SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
Development proposals are encouraged to incorporate best practice in technologies that help reduce energy use or enables the monitoring and management of energy use. Objective 5.13 Waste Management – Construction and Operation of Development All development proposals should minimise waste and maximise the recycling and re-use opportunities during the construction and operation phases. To encourage the incorporation of adaptable design into all new all developments to facilitate their adaptation to alternative use, layout or user requirements in the future if required. Objective 5.15 Lifetime Adaptable Housing To promote and assist in the provision of lifetime adaptable homes to meet the needs of all society. Objective 5.16 Renewable and Low Carbon Energy To encourage development proposals to consider use of renewable energy infrastructure from the project inception stage with planning applications for larger development schemes required to demonstrate how renewable energy infrastructure have been considered through Scheme Sustainability Statements (see Scheme Sustainability Statements in Chapter 11 Placemaking and Managing Development). Objective 5.17 Heat Pumps To support the use of heat pumps in new build residential, commercial and public buildings taking into account amenity, conservation and heritage considerations. Objective 5.18 Roof-Top Solar Photovoltaic/Thermal Panels To support the incorporation of photovoltaic and/or solar thermal collector panels for electricity generation/storage and water heating on new residential, commercial and public buildings taking into account amenity, glint and glare, conservation and heritage considerations. Objective 5.19 Sustainable Energy Generation – Standalone Projects To support sustainable energy generation projects and pilot schemes where such proposals adhere to any relevant national or local guidelines and guidance and do not significantly impact on the surrounding environment including biodiversity, water quality and flood risk, air quality, noise pollution, transport safety (including air travel), natural, built and cultural heritage, landscape character and residential amenity. Objective 5.20 Cork City District Energy Action Plan To lead on the preparation of the Cork City District Energy Action Plan in partnership with Energy Cork and in consultation with the SEAI, SRA and CARO. Objective 5.21 District Heating To support the delivery of district heating and be guided by the proposed Policy Framework for the Development of District Heating in Ireland and in time, the Cork City District Energy Action Plan. All future planning applications for development schemes of 50 or more homes or 1,000sqm of commercial floorspace at the following strategic locations will be required to be supported by an assessment of district heating opportunities and how these will be taken forward as part of the development unless it is demonstrated to be technically unfeasible or unviable: • City Docklands • Tivoli • The Cork Science and Innovation Park Objective 5.22 Electric Vehicles To encourage and support the use of Electric Vehicles (EV) and Light Electric Vehicles (LEV) and support the provision of charging infrastructure for EVs on-street, within carparks and in new developments.. Objective 5.23 Rainwater Harvesting To encourage all development proposals to include rainwater harvesting measures. Objective 5.24 Green and Blue Infrastructure (a) To support the strategic role that Green and Blue Infrastructure plays in facilitating a more climate resilient city. (b) All development proposals will be expected to fully explore and incorporate Green and Blue Infrastructure as an integral component of the scheme. (c) To support communities in the development of local scale Green and Blue Infrastructure projects. Commentary: The assessment of the Plan’s Climate Change and Environment provisions 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.
CAAS for Cork City Council
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