SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
4.3
Sustainable Development Goals
frequency of positive effects occurring, including:
Contribution towards protection of ecology (including designated sites, ecological connectivity, habitats) by facilitating development of lands (including those within and adjacent to the City Centre and the City’s suburbs) that have relatively low levels of environmental sensitivities and are served (or can be more easily served) by infrastructure and services, thereby helping to avoid the need to develop more sensitive, less well-serviced lands elsewhere in the City and beyond. Contribution towards the maintenance of existing green infrastructure and associated ecosystem services, listed species, ecological connectivity and non-designated habitats. Contribution towards protection and/or maintenance of biodiversity and flora and fauna by contributing towards the protection of natural capital including the environmental vectors of air, water and soil. Biodiversity and flora and fauna includes biodiversity in designated sites (including European Sites and Wildlife Sites) and Annexed habitats and species (including birds and bats), listed/protected species, ecological connectivity and non-designated habitats (including terrestrial and aquatic habitats), and disturbance to biodiversity and flora and fauna – including terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity and flora and fauna. Sustains existing sustainable rural management practices – and the communities who support them – to ensure the continuation of long- established managed landscapes and the flora and fauna that they contain. Promotion of economic growth to encourage retention of working age population and funding of sustainable development and environmental protection and management. Contribution towards appropriate provision of infrastructure and services to existing population and planned growth by facilitating compact development of lands (including those within and adjacent to the City Centre and the City’s suburbs) that are served (or can be more easily served) by infrastructure and services, thereby helping to avoid the need to develop less well- serviced lands elsewhere in the City and beyond. Contribution towards the protection of human health by facilitating development of lands (including those within and adjacent to the City Centre and the City’s suburbs) that have relatively low levels of environmental sensitivities and are served (or can be more easily served) by infrastructure and services, thereby helping to avoid the need to develop more sensitive, less well-serviced lands elsewhere in the City and beyond. Contributes towards protection of human health as a result of contributing towards the protection of natural capital including environmental vectors, including air and water. Contribution towards the protection of soils (including those used for agriculture) and designated sites of geological heritage by facilitating development of lands (including those within and adjacent to the City Centre and the City’s suburbs) that have relatively low levels of environmental sensitivities and are served (or can be more easily served) by infrastructure and services, thereby helping to avoid the need to
Implementation of the Plan will contribute towards efforts to achieve a number of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which were adopted by world leaders in 2015 at a United Nations Summit and came into force in 2016. These Goals include:
Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well- being for all at all ages. Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. Likely Evolution of the Environment in the Absence of a new Plan
4.4
In the absence of a new Plan it is uncertain how permission for new development would be applied for and considered. The 2015-2021 Plan has contributed towards environmental protection within Cork City. If the 2015-2021 Plan was to expire and not be replaced by a new Plan, this would result in a deterioration of the City’s planning and environmental protection framework. Although higher level environmental protection objectives – such as those of various EU Directives and transposing Irish Regulations – would still apply, the deterioration of this framework would mean that new development would be less coordinated and controlled. As a result, there would be a decreased likelihood in the extent, magnitude and
CAAS for Cork City Council
12
Powered by FlippingBook