Development plan · Longford County Council
Longford County Development Plan 2021–2027
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards.
Longford County Council · 2021–2027 · 486 pages
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- The RSES also provides a list of 7 no. key guiding principles essential in the preparation of Green Infrastructure Strategies: 1. Identify and protect existing Green Infrastructure Assets – (before development, including spatial mapping where appropriate), and enhance the potential of the existing network through the development of new Green Infrastructure assets during development processes. 2. Connectivity is key – interconnect Green Infrastructure assets with each other and with people, providing linkages from built up areas to the countryside. This includes wildlife corridors between areas of high biodiversity value and the development of greenways, blueways and peatways. 3. Consider the Green Infrastructure impacts of greenways – while the development of greenways and blueways has positive health and wellbeing benefits, there is also potential for habitat loss and disturbance due to increased movement of people. Therefore, there is a need to strategically plan, deliver and manage our Green Infrastructure networks and ensure appropriately designed infrastructure to reduce the impact on the natural environment. 4. Integrate an ecosystem services approach – addressing biodiversity protection, water management and climate action in the planning and management of green spaces, for example provision of street trees, roadside hedges, planting wildflower meadows, introducing wildlife under- and over-passes, permeable surfaces and SuDS along connecting routes and green walls and roofs on buildings. 5. Design Green Infrastructure strategies that function at different scales and across boundaries – to this end local authorities should work with their neighbouring authorities to co-ordinate Green Infrastructure strategies and with infrastructure providers to seek out opportunities to develop Green Infrastructure along strategic infrastructure corridors. 6. Carbon Sequestration – local authorities should consider the potential for carbon sequestration in Green Infrastructure Strategies, whereby certain areas can be considered as strategic and integral mechanisms for the long-term storage of carbon to mitigate the contribution of fossil fuels emissions and combat climate change. 7. Integrate built and natural heritage – provide links between walking and cycling routes particularly in areas of high amenity, uplands, lake shores, riverbanks, forests with built heritage sites, areas of historic or archaeological importance and National Monuments. The development of waymarked ways and looped walks can maximise recreation and tourism benefits to local populations but may require the creation of new rights of way either by agreement or by the use of compulsory powers. 13.4 County Longford Green Infrastructure Green Infrastructure within the County can be described as the county’s environmental and heritage resources. County Longford has a widespread and prosperous existing Green Infrastructure network which boasts many key features, including but not limited to those listed below: a) European Sites – SACs and SPAs –, NHAs and proposed pNHAs, river and stream buffer zones and non-designated sites. b) The archaeological and architectural assets including sites and Monuments on the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP), buildings and other structures on the Record of Protected Structures (RPS), Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) and the Historic Graveyards. c) Geological Sites identified in Chapter 12: Natural Heritage and Environment and included in the list within Table 12.5: Longford County Geological Sites. d) Other Natural Resources such as lakes and waterways (including rivers, streams and the Royal Canal); bog and peatlands; forestry, woodlands, tree stands, and hedgerows; and hills/upland/commonage. e) Areas of Landscape sensitivity (generally rural) including the Broadzones near the Shores of Lough Ree, Lough Gowna, Lough Kinale and River Inny and those in the north county, northern uplands, and northern drumlin/lakelands. f) Existing parks and open spaces.County Development Plan 2021–2027 371
- 13.5 The Benefits of Green Infrastructure The Green Infrastructure network supports both native plant and animal species, providing corridors for their movement, maintaining natural ecological processes. The Green Infrastructure network also helps to provide a natural form of flood defence/ relief, a carbon sink, assists to sustain air and water quality and also provides natural recreational spaces for communities. Individually each Green Infrastructure site/asset has an important role and benefit when developed and maintained in a healthy state. These individual roles and benefits can be enhanced when the sites/assets are linked together into a Green Infrastructure network. Green Infrastructure can also be combined with Grey Infrastructure (humanengineered infrastructure for water resources such as water and wastewater treatment plants, pipelines, and reservoirs), through the design of new developments, or the extension, refurbishment or retrofitting of exiting developments. The benefits of Green Infrastructure sites/networks are set out in Table 13.1. Webb’s Bridge, AbbeyshruleLongford County Council 372
