River Mall (Templemore) Drainage Scheme Natura Impact Statement January 2015 TOBIN CONSULTING ENGINEERS REPORT PROJECT: River Mall (Templemore) Drainage Scheme CLIENT: The Office of Public Works (OPW) 52 St Stephens Green Dublin 2 COMPANY: TOBIN Consulting Engineers Block 10-4 Blanchardstown Corporate Park Dublin 15 www.tobin.ie River Mall (Templemore) Drainage Scheme - Natura Impact Statement DOCUMENT AMENDMENT RECORD Client: Office of Public Works Project: River Mall (Templemore) Drainage Scheme Title: Natura Impact Statement PROJECT NUMBER: 7452 DOCUMENT REF: 7452-01 D Natura Impact Statement SM 090115 KH/RM 210115 DG 210115 C Natura Impact Statement SM 281114 RM 021214 DG 021214 B Natura Impact Statement KH 040914 AAM 080914 DG 080914 A Natura Impact Statement SM 030714 RM 210714 DG 290714 Revision Description & Rationale Originated Date Checked Date Authorised Date TOBIN Consulting Engineers i River Mall (Templemore) Drainage Scheme - Natura Impact Statement TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 LEGISLATIVE CONTEXT .................................................................................................................. 3 1.2 GUIDANCE ......................................................................................................................................... 4 1.3 APPROACH ....................................................................................................................................... 5 2 STAGE 1 - SCREENING FOR APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT ............................................................. 7 2.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED PROJECT ..................................................................................... 7 2.3 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................. 11 2.4 IDENTIFICATION OF RELEVANT EUROPEAN SITES .................................................................. 11 2.5 IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS ................................................................................. 12 2.6 SCREENING CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................... 12 3 STAGE 2 – NATURA IMPACT STATEMENT ........................................................................................ 13 3.1 INFORMATION REQUIRED ............................................................................................................ 13 3.2 CONSULTATION ............................................................................................................................. 13 3.3 DESKTOP STUDY ........................................................................................................................... 14 3.4 FIELD STUDIES ............................................................................................................................... 14 3.5 HABITATS AND FLORA .................................................................................................................. 15 3.6 OTTER ............................................................................................................................................. 15 3.7 AQUATIC ECOLOGY ....................................................................................................................... 15 3.8 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................................................. 16 3.8.1 Qualifying habitats .................................................................................................................... 16 3.8.2 Qualifying Terrestrial Fauna ..................................................................................................... 17 3.8.3 Qualifying Aquatic Fauna .......................................................................................................... 17 3.8.4 Conservation Objectives ........................................................................................................... 18 3.8.5 Lower River Suir SAC ............................................................................................................... 19 3.8.6 Qualifying interests excluded from the assessment ................................................................. 20 3.8.7 Qualifying interests considered and their sensitivities .............................................................. 21 3.9 POTENTIAL IMPACTS..................................................................................................................... 23 3.9.1 Alone ......................................................................................................................................... 23 3.9.2 Otter .......................................................................................................................................... 24 3.9.3 Salmon, River Lamprey Brook Lamprey & White Clawed Crayfish .......................................... 24 3.9.4 Potential in-combination effects ................................................................................................ 26 3.9.4.1 Agriculture ................................................................................................................................... 26 3.9.4.2 Forestry ....................................................................................................................................... 27 3.9.4.3 WWTP’s ....................................................................................................................................... 27 3.9.4.4 Plans ............................................................................................................................................ 27 3.10 MITIGATION MEASURES ........................................................................................................... 28 ii River Mall (Templemore) Drainage Scheme - Natura Impact Statement 3.10.1 Otter – Both Scheme Scenarios ............................................................................................... 28 3.10.2 Salmon, River Lamprey Brook Lamprey & White Clawed Crayfish – Scheme Scenario A (using existing and new flood channel) ............................................................................................................... 28 3.10.2.1 Mitigation by design ............................................................................................................... 28 3.10.2.2 Mitigation by avoidance ......................................................................................................... 29 3.10.2.3 Mitigation by remedy .............................................................................................................. 29 3.10.3 Salmon, River Lamprey Brook Lamprey & White Clawed Crayfish – Scheme Scenario B (new channel only) ............................................................................................................................................ 30 3.10.3.1 Mitigation by design ............................................................................................................... 30 3.10.3.2 Mitigation by avoidance ......................................................................................................... 31 3.10.3.3 Mitigation by remedy .............................................................................................................. 31 3.11 PREDICTED IMPACTS ................................................................................................................ 32 3.12 CONCLUSION OF STAGE 2 ....................................................................................................... 32 TABLES , FIGURES & APPENDICES TABLES Table 3-1 EPA Water Quality Results ....................................................................................................... 18 Table 3-2 Features Excluded from this Assessment ................................................................................ 21 FIGURES Figure 1 Natura 2000 Sites ........................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2 Upstream Defences and the River Diversion ................................................................................. 9 Figure 3 Downstream Works ...................................................................................................................... 10 APPENDICES Appendix 1 Site Synopsis Lower River Suir SAC Appendix 2 Bibliography iii River Mall (Templemore) Drainage Scheme - Natura Impact Statement 1 INTRODUCTION This report details a Natura Impact statement (NIS) which relates to the proposed flood relief scheme on the Mall River at Templemore. This NIS is to inform the Appropriate Assessment (AA) process which is carried out by the appropriate planning authority (i.e. Tipperary County Council). Appropriate Assessment is an assessment of the potential effects of a plan or project, in combination with other plans or projects, on a European Site (Natura 2000 site); refer to legislative context Section 1.1 below. An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has also been submitted for this development and this NIS is an Appendix report to provide detailed consideration specifically