SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
Topic
Potentially Adverse Unmitigated
Significant
Recommendations integrated into the Plan, included in:
Effect,
if
Landscape
Objective 6.9 Landscape (a) To preserve and enhance Cork’s landscape character, key landscape assets and views and prospects of special amenity value. (b) Landscape will be an important factor in all development proposals, ensuring that a proactive view of development is undertaken while maintaining respect for the environment and heritage generally in line with the principle of sustainability. (c) To ensure that new development meets the highest standards of placemaking, siting and design. (d) To protect those prominent open hilltops, valley sides and ridges that define the character of the Cork City Hinterland and those areas which form strategic, largely undeveloped gaps between the main Hinterland settlements from development. (e) To discourage proposals necessitating the removal of extensive amounts of trees, hedgerows and historic walls or other distinctive boundary treatments. (f) To support, as appropriate, any relevant recommendations contained in the National Landscape Strategy for Ireland 2015-2025. Objective 6.10 City Landscape Strategy Cork City Council will undertake a City Landscape Strategy during the life of this Plan to ensure that the management of development throughout the City will have regard for the value of the landscape, its character, distinctiveness and sensitivity. Objective 6.11 Landscape and Development To ensure that the management of development throughout Cork City will have regard for the value of the landscape, its character, distinctiveness and sensitivity in order to minimize the visual and environmental impact of development, particularly in designated areas of high landscape value where higher development standards (layout, design, landscaping, materials) are required. Objective 6.12 Landscape Preservation Zones To preserve and enhance the character and visual amenity of Landscape Preservation Zones through the careful management of development. Development will be considered only where it safeguards the value and sensitivity of the particular landscape and achieves the respective site-specific objectives, as set out in Tables 6.6-6.10. Objective 6.13 Areas of High Landscape Value To conserve and enhance the character and visual amenity of Areas of High Landscape Value (AHLV) through the appropriate management of development, in order to retain the existing characteristics of the landscape, and its primary landscape assets. Development will be considered only where it safeguards to the value and sensitivity of the particular landscape. There will be a presumption against development where it causes significant harm or injury to the intrinsic character of the Area of High Landscape Value and its primary landscape assets, the visual amenity of the landscape; protected views; breaks the existing ridge silhouette; the character and setting of buildings, structures and landmarks; and the ecological and habitat value of the landscape. Objective 6.14 Cork City View Management Framework (a) To protect the strategic panoramic, linear, river prospect or scenic route views identified in this Plan and ensure that development proposals do not have an undue detrimental impact on these views. (b) Development proposals will be assessed against their impact on the designated view if it falls within the foreground, middle ground or background of that view. New development should not harm, and where possible should make a positive contribution to, the characteristics and composition of the designated views and their landmark elements. It should also preserve or enhance viewers’ ability to recognise and to appreciate Strategically Important Landmarks in these views. (c) Development proposals that could affect a designated view should be accompanied by an assessment that explains, evaluates and justifies any visual impact on the view affected. The scoping process for determining whether a development proposal is likely to affect a designated view should be completed in consultation with Cork City Council. The assessment should demonstrate that the proposal is consistent with the relevant objectives of this Plan. The assessment should form part of a design statement or townscape and visual impact assessment submitted with a planning application. (d) Development in the foreground and middle ground of a designated view should not be overly intrusive, unsightly or prominent to the detriment of the view. Most designated views are seen in a 120 degree field of view. It is not expected that the view outside of this field of vision should be assessed unless specified by Cork City Council. (e) Strategic and local landmark buildings will need to be considered in the scoping of views to identify the potential impacts of development proposals. Objective 6.15 Development on Scenic Routes (a) To protect the character of those views and prospects obtainable from scenic routes identified in this Plan. (b) To require those seeking to carry out development in the environs of a scenic route to demonstrate that there will be no adverse obstruction or degradation of the views towards and from vulnerable landscape features. In such areas, the appropriateness of the design, site layout, and landscaping of the proposed development must be demonstrated along with mitigation measures to prevent significant alterations to the appearance or character of the area. (c) To encourage appropriate landscaping and screen planting of developments along scenic routes which provides guidance in relation to landscaping. Objective 8.20 Historic Landscapes Cork City Council will ensure that the designated and undesignated historic landscapes and gardens throughout the city are protected from inappropriate development and enhanced where possible.
Occurrence of adverse visual impacts and conflicts with the appropriate protection of designations relating to the landscape.
CAAS for Cork City Council
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