- Table 13.1: Green Infrastructure Elements and Social and Economic Benefits Green Infrastructure Elements and Social and Economic Benefits Area Benefits Recreation and Health ͳ Improves physical and mental well-being; ͳ Improves air quality; ͳ Provides recreational, exercise and sporting opportunities; ͳ Provides permeability through the landscape, creating corridors for activities, especially walking and cycling. Biodiversity & Natural Resources ͳ Enhances biodiversity; ͳ Increases opportunities for sustainable land management; ͳ Safeguards priority habitats and species; ͳ Restores ecological networks; ͳ Conserves and improves soil quality; ͳ Reduces the impacts of poor air quality; ͳ Supports habitats for wildlife, biodiversity and ecosystems; Water Resource and Flood Management ͳ Improves water quality; ͳ Provides waterside recreation; ͳ Protects water resources and abstraction sites bringing them into multifunctional use. Sense of place appreciation of landscapes and cultural heritage ͳ Safeguards beneficial use of local landscape resources; ͳ Conserves historic landscapes, archaeological assets, built heritage and cultural heritage; ͳ Assists place-making by positively maintaining the character of locations, particularly where new development is planned; ͳ Provides green buffers/green wedges in built up areas. Climate Change Adaption and Mitigation ͳ Assists climate change adaptation including flood alleviation; ͳ Allows flood plains to retain their wildness thereby assisting their capability to take and disperse flood waters; ͳ Buffers/breaks flooding (fluvial); providing space for SUDS; Economic Development ͳ Interlinks with recreational, tourism and cultural activities; ͳ Provides a setting for land based active tourism and social enterprises thereby encouraging inward investment. Social Inclusion ͳ Provides access to nature for the populace ͳ Provides a setting for community engagement, activities and informal education, training and skills; ͳ Increases awareness of environment and climate change; Productive Environments – Food, Fibre and Energy ͳ Provides and supports forestry, crop production, agriculture and energy development; ͳ Provides places/settings in urban and rural areas for food production (allotments/gardens); ͳ Provides a habitat for bees and insects to pollinate;County Development Plan 2021–2027 373
- The Council acknowledges that Green Infrastructure planning involves a holistic approach and should be provided as an integral part of sustainable development, alongside other infrastructure such as utilities and transport networks, if we are to get the maximum benefit from our natural assets. It is through the conservation of ecological infrastructure such as hedgerows and riparian corridors that we can develop a ‘network of sites’ to strengthen and enhance our green infrastructure. These allow for the migration and the exchange of species between conservation areas. Longford County Council is committed to proactively promoting and developing Green Infrastructure and ecological connectivity in the county by requiring the retention and the enhancement of substantial networks of biodiversity, in addition to requiring the provision of a high standard of Green Infrastructure as part of new developments in both urban and rural areas. Methods of integrating both existing and new Green Infrastructure into proposed new developments should be identified at the initial stages. CPO 13.1 CPO 13.2 CPO 13.3 CPO 13.4 CPO 13.5 CPO 13.6 CPO 13.7 CPO 13.8 General Green Infrastructure – County Policy Objectives It is the Council Policy Objective to: Develop the green infrastructure network to ensure the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity, including: ͳ the protection of European Sites; ͳ the provision of accessible parks, open spaces and recreational facilities (including allotments and community gardens); ͳ the sustainable management of water; ͳ the maintenance of landscape character including historic landscape character; ͳ the protection and enhancement of the architectural and archaeological heritage. ͳ Any new greenway, blueway and peatway projects shall comply with CPO 5.15 in relation to Infrastructure corridor and route selection processes. Seek a net gain in green infrastructure through: ͳ the protection and enhancement of existing assets; ͳ the provision of new green infrastructure as an integral part of the planning process; ͳ taking forward priority projects including preparing green infrastructure maps during the lifetime of the Development Plan. Resist development that would fragment or prejudice the County’s strategic green infrastructure network. Ensure green infrastructure protection and provision promotes pedestrian access, cycling, and public transport in preference to the car, as appropriate, while protecting biodiversity and other landscape resources. Facilitate the conservation and enhancement of significant non-designated areas containing ecological importance and located in green corridors. Protect green infrastructure including both natural and man-made from the threat of pollution. Ensure the protection, enhancement and maintenance of Green Infrastructure in the Development Management Process. Require an Ecological Impact Assessment (EcIA) for all development proposals on lands zoned Recreation / Amenity / Green Space, to ensure that the potential impacts on protected species and habitats can be assessed. Survey lands zoned Recreation/Amenity/Green Space and to apply the Ecosystem Scoring Service to assess the habitat and species value of the subject lands zoned in the key settlements of the County as resources and opportunities allow during the lifetime of the Plan.Longford County Council 374
