STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE CLIFDEN LOCAL AREA PLAN 2018-2024 for: Galway County Council Áras an Chontae Prospect Hill Galway by: CAAS Ltd. 1st Floor 24-26 Ormond Quay Upper Dublin 7 DECEMBER 2018 Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi Licence Number 2015/20CCMA/Galway County Council. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland SEA Report for the Clifden Local Area Plan 2018-2024 Table of Contents List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................v Glossary ...................................................................................................................vi Section 1 SEA Introduction and Background ..................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction and Terms of Reference ........................................................................... 1 1.2 SEA Definition ............................................................................................................ 1 1.3 SEA Directive and its transposition into Irish Law .......................................................... 1 1.4 Implications for the Plan ............................................................................................. 1 Section 2 The Plan ............................................................................................. 2 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 2 2.2 Strategic Vision and Guiding Principles ......................................................................... 2 2.3 Material Alterations ..................................................................................................... 3 2.4 Relationship with other relevant Plans and Programs ..................................................... 3 Section 3 SEA Methodology ............................................................................... 5 3.1 Introduction to the Iterative Approach ......................................................................... 5 3.2 Appropriate Assessment and Integrated Biodiversity Impact Assessment ......................... 6 3.3 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment .................................................................................. 6 3.4 Scoping ..................................................................................................................... 6 3.5 Environmental Report ................................................................................................. 7 3.6 SEA Statement ........................................................................................................... 7 Section 4 Relevant aspects of the current state of the Environment ................ 9 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 9 4.2 Likely Evolution of the Environment in the Absence of the Plan ...................................... 9 4.3 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna ................................................................................10 4.4 Population and Human Health ....................................................................................17 4.5 Soil .......................................................................................................................... 17 4.6 Water .......................................................................................................................20 4.7 Air and Climatic Factors .............................................................................................26 4.8 Material Assets ..........................................................................................................29 4.9 Cultural Heritage .......................................................................................................30 4.10 Landscape ................................................................................................................35 Section 5 Strategic Environmental Objectives ................................................ 37 Section 6 Description of Alternatives .............................................................. 41 6.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................41 6.2 Alternative 1: Even Development ................................................................................41 6.3 Alternative 2: Sporadic Development ...........................................................................41 6.4 Alternative 3: Haphazard Development .......................................................................41 Section 7 Evaluation of Alternatives ................................................................ 44 7.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................44 7.2 Methodology .............................................................................................................44 7.3 Cumulative Effects .....................................................................................................46 CAAS for Galway County Council i SEA Report for the Clifden Local Area Plan 2018-2024 7.4 Detailed Assessment of Alternatives ............................................................................47 7.5 The Selected Alternative for the Plan ..........................................................................50 Section 8 Assessment of the Plan .................................................................... 51 8.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................51 8.2 Overall Evaluation .....................................................................................................52 8.3 Assessment of Material Alterations ..............................................................................52 8.4 Appropriate Assessment .............................................................................................55 8.5 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment .................................................................................55 8.6 Interrelationship between Environmental Components ..................................................55 8.7 Strategic Vision .........................................................................................................57 8.8 Development Strategy ...............................................................................................57 8.9 Land Use Management ..............................................................................................59 8.10 Residential Development ............................................................................................62 8.11 Social and Community Development ...........................................................................65 8.12 Economic Development ..............................................................................................67 8.13 Transportation Infrastructure .....................................................................................69 8.14 Utilities Infrastructure, Climate Change & Flood Risk Management .................................72 8.15 Urban Design and Landscape .....................................................................................78 8.16 Built Heritage & Cultural Heritage ...............................................................................80 8.17 Natural Heritage & Biodiversity ...................................................................................82 Section 9 Mitigation Measures ......................................................................... 86 9.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................86 9.2 Integration of Environmental Considerations ................................................................86 Section 10 Monitoring Measures ....................................................................... 91 10.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................91 10.2 Indicators and Targets ...............................................................................................91 10.3 Sources ....................................................................................................................91 10.4 Reporting .................................................................................................................91 10.5 Thresholds and Corrective Action ................................................................................92 Appendix I Relationship with Legislation and Other Plans and Programmes ...... 96 Appendix II Non-Technical Summary………………………………………. Separately Bound CAAS for Galway County Council ii SEA Report for the Clifden Local Area Plan 2018-2024 List of Figures Figure 3.1 Overview of the Plan SEA/AA/SFRA Process and Outputs ................................................ 5 Figure 4.1 European Sites, and Water Management Units within 15 km buffer of Clifden ................. 13 Figure 4.2 European Sites partially located within the Plan area .................................................... 14 Figure 4.3 NHAs, pNHAs and Water Management Units within 15km buffer of Clifden ....................