Laois County Development Plan 2021–2027

1. Page 61

   Cite this pagePDF p. 61 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 59 | P a g e Aligning with the Climate Strategy of the RSES, the following key actions areas, along with the following section on energy (Section 3.5), will focus on how Laois County Council will respond to climate change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to make Laois a more climate resilient county. Furthermore, specific climate adaptation and mitigation objectives have been integrated into each chapter where appropriate. ACTION AREA 1 – SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT COMMENTARY NATIONAL TARGET LOCAL COUNTY TARGET The transport sector is one of the biggest contributor of GHG emissions in the County where the predominant mode of transport is the private car. This is evident in the number of commuters leaving the county for work purposes which equates to 12,000 per day. How we travel between places will also need to be addressed, promoting a modal shift away from car dependency for more sustainable and active transport modes. • Reduce CO2 eq. Emissions From The Sector By 45 % To 50 % Pre NDP Projections • Increase the no of EV to 936,000 • Build the EV charging network to support the growth of EVS at the rate required • Delivery of a public transportation hub in the key town of Portlaoise by 2027; • The prioritization and delivery of Public bus measures in the key towns of Portlaoise and Graiguecullen by 2027; • The prioritisation of pedestrian linkages and creation of blueways / Greenways in the key town of Portlaoise/ Graiguecullen and Portarlington • Additional 30 EV charge Points in Portlaoise by 2027 • Achieve Modal Shift in line with national targets and Table 14.1 CLIMATE MITIGATION OBJECTIVES CM ST 1 Support construction of green routes/cycleways/pedestrian routes throughout the County. CM ST 2 To support and facilitate the integration of land use with transportation infrastructure, through the development of sustainable compact settlements which are well served by public transport. CM ST 3 To promote higher residential development densities in settlement centres along public transport corridors, that are not located in areas sensitive to flooding, or will increase temperatures of urban areas. CM ST 4 Strengthen public transport linkages and promote their use.

2. Page 62

   Cite this pagePDF p. 62 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 60 | P a g e ACTION AREA 1 – SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT CM ST 5 Support localisation of jobs/shops/services to minimise the need for most common travel patterns. CM ST 6 Support the provision of electricity charging infrastructure for electrical vehicles throughout County Laois, both on street and in new developments in towns and villages and also at key tourist destination such as Sliabh Bloom Trail Heads, in accordance with car parking standards and best practice. CM ST 7 Promote and support the provision of Park-and-Ride facilities which improve public transport accessibility without exacerbating road congestion, or which cause increased car travel distances, at appropriate locations within the County. CM ST 8 Deliver, in conjunction with the NTA and the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport a Public Transportation Hub in Portlaoise to accommodate national, commuter, regional and local bus services. CM ST 9 Promote more compact development forms that reduce overall demand for private transport and private transport infrastructure and support proposals that encourage modal shift towards sustainable travel modes. CM ST 10 Specify baseline figures and targets for modal share in new / varied Local Area Plans in order to encourage a modal shift away from the private car to more sustainable forms of transport, such as public transport, cycling and walking. Set modal share targets within the county in cooperation with NTA, CARO, EMRA and other relevant stakeholders and in accordance with any relevant Guidelines that may come into effect’. CLIMATE ADAPTATION OBJECTIVES CA ST 1 Protect and enhance the County’s floodplains subject to flooding as “green infrastructure” where appropriate and subject to compliance with the Habitats Directive. CA ST 2 Support low emission vehicle development, infrastructure and use through improving the resilience of County’s transport network to the impacts of climate change, in the areas connectivity and movement and concentrating on land use planning and a reduction in single occupancy vehicles, ensuring sustainability is a key consideration of future development. CA ST 3 Ensure that existing Council critical infrastructure and services (particularly emergency services) are resilient to new climatic conditions. CA ST 4 Ensure that applications for new critical infrastructure demonstrate resilience to new climatic conditions. ACTION AREA 2 – BUILT ENVIRONMENT COMMENTARY NATIONAL TARGET LOCAL COUNTY TARGET

