Development plan · Roscommon County Council
Roscommon County Development Plan 2022–2028
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards.
Roscommon County Council · 2022–2028 · 238 pages
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- 7.11 Waste Management The Council seeks to ensure the provision of the highest standards of waste management and environmental services to prevent and control water, air and noise pollution. Prevention, Reduction, Reuse and Recycling are the preferred options in managing household waste to reduce the amount of waste being produced. Key to this is the continued implementation of the Connacht Ulster Region Waste Management Plan 2015-2021 and any subsequent updates. This plan outlines the need to rethink the approach taken towards managing waste as well as the waste infrastructure that could be needed in the region including thermal recovery biological treatment and reprocessing and recycling. This accords with the transition to a more circular economy and bio economy, where the value of bio- based products, materials and resources is maintained in the economy for as long as possible, and the generation of waste is minimised. This Plan supports the move to a more circular economy as this will save resources, increase resource efficiency, and help to reduce carbon emissions. The successful implementation of circular economy principles will help to reduce the volume of waste that the County produces. INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: ITC 7.57 Support the implementation of the Connacht Ulster Region Waste Management Plan 2015- 2021 and any subsequent updates; ITC 7.58 Encourage and support waste prevention, minimisation, reuse, recycling and recovery as methods of managing waste. ITC 7.59 Facilitate the transition from a waste management economy to a green circular economy to increase the value recovery and recirculation of resources. ITC 7.60 Promote the principles of the circular economy in minimising waste going to landfill and maximise waste as a resource, with prevention, preparation for reuse, recycling and recovery prioritised in that order, over the disposal of waste. ITC 7.61 Promote and support the provision of separate collection of waste in accordance with the requirements of the Waste Management (Food Waste) Regulations 2009, the Waste Framework Directive Regulations 2011 and other relevant legislation. 101101Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 7: Infrastructure, Transport and Communications
- 7.12 Information and Communication Infrastructure Telec ommunications investment is essential to furthering the social and economic development of County Roscommon. A high quality and competitive telecommunications service is considered essential in order to promote industrial and commercial development and to improve security and to enhance social inclusion and mobility. BROADBAND The provision of high-speed, reliable and affordable broadband is essential to the economic growth of County Roscommon in terms of attracting inward investment and increasing competitiveness. It is also essential to ensure a high quality of life for residents of County Roscommon, particularly those in more peripheral areas. There has been a signif icant increase in the level and quality of IT connectivity across the county, which is indicative of the high levels of investment in this area in recent years. The continued investment in broadband infrastructure is essential to support the SMART villages and rural areas promoted in Chapter 4. Roscommon continues to benefit from the rollout of several Government led broadband schemes (including the National Broadband Scheme, Rural Broadband Scheme and Broadband for Schools), ensuring that broadband services are available in communities across the county. Broadband is central to the development of a knowledge-based economy throughout Ireland as well as helping to combat social exclusion. Areas without broadband will be less able to take advantage of internet centred developments in education, banking, research, business, etc. TELECOMMUNICATIONS The physical infrastructure needed to provide mobile phone network services must be developed in a strategic way that minimizes the impact where possible on the environment. The Council recognises the essential nature of mobile phone service provision, given the mainsteam use of mobile technology in today’s society, and recognises the need to facilitate the provision of telecommunications services in the interests of social and economic progress whilst also balancing this with the protection of residential amenities and maintaining a quality environment. 102Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I102 Chapter 7: Infrastructure, Transport and Communications
- The telecommunications policy for the county is based on the Guidelines for Planning Authorities with regard to Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures29 and any revisions. The policy encourages co-sharing and clustering of masts, rather than single user infrastructure in widely dispersed locations. INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: ITC 7.62 Co-operate with the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment and public and private agencies where appropriate, in improving high quality broadband infrastructure throughout the county and supporting the delivery of the National Broadband Plan ITC 7.63 Promote and facilitate the sustainable development of a high-quality ICT network throughout the county, in accordance with the requirements of the Telecommunications Antennae and Support Structures – Guidelines for Planning Authorities, in order to achieve balanced social and economic development, whilst protecting the amenities of urban and rural areas. 29 Department of the Environment and Local Government, 1996 ITC 7.64 Support the delivery of high capacity Information Communications Technology Infrastructure, broadband connectivity and digital broadcasting, throughout the county, in order to ensure economic competitiveness for the enterprise and commercial sectors and in enabling more flexible work practices. ITC 7.65 Encourage co-location of antennae on existing telecommunications structures. The shared use of existing structures will be required where the numbers of masts located in any single area is considered to have an excessive concentration. ITC 7.66 Ensure that telecommunications structures are located to minimise and /or mitigate any adverse impacts on communities, public rights of way and the built or natural environment. 103103Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 7: Infrastructure, Transport and Communications
