Finding of no significant effects report:
Name of project or plan: Proposed Rock Armour coastal protection works to repair storm damage fronting properties at Annagassan Co Louth (FS006560)
Name and location of Natura 2000 The location of the proposed Coastal Protection site It would be helpful for a map or works at Annagassan is located within 17m of the plan to be provided: Dundalk Bay SAC (Site Code 000455) and Dundalk Bay SPA (Site Code 004026)
Dundalk Bay SAC( Site code 000455)
Dundalk Bay, Co. Louth is a very large open, shallow sea bay with extensive saltmarshes and intertidal sand/mudflats, extending some 16 km from Castletown River on the Cooley Peninsula in the north, to Annagassan/Salterstown in the south. The bay encompasses the mouths and estuaries of the Rivers Dee, Glyde, Fane, Castletown and Flurry. The site is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) selected for the following habitats and/or species listed on Annex I / II of the E.U. Habitats Directive (* = priority; numbers in brackets are Natura 2000 codes): [1130] Estuaries [1140] Tidal Mudflats and Sandflats [1220] Perennial Vegetation of Stony Banks [1310] Salicornia Mud [1330] Atlantic Salt Meadows [1410] Mediterranean Salt Meadows Saltmarsh vegetation occurs in four main areas: at Lurgangreen, Marsh South, Dundalk Harbour and Bellurgan. Two types are represented – Atlantic and Mediterranean salt meadows.. The saltmarshes at Lurgangreen and Marsh South are partially fenced and grazed by sheep.
Shingle beaches are particularly well represented in Dundalk Bay, occurring more or less continuously from Salterstown to Lurgan White House in the south bay, and from Jenkinstown to east of Giles Quay in the north bay. The shingle is mostly stable, occurring on post-glacial raised beaches. The shingle often occurs in association with intertidal shingle, saltmarsh and or shingle-based grassland. The extensive sandflats and mudflats (over 4,000 ha) occur and are comprised of ecological communities such as muddy fine sand communities and fine sand community complexes. In the centre of Dundalk Bay there is a gravel community dominated by polychaetes. These habitats host a rich fauna of bivalves molluscs, marine worms and crustaceans and are the main food resource of the tens of thousands of waterfowl (including waders and gulls) which feed in the intertidal area of Dundalk Bay. The saltmarshes are used as high-tide roosts by all of these species, while the grazing birds (notably Brent Goose and Wigeon) feed on the saltmarsh grasses, areas of Zostera and other grassland vegetation. Brent Goose also feed on the mats of green algae on the mudflats. At night the wintering Greylag and Greenland White-fronted Goose, and Whooper Swans, from Stabannan/Braganstown (inland from Castlebellingham) roost in Dundalk Bay. The site is internationally important for waterfowl because it regularly holds over 20,000 birds (up to 57,000 have been recorded) and supports over 1% of the North-West European/East Atlantic Flyway populations of Brent Goose, Bar-tailed Godwit and Knot. Additionally, it is nationally important for Golden Plover , Great Crested Grebe, Greylag Goose,, Shelduck, Mallard, Pintail, Red-breasted Merganser, Oystercatcher , Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Wigeon, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Lapwing,, Greenshank and Redshank.h Golden Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit are Annex I species. The site has been designated a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the E.U. Birds Directive and it is also a designated Ramsar site.
This is a site of significant conservation value because it supports good examples of a range of coastal habitats listed on Annex I of the E.U. Habitats Directive, as well as large numbers of bird species, some of which are listed in the Birds Directive.