3. Page 63

   Cite this pagePDF p. 63 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 61 | P a g e ACTION AREA 2 – BUILT ENVIRONMENT How we plan for different land uses and subsequently design our buildings will have significant impact on addressing climate change. Communities must become less dependent on fossil fuels in an emerging low or zero-carbon world by promoting more sustainable forms of travel and renewable energy sources. Residential, commercial, industrial and public buildings will also need to maximise their energy efficiency and move to more sustainable and renewable energy sources. Adapting the built environment through the use of green infrastructure such as sustainable urban drainage systems, living roofs and other innovations helps to alleviate the effects of climate change. Greening of buildings can also help with insulation against heat and cold, as well as offering new habitats to wildlife. Street trees and other vegetation also absorb air pollution and help with shading and cooling. Considerable emphasis has been placed in the Regional and Spatial Strategy on the regeneration of vacant buildings and Brownfield sites in order to rejuvenate towns and villages. RPO 3.2 of the RSES requires that at least 30% of future • Reduce CO2 eq. Emissions From The Sector By 45 % To 50 % Pre NDP Projections; • Reduce fossil fuel use and transition from reliance on gas, coal, oil and peat; • Increase the no of Sustainable energy Communities to 1,500; • Complete the rollout of the support system for Renewable Heat , including the support of biomass and anaerobic digestion heating systems; • Enterprise must contribute to the more ambitious targets for buildings (20- 25%) and transport (45%- 50%) • Implement the 2040 and Beyond: Is a Vision for Portlaoise’ strategy to reexamines and repurposes the Town Centre of Portlaoise to a low carbon town; • In addition to the SEC established in Abbeyleix, Establish an SEC’s in Portlaoise by 2021, Graiguecullen by 2023 and Portarlington by 2023; • Complete the Carbon Footprint measure for Portlaoise by Q1 2021; • Introduce a Decarbonisation Zone12 within Portlaoise Town which will seek to boost energy efficiency and reduce fossil energy use as this is vital to manage rapidly growing energy consumption in urban areas; • Carry out retrofit projects for public housing estates in Co Laois completing 160 units by 2021 and further retrofitting throughout the rest of the plan period. Actual completions will be specified in an annual monitoring report. 12 Is a zone which achieves the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions through the use of low carbon power sources, achieving a lower output of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

4. Page 64

   Cite this pagePDF p. 64 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 62 | P a g e ACTION AREA 2 – BUILT ENVIRONMENT homes are targeted in settlements located within the existing built-up footprint of these settlements in an effort address compact development and reduce unsustainable urban sprawl. Laois County Council has already began significant steps to transform Portlaoise into the Country’s first low carbon town and has secured funding under the Urban and Regeneration Development Fund (URDF). CLIMATE ADAPTATION OBJECTIVES CA BE 1 Consider the effects of building density and mixed developments on energy consumption when preparing applications for development; CA BE 2 Promote the repair and reuse of existing buildings particularly of underused upper floors in urban areas; CA BE 3 Encourage the use of Green Roof technology particularly on apartment, commercial, leisure and educational buildings; CA BE 4 Support enhancement of flood resilience of buildings, e.g. elevated work surfaces and storage facilities, raised sockets and electrical infrastructure, enhanced flood boards; CA BE 5 Assess existing Council infrastructure for “fitness for purpose” under new climatic conditions; CA BE 6 Promote the use of permeable surfaces to decrease run-off rates; CA BE 7 Support grey-water recycling schemes that seek to decrease abstraction of potable surface water resources, thus reducing water stress during periods of low rainfall; CA BE 8 Support efforts to maximise water conservation – i.e rainwater harvesting, etc; CA BE 9 Require the use of SuDS in accordance with the Greater Dublin Regional Code of Practice for Drainage Works for new developments (including extensions); CA BE 10 Plant drought-resistant plants/ trees in public amenity areas to provide shade and increase green infrastructure linkages;

