SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
and have a sustainable properly maintained private water system, unless a public supply is available. Such proposals will be assessed in line with the appropriate EPA code of practice and will have regard to any cumulative impacts on water quality. (iii) Encourage new development to be designed to ensure that water resources and the natural environment are protected. Protection and enhancement of biodiversity resources within the receiving environment of the villages is also to be encouraged. Development will only be permitted where it is shown that it is compatible with the protection of sites, designated or proposed to be designated, for the protection of natural heritage. (iv) Where possible, all development should be connected to the public water supply, the public waste water treatment system and make adequate provisions for storm water storage and disposal. (v) Development within the core of the villages shall be designed to a high standard and reinforce the character of the existing streetscape. Where appropriate development should be in the form of small terraced development courtyard schemes. (vi) Residential development in other areas shall provide for small groups of houses, detached housing, serviced sites or self-build options. (vii) Retail and local services development should be accommodated within the core of the village and should make adequate provision for off street parking. (viii) The development of lands closest to the village centre is proposed in the first instance, and the development of good pedestrian and amenity links with the village core/main street are considered to be an important part of any proposed scheme. (ix) Extend footpaths and public lighting to serve the wider village and where practical, to provide for the under-grounding of utilities. (x) Roadside development within the villages should be sited and designed to ensure that the development potential of backland sites is not compromised and that suitable vehicular and pedestrian access to these lands is retained. (xi) Encourage additional retail and community services within the village to coincide with the needs of any future growth. (xii) Any proposals for development within areas identified as being at risk of flooding will need to comply with the provisions of the Ministerial Guidelines – ‘The Planning System and Flood Risk Management’. Objective 10.92 Protection of Hinterland Maintain the Hinterland for the purposes of retaining the open and rural character of lands between and adjacent to urban areas, maintaining the clear distinction between urban areas and the countryside, to prevent urban sprawl and the coalescence of built up areas, to focus development on lands within settlements which are zoned for development and provide for appropriate land uses that protect the physical and visual amenity of the area. Objective 10.93 Protection of Natural Landscape (a) Protect the visual and scenic amenities of the Hinterland’s built and natural environment. (b) Landscape is an important consideration in all development proposals, ensuring that a pro-active view of development is undertaken while maintaining respect for the environment and heritage generally in line with the principle of sustainability. (c) Ensure that new development meets high standards of siting and design. (d) Discourage proposals necessitating the removal of extensive amounts of trees, hedgerows and historic walls or other distinctive boundary treatments. Objective 10.94 Protection of Settlements (a) Retain the identity of towns and settlements, to prevent sprawl, and to ensure a distinction in character between built up areas and the open countryside by maintaining the integrity of the Hinterland. (b)
The Hinterland areas that lie in the immediate surroundings of towns and settlements will generally be used for agriculture, open space or recreation uses. Where European sites (formally Natura 2000 sites) occur within the Hinterland, these shall be reserved for uses compatible with their nature conservation designation. (c) Ensure that the approach roads to towns and villages are protected from inappropriate development which would detract from the setting and historic character of these settlements, and to prevent linear roadside frontage development on roads leading out of towns and villages. Objective 10.95 Neighbourhood Development Sites Cork City Council in collaboration with landowners and relevant stakeholders will progress the Neighbourhood Development Sites through active land management. These sites will benefit the local neighbourhood and support compact growth. Development proposals will address the relevant points highlighted by the text and icons associated with the maps and relevant objectives throughout this plan. Commentary The assessment of the Plan’s Key Growth Areas and Neighbourhood Development Sites 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.
Many of these provisions would contribute towards urban regeneration that will contribute towards sustainable mobility, minimising increases in energy usage and emissions to air, including greenhouse gas emissions and other emissions. Such development would also avoid the need to develop more sensitive greenfield lands elsewhere in the City’s Hinterland and beyond, thereby avoiding potential adverse effects on various environmental components.
CAAS for Cork City Council
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