- 13.6 Creation of New and Additional Green Infrastructure The creation of new green infrastructure as part of any new developments is important for a number of reasons, which range from the provision of green infrastructure for flood relief to habitat creation and pollination. The development of linkages of green corridors of various sizes and scales between environmental assets enhancing both the individual and cumulative values of these assets is also significant. New and additional Green Infrastructure can also be incorporated into developments involving the modification, adaptation and extension of existing buildings and other permitted developments. This may involve the retrofitting of Green Infrastructure to buildings/developments which could potentially include the provision of SUDs measures, green roofs, allotments, riparian buffers and pollination areas. CPO 13.9 CPO 13.10 CPO 13.11 CPO 13.12 CPO 13.13 CPO 13.14 New Green Infrastructure – County Policy Objectives It is the Council Policy Objective to: Require that all Local Area and Land Use Plans to protect, manage and provide, where possible, Green Infrastructure in an integrated and coherent manner. Facilitate the ongoing development and improvement of green infrastructure, including green networks, green amenities and linked green corridors which ensure the provision of natural areas for the growth of wildlife and biodiversity. Develop a green infrastructure network for urban areas, connecting both natural and seminatural corridors including green spaces, open spaces, rivers and canals. Enhancements along natural features may include the provision of riparian buffers and wild areas for pollination. Ensure that residual land in developments can be used for the provision of green infrastructure including community food programmes (allotments) and areas for pollination. Ensure all planning applications for development have regard to the County’s Green Infrastructure resources and that they provide for the protection of existing green infrastructure, and, where appropriate, the provision of new green infrastructure. Require significant and large new development or extensions (multiple residential developments, retail, industrial, mineral extraction, renewable etc) (at the discretion of the council) to submit a Green Infrastructure Plan as part of a planning application. (This plan should identify environmental assets and include proposals which protect, manage and develop green infrastructure resources in a sustainable manner). Royal Canal towpath amenityCounty Development Plan 2021–2027 375
- 13.7 County Longford’s Network of Blueways, Greenways and Peatways The existing network of Blueways, Greenways and Peatways is presented in Appendix 5: Tourism - Longford County Trails and in Appendix 8: Green Infrastructure Walking, Cycling Trails and Other Routes. Blueways: Blueways consist of a network of navigable inland waterways such as lakes, canals and rivers and include the River Shannon and the Royal Canal. They provide scenic routes by canoe, bike or on foot and connect Longford with neighbouring Counties such as Roscommon, Westmeath and Leitrim. In County Longford examples of such would include the Royal Canal, a man-made waterway linking Dublin to the River Shannon near Tarmonbarry, with a spur branching off and connecting with Longford town. It is one of two major canal navigation systems in Ireland. Given the number of lakes and canals in the county, the Council will endeavour to develop a network of integrated blueways both within the county and to other counties. Greenways: Greenways are essentially shared off-road routes designed for cyclists and pedestrians for leisure, recreation, tourism and daily journeys and are reserved exclusively for non-motorised journeys, developed in an integrated manner which enhances both the environment and quality of life of the surrounding area. They provide recreational opportunities for walking, jogging and cycling and can often coincide with river/stream corridors and can promote free passage for wildlife. The Royal Canal Greenway is the primary National access route into Longford. From this primary National route, the local access routes spread out across the County. Longford County Council recognises the potential for a strategy-based approach to greenways. This presents a number of connected natural and manmade features and locations. This network connects most areas of importance and natural beauty in the County. This includes Longford Town and the Counties tourism products of the Rebel Trail, the Literary Trail and the Mid Shannon Wilderness Park, which are a fundamental part of the County’s Tourism