D.J Fitzgibbon & Company Schull Harbour Development Environmental Impact Statement June 2006 Schull Harbour Development Environmental Impact Assessment SCHULL COMMUNITY HARBOUR DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LTD Schull Harbour Development Environmental Impact Assessment Notice This document has been produced by ATKINS for Schull Community Harbour Development Company Ltd solely for the purpose of the Environmental Impact Statement for Schull Harbour Development. It may not be used by any person for any other purpose other than that specified without the express written permission of ATKINS. Any liability arising out of use by a third party of this document for purposes not wholly connected with the above shall be the responsibility of that party who shall indemnify ATKINS against all claims costs damages and losses arising out of such use. Document History JOB NUMBER: RK2421 DOCUMENT REF: Z: 2421/30/32/RK2421DG02_EIS Purpose and Revision Originated Checked Reviewed Authorised Date Description 2 FINAL L.Collier P.O’Donoghue B. O’Connell K.Murray June 2006 1 REVISED DRAFT L.Collier P.O’Donoghue B. O’Connell K.Murray 07.04.06 0 DRAFT TO CLIENT L.Collier P.O’Donoghue B. O’Connell K.Murray 27.03.06 Schull Harbour Development Environmental Impact Assessment CONTENTS Non Technical Summary i 1. Introduction 1 2. Project Description 5 3. Planning Context and Human Beings 26 4. Traffic 36 5. Flora and Fauna 52 6. Marine Ecology 67 7. Geology & Hydrogeology 94 8. Coastal Processes 106 9. Landscape and Visual 116 10. Archaeology & Cultural Heritage 140 11. Air Quality 159 12. Noise & Vibration 173 13. Material Assets 184 Z:2421/30/32/RK2421DG02.doc Schull Harbour Development Environmental Impact Assessment 14. Fluvial Processes 195 15. Interaction between Environmental Factors 204 References 209 List of Tables Table 2.1 – Summary of Requirements for Schull Harbour 7 Table 2.2 – Scoring of Sites for location of harbour development* 9 Table 2.3 - Statutory Consultation 18 Table 3.1 - CSO Population Figures (2002) 27 Table 3.2 - Projected Future Population and Household (H/H) Formation Trends 28 Table 3.3 - CSO Employment Figures for Persons Aged 15 years & Over Classified by Principal Economic Status within Schull Area (2002) 28 Table 3.4 - Regional Distribution of Tourism Revenue 30 Table 4.1 - Forecast 2011 and 2021 AADTs on Local Road Network 41 Table 4.2- Assumed Trip Generation Rates and Resulting Trips - Saturday 42 Table 4.3 - Predicted 2011 Peak Hour 2-way Traffic Flows (vehs) 45 Table 4.4 - Results of Junction Analyses for Opening Year (2011) 45 Table 4.5 - Predicted 2021 Peak Hour 2-way Traffic Flows (vehs) 45 Table 4.6 - Results of Junction Analyses for Plan Year (2021) 46 Table 4.7 - Estimated HGV Loads During Construction Stage 47 Table 5.1 Sites of international and national importance within 10 km of the proposed development site. 56 Table 6-1 Glossary of Impacts (extracted from EPA, 2003) 69 Table 6.2 – Location of Littoral and Sublittoral Sample locations (Refer to Figures 6.1 & 6.2) 69 Table 6.3 – Important marine aquatic species within Roaringwater Bay & Islands SAC 71 Table 6.6 – Littoral Habitat Loss to Foreshore Reclamation as part of proposed harbour development 81 Table 6.7 – Summary of Residual Impacts 93 Table 7.1 - GSI Groundwater Vulnerability Ratings. 98 Table 9.1 - Significance of Impacts on Landscape character 117 Table 9.2 - Significance of Visual Impacts 119 Table 11.1 - EU Daughter Directive Limit Values 162 Table 11.2 - Background Concentrations 166 Table 11.3 - Estimated Existing Air Quality 167 Table 11.4 - Estimated Annual Mean Concentrations for the Do-Nothing Situation 168 Z:2421/30/32/RK2421DG02.doc Schull Harbour Development Environmental Impact Assessment Table 11.5 - Estimated Annual Mean Concentrations for Selected Receptors with the Development 169 Table 12.2 - Estimated HGV loads during construction 177 Table 12.3 - Construction Noise Emissions for Stage 1. 178 Table 12.4 - Construction Noise Emissions for Stage 2 179 Table 12.5 - Construction Noise Emissions for Stage 3. 179 Table 12.7 - Change in Traffic Noise Levels with and without development 2021 (18 hour). 181 List of Figures Figure 1.1 – Site Context and Location of Proposed Harbour Development. 4 Figure 2.1 – Location of alternative sites considered as part of the 1999 Scoping Study 10 Figure 2.2 - Overall Harbour Development Layout Plan 24 Figure 2.3 - Proposed Pier Layout and Extension 25 Figure 4.1 – Proposed Harbour Development in the context of the existing road network. 