conservation objectives for each site were consulted throughout the assessment process.
3 Favourable conservation status of a habitat is achieved when: its natural range, and area it covers within that range, are stable or increasing; the specific structure and functions which are necessary for its long-term maintenance exist and are likely to continue to exist for the foreseeable future; and the conservation status of its typical species is favourable. 4 The favourable conservation status of a species is achieved when: population dynamics data on the species concerned indicate that it is maintaining itself on a long-term basis as a viable component of its natural habitats; the natural range of the species is neither being reduced nor is likely to be reduced for the foreseeable future; and there is, and will probably continue to be, a sufficiently large habitat to maintain its populations on a long-term basis. 5 References to hydrological links in this report encompass links to surface and ground waters.
CAAS for Cork City Council
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