ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE GALWAY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2015-2021 for: Galway County Council Aras an Chontae, Prospect Hill, Galway by: CAAS Ltd. 2nd Floor, The Courtyard 25 Great Strand Street Dublin 1 FEBRUARY 2015 Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi Licence Number 2009/07CCMA/Galway County Council. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland SEA Environmental Report for the Galway County Development Plan 2015-2021 Table of Contents List of Abbreviations ...............................................................................................vi Glossary ..................................................................................................................vii Section 1 SEA Introduction and Background ..................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction and Terms of Reference ........................................................................... 1 1.2 SEA Definition ............................................................................................................ 1 1.3 SEA Directive and its transposition into Irish Law .......................................................... 1 1.4 Implications for the Plan and the Planning Authority ...................................................... 1 Section 2 The County Development Plan ........................................................... 2 2.1 Review Process and Statutory Context ......................................................................... 2 2.2 Background to the Plan ............................................................................................... 2 2.3 Content of the Plan .................................................................................................... 2 2.4 The Plan’s Vision ........................................................................................................ 2 2.5 The Plan’s Strategic Aims ............................................................................................ 3 2.6 Relationship with other relevant Plans and Programmes ................................................ 3 Section 3 SEA Methodology ............................................................................... 7 3.1 Introduction to the Iterative Approach ......................................................................... 7 3.2 Appropriate Assessment and Integrated Biodiversity Impact Assessment ......................... 8 3.3 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment .................................................................................. 8 3.4 Scoping ..................................................................................................................... 9 3.5 Environmental Baseline Data ....................................................................................... 9 3.6 Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 9 3.7 The SEA Environmental Report .................................................................................... 9 3.8 The SEA Statement ...................................................................................................10 3.9 Difficulties Encountered .............................................................................................10 Section 4 Environmental Baseline ................................................................... 12 4.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................12 4.2 Monitoring Review .....................................................................................................12 4.3 Likely Evolution of the Environment in the Absence of a new Plan .................................13 4.4 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna ................................................................................15 4.5 Population and Human Health ....................................................................................34 4.6 Soil .......................................................................................................................... 34 4.7 Water .......................................................................................................................40 4.8 Air and Climatic Factors .............................................................................................53 4.9 Material Assets ..........................................................................................................55 4.10 Cultural Heritage .......................................................................................................63 4.11 Landscape ................................................................................................................67 4.12 Overlay of Environmental Sensitivities .........................................................................76 Section 5 Strategic Environmental Objectives ................................................ 79 5.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................79 5.2 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna ......................................................................................79 5.3 Population and Human Health ....................................................................................83 CAAS Ltd. for Galway County Council ii SEA Environmental Report for the Galway County Development Plan 2015-2021 5.4 Soil .......................................................................................................................... 83 5.5 Water .......................................................................................................................84 5.6 Material Assets ..........................................................................................................87 5.7 Air and Climatic Factors .............................................................................................88 5.8 Cultural Heritage .......................................................................................................90 5.9 Landscape ................................................................................................................91 Section 6 Description of Alternative Scenarios ............................................... 92 6.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................92 6.2 Rational ....................................................................................................................92 6.3 Scenario Descriptions ................................................................................................92 Section 7 Evaluation of Alternative Scenarios ................................................. 97 7.1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................97 7.2 Methodology .............................................................................................................97 7.3 Cumulative Effects .....................................................................................................99 7.4 Potentially Significant Adverse Effects ....................................................................... 100 7.5 Scenario A .............................................................................................................. 101 Section 8 Evaluation of Plan Provisions ......................................................... 112 8.1 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 112 8.2 Appropriate Assessment and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment ..................................... 113 8.3 Potential Impacts and their Determination ................................................................. 114 8.4 Interrelationship between Environmental Components ................................................ 115 8.5 Cumulative Effects ................................................................................................... 117 8.6 Residual Adverse Effects .......................................................................................... 120 8.7 Detailed Evaluation of Plan Provisions ....................................................................... 120 Section 9 Mitigation Measures ....................................................................... 170 9.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 170 9.2 Integration of Environmental Considerations .............................................................. 170 Section 10 Monitoring Measures ..................................................................... 172 10.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 172 10.2 Indicators and Targets ............................................................................................. 172 10.3 Sources .................................................................................................................. 172 10.4 Reporting ............................................................................................................... 172 10.5 Thresholds .............................................................................................................