5. Page 65

   Cite this pagePDF p. 65 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 63 | P a g e ACTION AREA 2 – BUILT ENVIRONMENT CA BE 11 Support the European Commission’s paper on Circular Economy Principles for Building Design and advance the reduce-reuse-recycle policy of the Circular Economy in relation to demolition of building stock. CLIMATE MITIGATION OBJECTIVES CM BE 1 Achieve more compact growth by promoting the development of infill and brownfield/ regeneration sites and the redevelopment of underutilised land within and close to the existing built up footprint of existing settlements in preference to edge of centre locations; CM BE 2 Ensure that new developments in Key Towns, Self-Sustaining Growth Towns and Self-Sustaining Towns are laid out so as to facilitate the provision of public transport; CM BE 3 Support energy-efficient building design and promote building of energy efficient smaller homes/higher density homes appropriate to demographics and with greatest infrastructure available; CM BE 4 Promote sustainable land use planning measures which facilitate transportation efficiency, economic returns on transport investment, minimisation of environmental impacts and a general shift towards the greater use of public transportation throughout the County; Decarbonisation Zone Action 165 of the Climate Action Plan 2019 sets Local Authorities the challenge of initially identifying and developing one Decarbonising Zone in each local authority in Ireland. A Decarbonising Zone (DZ) is defined as a spatial area in which a range of climate mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity measures and action owners are identified to address local low carbon energy, greenhouse gas emissions and climate needs to contribute to national climate action targets. In this case Laois County Council has established Portlaoise the County’s decarbonisation zone and are opting to strengthen the position of this DZ. Portlaoise is already a climate action demonstration town with a very important test-bed which will allow residents and other Local Authorities to understand the scale of the challenge in decarbonising the economy and wider society, and maps out the various key stakeholders and enablers. A Carbon Footprint Report has established the baseline and shown the need for renewable energy and it is hoped Laois County Council will build upon this. It should be noted that this baseline will be required to be refined on the next remeasure. LCC also wish to promote more remote working in Portlaoise as it poses more benefit to the community and to showcase Portlaoise and County Laois with provision of remote working hubs and support hubs around the county. It is important that Portlaoise progresses towards the 2040 Vision Statement, building upon the objectives for Portlaoise Low Carbon Town to: • Remove the dominance of cars within the Portlaoise town centre • Address the poor pedestrian experience of the area.

6. Page 66

   Cite this pagePDF p. 66 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 64 | P a g e • To adapt to lower emission vehicles. • Retrofit homes and businesses The Portlaoise DZ will focus on the town of Portlaoise or more particularly the geographic area covered by the statutory Portlaoise Local Area Plan. It is however important that the DZ includes the hinterland of the town so that a full range of activities can be included (for example both the former town landfill and the Bord na Mona lands at Coolnamona (on both sides of the M7) lie outside the town area but will be important in realising measures to reduce greenhouse gases such as the provision of an anaerobic digestor (currently at An Bord Pleanala). Therefore, the full definition of the DZ is: • the town of Portlaoise as set out on the recent Carbon Footprint Report • a connected hinterland covering: o that area with 5km of the M7 motorway to the south of the town (Junctions 16 to 18); and o that area within 5km of the Fairgreen roundabout on the N80 to the north of the town. both of which areas have the capacity for enabling renewable energy generation. The Renewable Energy Strategy will address large land banks for their potential in delivering climate action measures. This will require a variation of the CDP within a year as per policy objective. The boundary in the map for the town and DZ is shown in red in the document titled Carbon Footprint Study for the Town of Portlaoise, Co. Laois. Portlaoise’s settlement for the DZ covers circa 13.71 square kilometres represented in the map. The population consists 22,050 inhabitants in 7,547 households. ACTION AREA 3 –LAND USE (INCLUDING AGRICULTURE / FORESTRY / GI) COMMENTARY NATIONAL TARGET LOCAL COUNTY TARGET Agriculture is the highest producer of greenhouse gas emissions in the country13, both through intensive agriculture activity and through land use changes. Intensive agricultural practices such as land clearing can lead to essential loss of vegetation, soil cover and forestry that act as a carbon sink, storing carbon dioxide. The main direct agricultural GHG emissions are nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizers and methane production from ruminant animals. Climate change will affect the natural environment as weather patterns • Deliver 16.5 -18.52 MtCO2eq. Cumulative abatement • Achieve 26.8 Mtco2eq abatmenet through LULUCF actions over the period 2021-2030 comprised of : • An average of 8,000 ha per annum of newly planted forest and sustainable forest management of existing forests (21 MtCO2eq. • Cumulative abatement) at least 40,000 ha per annum of reduced • Increase the Public Open space provision in the Town of Portlaoise through the Open space and amenity at Tyrrells Land / The ridge Portlaoise • The greening of James Fintain Lalor Avenue • Progress the "Neighbourwood" project in Balladine , Abbeyleix which 13 EPA Environmental Indicators