The Conservation Objectives1 for the Dundalk Bay SAC are
To maintain the favourable conservation condition of the following habitats:
Estuaries
Mudflats and sandflats not covered by seawater at low tide
Perennial vegetation of stony banks
Atlantic salt meadows (Glauco‐Puccinellietalia maritimae)
Mediterranean salt meadows (Juncetalia maritimi) And
To restore the favourable conservation condition of
Salicornia and other annuals colonizing mud and sand
Dundalk Bay SPA (Site Code 004026)
Dundalk Bay is a large open shallow sea bay with extensive saltmarshes and intertidal sand/mudflats, extending some 16 km from Castletown River on the Cooley Peninsula, in the north, to Annagassan/ Salterstown in the south. The bay encompasses the mouths and estuaries of the Rivers Dee, Glyde, Fane, Castletown and Flurry. The site contains five habitats listed under the EU Habitats Directive, i.e.perennial vegetation of stony banks, tidal mudflats, salt marshes, Salicornia mudflats and estuaries. The extensive sand flats and mud flats (over 4,000 ha) have a rich fauna of bivalves, molluscs, marine worms and crustaceans which provides the food resource for most of the wintering waterfowl. The salt marshes, which occur in four main areas at Lurgangreen, Marsh South, Dundalk Harbour/ Ballymascanlan Bay and Bellurgan, are used by the roosting birds at high tide. The herbivorous
1 NPWS (2011) Conservation objectives: Dundalk Bay SAC (Site Code 000455) and Dundalk Bay SPA (Site Code 004026) Version 1.0. Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht-dated 19th July 2011 - waterfowl (notably Brent Geese and Wigeon) feed on the salt marsh grasses, as well as on areas of Zostera and green algae on the mudflats. Shingle beaches are particularly well represented in Dundalk Bay, occurring more or less continuously from Salterstown to Lurgan White House in the south bay, and from Jenkinstown to east of Giles Quay in the north bay. At high tide, many birds roost on the shingle beaches.
The outer part of the bay provides excellent shallow- water habitat for divers, grebes, and sea duck. In summer, it is thought to be a major feeding area for auks from the Dublin breeding colonies. At night the wintering Greylag and Greenland White fronted Geese, and Whooper Swans, from Stabannan/Braganstown (inland from Castlebelligham) and other inland sites roost in Dundalk Bay.
The site is internationally important for waterfowl because it regularly holds over 20,000 birds (up to 57,000 have been recorded) and supports over 1% of the North- West European/East Atlantic Flyway populations of Brent Goose, Bar-tailed Godwit and Knot. Additionally, it is nationally important for Golden Plover , Great Crested Grebe, Greylag Goose,, Shelduck, Mallard, Pintail, Red- breasted Merganser, Oystercatcher , Grey Plover, Ringed Plover, Wigeon, Dunlin, Black-tailed Godwit, Curlew, Lapwing,, Greenshank and Redshank.h Golden Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit are Annex I species. Other wintering species which occur regularly in regionally important numbers include Red-throated Diver, Great Northern Diver, Cormorant, Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Wigeon, Teal, Goldeneye, Greenshank and Turnstone.
The site also supports large numbers of gulls during winter, including Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Herring Gull and Great Black-backed Gull.
In spring and autumn the site attracts a range of passage migrants, including Little Stint, Curlew Sandpiper and Ruff.
The Conservation Objectives2 for the Dundalk Bay SPA are
To maintain or restore the favourable conservation condition of the bird species listed as Special Conservation Interests for this SPA:
A005 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus wintering A043 Greylag Goose Anser anser wintering A046 Light‐bellied Brent Goose Branta bernicla hrota wintering A048 Shelduck Tadorna tadorna wintering A052 Teal Anas crecca wintering A053 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos wintering A054 Pintail Anas acuta wintering A065 Common Scoter Melanitta nigra wintering A069 Red‐breasted Merganser Mergus serrator wintering A130 Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus wintering A137 Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula wintering A140 Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria wintering A141 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola wintering A142 Lapwing Vanellus vanellus wintering A143 Knot Calidris canutus wintering A149 Dunlin Calidris alpina wintering A156 Black‐tailed Godwit Limosa limosa wintering A157 Bar‐tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica wintering A160 Curlew Numenius arquata wintering A162 Redshank Tringa totanus wintering A179 Black‐headed Gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus wintering A182 Common Gull Larus canus wintering A184 Herring Gull Larus argentatus wintering A999 Wetlands & Waterbirds
1
Description of the project or plan Louth County Council intends to undertake coastal protection works to afford protection to two residential properties. While the proposed coastal protection (rock armour) works themselves will be installed on private property, Louth County Council will be accessing and traversing the foreshore during construction works as a means of access to the proposed CP Works site. The rock armour make up consist of 1-3 tonne rock armour installed over app 65m of the coastline at a slope
2 NPWS (2011) Conservation objectives: Dundalk Bay SAC (Site Code 000455) and Dundalk Bay SPA (Site Code 004026) Version 1.0. Department of Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht-dated 19th July 2011 - ranging 1.5 to 3 to 1 as per ‘’Rock Armour Cross Section’’-(ref Drawing entitled ‘’Section 3.3 Foreshore Application’’)
The proposed development is described with reference to the Drawing entitled ‘’Section 3.3 Foreshore Application’’ and ‘’’’Annagassan Site Layout 01’’ with reference to the’’ Construction Method Statement for the proposed Coastal Protection Works ‘’
It is anticipated that the rock armour works will be completed within a 4 week period before the end of October
Is the project or plan directly No. connected with or necessary to the management of the site (provide details)?
