SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
(c) Continue to fulfil duties under the Waste Management (certification of historic unlicensed waste disposal and recovery activity) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No 524 of 2008), including those in relation to the identification and registration of closed landfills. Objective 9.12 Energy To support a safe, secure and reliable supply of energy in association with the appropriate service providers including EirGrid, the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) and Bord Gáis Energy. It is also aimed to facilitate expansion in order to ensure satisfactory levels of supply (subject to appropriate environmental assessment and the planning process) and support the safeguarding of strategic energy corridors from encroachment by other developments that could compromise the delivery of energy networks. Objective 9.13 Undergrounding of Cables The Council will encourage the undergrounding of cables and associated equipment where feasible and generally require such services be located underground as part of new developments. Where undergrounding of cables is being pursued, proposals should demonstrate that environmental impacts including the following are minimised: • Habitat loss as a result of removal of field boundaries and hedgerows (right of way preparation) followed by topsoil stripping (to ensure machinery does not destroy soil structure and drainage properties); • Short to medium term impacts on the landscape where, for example, hedgerows are encountered; • Impacts on underground archaeology; • Impacts on soil structure and drainage; and • Impacts on surface waters as a result of sedimentation. Objective 9.14 Renewable Energy To promote the increased use of renewable energy resources in Cork City such as solar, wind, geothermal, heat pumps and district heating. Objective 9.15 Digital Strategy To support the implementation of the Digital Strategy for the City and work with the Southern Regional Assembly and other stakeholders to seek investment in the delivery of accessible and improved high speed, high capacity digital infrastructure and rollout of the National Broadband Plan. Objective 9.16 Cork Smart Gateway To support the initiatives of the Cork Smart Gateway to enable a better quality of life, greener and more innovative and smarter city. Objective 9.17 Air Quality (a) To protect and improve air quality in Cork City in accordance with the provisions of EU Directives and national legislation on air pollution and support the actions of the City Council’s Air Quality Strategy 2021-2026, when it is finalised and its successors. (b) To continue to monitor air quality results submitted from selected locations throughout the City in co-operation with the Environmental Protection Agency and support the creation of a regional air quality and greenhouse gas emissions inventory. Objective 9.18 External Lighting To require that external lighting proposals minimise the harmful effects of light pollution, are energy efficient, and do not have an excessive impact on residential or visual amenity, biodiversity or result in the distraction of road users. Objective 9.19 Noise To support the implementation of the objectives of The Cork Agglomeration Noise Action Plan 2018 – 2023 and promote the pro-active management of noise where it is likely to have significant adverse impacts on health and quality of life. Objective 9.20 Seveso (a) Assessment of Development in Vicinity of Seveso III Sites: Land use proposals for development within the vicinity of sites identified under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Directive and any regulations, under any enactment, giving effect to that Directive, will be assessed having regard to technical guidance provided by the Health and Safety Authority. (b) Relocation of Seveso III Sites: Cork City Council will actively seek the relocation of Seveso III facilities / activities to suitable alternative sites outside the City. Commentary The assessment of the Plan’s Environmental Infrastructure and Management 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. Provisions relating to water supply and wastewater and surface water drainage would, by protecting water resources, providing safe drinking water and appropriately treating waste water, contribute towards the protection of various environmental components including: human health, biodiversity and flora and fauna, the status of waters, flood risk management and soil. There would be potential for significant adverse environmental effects upon various environmental components to arise during construction of water services infrastructure. Such potential significant adverse effects could also arise during operation: the protection of human health, biodiversity and flora and fauna and the status of waters, could all be conflicted with by outflows and abstractions.
CAAS for Cork City Council
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