SEA Environmental Report Appendix III: Non-Technical Summary
Section 6
Mitigation and Monitoring Measures
6.1 Mitigation Mitigation measures are measures envisaged to prevent, reduce and, as fully as possible, offset any significant adverse impacts on the environment of implementing the Plan. Various environmental sensitivities and issues have been communicated to the Council through the SEA, Appropriate Assessment (AA) and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) processes. By integrating all related recommendations into the Plan, the Council have ensured that both the beneficial environmental effects of implementing the Plan have been and will be maximised and that potential adverse effects have been and will be avoided, reduced or offset. Mitigation was achieved through the: Strategic work undertaken by the Council to ensure contribution towards environmental protection and sustainable development 15 ; Considering alternatives for the Plan 16 ; Integration of environmental considerations into zoning provisions of the Plan 17 ; and Integration of individual SEA, AA and SFRA provisions into the text of the Plan. 6.2 Monitoring The SEA Directive requires that the significant environmental effects of the implementation of plans and programmes are monitored. Monitoring is based around indicators that allow quantitative measures of trends and progress over time relating to the Strategic Environmental Objectives identified at Table 3.1 and used in the evaluation. Monitoring indicators, targets, sources and remedial action is provided at Table 6.1 overleaf.
15 Far in advance of both the submission of the pre-Draft Plan to the Elected Members for approval and the placing of the Draft Plan on public display, Cork City Council undertook various works in order to inform the preparation of the Plan. The findings of this strategic work have been integrated into the Plan and will contribute towards both environmental protection and management and sustainable development within the City. Strategic work undertaken by the Council includes background work in relation to Plan Strategies and other provisions for a variety of sectors. 16 Although strategic alternatives in relation to the content of the Plan were significantly limited for the Plan (see Section 4), as part of the Plan preparation/SEA process, the Council considered a number of alternatives for the Plan. These alternatives were assessed by the SEA process and the findings of this assessment informed the selection of preferred alternatives, facilitating an informed choice with respect to the type of Plan that was prepared and placed on public display. 17 Environmental considerations were integrated into the Plan’s zoning through an interdisciplinary approach. 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. The detailed Plan preparation process undertaken by the Planning Department combined with specialist 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. Various provisions have been integrated into the Plan that provide for flood risk management and ecological protection and management at project level. Also taken into account were environmental sensitivities relating to ecology, cultural heritage, landscape and water, as well as the overlay mapping of environmental sensitivities.
CAAS for Cork City Council
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