Preferred Route Corridor Selection Report November 2018
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NORTH WEST GREENWAY NETWORK NORTH WEST GREENWAY NETWORK ROUTE 2 - DERRY/ LONDONDERRY TO MUFF STAGE 2 PREFERRED ROUTE CORRIDOR SELECTION REPORT The North West Greenway Network project has been supported by the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) NORTH WEST GREENWAY NETWORK Quality Control Sheet Issue Date Prepared Date Checked Date Approved Date Draft 1 07.09.2018 KOS 07.09.2018 KOS 07.09.2018 SH 07.09.2018 Draft 2 27.09.18 KOS 27.09.18 KOS 27.09.18 KOS 27.09.18 Draft 3 19.11.18 KOS 19.11.18 KOS 19.11.18 KOS 19.11.18 Draft 4 23.11.18 KOS 23.11.18 KOS 23.11.18 SH 23.11.18 Rev 0 27.11.18 KOS 27.11.18 KOS 27.11.18 SH 27.11.18 Rev 1 05.12.18 KOS 05.12.18 KOS 05.12.18 SH 05.12.18 Rev 1 1 NORTH WEST GREENWAY NETWORK Rev 1 2 NORTH WEST GREENWAY NETWORK Contents 0 Executive Summary ................................................................................................... 5 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 6 1.1 Project Background ................................................................................................. 6 1.2 Project Progress to Date and Previous Reports ...................................................... 6 2 Policy Documents and guidelines .............................................................................. 8 2.1 European Policy and Guidelines ............................................................................. 8 2.2 Northern Ireland Policy and Guidelines ................................................................... 8 2.3 Republic Of Ireland Policy and Guidelines ............................................................ 11 3 North West Greenway Network Project Description ................................................. 18 3.1 Physical Character of a Greenway Facility ............................................................ 18 3.2 North West Greenways Network – Scheme Overview .......................................... 18 3.3 Route Specific Aims and Objectives ..................................................................... 20 4 Route Specific Study Area, Constraints, Opportunities and Areas of Interest........... 23 4.1 Study Area ............................................................................................................ 23 5 Constraints, Opportunities And Areas Of Interest .................................................... 25 5.1 Topography........................................................................................................... 25 5.2 Rivers, Streams and Watercourses ....................................................................... 26 5.3 Environment and Ecology ..................................................................................... 28 5.4 Existing Land Use ................................................................................................. 30 5.5 Proposed and Future Developments ..................................................................... 31 5.6 Local Amenities and Attractions ............................................................................ 33 5.7 Built Environment and Local Heritage ................................................................... 36 5.8 Existing Patterns of Travel, Work and Social Interaction ....................................... 38 6 Route Corridor Options ............................................................................................ 40 6.1 Route Corridor and Proposed Greenway Descriptions .......................................... 40 7 Public Consultation Process .................................................................................... 51 8 Assessment Of Route Corridor Options ................................................................... 53 8.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................... 53 8.2 Route Corridor Assessment Criteria ...................................................................... 53 8.3 Preambles ............................................................................................................ 54 8.4 Assessment of NI Corridors .................................................................................. 75 Rev 1 3 NORTH WEST GREENWAY NETWORK 8.5 Assessment of ROI Corridors ............................................................................... 94 8.6 Emerging Preferred Route Corridor and Alternative Options Considered ............ 106 8.7 Comment on Other Route Corridor Options ........................................................ 112 9 Conclusion, Recommendation and Next Steps ...................................................... 113 9.1 Conclusion and Recommendation ...................................................................... 113 9.2 Next Steps .......................................................................................................... 113 APPENDIX A – LIST OF DESIGN GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS & GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................ 114 APPENDIX B – DRAWINGS AND FIGURES .................................................................... 116 APPENDIX C – SUMMARY OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION FEEDBACK .......................... 117 APPENDIX D – LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT .................................................................. 118 APPENDIX E – PRELIMINARY ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT ....................................... 119 APPENDIX F – SUMMARY OF ROUTE CORRIDOR SCORING ASSESSMENT ............. 120 Rev 1 4 NORTH WEST GREENWAY NETWORK 0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Preferred Route Corridor Selection Report describes Stage 2 of the Route Selection Process for the proposed Derry / Londonderry to Muff Route of North West Greenway Network (NWGN) Scheme. The report should be read in conjunction with the Stage 1 – Constraints Study and Route Options Report. The report has been prepared by the Integrated Consultant Team, in partnership with the Derry City & Strabane District Council, and with Donegal County Council. Further to the detail provided in the Stage 1 Report, the key sections of this report – Sections 8 and 9, Describe the assessment of each of the Route Corridors Options in terms of the Assessment Criteria, Identify the Preferred Route Corridor and, Outlines the next steps in the development of the scheme. In common with the Stage 1 Report, this report sets out the project background and the European, national and local policy guidelines which frame the scheme and the development of Greenway Schemes. It also sets out the overall aims and objectives of the NWGN scheme and route specific aims and objectives of Route 2, Derry / London Derry to Muff. The report identifies the Study Area, describes the Constraints, Opportunities and Areas of Interest within the Study Area and proposes a number of “Route Corridor” Options. Four Route Corridors from Derry / Londonderry to the southern extent of Muff village have been identified, as well as three Route Corridors for the Greenway through and around Muff village. The report describes these Route Corridors and explains why they were selected. The report describes the Public Consultation Process carried out following the publication of the Stage 1 report and summarises the feedback on the scheme proposals received from the public and defines the Assessment Criteria used to identify the Preferred Route Rev 1 5 NORTH WEST GREENWAY NETWORK 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Background In December 2016 Derry City and Strabane District Council in partnership with Donegal County Council, the Department for Infrastructure (NI) and Sustrans (the UK-based cycling and walking charity), secured funding for this project from the EU’s INTERREG VA 2014-2020 programme, monitored by the Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB). McAdam Design has been appointed by Derry City & Strabane District Council to lead the Integrated Consultant Team (ICT) which will provide co-ordinated NI and ROI Project Management and Design services to the Project Partners and deliver the North West Greenway Network (NWGN) Scheme from Preliminary Design, through to Technical Design, Procurement of the Principal Contractor and managing the delivery of the Construction Stages to completion of construction. The core target project outputs of the NWGN project are as follows: 1. To develop 46.5km of cross-border greenway by December 2021 2. To achieve a targeted 5.5% rise in cross-border modal shift from the baseline (to be established) by December 2022 Core project specific aims are as follows 1. A reduction in CO2 emissions of 319 metric tons per annum by 2023. 2. Widespread behavioral and attitudinal change in all targeted beneficiaries through our strategic alliance with Sustrans. 3. Investment in the wider economic and social infrastructure in the Cross Border region. 4. The project will meet the strategic aims of Derry City and Strabane District Council Northwest Greenways Plan (2015) to develop a comprehensive interconnected regional Cross Border Greenway Network. The proposed North West Greenway Network Scheme consists of three distinct Greenway Routes, totalling 46.5km shared pedestrian / cycle paths, with each route crossing the Northern Ireland (NI) / Republic of Ireland (ROI) border. The Routes are summarised as follows: Route 1 – Derry to Buncrana – approx. 32.5km Route 2 – Derry to Muff – approx. 10.5km Route 3 – Strabane to Lifford – approx.