7. Page 67

   Cite this pagePDF p. 67 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 65 | P a g e ACTION AREA 3 –LAND USE (INCLUDING AGRICULTURE / FORESTRY / GI) change, temperatures rise and species relocate. However, the natural environment, greenspaces and green infrastructure also have an essential role in offsetting some of the predicted impacts of climate change. There are many risks to the natural environment from climate change, including biodiversity change and loss, environmental degradation, longer growing seasons, increased incidence of pests and disease, and flooding. Green infrastructure provides a wide range of adaptive benefits, including providing shade and cooling for urban centres, reducing the impact of heavy rain by absorbing water and slowing run-off, improving air and water quality by absorbing pollutants. Wellconnected green networks aid species movement and dispersal, therefore integrated habitat networks form a key component of this Plan. management intensity of grasslands on drained organic soils (4.4 MtCO2eq. Cumulative abatement) will hopefully see 1.5 Ha of native woodland established in the estate - carbon sink etc. • Support Abbeyleix Bog Conservation Group to progress actions in relation to biodiversity on the bog and green infrastructure through the bog NOTE: The Plan is informed by a Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA). The Plan complies with OPW Guidance on climate change and flood risk management and has embedded the requirements for assessment within the key flood risk and surface water management policies identified in Section 10.3.2 of this Plan. Land use zonings and climate change have been informed by incorporating flood extent data within the plan on a settlement by settlement basis. The impacts of climate change are addressed in the SFRA incorporating a series of adaptation actions that will influence development through appropriate planning strategy/policy. CLIMATE MITIGATION OBJECTIVES CM LU 1 Maintain a vibrant and healthy agricultural sector based on the principles of sustainable development whilst at the same time finding alternative employment in or close to rural areas to sustain rural communities; CM LU 2 Ensure that peatland areas which are designated (or proposed for designation) as NHAs, SACs or SPAs are conserved for their ecological, climate regulation, archaeological, cultural and educational significance; CM LU 3 Support the fulfilment of the vision of carbon neutrality in the agriculture, forest and land use sector through better sustainable agricultural, land management and resource efficiency;

8. Page 68

   Cite this pagePDF p. 68 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 66 | P a g e ACTION AREA 3 –LAND USE (INCLUDING AGRICULTURE / FORESTRY / GI) CLIMATE ADAPTATION OBJECTIVES CA LU 1 Support diversification of the rural economy to promote crop viability options; CA LU 2 Encourage afforestation (where environmentally appropriate) to enhance interception and infiltration of precipitation within river basin catchments; CA LU 3 Support restoration of peat bogs when turf cutting has ceased and take into account relevant recommendations from the National Peatlands Strategy when implementing the Plan. CA LU 4 Support the creation and enhancement of ecological linkages and buffer zones from development; CA LU 5 Support the creation and protection of ecological resilient and varied landscapes to help support a wide range of species; CA LU 6 Increase the climate resilience of the built environment through natural greening infrastructure in new developments, such as the use of natural features (e.g. street trees, green roofs, rain gardens etc) and other materials such as permeable paving; ACTION AREA 4 – ENERGY (refer to Section 3.5 for further policy objectives on renewable energy) COMMENTARY NATIONAL TARGET LOCAL COUNTY TARGET Improving Ireland's energy efficiency to address climate change is a fundamental part of Ireland's energy policy. The Government, through the EU's Energy Efficiency Directive 2012/27/EU, has committed itself to achieving a 20% reduction in energy demand across the whole of the economy by 2020 through energy efficiency measures and also set a more challenging target • Reduce CO2 eq. Emissions from the Sector By 45 % To 50 % Pre NDP Projections • Deliver an early and complete phase out of coal and peat fired electricity generation • Increase electricity generated from renewable resources to 70%- indicatively comprised of • Up to 1.5 GW OF Grid scale solar energy • up to 8.2 GW total of • 1,500 LED Public lights have been upgraded within the Key town of Portlaoise, 1,200 in housing estates with a further 1,000 planned to be replaced by 2022, which will produce an energy saving of 60% • 50 additional solar powered compactor bins within the county by 2027; • Support the development of solar energy that has been permitted to date within the county by 2030 • Support the development of wind energy that has been permitted to date within the

