STRATEGIC FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT BOYLE LOCAL AREA PLAN 2012-2018 Roscommon County Council April 2012 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment 1. INTRODUCTION & CONTEXT 1.1 INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW Flooding is a natural process that can happen at any time in a wide variety of locations. Flooding from the sea and from rivers is probably best known but prolonged, intense and localised rainfall can also cause sewer flooding, overland flow and groundwater flooding. Flooding has significant impacts on human activities; it can threaten people’s lives, their property and the environment. Assets at risk can include housing, transport and public service infrastructure, and commercial, industrial and agricultural enterprises. The health, social, economic and environmental impacts of flooding can be significant and have a wide community impact. The planning system plays a major national and local role in ensuring that development is promoted and guided in a manner that is sustainable in economic, social and environmental terms. This is a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment of the Boyle Local Area Plan 2012-2018 (LAP), in accordance with the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on The Planning System and Flood Risk Management (2009). These guidelines require the planning system at national, regional and local levels to: ¾ Avoid development in areas at risk of flooding, particularly floodplains, unless there are proven wider sustainability grounds that justify appropriate development and where the flood risk can be reduced or managed to an acceptable level without increasing flood risk elsewhere; ¾ Adopt a sequential approach to flood risk management when assessing the location for new development based on avoidance, reduction and mitigation of flood risk; and ¾ Incorporate flood risk assessment into the process of making decisions on planning applications and planning appeals. These guidelines aim to integrate flood risk management into the planning process to assist in the delivery of sustainable development. This will be achieved by assessing flood risk as early as possible in the planning process and taking it into account at all stages from national and regional planning, through to development plans and local area plans as well as in development design and management. The core objectives are to: ¾ avoid inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding; ¾ avoid new developments increasing flood risk elsewhere, including that which may arise from surface run-off; ¾ ensure effective management of residual risks for development permitted in floodplains; ¾ avoid unnecessary restriction of national, regional or local economic and social growth; ¾ improve the understanding of flood risk among relevant stakeholders; ¾ and ¾ ensure that the requirements of EU and national law in relation to the natural environment and nature conservation are complied with at all stages of flood risk management These guidelines aim to encourage a transparent consideration of flood risk in the planning process and introduce and explain a rigorous assessment methodology to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country in considering flood risk at all stages of the planning process. The guidelines will contribute to the avoidance or minimisation of potential future flood risk through a more systematic approach within a catchment context to help deliver sustainable development. The key principles are to: ¾ avoid the risk, where possible, ¾ substitute less vulnerable uses, where avoidance is not possible, and ¾ mitigate and manage the risk, where avoidance and substitution are not possible. Boyle Local Area Plan 2012–2018 Page 1 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment A staged approach has been adopted to the appraisal and assessment of flood risk, which includes the following stages: Stage 1: Flood risk identification – to identify whether there may be any flooding or surface water management issues related to a plan area or proposed development site that may warrant further investigation; Stage 2: Initial flood risk assessment – to confirm sources of flooding that may affect a plan area or proposed development site, to appraise the adequacy of existing information and to determine what surveys and modelling approach is appropriate to match the spatial resolution required and complexity of the flood risk issues. The extent of the risk of flooding should be assessed which may involve preparing indicative flood zone maps. Where existing river or coastal models exist, these should be used broadly to assess the extent of the risk of flooding and potential impact of a development on flooding elsewhere and of the scope of possible mitigation measures; and Stage 3: Detailed risk assessment – to assess flood risk issues in sufficient detail and to provide a quantitative appraisal of potential flood risk to a proposed or existing development, of its potential impact on flood risk elsewhere and of the effectiveness of any proposed mitigation measures. This will typically involve use of an existing or construction of a hydraulic model of the river or coastal cell across a wide enough area to appreciate the catchment wide impacts and hydrological processes involved. Table A3: Flood risk assessment stages required per scale of study undertaken In the preparation of this assessment reference has been made to the following documents in particular; The Planning System and Flood Risk Management, Guidelines for Planning Authorities, DEHLG, November 2009 and the Technical Appendices, The Planning System and Flood Risk Management, Guidelines for Planning Authorities, DEHLG, November 2009. 1.2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PLAN & PLAN AREA The Boyle Local Area Plan 2012-2018 was prepared in accordance with sections 18, 19 and 20 of the Planning and Development Acts, 2000-2010, which sets out provisions for the preparation of local area plans. Section 20 states that “a local area plan may be prepared in respect of any area or an existing suburb of Boyle Local Area Plan 2012–2018 Page 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment an urban area, which the planning authority considers suitable and, in particular, for those areas which require economic, physical and social renewal…” The Plan will be in effect for a six year period following its adoption. LAPs take a detailed look at a specific area, identifying and analysing the various issues of relevance, before establishing and setting out principles for the future development of the area. These issues include amongst others; ¾ Infrastructure and Services ¾ Economic Development & Employment ¾ Built and Natural Heritage ¾ Social and Community Facilities ¾ Recreation, Leisure and Tourism, and ¾ Urban Development The Boyle LAP 2012-2018 comprises this written statement and accompanying maps. It is necessary that both be referred to in considering the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. The plan has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2010 and provides the statutory basis for the consideration, by the Council, of planning applications submitted. The period of this plan will be six years from the date of its adoption, subject to any review or alterations. The main aim of this LAP for Boyle is to set out a framework for the physical development of Boyle Town so that growth may take place in a co-ordinated, sensitive and orderly manner, while at the same time conserving the towns’ built and natural heritage. The plan strives to inform the general public, statutory authorities, developers and other interested bodies of the policy framework, objectives and land-use proposals for the Boyle area. The Plan was prepared with careful consideration of existing services, land-uses, infrastructure, planning proposals and outstanding planning permissions. Environmental considerations and the concept of Sustainable Development underpin all the aims, policies and objectives of the plan. Boyle (Mainistir na Búille) is located in North County Roscommon, 38km from Roscommon Town, 15km from Carrick-on-Shannon and 40km from Sligo. The LAP area is in a strategic location and accessibility is a key advantage. Boyle has a modern primary road and rail network that connects it – east and west, north and south – to all the major cities and towns in Ireland. It is served by the N4 National Primary Route between Sligo and Dublin, and the N61 National Secondary Route to Athlone via Roscommon town. Boyle is also on the main Dublin/Sligo rail line with six train services per day, and is within a two hour drive of five airports. Boyle Harbour forms part of the Shannon-Erne Waterway and is only a ten minute walk from Boyle Town. From Boyle Harbour it is possible to navigate to the sea at Limerick, to the sea at New Ross in County Wexford (via the Grand Canal and Barrow Navigation) or to Dublin along Grand Canal. For further information see: Inland Waterways Association of Ireland: www.iwai.ie and Waterways Ireland: www.waterwaysireland.org An all encompassing development strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of Boyle Town and environs has been prepared based on an analysis of social, economic, infrastructural, environmental and heritage data. Key objectives in this LAP include; amongst others, enhancement and development of the town core; identification of lands suitable for the expansion of community facilities; and the intensification and rationalisation of the existing residential footprint of the town. 2. WATER SERVICES Water Supply The Boyle/Ardcarne Regional Water Supply Scheme serves