- 7.13 Major Accidents Directive The Seveso II Directive (96/082/EEC) is an EU Directive that seeks to prevent major industrial accidents involving dangerous substances and to limit the consequences of accidents on people and the environment. There are no major accident hazard sites notified under the EC (Control of Major Accident Hazards involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2006 (S174 of 2006) within County Roscommon. All development proposals involving existing or proposed facilities classified under the Seveso II Directive will be referred to the Health and Safety Authority whose technical advice shall be taken into account in addition to normal planning considerations. INFRASTRUCTURE, TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: ITC 7.67 Liaise with the Health and Safety Authority, notified site operators and other statutory bodies with regard to safety regulations and safety zones when assessing proposals for a new Seveso establishment or modifications to an establishment, and when assessing proposals for development in the vicinity of existing Seveso establishments and implement the provision of land use planning advice and/ or detailed advice as outlined by the H.S.A. 104Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I104
- CHAPTER8 Climate Action, Energy and Environment 105
- 8 Climate Action, Energy and Environment 8.1 Introduction Climate action refers to a global recognition of the need to increase efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience and adaptability to climate-related hazards. Climate change refers to the significant global changes in temperature, precipitation and/or wind patterns which have occurred and continue to occur over many years. The effects of climate change have an impact on us all, as a global society. Climate change and global warming affects how and where we live, and this presents challenges for humanity across all countries and continents. The Plan provides clear strategic aims and policy objectives aimed at tackling climate change at the local level, where modified actions and behaviours can contribute towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. How this Plan addresses climate change will have a quantifiable impact on how County Roscommon will develop in a more climate f riendly and sustainable manner over the lifetime of this plan and well beyond. Flooding is one of the most evident impacts of climate change experienced in County Roscommon. Flooding can occur through fluvial (rivers and watercourses) and pluvial (rainfall) flood events. It is clear that such events have increased in frequency in recent years, as a direct consequence of climate change. This Plan has been prepared against the backdrop of awareness of the need to address climate change. Whilst this Chapter addresses climate change and climate action in detail, the issue and the associated policy position is evident across all sections of the Plan. Policy objectives contained in this Chapter should not therefore be read in isolation. Appendix 5 demonstrates how climate action, adaptation and mitigation policy objectives have been integrated into each Chapter of this Plan. 106Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I106
- 8.2 National and Regional Policy Context In May 2019, the Government declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency and subsequently committed to Ireland transitioning to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050. CLIMATE ACTION PLAN The Climate Action Plan (2019), set out the national commitment to achieving a net zero carbon energy systems objective for Irish society and in the process, create a resilient, vibrant and sustainable country. The Government declaration of a national Climate and Biodiversity Emergency represents the significance of the challenge facing this country in seeking to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions. In aiming to address this emergency, the mitigation measures identified at national level are outlined through two principal components. The f irst component aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in electricity generation, the built environment and transport by 80% by 2050, relative to 1990 levels. The second component aims to provide for carbon neutrality in terms of activities related to agriculture, land use and forestry for the same period. The issue of climate change was already to the fore in the NPF, and subsequent regional and local level plans are recognised as being intrinsic means of implementing actions to address climate change, at regional and local level. The national and regional policy base set out in the NPF and RSES have guided the focus in this Plan, which includes the delivery of sustainable land use and transport provisions, along with the appropriate protection and enhancement of the natural environment, biodiversity and green infrastructure throughout the county. The NPF and RSES identify that meeting European climate change related targets will necessitate a swift transition, away from traditional carbon based energies, towards more sustainable sources of energy for electricity, transport and heat. To achieve this, the NPF and RSES highlight the need for energy systems and transmission systems of scale, which can facilitate renewable energies. DECARBONISING The Climate Action Plan sets out a requirement for all Local Authorities to identify decarbonising zones. A decarbonising zone can be within either an urban or rural area, which is proposed to address a range of appropriate positive climate mitigation measures, for example reducing carbon energy dependency within a building(s). To quantify the impact of decarbonising mitigation measures, energy baselines are established and a range of technologies and measures used to mitigate emissions f rom the building. These decarbonising zones can and should ideally extend beyond buildings and, as such could include a range of local climate adaptation measures, such as climate proofing, green/blue infrastructure, citizen and societal awareness to influence behavioural change in both urban and rural areas. The Climate Action Plan also identifies that County Decarbonising Zones are required to address the wider benefits associated with initiatives to address, for example, air quality, biodiversity, sustainable land management, waste management etc. Roscommon County Council has selected Roscommon town as the first Decarbonisation Zone in the county, which will serve as an exemplar model for best practice in the context of decarbonisation, green infrastructure and energy efficiency. 107107Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 8: Climate Action, Energy and Environment
