SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
Section 6 Description of Alternatives
6.1 Introduction The SEA Directive requires that reasonable alternatives (taking into account the objectives and the geographical scope of the plan or programme) are identified, described and evaluated for their likely significant effects on the environment. Based on the outputs of Cork City Capacity Study and other relevant supporting documents that directly inform the preparation of the Draft Plan, Cork City Council have identified three alternatives from an initial sift of the following four options: 1. City Wide Growth Strategy 2. Transport Orientated Development no.1 (applying narrow walking bands) 3. Transport Orientated Development no.2 (applying wider walking bands) 4. Compact Liveable Growth Option 2 has been discounted as this scenario is over reliant on the delivery of the light rail transport in the City, which is currently at the initial stage of design (route selection process). The construction and delivery of the light rail transport is a long-term project (post-2031) within the Cork Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (CMATS). Cork City Council assessed the three remaining alternatives for the Draft Plan, to determine whether or not they are available and appropriate, as detailed in Section 7. 6.2 Limitations in Available Alternatives The Plan is required to be prepared in accordance with the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), which specifies various types of objectives that must be provided for within the Plan. The SEA alternatives prepared for the Plan are limited by the provisions of higher-level planning objectives, including those of the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) for the Southern Region. These documents set out various requirements for the content of the Plan, in particular the Core Strategy. The Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government also issues statutory guidelines to planning authorities. Planning Authorities must have regard to these in carrying out their functions, including in the preparation of the City Development Plan. They cover a wide range of issues including architectural heritage, childcare facilities, landscape, residential density and design, environmental assessment and development management. New ministerial guidelines on Housing Strategies and Housing Needs Demand Assessment have recently to inform the preparation of the City Development Plan. 6.3 NPF Targets for Growth in Cork City 2022-2028 The Core Strategy sets out population targets within the Draft Plan. These targets draw on the policies and targets set out for Cork City and the Cork Metropolitan Area within the NPF 2040 (February 2018), the NPF Roadmap (July,2018) and the RSES for the Southern Region (January, 2019). The Joint Draft Cork Housing Strategy provides the accompanying rationale for these targets in the context of the recently published DHLGH Housing Strategy Guidance, which is based on the ESRI’s “Regional Demographics and Structural Housing Demand at a County Level” Report (December 2020). Cork City Council needed to adjust the NPF and RSES population targets to account for the recent changes to its administrative area (officially extended on 31st May 2019). The +25% transitional allowance set out in Section 3(a) of the NPF Roadmap has also been added. It should also be noted that the low built out numbers within Cork City, for the period 2017 – (Q2) 2022 (estimated average of
CAAS for Cork City Council
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