Dursey Island Cable Car & Visitor Centre
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DURSEY ISLAND CABLE CAR AND VISITOR CENTRE Natura Impact Statement Volume 1 - Main Text September 2019 Roughan & O’Donovan Dursey Island Cable Car and Visitor Centre Consulting Engineers Natura Impact Statement Dursey Island Cable Car and Visitor Centre Natura Impact Statement TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ........................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Legislative Context ............................................................................................. 1 1.3 Methodology ....................................................................................................... 3 1.4 Ecological Assessment ....................................................................................... 4 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ................................... 8 2.1 General Description ............................................................................................ 8 2.2 Development Overview ....................................................................................... 9 2.3 Need for the Proposed Development ................................................................ 10 2.4 General Site Layout .......................................................................................... 11 2.5 Design of Structural Elements ........................................................................... 15 2.6 Construction Methodology ................................................................................ 24 2.7 Maintenance and Operation .............................................................................. 36 2.8 Decommissioning ............................................................................................. 37 2.9 Receiving Natural Environment ......................................................................... 37 2.10 Likely Effects on the Natural Environment ......................................................... 51 3.0 IDENTIFICATION OF ADVERSE EFFECTS ................................................... 52 3.1 Establishing the Likely Zone of Impact .............................................................. 52 3.2 Site Descriptions ............................................................................................... 54 3.2.1 Beara Peninsula SPA ............................................................................ 54 3.2.2 Kenmare River SAC .............................................................................. 54 3.3 Evaluation against Conservation Objectives ..................................................... 55 3.4 Summary of Potential Adverse Effects .............................................................. 60 4.0 ASSESSMENT OF ADVERSE EFFECTS ....................................................... 61 4.1 Approach to Assessment .................................................................................. 61 4.2 Beara Peninsula SPA ....................................................................................... 61 4.2.1 Northern Fulmar .................................................................................... 61 4.2.2 Reb-billed Chough ................................................................................. 61 4.3 Kenmare River SAC .......................................................................................... 65 4.3.1 Large shallow inlets and bays ................................................................ 65 4.3.2 Reefs ..................................................................................................... 68 4.3.3 Vegetated sea cliffs of the Atlantic and Baltic coasts ............................. 69 4.3.4 European dry heaths ............................................................................. 70 5.0 MITIGATION .................................................................................................... 73 DCCVC-ROD-EBD-SW_AE-RP-EN-40002 Page i Roughan & O’Donovan Dursey Island Cable Car and Visitor Centre Consulting Engineers Natura Impact Statement 5.1 Principles and Approach ................................................................................... 73 5.2 Mitigation Measures .......................................................................................... 73 5.2.1 Visitor Management ............................................................................... 73 5.2.2 Water Quality ......................................................................................... 83 5.2.3 Biosecurity ............................................................................................. 85 5.3 Implementation and Compliance ....................................................................... 86 5.3.1 Construction Environmental Management Plan ..................................... 86 5.3.2 Supervision ........................................................................................... 88 5.4 Residual Effects ................................................................................................ 89 5.4.1 Red-billed Chough ................................................................................. 89 5.4.2 Annex I Habitats (Marine) ...................................................................... 89 5.4.3 Annex I Habitats (Terrestrial) ................................................................. 90 6.0 IN-COMBINATION EFFECTS ......................................................................... 91 6.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 91 6.2 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 91 6.3 Outcome ........................................................................................................... 91 7.0 MONITORING ................................................................................................. 95 7.1 Red-billed Chough ............................................................................................ 95 7.2 Terrestrial Habitats............................................................................................ 95 7.3 Water Quality .................................................................................................... 95 8.0 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................. 97 9.0 REFERENCES ................................................................................................ 98 APPENDIX A Drawings APPENDIX B Habitat Maps APPENDIX C Outline Environmental Management Plans APPENDIX D Invasive Alien Species Management Plan APPENDIX E Bird Survey Methodology APPENDIX F Chough Survey Data DCCVC-ROD-EBD-SW_AE-RP-EN-40002 Page ii Roughan & O’Donovan Dursey Island Cable Car and Visitor Centre Consulting Engineers Natura Impact Statement 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Roughan & O’Donovan (ROD) Consulting Engineers was appointed by Cork County Council to provide engineering and environmental consultancy services in relation to the proposed Dursey Island Cable Car and Visitor Centre (“the proposed development”). The proposed development comprises the replacement of the existing Dursey Island cable car and the construction of a new visitor centre and parking facilities. It is also proposed to upgrade some aspects of the supporting infrastructural and utility systems in order to support the provision of improved facilities and the anticipated increase in visitor numbers. In accordance with Article 6(3) of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 August 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (“the Habitats Directive”), as transposed into Irish law by Part 5 of the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations, 2011 (as amended) (“the Habitats Regulations”) and Part XAB of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended) (“the Planning and Development Act”), an Appropriate Assessment (AA) Screening Report was prepared to assess whether or not the proposed development, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects, was likely to have a significant effect on one or more sites of Community importance for nature conservation (“European sites”). The AA Screening Report, which was prepared by ROD on behalf of Cork County Council, concluded, in view of best scientific knowledge and the Conservation Objectives of the sites concerned, that, in the absence of appropriate mitigation, the proposed development was likely to have a significant effect on two European sites, namely the Beara Peninsula SPA and the Kenmare River SAC. On the basis of that conclusion, Cork County Council, in its capacity as the Competent Authority at the screening stage, determined that AA was required in order to assess the implications of the proposed development for those sites. In accordance with Section 177AE of the Planning and Development Act and following the determination by Cork County Council that AA was required in respect of the proposed development, the role of Competent Authority and responsibility for undertaking the AA was assumed by An Bord Pleanála (“the Board”). In order to assist the Board in carrying out its AA, Cork County Council is required to submit a Natura Impact Statement (NIS) in respect of the proposed development. This document comprises the NIS in respect of the proposed development