KINGSCOURT TO WOODLAND CONSTRAINTS REPORT VOLUME I July 2007 Soluziona & TOBIN Consulting Engineers CONSTRAINTS REPORT Prepared on behalf of EirGrid: EirGrid Plc 27 Lower Fitzwilliam St Dublin 2 Ireland Prepared by: TOBIN Consulting Engineers Block 10-3 Blanchardstown Corporate Park 2990Rp000 i Kingscourt to Woodland Constraints Report (Volume I) KINGSCOURT TO WOODLAND DOCUMENT AMENDMENT RECORD Client: EirGrid plc Project: Kingscourt to Woodland Power Line Route Option Title: Constraints Report (Volume I) Project Rp: 2990 Document Ref: 2990Rp0002 B Issued for Circulation MH COK COK 20/07/07 A Final Issue MH COK COK 08/06/07 D03 Final Draft Issue MH COK COK 08/04/07 D02 Draft Issue for Approval MH COK COK 13/03/07 Revision Purpose / Description Originated Checked Authorised Date TOBIN Consulting Engineers 2990Rp B ii Kingscourt to Woodland Constraints Report (Volume I) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 TERMS OF REFERENCE ........................................................................................................................................1 1.2 STRATEGIC PLANNING CONTEXT........................................................................................................................1 1.3 SOCIO-ECONOMIC .................................................................................................................................................1 1.4 LANDSCAPE ............................................................................................................................................................2 1.5 ECOLOGY ................................................................................................................................................................3 1.6 WATER.....................................................................................................................................................................4 1.7 GEOLOGY................................................................................................................................................................4 1.8 CULTURAL HERITAGE ...........................................................................................................................................5 1.9 EVALUATION OF CONSTRAINTS ..........................................................................................................................8 2 BACKGROUND AND TERMS OF REFERENCE ...............................................................................................................9 2.1 STRUCTURE AND PROJECT TEAM ....................................................................................................................10 2.2 SITE LOCATION ....................................................................................................................................................11 2.3 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................12 3 PROJECT DESCRIPTION.................................................................................................................................................17 3.1 SITE LOCATION ....................................................................................................................................................17 3.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION .....................................................................................................................................18 3.3 STRUCTURES TO BE USED ................................................................................................................................19 4 STRATEGIC PLANNING ISSUES.....................................................................................................................................20 4.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................20 4.2 PROJECT NEEDS..................................................................................................................................................20 4.3 STRATEGIC OPTIONS ..........................................................................................................................................21 4.4 SUPPLY OPTIONS ................................................................................................................................................21 4.5 CONNECTION OPTIONS ......................................................................................................................................23 4.6 ROUTE OPTIONS ..................................................................................................................................................23 4.7 DESIGN OPTIONS.................................................................................................................................................24 5 SOCIO ECONOMIC ...........................................................................................................................................................25 5.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................25 5.2 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................25 5.3 PLANNING .............................................................................................................................................................26 2990Rp B iii Kingscourt to Woodland Constraints Report (Volume I) 5.4 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................................................30 5.5 PREDICTED IMPACTS ..........................................................................................................................................36 5.6 EVALUATION OF ROUTE OPTIONS AND CONCLUSION...................................................................................37 6 LANDSCAPE .....................................................................................................................................................................40 6.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................40 6.2 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................40 6.3 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................................................40 6.4 POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND IDENTIFICATION OF CONSTRAINTS....................................................................46 6.5 EVALUATION OF ROUTE OPTIONS AND CONCLUSION...................................................................................51 7 ECOLOGY .........................................................................................................................................................................55 7.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................55 7.2 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................55 7.3 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................................................56 7.4 PREDICTED IMPACTS ..........................................................................................................................................59 7.5 EVALUATION OF ROUTE OPTIONS AND CONCLUSION...................................................................................60 8 WATER ..............................................................................................................................................................................61 8.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................61 8.2 METHODOLOGY ...................................................................................................................................................61 8.3 EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................................................61 8.4 PREDICTED IMPACTS ..........................................................................................................................................65 8.5 EVALUATION OF ROUTE OPTIONS AND CONCLUSION...................................................................................67 9 GEOLOGY .........................................................................................................................................................................71 9.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................71 9.2 METHODOLOGY