2014 Cavan County Council Planning Department – Forward Planning Section AMENDMENTS 20- 03 - 2014 [STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) – Draft ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE CAVAN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2014 - 2020 ] STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) – Draft ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE CAVAN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2014 - 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS (amendments are indicated as: New Text and Omitted Text 1.0 NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT.....................................................................................................p8 2.0 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................................................................p15 2.1 Aim & Purpose of the Environmental Report and Legislative Context 2.2 Consultation for the Development Plan & SEA Process 2.3 Response from the Environment Authorities 2.4 Response from the Prescribed Bodies(as designated in Planning & Development Act 2000, as amended) 2.5 Response from the public 2.6 The Environmental Report 2.6.1 Draft Publications- Key Environmental considerations and proposed Material Amendments 2.6.2 Final Publications 2.6.3 Layout of the Environmental Report 2.6.4 Technical Difficulties encountered during the preparation of the Environmental Report 2.7 Way forward – what happens next? 3.0 KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE NEW draft COUNTY CAVAN DEVELOPMENT PLAN(2014 – 2020).....................................................................p31 3.1 Nature and Lifespan of the County Development Plan 3.2 County Cavan Context 3.2.1 National and Regional Context 3.3 Population and Settlement Framework 3.4 Main objectives of the draft Cavan County Development Plan 4.0 RELATIONSHIP OF THE COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN WITH OTHER PLANS AND PROGRAMMES.......................................................... p37 5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OBJECTIVES......................................................................................................................................... p45 6.0 METHODOLOGY FOR THE ASSESSMENT AND DETERMINATION OF SIGNIFICANT EFFECTS..................................................................... p47 7.0 STATE OF THE ENVIRONMENT - KEY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RELATING TO THE PLAN............................................................................. .p48 7.1 SEA Study Area..............................................................................................................................................................................p49 7.2 Biodiversity, Flora, Fauna...............................................................................................................................................................p49 7.2.1 Biodiversity 7.2.2 Current Situation 7.2.3 Flora of County Cavan 2 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) – Draft ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE CAVAN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2014 - 2020 7.2.4 Fauna of County Cavan 7.2.5 Conservation Designations 7.2.6 Special Areas of Conservation (SAC’s) 7.2.7 Special Protection Areas (SPC’s) 7.2.8 Natural Heritage Areas(NHA’s) and Proposed Natural Heritage Areas (pNHA’s) 7.2.9 Appropriate Assessment and the SEA process 7.2.10 Threats to Biodiversity & Opportunities for the Development Plan 7.3 Population & Human Health.......................................................................................................................................................... p64 7.3.1 Current Situation 7.3.2 Settlement Strategy 7.3.3 Interrelationships between population and human health 7.3.4 Census of Population 7.3.5 Housing & Future Land Requirements 7.3.6 Workforce 7.3.7 Employment and Unemployment 7.3.8 Education 7.3.9 Internet & Broadband 7.3.10 Threats to Population & Human Health 7.3.11 Opportunities for the Development Plan 7.4 Soils and Landscape (including Agriculture & Forestry)................................................................................................................... p70 7.4.1. Current Situation 7.4.2 Soils of County Cavan 7.4.3 Threats to the Soils & Landscapes 7.4.4 Opportunities for the Development Plan 7.5 Water............................................................................................................................................................................................. p79 7.5.1 Legislative context 7.5.2 Water Quality in Ireland 7.5.3 Groundwater nationally 7.5.4 Nitrate and Phosphate in Groundwater – Nationally 7.5.5 River Water Quality – Nationally- 7.5.6 Canal Water Quality – Nationally 7.5.7 Lake Water Quality – Nationally 7.5.8 Agriculture & Forestry – water pollution issues 7.5.9 Water Quality in County Cavan 3 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) – Draft ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE CAVAN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2014 - 2020 7.5.10 Water Framework Directive –Implications for County Cavan 7.5.11 Surface Water Monitoring 7.5.12 Groundwater 7.5.13 Drinking Water 7.5.14 Urban Wastewater Treatment 7.5.15 Wastewater Treatment & Single Dwellings 7.5.16 Fisheries 7.5.17 Flooding 7.6 Air/Climate............................................................................................................................................................................. p108 7.6.1 Current situation – climate of County Cavan 7.6.2 Climate Change 7.6.3 Air Quality in Ireland – Current situation 7.6.4 Main issues in relation to Air Quality in County Cavan 7.6.5 Radon 7.6.6 Threats to the Environment 7.6.7 Opportunities for the Draft Plan 7.7 Waste....................................................................................................................................................................................... p114 7.7.1 Current situation 7.7.2 Threats to the Environment & Opportunities for the Development Plan 7.8 Material Assets - current situation........................................................................................................................................... p115 7.8.1 Electricity; Natural Gas & Broadband 7.8.2 Wind Energy 7.8.3 Roads 7.8.4 Railwayline 7.8.5 Quarries 7.8.6 Threats to the Material Assets of the County 7.8.7 Opportunities for the Development Plan 7.9 Cultural Heritage, including architectural and archaeological.................................................................................................... p124 7.9.1 Archaeology 7.9.2 Architecture 7.9.3 Threats to Cultural Heritage & Opportunities for the Development Plan 8.0 ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVES AND SELECTION OF PREFERRED SCENARIO......................................................................................... p127 8.1 Consideration of alternatives for the development of County Cavan 4 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) – Draft ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE CAVAN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2014 - 2020 8.2 Alternative Scenarios for County Cavan 8.2.1. Scenario 1: Growth with Relaxed Planning Policies 8.2.2. Scenario 2: Growth with Restrictive Planning Policies 8.2.3. Scenario 3: Planned Growth with Regulatory Planning Policies 8.3 Preferred Scenario 9.0 Significant impacts & Mitigation Measures............................................................................................................................................. p130 9.1 Environmental Protection Objectives and Development Policies & Objectives o f the Plan - Methodology 9.2 Key Environmental issues in the Chapters of the Development Plan- recommendations for mitigation measures 10.0 PROPOSED ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT......................................................................................................................................... P140 10.1. Monitoring 10.2 Proposed Environmental Statement LIST OF FIGURES: Figure 1: SEA Process Figure 2: National Spatial Strategy – Border Region(Map 4) Figure 3: Population Changes 2006 - 2011 Figure 4: Hierarchy of Plans & Programmes Figure 5: SEA Study Area Figure 6: Corine Landstat Classification Figure 7: Natura 2000 Network Figure 8: Topography of County Cavan Figure 9: Lithology of County Cavan Figure 9: Rivers with High Ecological Status in Ireland Figure 10: Canal Systems Artificial Water Bodies Figure 11: River Basin Districts County Cavan Figure 12: Water Management Units Figure 13: Surface Water Bodies Figure 14: Cavan High Status Sites (WFD) Figure 15: Aquifer System in County Cavan Figure 16: Public and Group Water Supply Networks 5 STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) – Draft ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT FOR THE CAVAN COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2014 - 2020 Figure 17: Rainfall in Ireland Figure 18: N-E Waste Management Plan Figure 19: Eirgrid – North-~South Interconnector 400KV Figure 20 NBS - Broadband Coverage in County Cavan Figure 21: County Cavan Road Network Figure 22: Quarries in County Cavan Figure 23: Protected Structures & Monuments LIST OF TABLES: Table 1: Summary of SEA Process Methodology Table 2: County, Border and State Population Change 2002-2011 Table 3: Relevant Plans and Programmes Table 4: House Completions by Number 2004 – 2012 Table 5: Principal Economic Status Table 6: Internet & Broadband Table 7: Nitrate Concentrations in Groundwater – Ireland Table 8: WFD: River Quality in Ireland Table 9: Lake Water Quality in Ireland Rivers with high Ecological Status in Ireland Table 10: Lake & Water Bodies in County Cavan Quality in Ireland Ecological Status 2008-2010 (EPA) Table 11: Lakes and Waterbodies in County Cavan Table 12: Public Water Supplies in County Cavan 2011/2013 Table 13: Chemical Parametric Values Table 1 3: Boil