Sea Statement Wicklow County Development Plan
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SEA STATEMENT FOR THE WICKLOW COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2016-2022 for: Wicklow County Council County Buildings Station Road Wicklow Town County Wicklow by: CAAS Ltd. 2nd Floor, The Courtyard 25 Great Strand Street Dublin 1 NOVEMBER 2016 Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi licence no. 2009/10 CCMA/Wicklow County Council. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright © Ordnance Survey Ireland 2008 SEA Statement for the Wicklow County Development Plan 2016-2022 Table of Contents Section 1 Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 1.1 Terms of Reference ..........................................................................................................1 1.2 SEA Definition .................................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Legislative Context ............................................................................................................1 1.4 Content of the SEA Statement ........................................................................................... 1 1.5 Implications of SEA for the Plan .........................................................................................1 Section 2 How Environmental Considerations were integrated into the Plan........ 3 2.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Consultations ................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Strategic work undertaken by the Council to ensure contribution towards environmental protection and sustainable development ......................................................................................... 3 2.4 Communication of environmental sensitivities ...................................................................... 3 2.5 Integration of Environmental Considerations into the text of the Plan .................................... 5 2.6 Integration of environmental considerations into Zoning of the Plan ...................................... 5 Section 3 Instances whereby Environmental Considerations were not integrated into the Plan 11 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 11 3.2 Objective for Economic Development EMP 12 .................................................................... 11 3.3 Roundwood Settlement Plan ............................................................................................ 12 Section 4 Environmental Report and Submissions and Observations .................. 14 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 14 4.2 Environmental Report ..................................................................................................... 14 4.3 SEA Scoping Submissions ................................................................................................ 14 4.4 Pre-Draft Plan Submissions .............................................................................................. 15 4.5 Submissions on the Environmental Report ........................................................................ 15 Section 5 Alternatives and the Plan ...................................................................... 17 5.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 17 5.2 Description of Alternative Scenarios .................................................................................. 17 5.3 Summary Evaluation of Alternative Scenarios .................................................................... 20 5.4 Reasons for choosing the Plan in light of the other Alternative Scenarios dealt with .............. 22 Section 6 Monitoring Measures ............................................................................. 25 6.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 25 6.2 Indicators and Targets .................................................................................................... 25 6.3 Sources ......................................................................................................................... 25 6.4 Reporting ....................................................................................................................... 25 6.5 Thresholds ..................................................................................................................... 26 CAAS for Wicklow County Council i SEA Statement for the Wicklow County Development Plan 2016-2022 Section 1 Introduction the Plan. This Statement is referred to as an 1.1 Terms of Reference SEA Statement (DEHLG, 2004)1. This is the SEA Statement for the Wicklow County Development Plan 2016-2022 Strategic 1.4 Content of the SEA Environmental Assessment (SEA). Statement The SEA Statement is required to include 1.2 SEA Definition information summarising: SEA is a systematic process of predicting and a) how environmental considerations have evaluating the likely environmental effects of been integrated into the Plan; implementing a plan, or other strategic action, b) how the following have been taken into in order to ensure that these effects are account during the preparation of the appropriately addressed at the earliest Plan: appropriate stage of decision-making on a par the environmental report, with economic and social considerations. submissions and observations made to the planning authority on the Draft 1.3 Legislative Context Plan and Environmental Report, and any transboundary consultations [this Directive 2001/42/EC of the European is not relevant to this SEA] Parliament and of the Council, of 27 June 2001, c) the reasons for choosing the Plan in the on the assessment of the effects of certain plans light of the other reasonable alternatives and programmes on the environment, referred dealt with; and to hereafter as the SEA Directive, introduced the d) the measures decided upon to monitor the requirement that SEA be carried out on plans significant environmental effects of and programmes which are prepared for a implementation of the Plan. number of sectors, including land use planning. 1.5 Implications of SEA for The SEA Directive was transposed into Irish Law through the European Communities the Plan (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) Regulations 2004 (Statutory Article 7 of the Planning and Development Instrument Number (SI No. 435 of 2004) and (Strategic Environmental Assessment) the Planning and Development (Strategic Regulations 2004 (SI No. 436 of 2004) as Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2004 amended requires that Strategic Environmental (SI No. 436 of 2004). Both sets of Regulations Assessment is undertaken for the preparation of became operational on 21 July 2004. The certain Development Plans. Regulations have been amended by the European Communities (Environmental The objective of the SEA Directive is to provide Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) for a high level of protection of the environment (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (SI No. 200 of and to contribute to the integration of 2011) and the Planning and Development (SEA) environmental considerations into the (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (SI No. 201 of preparation and adoption of plans and 2011). programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development. The Planning and Development (SEA) Regulations 2004, as amended, require that SEA Relevant aspects of the current state of the is undertaken for the preparation of certain environment were assembled and presented to Development Plans. Where SEA is undertaken, the Regulations require that a Statement 1 Department of Environment, Heritage and Local available to the public and the competent Government (2004) Implementation of SEA Directive environmental authorities after the adoption of (2001/42/EC): Guidelines for Regional Authorities and Planning Authorities, Dublin: Government of Ireland. CAAS for Wicklow County Council 1 SEA Statement for the Wicklow County Development Plan 2016-2022 the Plan-preparation team. This helped them to devise a Plan that contributes towards the protection of the environment. There are a wide set of factors involved in decision making and the information from the SEA (including the Environmental Report, relevant submissions and observations and SEA of Material Alterations) has been taken into account during the preparation of the Plan and before its adoption. An SEA Statement summarising how environmental considerations have been integrated into the Plan has been prepared at the end of the process to accompany the adopted Plan. CAAS for Wicklow County Council 2 SEA Statement for the Wicklow County Development Plan 2016-2022 Section 2 How Environmental Considerations were integrated into the Plan 2.1 Introduction 2.3 Strategic work Environmental considerations were integrated undertaken by the into the Plan through: Council to ensure Consultations with environmental contribution towards authorities; environmental Strategic work undertaken by the Council to ensure contribution towards protection and environmental protection and sustainable sustainable development; Communication of