SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
Community and Infrastructure ZO 13 Education OBJECTIVE: To provide for schools and educational facilities and related development. ZO 14 Institutions and Community OBJECTIVE: To provide for and protect institutional and community uses. ZO 15 Public Infrastructure and Utilities OBJECTIVE: To provide for public infrastructure and utilities. Open Space and Amenity ZO 16 Public Open Space OBJECTIVE: To protect, retain and provide for passive and active recreational uses, open space, green networks, natural areas and amenity facilities. ZO 17 Sports Grounds and Facilities OBJECTIVE: To protect, retain and enhance the range and quality of sports facilities and grounds. ZO 18 Landscape Preservation Zones OBJECTIVE: To preserve and enhance the special landscape and visual character of Landscape Preservation Zones. ZO 19 Quayside Amenity Area OBJECTIVE: To protect and preserve quayside, natural heritage and river amenities. ZO 20 Rivers and Water Bodies Protection OBJECTIVE: To protect and provide for the appropriate recreational, amenity and transport use of the City’s rivers and waterways. ZO 21 City Hinterland OBJECTIVE: To protect and improve rural amenity and provide for the development of agriculture. Airport ZO 22 Cork Airport Infrastructure OBJECTIVE: To promote and support the operations of Cork International Airport. Commentary Town and Village Plans / Settlement Boundaries The assessment of the land use zoning 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 from this chapter 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. Environmental considerations were integrated into the land use zoning through an interdisciplinary approach involving Planners and environmental specialists. Zoning has been applied in a way that primarily seeks to achieve sustainable and compact growth, taking into account the various requirements set out in the higher-level NPF and Southern RSES and associated MASP. The detailed Plan preparation process undertaken by the Planning Department combined with specialist input seeks to facilitate zoning that will help to avoids inappropriate development being permitted in areas of elevated sensitivity, such as in areas at risk of flooding or ecological sensitivity; The detailed Plan preparation process undertaken by the Planning Department combined with specialist input from the SEA and AA process facilitated zoning that avoids impacts upon sensitive ecology and European Sites. The AA concludes that the Draft Plan, including Town and Village Plans will not affect the integrity of the Natura 2000 network of European Sites 65 . The detailed Plan preparation process undertaken by the Planning Department combined with specialist input from the SFRA process facilitated zoning that avoids inappropriate development being permitted in areas of high flood risk. The planning team also took into account other environmental considerations including sustainable mobility and sensitivities relating to cultural heritage, landscape and water, as well as taking into account overlay mapping of environmental sensitivities (see County level mapping at Figure 4.23 on page 65). Where reasonable alternatives in relation to the application of land use zoning were identified by the Planning Team as being available these were considered by the iterative Plan-preparation/SEA process (see Sections 6 and 7 of this report).
65 Except as provided for in Article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive, viz. There must be: (a) no alternative solution available, (b) imperative reasons of overriding public interest for the plan to proceed; and (c) adequate compensatory measures in place.
CAAS for Cork City Council
141
Powered by FlippingBook