- CLIMATE ACTION CHECKLIST To support Local Authorities and other public and private sector bodies to perform climate related risk assessments, Climate Ireland in collaboration with the Climate Action Regional Offices, recommend the development of a Risk Identification and Assessment Tool. This tool is likely to be developed as an online portal, allowing users to access, view and examine climate impact related spatial datasets within a risk assessment framework. This portal will enable Local Authorities to develop a Climate Change Risk and Vulnerability Toolkit, which will assist with the implementation of many of the actions in the Roscommon Climate Adaptation Strategy. Roscommon County Council is committed to developing and implementing a climate change screening checklist and associated guidance document for all stakeholders, to ensure new development proposals address climate change in the context of inter alia; site location, layout, building type, energy proposals and connectivity. 8.3 The Strategic Vision for Climate Action in County Roscommon One of the strategic aims of this Plan is to set out appropriate policy objectives in order to reduce the county’s overall carbon footprint and increase energy efficiencies across a range of sectors. It aims to successfully implement a more sustainable and energy eff icient approach to how we live, work and socialise will significantly contribute to tackling global warming. Roscommon County Council is committed to ensuring that climate action and adaptation is a priority during the lifetime of this Plan and beyond, to achieve a transition to a more climate resilient and low carbon county, maximising opportunities to increase energy efficiency and reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. To achieve this, the following strategic policy objectives apply: CLIMATE ACTION, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: CAEE 8.1 Support European and national objectives for climate action, adaptation and mitigation which address land use planning, energy, sustainable mobility, flood risk management and drainage as detailed in the Climate Action Plan (2019), the National Climate Change Adaptation Framework (2018) and The Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines (2009) and any subsequent versions of any of the aforementioned. CAEE 8.2 Support the National Climate Change Strategy by actively seeking to implement the policy objectives throughout this Plan which contribute to positive climate actions, including those related to renewable energy, sustainable transport, air quality, flooding and the promotion of urban and rural green initiatives. 108Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I108 Chapter 8: Climate Action, Energy and Environment
- 8.4 Roscommon Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (RCAS) Roscommon County Council has developed a five year Climate Adaptation Strategy (2019-2024), which sets out a vision for the county to undertake appropriate actions to address climate change. The RCAS establishes both strategic goals and adaption goals, along with targeted objectives across six operational themes : Theme 1: Local Adaptation, Governance and Business Operations Theme 2: Infrastructure and Built Environment Theme 3: Land use and Development Theme 4: Drainage and Flood Management Theme 5: Natural Resources and Cultural Infrastructure Theme 6: Community Health and Wellbeing These six themes have been identif ied as the most immediate climate related risks relevant to Roscommon. Through its six thematic areas and their associated high level goals, the Roscommon CCAS is designed to guide a planned and coherent response to the effects of climate change throughout the county. 109109Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 8: Climate Action, Energy and Environment
- 8.5 Integrating Climate Action into County Roscommon In line with the Climate Action Plan (2019) and Project Ireland 2040, Roscommon County Council is committed to transitioning to a low carbon and climate resilient county. The Council has committed to the Local Authority ‘Climate Action Charter’, which aims to deliver a 50% improvement in energy efficiency in the operations of the Local Authority by 2030. The Climate Action Charter places a commitment on the Local Authority to provide a framework for carbon-proofing major decisions, programmes and projects such as investment in infrastructure and energy. Accordingly, the Climate Action Charter has informed the preparation of this Plan. Commitments in the Charter are reflected in policy objectives throughout this Plan. ROSCOMMON RENEWABLE ENERGY STRATEGY (RES) In the context of supporting climate action, energy and the environment, the Renewable Energy Strategy (RES) is the principal accompanying document to this Plan. The RES sets out the f ramework for the delivery of sustainable and renewable energies throughout the county. The Council is committed to implementing the strategic aims set out in the RES, to ensure that Roscommon delivers upon it commitment to tackle climate change, through facilitating appropriate renewable energy development proposals in the county. The RES recognises the significant contribution renewable technologies can make by reducing reliance on traditional fossil fuels and contributing towards achieving binding national energy efficiency and emission reduction targets. The RES identif ies areas most suitable for strategic renewable energy developments, such as windfarms, in order ensure that development is steered to the most appropriate locations within the county, having regard to considerations such as landscape sensitivity and environmental designations e.g. proximity to Natura 2000 sites. EFFECTING CLIMATE ACTION IN ROSCOMMON This chapter of the County Development Plan aims principally to identify and assess how County Roscommon can best implement the Governments’ pathway to a decarbonised society and economy. The following main sectors where decarbonisation and climate change can be positively influenced and effected in County Roscommon are: g Electricity Generation g Built Environment g Transport g Agriculture g Nature Based Solutions g Land Use g Forestry These measures provide the pathway for transitioning County Roscommon to a more sustainable, low carbon and climate resilient and economy by 2050. These are addressed individually in further detail below. 110Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I110 Chapter 8: Climate Action, Energy and Environment
Source Roscommon County Council: Roscommon County Development Plan 2022–2028 (2022–2028) · 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.