Strategy, 2017 – 2022. This County Cycling strategy has been developed further into North, South and Mid-Longford Cycling Routes. These are mapped and sign posted throughout the County in all the major towns and villages. This provides the County with a comprehensive Cycling network built around the national and regional access Greenway Routes via the Royal Canal Greenway. Peatways: Peatways within the County consists of a number of significant of former Bord na Móna cutaway peat/ bog sites which contain peat trails and these are identified on the map in Appendix 8 (see Appendix 8: Green Infrastructure - Peatland Areas Map). The RSES and neighbouring counties are keen to establish pathways connecting these important peatland sites creating Peatways and peat trails through the landscape. This programme seeks to create an interconnected link to a range of biodiversity and cultural hotspots, including the Corlea Bog and the Mid-Shannon Wilderness Park in Longford with other peatlands in Westmeath, Roscommon and Leitrim. The Council recognises the Blueways, Greenways and Peatways and the contribution that they make to the County’s overall Green Infrastructure network, in addition to the many valuable economic, social and environmental benefits they provide. The Council identifies the need to both conserve and protect these assets and look to develop them further, as they provide natural defences against flood risk in both urban and rural areas; contribute and offer valuable economic potential in terms of tourism development and associated spin off’s; and provide significant quality of life benefits. The Council is fully committed to developing a network of Greenways, Blueways and Peatways in accordance with the requirements of national policy, including the Department of Transport, Sport and Tourism ‘Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways’ (2018). This section should be read in conjunction with Chapter 10: Tourism – 10.8 Lakes, Bogs and Waterways and 10.9 Greenways, Cycling and Walking.Longford County Council 376
- CPO 13.15 CPO 13.16 CPO 13.17 CPO 13.18 CPO 13.19 CPO 13.20 CPO 13.21 Network of Blueways, Greenways and Peatways – Council Policy Objectives It is the Council Policy Objective to: Support the delivery of sustainable strategic Greenways, Blueways and Peatways projects in the County in accordance with the Strategy for the Future Development of National and Regional Greenways. Develop an integrated network of Blueways both within County Longford and to adjoining counties. Support the development of Blueways and associated infrastructure such as mooring points within the key settlements as part of the tourist offering of the County. Investigate the provision of mooring points on the islands within the major lakes of the County. Support the development of an integrated Strategic Greenway Network of national and regional routes and maximise connectivity to existing greenways through linkages of cycling and walking infrastructure. Protect, enhance and preserve the built and natural heritage of the Royal Canal and its associated structures including the maintenance of the broadzone at 100m either side of the Canal. This shall include the natural setting of the canal and its views and prospects. Proposals for greenway/blueway development should contribute towards the protection or enhancement of existing green infrastructure and have regard to the “Connecting with nature for health and wellbeing” EPA Research Report 2020. 13.8 Green Infrastructure Strategy for Longford It is the intention of the Council to develop a Green Infrastructure Strategy for the County in consultation with all key stakeholders during the lifetime of this Development Plan following the seven guiding principles identified in the EMRA RSES highlighted earlier in the policy section of this Chapter. The Green Infrastructure Strategy will include provisions for improved accessibility across the County through improved and connected walking and cycling routes whilst also ensuring adequate protection to the existing environment and ecology of the landscape. The Strategy will seek to ensure that areas and networks of green infrastructure are identified, protected, enhanced, managed and created to provide a wide range of environmental, social and economic benefits to communities. Camlin River at BallymahonCounty Development Plan 2021–2027 377
- 13.9 Public Rights of Way, Walking and cycling routes, Trails Public Rights of Way constitute an important recreational amenity. They enable the enjoyment of high-quality landscape, natural and archaeological heritage and provide valuable links to natural assets and amenities such as rivers lakes, bogs, forests and places of natural beauty. A public right of way is a physically defined route over which the public have a right of passage even if the route is not in public ownership. It is described as “a user as of right” and confers an unrestricted right of the general public to pass and repass at all times of the day or night and at all seasons without notice to, or permission from the landowner. CPO 13.22 CPO 13.23 CPO 13.24 CPO 13.25 CPO 13.26 CPO 13.27 CPO 13.28 CPO 13.29 Green Infrastructure Strategy – County Policy Objectives It is the Council Policy Objective to: Develop and