9. Page 69

   Cite this pagePDF p. 69 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
   Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 67 | P a g e ACTION AREA 4 – ENERGY (refer to Section 3.5 for further policy objectives on renewable energy) of achieving a 33% improvement on energy efficiency levels in the public sectors. increased onshore wind capacity county by 2030 CLIMATE MITIGATION OBJECTIVES CM RE 1 Prepare a Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) for County Laois including to identify the target which County Laois can contribute in delivering its share of overall Government targets on renewable energy and climate change mitigation over the plan period, and in particular wind energy production and the potential wind energy resource (in megawatts), and commencement of the variation to the County Development Plan within 1 year of adoption of the plan. Once adopted this will be by way of a variation to the Laois County Development Plan. CM RE 2 Promote and encourage the development of energy from renewable sources such as hydro, bio-energy, wind, solar, geothermal and landfill gas subject to compliance with normal planning and environmental criteria in cooperation with statutory and other energy providers. CM RE 3 Promote County Laois as a low carbon county as a means of attracting inward investment and to facilitate the development of energy sources which will achieve low carbon outputs. CM RE 4 Protect areas of recognised landscape importance and significant landscape views from construction of large scale visually intrusive energy transmission infrastructure, alternative routing or transmission methods shall be used in this instance Ensure that the assessment of energy development proposals will have regard to the impacts on public rights of way and walking routes CM RE 5 Promote and facilitate wind energy development in accordance with the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Wind Energy Development (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government) and any update thereof and the Appendix 5 Wind Energy Strategy of this Plan, the Interim Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Statutory Plans, Renewable Energy and Climate Change, and subject to compliance with normal planning and environmental criteria. CM RE 6 Ensure a setback distance for Wind turbines from schools, dwellings, community centres and all public roads in all areas open for consideration for wind farm development as per the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Wind Energy Development (Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government). CM RE 7 Promote the location of wind farms and wind energy infrastructure in the ‘preferred areas’ as outlined on Map 3.2 to prohibit such infrastructure in

10. Page 70

    Cite this pagePDF p. 70 (opens the publisher’s copy in a new tab)
    Chapter 3 Climate Action & Eenergy 68 | P a g e ACTION AREA 4 – ENERGY (refer to Section 3.5 for further policy objectives on renewable energy) areas identified as ‘ Areas not open for consideration’ and to consider, subject to appropriate assessment, the location of wind generating infrastructure in areas ‘open for consideration’ and as per the Laois Wind Energy Strategy 2021-2027. CM RE 8 Promote solar energy projects at appropriate locations. CM RE 9 Promote the application and uptake of technologies and solutions that utilise grass for energy extraction such as anaerobic digestion, subject to proper planning and environmental considerations. CM RE 10 Promote and prioritise utilisation of existing waste streams from agricultural and forestry sectors for renewable energy projects including anaerobic digestion, subject to proper planning and environmental considerations. CM RE 11 Support the development of a Low Carbon Transportation Hub at Midway, Portlaoise to consist of a Compressed Natural Gas (‘CNG’) hub and Electric Vehicle fast-charging hub along with other national level pilot projects for other alternative and sustainable fuels e.g. Hydrogen facilities for the larger HGV’s etc. CM RE 12 Development proposals should demonstrate that sustainable design standards are integral to the proposal, including its construction and operation, and ensure that they are considered at the beginning of the design process. CM RE 13 Development proposals should evaluate the feasibility of Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems, and where a new CHP system is appropriate also examine opportunities to extend the system beyond the site boundary to adjacent sites. CM RE 14 It is Council policy to facilitate micro-renewable energy installations and auto-generator installations where it is demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Council that they will not result in a significant adverse impact on residential, visual or environmental amenity. CM RE 15 Promote the installation of community led renewable energy projects which has the support of the majority of the community, the development would subject to compliance with normal planning and environmental criteria in cooperation with statutory and other energy providers, and would be owned in partnership between the community and developer. CM RE 16 Favourable consideration will be given to the re-use, shared use (colocation), refurbishment, repair and repowering of existing renewable energy technology developments in order to prolong the life span of developments such as wind farms and solar farms providing that these do not result in unacceptable impacts on the: 1) Environment; 2) Residential amenity; and 3) Landscape and Visual Amenity.

Source Laois County Council: Laois County Development Plan 2021–2027 (2021–2027) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.