ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT OF THE GALWAY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2009-2015 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT for: Galway County Council County Buildings Prospect Hill Galway by: CAAS (Environmental Services) 4th Floor, 7 Red Cow Lane Smithfield Dublin 7 APRIL 2009 Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi Licence Number 2003/07CCMA/Galway County Council. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland Environmental Report of the Galway County Development Plan 2009-2015 Strategic Environmental Assessment Table of Contents List of Figures ..............................................................................................................iii List of Tables ...............................................................................................................iv List of Abbreviations.....................................................................................................v Glossary .......................................................................................................................vi 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 Galway County Council and the Elected Members.........................................1 Section 2 SEA Methodology.....................................................................................2 2.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................2 2.2 Scoping ...........................................................................................................................2 2.3 Environmental Baseline Data and Other Strategic Actions.....................................................3 2.4 Alternatives......................................................................................................................4 2.5 The SEA Environmental Report ..........................................................................................4 2.6 The SEA Statement...........................................................................................................4 2.7 Legislative Conformance....................................................................................................4 2.8 Difficulties Encountered.....................................................................................................6 Section 3 County Galway’s Baseline Environment..................................................7 3.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................7 3.2 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna........................................................................................9 3.3 Population and Human Health..........................................................................................29 3.4 Soil................................................................................................................................34 3.5 Water ............................................................................................................................39 3.6 Air and Climatic Factors...................................................................................................61 3.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................70 3.8 Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................75 3.9 Landscape .....................................................................................................................82 Section 4 Strategic Environmental Objectives......................................................93 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................93 4.2 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna...........................................................................................93 4.3 Population and Human Health..........................................................................................95 4.4 Soil................................................................................................................................96 4.5 Water ............................................................................................................................97 4.6 Air and Climatic Factors...................................................................................................99 4.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................99 4.8 Cultural Heritage ..........................................................................................................100 4.9 Landscape ...................................................................................................................102 Section 5 Context for a Development Plan for County Galway ..........................103 5.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................103 5.2 Structure and Content...................................................................................................103 5.3 Overall Strategic Aims ................................................................................................... 103 CAAS for Galway County Council i Environmental Report of the Galway County Development Plan 2009-2015 Strategic Environmental Assessment 5.4 Alternatives..................................................................................................................104 5.5 Interactions with Relevant Planning Policy ...................................................................... 104 5.6 Environmental Protection Objectives............................................................................... 106 Section 6 Description of Alternative Plan Scenarios...........................................107 6.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................107 6.2 Excluding the ‘Do-Nothing’ Scenario ............................................................................... 107 6.3 Identification and Description of Alternative Scenarios ..................................................... 107 Section 7 Evaluation of Alternative Plan Scenarios ............................................113 7.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................113 7.2 Methodology ................................................................................................................113 7.3 Evaluation ...................................................................................................................115 7.4 Evaluation against SEOs................................................................................................121 7.5 The Preferred Alternative ..............................................................................................122 Section 8 Evaluation of Plan Policies and Objectives .........................................123 8.1 Methodology ................................................................................................................123 8.2 Chapter 1: Introduction.................................................................................................125 8.3 Chapter 2: Spatial Strategy............................................................................................126 8.4 Chapter 3: Settlement Strategy...................................................................................... 128 8.5 Chapter 4: Economic Development and Tourism.............................................................. 131 8.6 Chapter 5: Housing Provision......................................................................................... 137 8.7 Chapter 6: Roads and Transportation ............................................................................. 142 8.8 Chapter 7: Infrastructure and Services ........................................................................... 147 8.9 Chapter 8: Cultural, Social and Community Development ................................................. 151 8.10 Chapter 9: Heritage, Landscape and Environmental Management ..................................... 154 8.11 Chapter 10: Agriculture, Mariculture and Silviculture ........................................................ 164 Section 9 Mitigation Measures ............................................................................166 9.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................166 9.2 SEA Recommendation ...................................................................................................166 9.3 Mitigation Measures ......................................................................................................166