Ulster Canal Greenway Development Strategy Strategic Environmental Assessment – Environmental Report April 2017 / IBE1171 rpsgroup.com/ireland The Ulster Canal Greenway Development Strategy Strategic Environmental Assessment Environmental Report DOCUMENT CONTROL SHEET Client Waterways Ireland Project Title The Ulster Canal Greenway Development Strategy Document Title IBE1171Rp0002_SEA_Environmental_Report_D01 Document No. IBE1171Rp0002 DCS TOC Text List of Tables List of Figures No. of This Document Appendices Comprises 1 1 154 1 1 5 Rev. Status Author(s) Reviewed By Approved By Office of Origin Issue Date Richard D01 Draft Various Alan Barr Belfast 25/04/14 Bingham rpsgroup.com/ireland Copyright Copyright – Waterways Ireland. All rights reserved. No part of this report may be copied or reproduced by any means without prior written permission from Waterways Ireland. Legal Disclaimer This report is subject to the limitations and warranties contained in the contract between the commissioning party (Waterways Ireland) and RPS Group Ireland rpsgroup.com/ireland Ulster Canal Greenway Development Strategy SEA Environmental Report TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .......................................................................................................................... I 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ...................................................................... 1 1.3 RESPONSIBLE AUTHORITY ................................................................................................ 2 1.4 STUDY TEAM ................................................................................................................... 3 1.5 SCREENING FOR SEA ...................................................................................................... 3 1.6 SCOPING FOR SEA .......................................................................................................... 3 1.7 SEA GUIDANCE ............................................................................................................... 3 1.8 STATUTORY CONSULTEES FOR SEA ................................................................................. 4 1.9 APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT............................................................................................. 4 2 ULSTER CANAL GREENWAY DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ................................................ 6 2.1 BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................. 6 2.2 GREENWAY SECTIONS ..................................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Enniskillen to Clones ........................................................................................ 7 2.2.2 Castle Saunderson to Clones ........................................................................... 7 2.2.3 Belturbet to Cloverhill ....................................................................................... 7 2.2.4 Cavan to Clones ............................................................................................... 7 2.2.5 Clones to Smithsborough ................................................................................. 7 2.2.6 Smithsborough to Monaghan town .................................................................. 7 2.2.7 Monaghan town to Middletown......................................................................... 8 2.2.8 Monaghan to Glaslough ................................................................................... 8 2.2.9 Glaslough to Armagh ........................................................................................ 8 2.2.10 Armagh to Portadown ....................................................................................... 8 2.2.11 Middletown to Benburb ..................................................................................... 8 2.2.12 Benburb to Lough Neagh ................................................................................. 8 2.2.13 Monaghan Town ............................................................................................... 8 2.3 STRATEGY OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................. 10 3 METHODOLOGY AND CONSULTATIONS ............................................................................ 11 3.1 SEA OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................... 11 3.2 SEA OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................... 12 3.3 DIFFICULTIES AND DATA GAPS ....................................................................................... 16 3.4 CONSULTATIONS ............................................................................................................ 16 3.4.1 Transboundary Consultations ........................................................................ 18 3.4.2 Proposed Consultation on Draft Strategy and SEA Environmental Report ... 18 4 DESCRIPTION OF THE STRATEGY ...................................................................................... 19 4.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 19 4.2 GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE ..................................................................................................... 19 IBE1171Rp00002 I Rev D01 Ulster Canal Greenway Development Strategy SEA Environmental Report 4.3 TEMPORAL SCOPE ......................................................................................................... 20 5 BASELINE AND RELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ................................................... 21 5.1 INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 21 5.2 BIODIVERSITY, FLORA & FAUNA ...................................................................................... 21 5.3 POPULATION & HUMAN HEALTH ...................................................................................... 25 5.4 GEOLOGY, SOILS & LANDUSE ......................................................................................... 28 5.5 WATER .......................................................................................................................... 29 5.6 AIR ............................................................................................................................... 29 5.7 CLIMATE ........................................................................................................................ 31 5.8 MATERIAL ASSETS ......................................................................................................... 32 5.9 CULTURAL, ARCHAEOLOGICAL & ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE ........................................... 33 5.10 LANDSCAPE & VISUAL AMENITY ...................................................................................... 33 5.11 EVOLUTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE ABSENCE OF THE STRATEGY ............................ 34 6 REVIEW OF RELEVANT, PLANS, PROGRAMMES AND POLICIES ................................... 37 6.1 INTERACTION WITH OTHER RELEVANT PLANS AND PROGRAMMES ..................................... 37 7 PROPOSED ROUTE DETAILS ............................................................................................... 40 7.1 DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF THE GREENWAY ....................................................... 40 7.1.1 Construction ................................................................................................... 40 7.1.2 Operation and Maintenance ........................................................................... 41 7.2 ROUTE OPTIONS / ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................... 41 7.2.1 Do Nothing Alternative ................................................................................... 42 7.2.2 Enniskillen to Clones ...................................................................................... 42 7.2.3 Castle Saunderson to Clones ......................................................................... 42 7.2.4 Belturbet to Cloverhill ..................................................................................... 43 7.2.5 Cavan to Clones ............................................................................................. 44 7.2.6 Clones to Smithsborough ............................................................................... 45 7.2.7 Smithsborough to Ulster Canal Greenway in Monaghan town ...................... 46 7.2.8 Ulster Canal Greenway in Monaghan town to Middletown ............................ 46 7.2.9 Monaghan to Glaslough ................................................................................. 47 7.2.10 Glaslough to Armagh ...................................................................................... 48 7.2.11 Armagh to Portadown ..................................................................................... 49 7.2.12 Middletown to Benburb ................................................................................... 50 7.2.13 Benburb to Lough Neagh ..............................................................................