38 Figure 4.2 - Base Year (2003) PM Peak Hourly Traffic Flows – Main St/Pier Road 40 Figure 4.3 - Forecast 2011 PM Peak Hourly Traffic Flows – Main St/Pier Road 41 Figure 4.4 - Forecast 2021 PM Peak Hourly Traffic Flows – Main St/Pier Road 42 Figure 4.5 - Distribution of Traffic Generated by Marina Development at Proposed Access Junction 44 Figure 4.6 - Distribution of Traffic Generated by Pier Extension at Main St Junction 44 Figure 4.7 - Distribution of Traffic Generated by Construction Phase at Marina Access Junction 49 Figure 4.8 - Distribution of Traffic Generated by Construction Phase at Marina Access Junction 49 Figure 4.9 - Distribution of Traffic Generated by Construction Phase at Main Street/Pier Road Junction 49 Figure 4.10 - Distribution of Traffic Generated by Construction Phase at Main Street/Pier Road Junction 50 Figure 5.1 – Candidate Special Areas of Conservation. 64 Figure 5.2 – Proposed Natural Heritage Areas 65 Figure 5.3 – Habitat Map 66 Figure 6.1 – Littoral Habitats within Schull Harbour. 75 Figure 6.2 – Location of Sublittoral Sampling Sites. 76 Figure 6.3 - Species Dominance at sub-littoral sites. 77 Figure 6.4 - All cetacean sightings from 1. Roaringwater Bay 2. Castle point and 3. Crookhaven (source IWDG) 78 Figure 7.1 - Soil Types in the site area. 102 Figure 7.2 - Bedrock Geology in the site area. 102 Figure 7.3 - Aquifer Classification Map for the site area. 103 Figure 7.4 - Groundwater flow directions in the Mount Gabriel area. 104 Z:2421/30/32/RK2421DG02.doc Schull Harbour Development Environmental Impact Assessment Figure 7.5 - Groundwater flow directions in the site area. 105 Figure 8.1(a) S Wave Heights 112 Figure 8.1(b) S Wave Directions 112 Figure 8.2(a) Hs = 1m, Tp = 12s Dir = 160deg 113 Figure 8.2(b) Hs = 1m, Tp = 12s Dir = 160deg 113 Figure 8.3(a) and (b) Measured Flow Velocities 114 Figure 8.4 Model Output Plots for input Hs = 1.3m and Tp = 16sec 115 Figure 8.5 Model Output Plots for input Hs = 1.3m and Tp = 14sec 115 Figure 8.6 Model Output Plots for input Hs = 1.3m and Tp = 16sec 115 Figure 9.1 – Location of Site. 127 Figure 9.2 – Heritage & Scenic Amenity. 128 Figure 9.3 – Site Analysis. 129 Figure 9.4 – Landscape Character of Site. 130 Figure 9.5 – Location of Photographs and Plate Numbers 131 Figure 9.6 – Zone of Visual Influence. 132 Figure 9.7 – Visual Impacts 133 Figure 9.8 – Visual Impacts 134 Figure 9.9 – Landscape Masterplan 135 Figure 9.10 – Photomontage view number 1. 136 Figure 9.11 – Photomontage view number 2. 137 Figure 9.12 – Photomontage view number 3. 138 Figure 9.13 – Photomontage view number 4. 139 Figure 10.1 - Location Map (extract from OS Discovery Series 1:50,000, Sheet 88). 155 Figure 10.2 - Proposed development site. Areas 1 to 2 are part of the terrestrial development. 155 Figure 10.3 - Extract of the 3rd edition OS map (1950) with RMP detail within a 2km radius of the site. This area covers 4 OS sheets 139, 140, 148 and 149. 156 Figure 10.4 - Extract of 2nd edition OS map (1902). Green line indicates the route of the ‘Pier Extension’ of the Schull and Skibbereen Tramway and Light Railway 157 Figure 10.5 - Extract of 1st edition OS map (1842). Post Medieval sites are numbered on the map (see Appendix H3). 158 Figure 11.1 – Air Quality Receptors. 172 Figure 12.1 – Noise monitoring locations. 183 Figure 13.1 – Utilities 193 Figure 13.2 – Water Supply to Schull. 194 Figure 14.1 - Location of point sources of sediment in Schull Catchment. Refer to Table 1 for descriptions of the sediment sources. 199 Note: All Figures were produced under Ordnance Survey Ireland Licence No. AR 0082506. Z:2421/30/32/RK2421DG02.doc Schull Harbour Development Environmental Impact Assessment List of Appendices Appendix A. Background Information / Consultation Letters Appendix B. Traffic Appendix C. Terrestrial Flora and Fauna Appendix D. Marine Ecology Appendix E. Geology and Hydrogeology Appendix F. Coastal Processes Appendix G. Landscape and Visual Appendix H. Archaeology and Cultural Heritage Appendix I. Air Quality Appendix J. Noise and Vibration Appendix K. Material Assets Z:2421/30/32/RK2421DG02.doc Schull Harbour Development Environmental Impact Assessment Non Technical Summary Introduction Over the past number of years members of Schull Development Association, Schull Fishermen’s Organisation, and Schull Harbour Sailing Club, and others in the community have come together with a common objective. • To develop Schull harbour as safe all weather port for fishing boats, ferryboats and other workboats, and to develop a separate area to cater for leisure craft to enhance the local tourist and leisure industry. An informal group, the Schull Harbour Users’ Group, was formed by the local interested bodies. Following a number events and consultation with local groups, County Council planners and engineers, and both local and national politicians, a plan has evolved to include the following: - Extending the existing pier to the east and northeast to allow for permanent berths for the trawlers in all weathers and provide much improved facilities for the inshore fishing boats and the Ferry Operators.