ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT OF THE WICKLOW COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2010-2016 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT For: Wicklow County Council County Hall Station Road Wicklow Town County Wicklow By: CAAS 2nd Floor, The Courtyard 25 Great Strand Street Dublin 1 SEPTEMBER 2010 Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi Licence Number 2009/10 CCMA/Wicklow County Council. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland Environmental Report of the Wicklow County Development Plan 2010-2016 SEA Table of Contents List of Figures .............................................................................................................. iv List of Tables ............................................................................................................... vi List of Abbreviations................................................................................................... vii Glossary ..................................................................................................................... viii Section 1 SEA Introduction and Background..........................................................1 1.1 Introduction and Terms of Reference .................................................................................1 1.2 SEA Definition ..................................................................................................................1 1.3 Legislative Context............................................................................................................1 1.4 Implications for the Council and the Elected Members..........................................................1 Section 2 SEA Methodology.....................................................................................2 2.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................2 2.2 Scoping ...........................................................................................................................3 2.3 Environmental Baseline Data and Other Strategic Actions.....................................................4 2.4 Alternatives......................................................................................................................4 2.5 The SEA Environmental Report ..........................................................................................5 2.6 The SEA Statement...........................................................................................................5 2.7 Legislative Conformance....................................................................................................5 2.8 Difficulties Encountered.....................................................................................................5 Section 3 County Wicklow’s Baseline Environment................................................7 3.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................7 3.2 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna........................................................................................9 3.3 Population and Human Health..........................................................................................22 3.4 Soil................................................................................................................................30 3.5 Water ............................................................................................................................36 3.6 Air and Climatic Factors...................................................................................................54 3.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................58 3.8 Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................65 3.9 Landscape .....................................................................................................................73 3.10 Overlay Mapping of Environmental Sensitivities .................................................................79 Section 4 Strategic Environmental Objectives......................................................82 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................82 4.2 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna...........................................................................................82 4.3 Population and Human Health..........................................................................................84 4.4 Soil................................................................................................................................85 4.5 Water ............................................................................................................................86 4.6 Air and Climatic Factors...................................................................................................89 4.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................90 4.8 Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................91 4.9 Landscape .....................................................................................................................93 CAAS for Wicklow County Council i Environmental Report of the Wicklow County Development Plan 2010-2016 SEA Section 5 Context for a County Development Plan for Wicklow...........................94 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................94 5.2 Structure and Content.....................................................................................................94 5.3 Vision Statement ............................................................................................................94 5.4 Alternatives....................................................................................................................95 5.5 Interactions with Relevant Planning Policy ........................................................................95 5.6 Environmental Protection Objectives.................................................................................97 Section 6 Description of Alternative Plan Scenarios.............................................98 6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................98 6.2 Excluding the ‘Do-Nothing’ Scenario .................................................................................98 6.3 Identification and Description of Alternative Scenarios .......................................................98 Section 7 Evaluation of Alternative Plan Scenarios ............................................106 7.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 106 7.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 106 7.3 Evaluation of Alternative Scenarios................................................................................. 108 Section 8 Evaluation of Plan Provisions..............................................................116 8.1 Methodology ................................................................................................................ 116 8.2 Chapter 3: Vision and Strategic Goals............................................................................. 118 8.3 Chapter 4: Population, Housing and Settlement............................................................... 122 8.4 Chapter 5: Urban Development...................................................................................... 125 8.5 Chapter 6: Rural Development....................................................................................... 127 8.6 Chapter 7: Employment, Enterprise and Economic Development....................................... 130 8.7 Chapter 8: The Rural Economy ...................................................................................... 136 8.8 Chapter 9: Tourism....................................................................................................... 141 8.9 Chapter 10: Retail......................................................................................................... 147 8.10 Chapter 11: Roads and Transportation ........................................................................... 153 8.11 Chapter 12: Water Infrastructure ................................................................................... 161 8.12 Chapter 13: Waste and Environmental Emissions............................................................. 164 8.13 Chapter 14: Energy and Communications ....................................................................... 167 8.14 Chapter 15: Social and Community Infrastructure, including open space ........................... 170 8.15 Chapter 16: Built Heritage ............................................................................................. 177 8.16 Chapter 17: Natural Environment................................................................................... 180 8.17 Chapter 18: Coastal Zone