Natura Impact Report BALDOYLE - STAPOLIN Local Area Plan
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Natura Impact Report Local Area Plan BALDOYLE - STAPOLIN Appropriate Assessment June 2013 Comhairle Contae Fhine Gall Fingal County Council NATURA IMPACT REPORT BALDOYLE-STAPOLIN LOCAL AREA PLAN 2013-2019 FINGAL COUNTY COUNCIL Rev. Status Author Reviewed By Approved By Issue Date D17 Final JAH/PS PS PS 10/06/13 Scott Cawley, 127 Lower Baggot Street, Suite 401 -404, Dublin 2, Ireland Tel+353(1)676-9815 Fax +353(1) 676-9816 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................3 1.1 Requirement for Appropriate Assessment ...........................................................................................3 1.2 Appropriate Assessment Process: Purpose and Process ......................................................................3 1.3 Formal Guidance...................................................................................................................................6 1.4 Data Sources .........................................................................................................................................7 1.5 Consultation..........................................................................................................................................7 2 Stage 1 Screening..........................................................................................................................................8 2.1 Methodology.........................................................................................................................................8 2.2 Desk and Field Based Study ..................................................................................................................8 2.3 Overview of Baldoyle-Stapolin Local Area Plan ....................................................................................8 2.4 Overview of Fingal Development Plan 2011-2017................................................................................9 2.5 LAP Themes and Objectives ................................................................................................................10 2.6 Overview of Receiving Environment...................................................................................................12 2.7 Features of the Surrounding Environment .........................................................................................13 2.8 Screening Steps...................................................................................................................................13 2.9 Description of European Designated sites in the surrounding area ...................................................13 2.10 Description of Other Designated sites in the surrounding area .........................................................14 2.11 Reasons for Designation, Site Sensitivities and Threats .....................................................................15 2.12 Other Plans or Projects nearby which may lead to cumulative impacts upon local ecology .............21 2.13 Likely Significant Effects from the LAP on European sites..................................................................22 2.14 Conclusions of Screening Assessment Process ...................................................................................28 3 Stage Two: Provision of information for an Appropriate Assessment.......................................................29 3.1 Assessment Methodology...................................................................................................................29 3.2 Site-specific issues at Natura 2000 sites .............................................................................................29 3.3 Global issues at Natura 2000 sites ......................................................................................................34 3.3.1 Implications of Sea Level Rise .............................................................................................................34 3.4 Likely Effects of the LAP on European Sites........................................................................................34 3.5 In-combination Impacts with other Plans and Projects......................................................................50 3.6 Summary of Policies protecting individual European sites.................................................................51 3.7 Responsibilities for implementing mitigation policies........................................................................52 3.8 Monitoring the Implementation of Objectives...................................................................................53 4 Screening of Submissions and Manager’s Recommendations made on the Draft Plan.............................53 5 Conclusion of the Appropriate Assessment................................................................................................53 6 References...................................................................................................................................................54 Appendix A..........................................................................................................................................................56 Appendix B ..........................................................................................................................................................57 Appendix C ..........................................................................................................................................................58 Appendix D..........................................................................................................................................................72 Appendix E ..........................................................................................................................................................73 Appendix F ..........................................................................................................................................................77 Appendix G..........................................................................................................................................................78 Baldoyle-Stapolin LAP 2 Natura Impact Report 1 Introduction 1.1 Requirement for Appropriate Assessment This Natura Impact Report (NIR) has been prepared by Scott Cawley Ltd. on behalf of Fingal County Council. It provides information on and assesses the potential for the Baldoyle-Stapolin Local Area Plan (LAP) to impact on sites within the Natura 2000 network. This is the final version of the NIR and is published alongside the Baldoyle-Stapolin Local Area Plan 2013-2019 and serves as a documented record of the process of the Appropriate Assessment of the Local Area Plan throughout its preparation. The preparation of the Local Area Plan (LAP) has had regard to Article 6 of the Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (as amended) (hereafter referred to as the Habitats Directive). This is transposed in Ireland primarily by Part XAB of the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations, 2011 (S.I. 477) (hereafter referred to as the Habitats Regulations). Articles 6(3) and 6(4) of the Habitats Directive sets out the requirement for an assessment of proposed plans and projects likely to affect European sites. Article 6(3) establishes the requirement to screen all plans and projects and to carry out a further assessment if required (Appropriate Assessment (AA)): Article 6(3): “ Any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the management of the [European] site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects, shall be subjected to an appropriate assessment of its implications for the site in view of the site’s conservation objectives. In light of the conclusions of the assessment of the implications for the site and subject to the provisions of paragraph 4, the competent national authorities shall agree to the plan or project only after having ascertained that it will not adversely affect the integrity of the site concerned and, if appropriate, after having obtained the opinion of the general public .” The subsequent paragraph allows proposed plans and projects to be approved in certain conditions. Article 6(4): “ If, in spite of a negative assessment of the implications for the site and in the absence of alternative solutions, a plan or project must nevertheless be carried out for imperative reasons of overriding public interest, including those of a social or economic nature, Member States shall take all compensatory measures necessary to ensure that the overall coherence of the Natura 2000 is protected. It shall inform the Commission of the compensatory measures adopted. Where the site concerned hosts a priority natural habitat type and/or a priority species the only considerations which may be raised are those relating to human health or public safety, to the beneficial consequences of primary importance for the environment or, further to an opinion from the Commission, to other imperative reasons of overriding public interest .” This Natura Impact Report (NIR) is the documented record of the Appropriate Assessment process for the Baldoyle-Stapolin Local Area Plan 2013-2019. 1.2 Appropriate