APPENDIX I-NON TECHNICAL SUMMARY ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT OF THE VARIATION NO.2 (SANDYFORD URBAN FRAMEWORK PLAN) TO THE DÚN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2010-2016 for: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council County Hall Marine Road Dún Laoghaire County Dublin by: CAAS Ltd. 2nd Floor, The Courtyard 25 Great Strand Street Dublin 1 SEPTEMBER 2011 Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi licence no. 2010/25/CCMAlDúnlaoghaire/RathdownCountyCouncil. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland 2008 SEA Environmental Report for Variation No. 2 to the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown CDP 2010-2016 Appendix I - Non Technical Summary Table of Contents Section 1 Introduction and Terms of Reference.....................................................1 Section 2 The Variation ...........................................................................................2 2.1 Content and Structure of the Plan ......................................................................................2 2.2 Purpose and Rationale for the Plan.....................................................................................2 2.3 Interactions with Relevant Policy, Plans or Programmes .......................................................2 Section 3 The Environmental Baseline....................................................................4 3.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................4 3.2 Difficulties Encountered.....................................................................................................4 3.3 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna........................................................................................4 3.4 Population and Human Health............................................................................................7 3.5 Soil..................................................................................................................................8 3.6 Water ..............................................................................................................................9 3.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................12 3.8 Air and Climatic Factors...................................................................................................14 3.9 Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................16 3.10 Landscape .....................................................................................................................18 3.11 Strategic Environmental Objectives ..................................................................................19 Section 4 Alternative Scenarios ............................................................................20 4.1 Description of the Alternative Plan Scenarios.....................................................................20 4.2 Evaluation of the Alternative Scenarios .............................................................................23 4.3 The Selected Alternative Development Scenario ................................................................27 Section 5 Mitigation and Monitoring Measures ....................................................28 5.1 Mitigation.......................................................................................................................28 5.2 Monitoring .....................................................................................................................28 CAAS Ltd. for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council i SEA Environmental Report for Variation No. 2 to the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown CDP 2010-2016 Appendix I - Non Technical Summary Section 1 Introduction and Terms of Reference This is the Non-Technical Summary of the Environmental Report of Variation No. 2 (Sandyford Urban Framework Plan) to the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Development Plan 2010-2016 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The purpose of the Environmental Report is to provide a clear understanding of the likely environmental consequences of decisions regarding the future accommodation of growth in Sandyford. What is an SEA? SEA is a systematic process of predicting and evaluating the likely environmental effects of implementing a proposed plan, or other strategic action, in order to ensure that these effects are appropriately addressed at the earliest appropriate stage of decision-making on a par with economic and social considerations. Why is it needed? The SEA has been carried out in order to comply with the provisions of the SEA Regulations and in order to improve planning and environmental management within Sandyford. The output of the process is an Environmental Report which should be read in conjunction with the Sandyford Urban Framework Plan (SUFP). How does it work? All of the main environmental issues in Sandyford were assembled and presented to the team who prepared the Variation. This helped them to devise a plan that protects whatever is sensitive in the environment. It also helped to identify wherever there are environmental problems in the area - so that these won’t get any worse - and ideally the Plan tries to improve these. To decide how best to make a plan that protects the environment as much as possible the planners examined alternative versions of the Plan. This helped to highlight the type of plans that are least likely to harm the environment. What is included in the Environmental Report which accompanies the Variation? The Environmental Report contains the following information: o A description of the environment and the key environmental issues; o A description and assessment of alternatives for the Variation/the Urban Framework Plan; o An assessment of Urban Framework Plan policies and objectives; and, o Mitigation measures which will aid compliance with important environmental protection legislation - e.g. the Water Framework Directive, the Habitats Directive - and which will avoid/reduce the environmental effects of implementing the Plan. What happens at the end of the process? On adoption of the Variation, a document referred to as the SEA Statement was prepared. The SEA Statement accompanies the Variation. It includes information on: how environmental considerations have been integrated into the Variation - highlighting the main changes to the Variation which resulted from the SEA process; how the Environmental Report and consultations were taken into account - summarising the key issues raised in consultations and in the Environmental Report indicating what action was taken in response; and the reasons for choosing the Variation in the light of the other alternatives, identifying the other alternatives considered, commenting on their potential effects and explaining why the Variation was selected. CAAS Ltd. for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council 1 SEA Environmental Report for Variation No. 2 to the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown CDP 2010-2016 Appendix I - Non Technical Summary Section 2 The Variation 2.1 Content and Structure of the Plan The Variation consists of a written statement accompanied by a series of Maps and Drawings. The Maps now have a statutory basis within the County Development Plan. The Drawings are provided for reference and as guidance for development. The Urban Framework Plan is divided into 5 Sections as follows: Section 1- Introduction; Section 2 - Future Land Uses; Section 3 - Indicative Urban Form, Public Realm, Linkages and Building Height; Section 4 - Infrastructure; and, Section 5 - Phasing and Funding. 2.2 Purpose and Rationale for the Plan The purpose of the Sandyford Urban Framework Plan is to set out the policies and objectives that, when implemented, will transform Sandyford Business Estates from a collection of disparate, poorly connected estates, to a co-ordinated, cohesive, business district. The rationale underpinning the Plan are: To promote and facilitate employment growth in Sandyford Business District recognising its status as a primary growth centre in the Economic Development Strategy of the Regional Planning Guidelines 2010-2022. To strengthen and enhance the structure and character of the urban form through appropriate sustainable land use zoning and guidance on typology, massing, scale, height, density of the built form and by promoting excellence in design of buildings and the spaces between them. To protect the residential amenity of adjoining areas and ensure that development in Sandyford Business District provides for its own infrastructural requirements. To encourage a diverse range of uses including employment based uses, retail and retail services, civic, cultural, leisure, health, educational and other services appropriate in scale commensurate with the role of Sandyford Business District as a ‘Place’ to work and live. To encourage a range of high quality new homes to promote choice and achieve a social mix. To create an environment, supported by key infrastructure and services that will attract business investment and provide for a range of employment opportunities. To create a hierarchy of public open spaces within Sandyford Business District providing high quality amenities and a variety of functions to serve both the resident and employee populations. To provide a network of ‘green’ routes and integrated streets linking the public open spaces, creating