SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
8.8.1 Chapter 1: Introduction
Mitigated Conflicts
Probable Conflict with status of SEOs – unlikely to be mitigated
No Likely interaction with status of SEOs
Likely to Improve status of SEOs BFF PHH S WMA A C CH L
BFF PHH S W MA A C CH L
Strategic Vision The Strategic Vision for Cork City included in the Plan is for Cork City to take its place as a world class city, driving local and regional growth, embracing diversity and inclusiveness and growing as a resilient, healthy, age-friendly and sustainable compact city with placemaking, communities and quality of life at its heart. This Strategic Vision is based on the following Key Strategic Principles: • Compact growth: Integrate land-use and transport planning to achieve a compact city with 50% of all new homes delivered within the existing built-up footprint of the City on regenerated brownfield, infill and greenfield sites identified in the Core Strategy, and to achieve higher population densities aligned with strategic infrastructure delivery. • A city of neighbourhoods and communities: Develop a sustainable, liveable city of neighbourhoods and communities based on the 15-minute city concept, ensuring that placemaking is at the heart of all development. • Sustainable and active travel: To implement the Cork Metropolitan Area Transport Study (CMATS) and develop a transformed sustainable transport system with a significant shift toward walking, cycling and public transport and to enshrine this principle in all developments across the City. • Enhanced built and natural heritage Protect, enhance, support and develop our built and natural heritage, our open spaces and parks, and our green and blue infrastructure, and expand our built heritage with new buildings, townscapes and public spaces achieved through the highest standards of architecture and urban design. • A strong and diverse economy: Support Cork City’s role as the economic driver for the region and the creation of a strong, resilient, diverse and innovative economy. • A resilient City: Contribute to a framework for the transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient City, resilient to extreme weather events, pandemics, economic cycles and other potential shocks. • A healthy, inclusive and diverse city: Build on Cork City’s status as a World Health Organisation designated Healthy City, offering an inclusive and vibrant environment for all whilst promoting healthy living and wellbeing. • A connected city: Cork City will continue to be a highly connected city providing local, regional, national and international connectivity. • A city of learning and culture: To build on Cork’s designation as a UNESCO Learning City and the city’s rich cultural heritage and to foster learning, culture, heritage and the arts throughout the City.
Commentary The assessment of the Plan’s provisions from the introductory chapter, including the Plan’s Strategic Vision and Key Strategic Principles, against Strategic Environmental Objectives (SEOs BFF, PHH, S, W, MA, A, C, CH and L) is consistent with the: Environmental effects detailed under subsections 8.2 to 8.7 of this report; and Assessments of the selected alternatives for the Plan provided at Section 7 of this report. Implementing the Plan will help to direct incompatible development away from the most sensitive areas in the City and focus on directing: compact, sustainable development within and adjacent to the existing built-up footprint of the City, including its surrounding settlements; and sustainable development elsewhere. Development of areas within and adjacent to the existing built-up footprint, which are generally more robust, better serviced and better connected, will contribute towards environmental protection and sustainable development, including climate mitigation and adaptation. Compact development can be accompanied by placemaking initiatives to enable the City to become a more desirable place to live – so that it can sustainably accommodate new residents and maintain and improve services to existing and future communities. Compatible sustainable development in the City’s sensitive areas is also provided for, subject to various requirements relating to environmental protection and management being met. The provisions in this Chapter of the Plan would contribute towards the Statutory consent granting and decision-making framework for land use developments and activities, and sustainable development of the City, in combination with other Plan provisions and other plans, programmes, strategies, etc. Potential adverse environmental effects arising from land use development and activities include in-combination effects arising from services and infrastructure to service development, for example those relating to water services, transport and energy. The SEA process that has been undertaken alongside the preparation of the Draft Plan has brought about various changes to the emerging Plan through an iterative process. Some of these measures are reproduced under Section 9 “Mitigation Measures” of this report. By integrating SEA recommendations into the Plan, Cork City Council is helping to ensure that: The potential significant adverse effects of implementing the Plan, in combination with implementation of other provisions from the Plan and other plans, programmes, etc., are avoided, reduced or offset; and The beneficial environmental effects of implementing the Plan, in combination with implementation of other provisions from the Plan and other plans, programmes, etc., are maximised. The Plan’s Strategic Vision and Key Strategic Principles would contribute towards sustainable development and the protection and management of the environment.
CAAS for Cork City Council
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