Strategic Environmental Assessment of Proposed Variation No. 4 to the Limerick City Development Plan 2010 – 2016 - Incorporation of the Limerick 2030 Economic and Spatial Plan Public Display Period: Saturday 22nd November 2014 to Monday 22nd December 2014 inclusive. Forward Planning Limerick City and County Council, Economic Development and Planning Department, 7/8 Patrick Street, Limerick. Contents 1.0 Non Technical Summary ........................................................................... 5 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 5 1.2 Contents and Main Objectives of the Limerick Economic and Spatial . Plan 2030 ............................................................................................................ 5 1.3 Current State of the Environment ............................................................. 5 1.3.1 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna………………………………………5 1.3.2 Population and Human Health…………………….………………7 1.3.3 Geology and Soils………………………………………………...…8 1.3.4 Cultural Heritage…………………………………………………….8 1.3.5 Landcscape…………………………………………………………10 1.4 Existing Environmental Issues ................................................................. 12 1.5 Consideration of Alternative Strategies ................................................... 12 1.6 Environmental Protection Objectives ....................................................... 13 1.6.1 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna……………..................................13 1.6.2 Population and Human Health…………………………………..13 1.6.3 Water……………………………………………………………..…13 1.6.4 Air Quality and Climate……………………………………………14 1.6.5 Geology and Soils…………………………………………………14 1.6.6 Cultural Heritage…………………………………………………..14 1.6.7 Landscape………………………………………………………….14 1.6.8 Material Assets……………………………………………………..14 1.7 Likely Significant Effects on the Environment of Implementing the Limerick City Development Plan as varied ................................................................... 14 1.8 Monitoring Proposals ............................................................................... 15 2.0 Introduction .............................................................................................. 16 2.1 Background ............................................................................................. 16 2.2 Strategic Environmental Assessment ...................................................... 16 2.3 The Contents and Main Objectives of the Limerick City Development Plan………………………………………………………………………………...17 2.3.1 International Conventions and Agreements………………………...18 2.3.2 National, Regional and Local Planning Policy Context………...18 3.0 SEA Methodology .................................................................................... 19 3.1 Steps in the SEA Process ....................................................................... 19 3.2 Difficulties Encountered in Compiling the Required Information .............. 20 4.0 Current State of the Environment ............................................................ 22 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 22 4.2 Baseline and Relevant Environmental Problems…………………………23 2 4.2.1 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna…………………………………...23 4.2.2 Population and Human Health………………………………….23 4.2.3 Water………………………………………………………………..24 4.2.4 Air Quality and Climate…………………………………………...26 4.2.5 Geology and Soils…………………………………………………27 4.2.6 Cultural Heritage………………………………………………….28 4.2.7 Landscape…………………………………………………………30 4.2.8 Material Assets…………………………………………………….31 4.3 Interrelationships between the above environmental factors…………...32 4.4 Evolution of the Environment in the absence of the variation to incorporate the contents of the 2030 Plan (Do Nothing Scenario) .................................... 33 4.5 Conclusion – Significant Environmental Issues ....................................... 34 4.6 Consideration of Alternative Strategies ................................................... 34 5.0 Environmental Protection Objectives Relevant to the variation of the Limerick City Development Plan 2010 ........................................................... 37 5.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 37 5.2 Environmental Protection Objectives ....................................................... 37 5.2.1 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna……………………………………...37 5.2.2 Population and Human Health……………………………………37 5.2.3 Water………………………………………………..………………37 5.2.4 Air Quality and Climate……………………………………………37 5.2.5 Geology and Soils………………………………………………….38 5.2.6 Cultural Heritage…………………………………………………...38 5.2.7 Landscape…………………………………………………………..38 5.2.8 Material Assets……………………………………………………..38 5.3 Use of Environmental Protection Objectives ........................................... 38 6.0 SEA of Limerick City Developemnt Plan 2010 . 39 6.1 Text of proposed variation ....................................................................... 39 6.2 Methodology for Assessment and Determination of Significance of Effects………………………………………………………………………….51 6.3 Summary of Likely Significant Effects of Implementing the proposed variation on the Environment and Measures Proposed to Prevent, Reduce or Offset such effects………………………………………………………………....51 6.3.1 Introduction………………………………………………………....51 6.3.2 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna……………………………………52 6.3.3 Population and Human Health…………………………………..53 6.3.4 Water .......................................................................................... 53 6.3.5 Air Quality & Climate .................................................................. 53 6.3.6 Geology and Soil ........................................................................ 53 3 6.3.7 Cultural Heritage ........................................................................ 54 6.3.8 Landscape .................................................................................. 54 6.3.9 Material Assets ........................................................................... 54 6.4 In-combination Effects ............................................................................. 54 7.0 Conclusion ............................................................................................... 63 8.0 SEA Statement for the incorporation of the 2030 Plan into the Limerick City Development Plan .................................................................................. 65 8.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 65 8.2 Summary of how environmental considerations were factored into the Plan.................................................................................................................65 8.3 Summary of how the Environmental Report and submissions and observations made to the Planning Authority under Section 20(3) of the Act were taken into account ................................................................................. 66 8.4 Reasons for choosing the plan as adopted in the light of other reasonable alternatives considered ............................................................... 66 9.0 Monitoring ................................................................................................ 68 9.1 Introduction .............................................................................................. 68 Appendix 1.1 International Conventions & Agreements ................................. 74 Appendix 1.2 Plan Objectives with assessment of their effects ..................... 83 4 1.0 Non Technical Summary 1.1 Introduction Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a formal process that is carried out as part of the variation to incorporate the Limerick 2030 Plan into the existing City Development Plan. It informs decision making in the making of the LAP, improving the environmental compliance of the plan and raising awareness of the potential environmental consequences of its implementation so that these consequences may be mitigated or avoided altogether. It also gives the public and other interested parties an opportunity to comment on and to be kept informed on decisions that may affect the local environment and how the variation to the plan was made. In accordance with the legislation, a ‘scoping’ exercise was carried out to determine the range of environmental issues and level of detail to be contained in the Environmental Report. This took place in August 2014 and involved consultation with the relevant Environmental Authorities: - The Environmental Protection Agency - The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government -The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht -The Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources -The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine The main output of SEA is the Environmental Report, which outlines the findings of the assessment process. This is the Environmental Report for the variation to the Limerick City Development Plan (CDP) to incorporate the 2030 Plan that has been prepared in accordance with the Planning and Development (SEA) Regulations 2004 and SEA (Amendment) Regulations 2011. This report should be read in conjunction with the proposed variation document and the Appropriate Assessment (AA) Screening Document. 1.2 Contents and Main Objectives of the Limerick Economic and Spatial Plan 2030. 1.3 Current State of the Environment 1.3.1 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna The Shannon