Report to Inform Screenings for Appropriate Assessment
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Report to inform Screening for Appropriate Assessment Glanmire Road Improvements and Sustainable Transport Works, Co. Cork Project Number: 60559532 3 May 2018 Revision 4 Report to Inform Screening for Appropriate Assessment Quality information Prepared by Checked by Approved by Robert Fennelly Dr Miles Newman Dr Eleanor Ballard Principal Ecologist Consultant Ecologist Associate Director (of Ecology) Revision History Revision Revision date Details Authorized Name Position Rev0 27 Feb 2018 Draft issue for CCC Yes Robert Fennelly Principal Ecologist comment Rev1 13 Mar 2018 Minor changes to Yes Robert Fennelly Principal Ecologist address client comments Rev2 13 April 2018 Revised for Cork Yes Robert Fennelly Principal Ecologist County Council comments; version for planning purposes Rev3 26 April 2018 Revised for Yes Robert Fennelly Principal Ecologist drainage input statement Rev4 03 May 2018 Minor revisions Yes Robert Fennelly Principal Ecologist prior to planning issue Distribution List # Hard Copies PDF Required Association / Company Name Prepared for: AECOM Report to Inform Screening for Appropriate Assessment Prepared for: Prepared for: Cork County Council Prepared by: AECOM Ireland Limited 1st Floor, Montrose House Douglas Business Centre Carrigaline Road Douglas, Co. Cork T12H90H T +353-(0)21-436-5006 aecom.com © 2018 AECOM Ireland Limited. All Rights Reserved. This document has been prepared by AECOM Ireland Limited (“AECOM”) for sole use of our client (the “Client”) in accordance with generally accepted consultancy principles, the budget for fees and the terms of reference agreed between AECOM and the Client. Any information provided by third parties and referred to herein has not been checked or verified by AECOM, unless otherwise expressly stated in the document. No third party may rely upon this document without the prior and express written agreement of AECOM. Prepared for: AECOM Report to Inform Screening for Appropriate Assessment Table of Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Purpose of this Report ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Legal and Planning Context .............................................................................................................. 1 1.3 European Sites ................................................................................................................................. 1 2. Project Description ....................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 River Crossings ................................................................................................................................ 3 2.1.2 Lighting ............................................................................................................................................. 3 2.1.3 Drainage ........................................................................................................................................... 3 2.1.4 Construction Management ................................................................................................................ 3 2.1.5 Avoidance of Instream Work ............................................................................................................. 4 2.2 Key aspects of individual projects ..................................................................................................... 4 3. Methodology ................................................................................................................................................ 7 3.1 Guidance .......................................................................................................................................... 7 3.2 Desktop and Field Surveys ............................................................................................................... 7 3.3 Steps in Screening ........................................................................................................................... 8 3.3.1 Linkages with European Sites .......................................................................................................... 8 3.3.2 Zones of Influence and Proximity to Identify Relevant Sites ............................................................. 8 3.4 Scoping of Effects ........................................................................................................................... 12 3.5 The Precautionary Principle ............................................................................................................ 12 4. Baseline Description .................................................................................................................................. 13 4.1 European Sites ............................................................................................................................... 13 4.2 Habitats .......................................................................................................................................... 15 4.2.1 Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 15 4.2.2 Terrestrial Habitats .......................................................................................................................... 15 4.2.3 Wetland Habitats, Surface Waters, and Groundwater .................................................................... 16 5. Screening Assessment .............................................................................................................................. 17 5.1 Is AA Screening Required? ............................................................................................................. 17 5.2 Summary of Information Required .................................................................................................. 17 5.3 Screening Assessment ................................................................................................................... 18 5.3.1 Key Findings ................................................................................................................................... 18 5.4 Summary of Screening Assessment (Proposed Development Alone) ............................................ 23 5.5 In-Combination Effects ................................................................................................................... 23 5.5.1 Planning Application Search ........................................................................................................... 23 5.5.2 Land-use plans ............................................................................................................................... 24 5.5.3 Pollution .......................................................................................................................................... 24 5.5.4 Concluding remarks on In-Combination Effects .............................................................................. 24 6. Overall Screening Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 25 References ............................................................................................................................................................ 26 Appendix A Figures ............................................................................................................................................... 28 Appendix B Complete Screening matrices ............................................................................................................ 29 B.1 Key to Screening matrices .............................................................................................................. 30 Prepared for: AECOM Report to Inform Screening for Appropriate Assessment Graphics Graphic 1. Relationship between zone of influence and QI habitats and plants which are not mobile .................... 9 Graphic 2. Relationship between zone of influence and QI fauna species which are not mobile, ........................... 9 Tables Table 1. Zones of Influence Estimated for potential effects from the proposed development ................................ 10 Table 2Conservation Objectives for Special Areas of Conservation Referenced in AA Screening Report ............ 13 Table 3Conservation Objectives for Special Protection Areas Referenced in AA Screening Report ..................... 14 Table 4. Invasive plant species recorded during site visits .................................................................................... 15 Table 5.Summary of information required to complete Screening assessment ..................................................... 17 Table 6 Key findings of Screening assessment for fauna species ......................................................................... 19 Table 7 Key findings of Screening assessment for habitats and plant species ..................................................... 22 Table 8 Screening assessment for QI fauna species: includes all species for which European sites are designated in Ireland ..............................................................................................................................................................