ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT ON THE STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF THE KILKENNY CITY AND ENVIRONS DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2008-2014 For: Kilkenny Borough Council & Kilkenny County Council City Hall County Hall High Street John Street Kilkenny Kilkenny By: CAAS (Environmental Services) 4th Floor, 7 Red Cow Lane Smithfield Dublin 7 AUGUST 2008 Includes Ordnance Survey Ireland data reproduced under OSi licence number CCMA 03/07 Unauthorised reproduction infringes Ordnance Survey Ireland and Government of Ireland copyright. © Ordnance Survey Ireland Environmental Report on the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Kilkenny City and Environs Development Plan 2008-2014 Table of Contents List of Figures ..............................................................................................................iii List of Tables ...............................................................................................................iii 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 Councils and the Elected Members ........................................................1 Section 2 SEA Methodology.....................................................................................2 2.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................2 2.2 Screening.........................................................................................................................2 2.3 Scoping ...........................................................................................................................2 2.4 Environmental Baseline Data and Other Strategic Actions.....................................................2 2.5 Alternatives......................................................................................................................2 2.6 The SEA Environmental Report ..........................................................................................3 2.7 The SEA Statement...........................................................................................................3 2.8 Legislative Conformance....................................................................................................3 2.9 Difficulties Encountered.....................................................................................................3 Section 3 Baseline Environment Description ..........................................................5 3.1 Introduction .....................................................................................................................5 3.2 Biodiversity and Flora and Fauna........................................................................................5 3.3 Population and Human Health..........................................................................................10 3.4 Soil................................................................................................................................14 3.5 Water ............................................................................................................................15 3.6 Air and Climatic Factors...................................................................................................20 3.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................21 3.8 Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................25 3.9 Landscape .....................................................................................................................29 Section 4 Strategic Environmental Objectives......................................................32 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................32 4.2 Biodiversity, Flora and Fauna...........................................................................................32 4.3 Population and Human Health..........................................................................................34 4.4 Soil................................................................................................................................34 4.5 Water ............................................................................................................................35 4.6 Air and Climatic Factors...................................................................................................36 4.7 Material Assets ...............................................................................................................36 4.8 Cultural Heritage ............................................................................................................37 4.9 Landscape .....................................................................................................................38 Section 5 A City and Environs Development Plan for Kilkenny ............................40 5.1 The Plan ........................................................................................................................40 5.2 Relevant Forward Planning Strategic Actions .....................................................................41 Section 6 Description of Alternative Plan Scenarios.............................................43 6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................43 6.2 Identification and Description of Alternative Scenarios .......................................................43 CAAS for Kilkenny Borough Council and Kilkenny County Council i Environmental Report on the Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Kilkenny City and Environs Development Plan 2008-2014 Section 7 Evaluation of Alternative Plan Scenarios ..............................................48 7.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................48 7.2 Methodology ..................................................................................................................48 7.3 Evaluation against Existing Environmental Baseline Description and Mapping .......................50 7.4 Evaluation against SEOs..................................................................................................52 7.5 The Preferred Alternative ................................................................................................52 Section 8 Evaluation of Plan Measures .................................................................53 8.1 Methodology ..................................................................................................................53 8.2 Strategic Context............................................................................................................53 8.3 Housing and Community Facilities ....................................................................................55 8.4 Economic Development...................................................................................................57 8.5 Recreation, Tourism and the Arts .....................................................................................58 8.6 Heritage ........................................................................................................................61 8.7 Infrastructure and Environment .......................................................................................68 8.8 Location and Pattern of Development...............................................................................73 8.9 Guidelines for New Development......................................................................................74 Section 9 Mitigation Measures ..............................................................................76 9.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................76 9.2 Kilkenny County Development Plan Spatial Strategy (SS) ...................................................76 9.3 Subsidiary Plans (SP) ......................................................................................................76 9.4 Mitigation Measures for Specific Environmental Topics .......................................................76 Section 10 Monitoring .............................................................................................79 10.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................79 10.2 Indicators and Targets ....................................................................................................79 10.3 Sources .........................................................................................................................79 10.4 Excluded Indicators and Targets ......................................................................................79 10.5 Reporting.......................................................................................................................79