Draft County Development Plan 2022-2028 Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE DRAFT DÚN LAOGHAIRE-RATHDOWN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022-2028 for: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council County Hall Marine Road Dún Laoghaire by: CAAS Ltd. 1st Floor 24-26 Ormond Quay Upper Dublin JANUARY 2021 SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown CDP 2022-2028 Table of Contents List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................v Glossary ...................................................................................................................vi Section 1 SEA: Introduction and Benefits ......................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Implications for the Planning Authority ......................................................................... 1 1.3 Why SEA? The Benefits ............................................................................................... 1 Section 2 The Draft Plan .................................................................................... 4 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................... 4 2.2 Content of the Plan .................................................................................................... 4 2.3 Overall Vision and Strategy County Outcomes ............................................................... 4 2.4 Strategic work undertaken by the Council to ensure contribution towards environmental protection and sustainable development ................................................................................... 4 2.5 Relationship with other relevant Plans and Programmes ................................................ 5 Section 3 SEA Methodology ............................................................................... 6 3.1 Introduction to the Iterative Approach ......................................................................... 6 3.2 Appropriate Assessment and Integrated Biodiversity Impact Assessment ......................... 7 3.3 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment .................................................................................. 7 3.4 Scoping ..................................................................................................................... 7 3.5 Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 8 3.6 Preparation of the Draft Plan and Members’ Amendments .............................................. 8 3.7 Environmental Report ................................................................................................. 8 3.8 SEA Statement ........................................................................................................... 9 Section 4 Environmental Baseline ................................................................... 11 4.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................11 4.2 National Reporting on the Environment .......................................................................11 4.3 Sustainable Development Goals ..................................................................................11 4.4 Likely Evolution of the Environment in the Absence of a new Plan .................................12 4.5 Natural Capital and Ecosystem Services .......................................................................14 4.6 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna ................................................................................15 4.7 Population and Human Health ....................................................................................27 4.8 Soil .......................................................................................................................... 28 4.9 Water .......................................................................................................................33 4.10 Air and Climatic Factors .............................................................................................47 4.11 Material Assets ..........................................................................................................49 4.12 Cultural Heritage .......................................................................................................57 4.13 Landscape ................................................................................................................62 4.14 Overlay of Environmental Sensitivity Mapping ..............................................................66 Section 5 Strategic Environmental Objectives ................................................ 68 Section 6 Description of Alternatives .............................................................. 73 6.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................73 6.2 Limitations in Available Alternatives ............................................................................73 6.3 Type 1: Alternatives for an Ecosystem Services Approach to the Plan ............................ 73 CAAS for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council i SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown CDP 2022-2028 6.4 Type 2: Land Use Zoning ...........................................................................................73 6.5 Type 3: Alternatives for Additional Accommodation in Existing Built-up Areas ................. 74 6.6 Type 4: Densities ......................................................................................................74 6.7 Type 5: Strategic Land Reserve for Old Connaught .......................................................74 Section 7 Evaluation of Alternatives ................................................................ 77 7.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................77 7.2 Methodology .............................................................................................................77 7.3 Detailed Assessment of Alternatives ............................................................................79 Section 8 Evaluation of Plan Provisions ........................................................... 89 8.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................89 8.2 Cumulative Effects .....................................................................................................90 8.3 Overall Evaluation .....................................................................................................92 8.4 Members’ Amendments and Environmental Consequences ............................................97 8.5 Appropriate Assessment and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment .......................................99 8.6 Interactions with Climate Mitigation and Adaptation .....................................................99 8.7 Interrelationship between Environmental Components ................................................ 101 8.8 Detailed Evaluation .................................................................................................. 102 Section 9 Mitigation Measures ....................................................................... 138 9.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 138 9.2 Strategic work undertaken by the Council to ensure contribution towards environmental protection and sustainable development ................................................................................ 138 9.3 Consideration of Alternatives .................................................................................... 139 9.4 Integration of environmental considerations into Zoning of the Plan ............................ 139 9.5 Integration of individual SEA, AA and SFRA provisions into the text of the Plan ............. 139 Section 10 Monitoring Measures ..................................................................... 152 10.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 152 10.2 Indicators and Targets ............................................................................................. 152 10.3 Sources .................................................................................................................. 152 10.4 Reporting ............................................................................................................... 152 Appendix I Relationship with Legislation and Other Policies, Plans and Programmes ........................................................................................................ 158 Appendix II Non-Technical Summary……………………………...…Separately bound CAAS for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council ii SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown CDP 2022-2028 List of Figures Figure 1.1 Environmental Sensitivities Map .................................................................................... 3 Figure 3.1 Overview of the SEA/AA/SFRA Plan-preparation Processes .............................................