Fermoy Development Plan 2009 – 2015 SEA Environmental Report i Final Version Fermoy Development Plan 2009 – 2015 SEA Environmental Report TABLE OF CONTENTS NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY............................................................................................................... 8 1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................ 22 1.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 22 1.2 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA)........................................................................ 22 1.3 PREPARATION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT AND THE FERMOY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ............... 24 2 SEA METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................................. 27 2.1 SCREENING ................................................................................................................................ 28 2.2 SCOPING .................................................................................................................................... 29 2.3 ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT ........................................................................................................... 33 2.4 CONSULTATION ........................................................................................................................... 34 3 THE FERMOY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2009-2015 OVERALL STRATEGY.............................. 35 4 RELATED PLANS ......................................................................................................................... 37 4.1.1 EU Environmental Plans and Other Guidance ................................................................ 44 4.1.2 National Plans.................................................................................................................. 47 4.1.3 Regional Plans................................................................................................................. 55 4.1.4 Local Plans ...................................................................................................................... 56 5 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT........................................................................................................... 61 5.1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 61 5.2 BIODIVERSITY , F LORA AND FAUNA ............................................................................................... 62 5.2.1 Existing Policies............................................................................................................... 62 5.2.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................................... 62 5.2.3 Impact Assessment – existing environmental problems and constraints/Threats....... 77 5.2.4 Evolution without implementation of the plan .................................................................. 77 5.3 POPULATION AND HUMAN HEALTH ............................................................................................... 79 5.3.1 Policy ............................................................................................................................... 79 5.3.2 Baseline ............................................................................................................................. 79 5.3.3 Impact assessment – existing environmental problems and constraints ........................ 83 5.3.4 Evolution without implementation of the plan .................................................................. 83 5.4 SOIL ........................................................................................................................................... 84 5.4.1 Policy ............................................................................................................................... 84 5.4.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................................... 84 5.4.3 Impact assessment –existing environmental problems and constraints ......................... 89 5.4.4 Evolution without implementation of the Plan.................................................................. 90 5.5 WATER ....................................................................................................................................... 91 5.5.1 Policy ............................................................................................................................... 91 5.5.2 Baseline ........................................................................................................................... 91 5.5.3 Impact Assessment –existing environmental problems and constraints....................... 100 5.5.4 Evolution without implementation of the plan ................................................................ 101 ii Final Version Fermoy Development Plan 2009 – 2015 SEA Environmental Report 5.6 AIR AND CLIMATE (E NERGY )...................................................................................................... 102 5.6.1 Policy ............................................................................................................................. 102 5.6.2 Baseline ......................................................................................................................... 102 5.6.3 Impact assessment – existing environmental problems and constraints ...................... 111 5.6.4 Evolution without implementation of the plan ................................................................ 111 5.7 MATERIAL ASSETS .................................................................................................................... 112 5.7.1 Policy ............................................................................................................................. 112 5.7.2 Baseline ......................................................................................................................... 112 5.7.3 Impact assessment – existing environmental problems and constraints ...................... 117 5.7.4 Evolution without implementation of the plan. ............................................................... 118 5.8 CULTURAL HERITAGE ................................................................................................................ 119 5.8.1 Policy ............................................................................................................................. 119 5.8.2 Baseline ......................................................................................................................... 119 5.8.3 Impact assessment –existing environmental problems and constraints ....................... 124 5.8.4 Evolution without implementation of the plan ................................................................ 124 5.9 LANDSCAPE .............................................................................................................................. 126 5.9.1 Policy ............................................................................................................................. 126 5.9.2 Baseline ......................................................................................................................... 126 5.9.3 Assessment –existing environmental problems and constraints................................... 128 5.9.4 Evolution without implementation of the plan. ............................................................... 129 6 OBJECTIVES, TARGETS AND INDICATORS........................................................................... 130 7 ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES.......................................................................................... 134 7.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 134 7.2 ASSESSMETNT OF ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................................. 135 7.3 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 139 8 EVALUATION OF THE DRAFT PLAN POLICIES AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS ............ 140 8.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 140 8.2 ASSESMENT CRITERIA ............................................................................................................... 141 8.3 ASSESSMENT MATRIX OF DRAFT DEVELOPMENT PLAN POLICIES AND OBJECTIVES ...................... 143 8.4 ASSESSMENT MATRIX OF AMENDMENTS S .12 (4) A UGUST 2009................................................. 158 8.5 ASSESSMENT MATRIX OF AMENDMENTS S .12 (8) N OVEMBER 2009 ............................................ 175 9 SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ........................................................ 183 9.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 183 9.2 C UMULATIVE EFFECTS .................................................................................................................. 192 10 MONITORING .......................................................................................................................