Are there other projects or plans Further coastal protection works to damaged that together with the project or plan sections of the coastline between Laytown and being assessed could affect the site Bettystown at different locations along a 3km stretch (provide details)? of coastline, are planned on a phased approach over the coming years. The cumulative impact to any Natura 2000 sites will be included within AA Screening Reports for each of these projects but due to localised nature and short timescale for these planned works and the fact that they are occurring separately over time means that no cumulative impact on the SAC and SPA is anticipated
Describe how the project or plan Noise associated with proposed Coastal (alone or in combination) is likely to Protection Works may disturb birds affect the Natura 2000 site. Traffic and machinery operations including movement along construction plant and materials delivery route on foreshore may disturb habitat communities and remove or impact negatively on food sources and nesting sites for birds
The proposed works may Increase suspended solids in suspension which when settling may blanket sub tidal communities
The proposed works could increase noise during loading operations and increase noise levels during transportation and disposal operations with resultant potential disturbance and displacement of bird species
The proposed works could disturb/damage habitats through transportation of the material to the works site along foreshore
The proposed works could introduce pollutants into the water column during construction phase including from stockpiling.
Explain why these effects are not The levels disturbance to birds shall be kept to a considered significant. minimum level and the works are only of a temporary (4 weeks) and localised nature( along only 65m of coastline which is only a minute fraction of the overall SPA area)
Best practise management will be adopted in relation to the proposed Coastal Protection Works and in particular a series of Mitigation Measures are proposed to protect both the SPA and SAC which include for the following (ref Pg 14/15 of ‘’Appropriate Assessment Screening Report’’ dated June 2015 as prepared by Louth Co Council):
No soil, gravel, stone, plant or work materials shall be permitted to be stored on the SAC or SPA zones. Construction works shall be undertaken during the spring/ summer months and completed before the end of October. Storage of fuels and oils and daily refilling shall be undertaken at least 500m away from the SAC and SPA and have the required spill kits available. Tyres and tracks of plant and construction related vehicles will be checked for the presence of plant material i.e. leaves roots and rhizomes from non-native invasive species. The donor site for the materials i.e. quarry which is to act as the source of gravel and stone will be subject to screening for non- native invasive species prior to the commencement of works. All topsoil will be screened prior to movement onto the site. There will be no works or storage permitted outside the identified work area as shown on the contract drawings. The successful contractors will be informed by the Louth County Council Engineer of the nearby SAC and SPA and of their obligations relating to Health and Safety and Environmental Protection. In the vicinity of the SAC and SPA the site boundary will be defined at the outset to prevent vehicles parking or storage of materials. All contractors’ plant shall be checked daily to ensure there are no fuel leaks. Construction works will be confined to daylight hours .
. The works will not result in habitat loss, there will not be significant disturbance to key species and there will be no habitat or species fragmentation within the SAC or SPA. The integrity of the sites will not be affected.
The proposed coastal protection works of themselves are not on foreshore (i.e. on private property) and so there will be no permanent loss of any footprint area of SPA or SAC. Access for the proposed CP works will only be required along a small stretch (65m) of coastline and so this will result in a very small area of interaction with the seabed. The impact from altered hydrology will be minimal and insignificant. There will be no direct discharge of pollutants into the environment during the construction phase subject to good management practices as set out in the ‘’Mitigation Measures’’ as outlined on Pg. 14/15 of the ‘’Appropriate Assessment Screening Report’’ dated June 2015 as prepared by Louth Co Co .
The impacts of the works will be minor and localised.
On the basis of the above it is considered that there will be no significant adverse effects as a result of the proposed Coastal Protection Works at Dillonstown, Annagassan County Louth on the ‘qualifying interests’ or the ‘conservation objectives’ of the Dundalk Bay SAC (Site Code 000455) and Dundalk Bay SPA (Site Code 004026).
Who carried out the assessment? Department of Environment, Community and Local Government and the Marine Licensing Vetting Committee, 29th September 2015.