STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR VARIATION NO. 1 TO THE GALWAY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2009-2015 for: Galway County Council County Buildings Prospect Hill Galway by: CAAS Ltd. 2nd Floor, The Courtyard 25 Great Strand Street Dublin 1 JULY 2011 Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi Licence Number 2009/07CCMA/Galway County Council. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland SEA Environmental Report for Variation No. 1 to the Galway CDP 2009-2015 Table of Contents List of Figures..........................................................................................................iv List of Tables ............................................................................................................v List of Abbreviations ...............................................................................................vi Glossary..................................................................................................................vii Section 1 SEA Introduction and Background..................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction and Terms of Reference........................................................................... 1 1.2 SEA Definition............................................................................................................ 1 1.3 Legislative Context ..................................................................................................... 1 1.4 Implications for the Council and the Elected Members ................................................... 1 Section 2 SEA Methodology ............................................................................... 3 2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Screening .................................................................................................................. 4 2.3 Scoping ..................................................................................................................... 4 2.4 Environmental Baseline Data and Other Strategic Actions .............................................. 4 2.5 Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 4 2.6 The SEA Environmental Report.................................................................................... 4 2.7 The SEA Statement .................................................................................................... 5 2.8 Legislative Conformance ............................................................................................. 5 2.9 Appropriate Assessment.............................................................................................. 5 2.10 Difficulties Encountered .............................................................................................. 5 Section 3 County Galway’s Baseline Environment ............................................ 7 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................... 7 3.2 Evolution of the Environment in the Absence of the Variation......................................... 7 3.3 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna ................................................................................. 9 3.4 Population and Human Health ....................................................................................30 3.5 Soil ..........................................................................................................................35 3.6 Water.......................................................................................................................44 3.7 Air and Climatic Factors .............................................................................................61 3.8 Material Assets..........................................................................................................68 3.9 Cultural Heritage .......................................................................................................75 3.10 Landscape ................................................................................................................80 Section 4 Strategic Environmental Objectives ................................................ 90 4.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................90 4.2 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna......................................................................................90 4.3 Population and Human Health ....................................................................................92 4.4 Soil ..........................................................................................................................93 4.5 Water.......................................................................................................................94 4.6 Material Assets..........................................................................................................96 4.7 Air and Climatic Factors .............................................................................................98 4.8 Cultural Heritage .....................................................................................................100 4.9 Landscape ..............................................................................................................101 Section 5 Context for the Variation ............................................................... 102 5.1 Background ............................................................................................................102 CAAS Ltd. for Galway County Council ii SEA Environmental Report for Variation No. 1 to the Galway CDP 2009-2015 5.2 Content ..................................................................................................................102 5.3 Interactions with Relevant Policy, Plans or Programmes..............................................102 5.4 Environmental Protection Objectives .........................................................................104 Section 6 Alternatives.................................................................................... 105 Section 7 Evaluation of Variation Provisions................................................. 106 7.1 Methodology...........................................................................................................106 7.2 Component 1 of the Variation: Introduction of Core Strategy ......................................109 7.3 Component 2 of the Variation: Introduction of Core Strategy ......................................115 Section 8 Mitigation Measures....................................................................... 119 8.1 Introduction............................................................................................................119 8.2 Mitigation through Consideration of Alternatives.........................................................119 8.3 Mitigation through Communication of Environmental Considerations throughout the Process 119 8.4 Individual Mitigation Measures integrated into the Plan...............................................119 Section 9 Monitoring Measures ..................................................................... 121 9.1 Introduction............................................................................................................121 9.2 Indicators and Targets.............................................................................................121 9.3 Sources ..................................................................................................................121 9.4 Reporting ...............................................................................................................121 9.5 Responsibility..........................................................................................................121 9.6 Thresholds..............................................................................................................121 Appendix I Non Technical Summary...…..............………………….Separately Bound CAAS Ltd. for Galway County Council iii SEA Environmental Report for Variation No. 1 to the Galway CDP 2009-2015 List of Figures Figure 2.1 Variation No.1 and SEA Stages .....................................................................................3 Figure 3.1 Context of County Galway in relation to the Island of Ireland and surrounding Counties ....8 Figure 3.2 CORINE Land Cover Data 2006...................................................................................23 Figure 3.3 CORINE Sensitive Land Cover Classifications 2006........................................................24 Figure 3.4 CORINE Land Cover Data 2000...................................................................................25 Figure 3.5 CORINE Land Cover Data Changes 2000-2006 .............................................................26 Figure 3.6 County Galway SPAs, candidate SACs and NHAs ..........................................................27 Figure 3.7 Salmonid Waters and Freshwater Pearl Mussel Catchments in County Galway and surrounding areas.....................................................................................................................28 Figure 3.8 Shellfish Waters under the European Communities