ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT ON THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE KILKENNY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2008-2014 For: Kilkenny County Council County Hall John Street Kilkenny By: CAAS (Environmental Services) 4th Floor, 7 Red Cow Lane Smithfield Dublin 7 AUGUST 2008 Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi licence number CCMA 03/07 Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland Environmental Report on the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Kilkenny County Development Plan 2008-2014 Table of Contents List of Figures ..............................................................................................................iii List of Tables ...............................................................................................................iv 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 Kilkenny County Council and the Elected Members .......................................1 Section 2 SEA Methodology.....................................................................................2 2.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................2 2.2 Screening.........................................................................................................................2 2.3 Scoping ...........................................................................................................................2 2.4 Environmental Baseline Data and Other Strategic Actions.....................................................2 2.5 Alternatives......................................................................................................................3 2.6 The SEA Environmental Report ..........................................................................................3 2.7 The SEA Statement...........................................................................................................3 2.8 Legislative Conformance....................................................................................................3 2.9 Difficulties Encountered.....................................................................................................3 Section 3 County Kilkenny’s Baseline Environment................................................5 3.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................5 3.2 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna........................................................................................5 3.3 Population and Human Health..........................................................................................11 3.4 Soil................................................................................................................................16 3.5 Water ............................................................................................................................20 3.6 Air and Climatic Factors...................................................................................................27 3.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................28 3.8 Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................33 3.9 Landscape .....................................................................................................................38 3.10 Overlay Mapping of Environmental Sensitivities .................................................................43 Section 4 Strategic Environmental Objectives......................................................48 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................48 4.2 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna...........................................................................................48 4.3 Population and Human Health..........................................................................................51 4.4 Soil................................................................................................................................51 4.5 Water ............................................................................................................................52 4.6 Air and Climatic Factors...................................................................................................54 4.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................54 4.8 Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................55 4.9 Landscape .....................................................................................................................56 Section 5 A County Development Plan for Kilkenny .............................................57 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................57 5.2 Structure of the CDP.......................................................................................................57 5.3 Vision and Strategic Goals ...............................................................................................57 5.4 Alternatives....................................................................................................................57 5.5 Relevant Forward Planning Strategic Actions .....................................................................58 CAAS for Kilkenny County Council i Environmental Report on the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Kilkenny County Development Plan 2008-2014 Section 6 Description of Alternative Plan Scenarios.............................................60 6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................60 6.2 Identification and Description of Alternative Scenarios .......................................................60 Section 7 Evaluation of Alternative Plan Scenarios ..............................................65 7.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................65 7.2 Methodology ..................................................................................................................65 7.3 Evaluation against Existing Environmental Baseline Overlay Mapping ..................................67 7.4 Evaluation against Existing Environmental Baseline Description and Mapping .......................68 7.5 Evaluation against SEOs..................................................................................................71 7.6 The Preferred Alternative ................................................................................................71 Section 8 Evaluation of Plan Measures .................................................................72 8.1 Methodology ..................................................................................................................72 8.2 Overall Vision, Strategic Goals .........................................................................................73 8.3 Settlement Strategy Policies ............................................................................................75 8.4 Rural Settlement Strategy ...............................................................................................78 8.5 Housing and Community .................................................................................................80 8.6 Economic Development...................................................................................................84 8.7 Rural Development .........................................................................................................90 8.8 Recreation, Tourism and the Arts .....................................................................................94 8.9 Natural Heritage and Biodiversity .....................................................................................97 8.10 Infrastructure and Environment ..................................................................................... 105 8.11 Guidelines for New Development.................................................................................... 117 Section 9 Mitigation Measures ............................................................................119 9.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................119 9.2 Spatial Strategy for the Kilkenny Hub Corridor Impact Zone (SS) ...................................... 119 9.3 Thematic Strategies ......................................................................................................119 9.4 Subsidiary Plans (SP) ....................................................................................................119