implement a Green Infrastructure Strategy for the County in partnership with key stakeholders and the public. Identify and map Green Infrastructure assets and sites of local biodiversity value over the lifetime of the Plan. Ensure the Green Infrastructure Strategy reflects a long-term perspective, including the need to adapt to climate change. Sets targets in the Green Infrastructure Strategy for the provision of different green infrastructure elements in urban areas, such as trees in urban areas, so that a net gain in green infrastructure is achieved over the lifetime of this development plan. Ensure the Green Infrastructure Strategy for the County safeguards important agricultural and horticultural lands. Ensure the Green Infrastructure Strategy connects and integrates existing and new communities through appropriate planning, ongoing management and governance. Ensure Green Infrastructure responds to and reflects landscape character including historic landscape character, conserving and enhancing the existing landscapes and townscapes of the County and which contribute to a distinctive sense of place. Support and increase investment in the provision and on-going maintenance of existing Green Infrastructure and support the provision of new public parks, Greenway, Blueway and Peatway corridors and other public open spaces to create green, healthy settlements throughout the County by accessing relevant National and European funding mechanisms and opportunities including tourism related funding. The Planning and Development Acts 2000 (as amended) includes a mandatory objective for a County Development Plan to indicate locations on a map and to preserve public rights of way, which give access to seashore, mountain, lakeshore, riverbank or other place of natural beauty or recreational utility. A list of the known public rights of way in Longford is attached below and these are also mapped in Appendix 8. When additional rights of way are identified they shall be incorporated them into the Plan by way of a Variation or at the next review of the Plan.Longford County Council 378
- Derrycassin Wood public right of way 379 County Development Plan 2021–2027
- Existing public rights of way constitute an important amenity and they enable the enjoyment of highquality landscapes, providing a valuable link to natural assets and places of natural beauty, such as the lakes, bogs and forests to those that live and visit the County. There are a number of public accesses to the lakes within the County. There are several walking routes throughout the County through publicly owned lands including along the Royal Canal Way. There are other pedestrian rights of way within the County such as mass paths, which have existed for centuries but not all of which are readily identifiable. The Council recognises the importance of maintaining established rights of way and supports initiatives for establishing new walking routes and enhanced accessibility. Table 13.2 indicates the known public Rights of Way in County Longford. Table 13.2: County Longford Public Rights of Way 1. The Mall Walk 2. Royal Canal Walk 3. Commons North Walk 4. Granard Motte Access 5. St. Patrick Terrace to N55 6. Derrycassin Wood 7. Ballymahon Riverbank 8. Lough Ree access, Cashel 9. Lyanmore Path 10. Lough Gowna lakeshore & carpark 11. Leebeen Park 12. Lough Forbes SAC However, it is important to note that this is not an exhaustive list and that the omission of any Right of Way shall not be taken as an indication that such a Right of Way is not a public Right of Way, or has been extinguished. Appendix 8: Green Infrastructure includes a public Right of Way map for those known routes to date. In addition, the appendix includes a map of the existing trails and walking routes identified to date. CPO 13.30 CPO 13.31 CPO 13.32 CPO 13.33 CPO 13.34 CPO 13.35 Public Rights of Way – County Policy Objectives It is the Council Policy Objective to: Review and protect existing public rights of way and trails for the common good and bring forward proposals for the creation of additional public rights of way. Cooperate with Coillte, Bord na Móna, private landowners and other Public Bodies in the establishment of access ways, nature trails etc. with a view to the opening up of state forests and cut away bogs for recreational use, compatible with forestry requirements. Identify links to established public rights of way with adjoining counties, where appropriate. Ensure that existing Public Rights of Way and trails are appropriately waymarked, signposted and accessible. Encourage and facilitate the creation of additional rights of way and extend existing ones for pedestrian, cycling, amenity or recreational purposes, either by agreement or by the use of compulsory powers, for the creation of public rights of way, particularly in areas of high amenity and recreational importance. Promote the preservation, protection, enhancement, maintenance and improvement, for the common good of all public rights of way particularly those giving access to lakes, riverbanks, geomorphological features of heritage value and other places of natural beauty or recreational utility/activity.Longford County Council 380
Source Longford County Council: Longford 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.