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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- 10.4 Appropriate Assessment It is necessary to consider the nature conservation implications of any plan or project on the Natura 2000 site network using a process known as Appropriate Assessment. In accordance with the Birds and Habitats Regulations 2011, any plan or project which is not directly connected with or necessary to the management of a European site, must be screened for Appropriate Assessment to establish if there is potential for significant effects on a European site and to determine if an Appropriate Assessment is required. In respect of planning applications, it is the responsibility of Roscommon County Council as the competent authority to carry out an Appropriate Assessment of the application to assess the effects on Natura 2000 sites. Following a finding that a proposed development will adversely affect the integrity of a Natura 2000 site, the plan or project can only proceed if there are imperative reasons of overriding public interest (IROPI), including those of a social or economic nature in line with Article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive. NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.7 Implement Article 6(3) and where necessary Article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive and to ensure that Appropriate Assessment is carried out in relation to works, plans and projects likely to impact on European sites (SACs and SPAs), whether directly or indirectly or in combination with any other plan(s) or project(s). All assessments must be in compliance with the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011. NH 10.8 Ensure that no plans, programmes, etc. or projects are permitted that give rise to significant cumulative, direct, indirect or secondary impacts on the integrity of European Sites arising from their size or scale, land take, proximity, resource requirements, emissions (disposal to land, water or air), transportation requirements, duration of construction, operation, decommissioning or from any other effects, (either individually or in combination with other plans, programmes, etc. or projects). NH 10.9 Ensure that any plan or project that could have a significant adverse impact (either alone or in combination with other plans and projects) upon the conservation objectives of any Natura 2000 Site or would result in the deterioration of any habitat or any species reliant on that habitat will not be permitted unless in exceptional circumstances. 141141Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
- 10.5 Natural Heritage Areas The Wildlife (Amendment) Act 2000 provides for the designation and conservation of Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs). NHAs are sites that support elements of our natural heritage which are unique, or of outstanding importance at the national level. Any development in, near or adversely affecting a Natural Heritage Area should avoid any significant adverse impact on the features for which the site has been designated. There are currently eleven Natural Heritage Areas in County Roscommon. There are many more proposed NHAs in County Roscommon which will be designated on a phased basis. NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.10 Actively promote the conservation and protection of areas designated as an NHA (including proposed sites) and to only consider proposals for development within or affecting an NHA where it can be clearly demonstrated that the proposed development will not have a significant adverse effect on the NHA or pNHA. 10.6 Geological Heritage County Roscommon is a geologically diverse place. The bedrock foundation, with hundreds of millions of years in its formation and shaping, and the more recent history of geomorphological processes such as limestone solution and scouring by glaciers, are what has created that underlying geodiversity. Geological understanding and interpretation is best done on the ground at sites where the rocks and landforms are displayed. County Roscommon has a wealth of such natural and human-influenced sites, particularly of karstic and glacial types. An Audit of County Geological Sites in Roscommon, part funded by the Heritage Council, was carried out in 2012 in conjunction with the Irish Geological Heritage Programme of the Geological Survey of Ireland (GSI). It identified twenty-nine County Geological Sites which are currently understood to be the most important geological sites within Roscommon. Many of these sites are considered to be of national importance as best representative examples of particular geological formations or features. Many of these sites fall within existing pNHAs and SACs where the ecological interest is founded upon the underlying geodiversity. NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.11 Preserve and protect sites of county geological importance from inappropriate development where they comprise designated sites or national heritage areas; NH 10.12 Promote and facilitate the development of geo-tourism in County Roscommon where it does not have a detrimental impact on designated sites or features of geological interest. 142Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I142 Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
- Table 10.1: County Geological Sites County Geological Site Geological Interest Brierfield Turlough Turlough Castleplunkett Turlough Turlough Carrowmurragh Mushroom Rocks Mushroom Rocks Killeglan Karst Landscape Unmodified glacial boulder ridges now as karst landscape Lough Funshinagh Disappearing lake that intermittently drains away Loughnaneane Turlough Turlough Mewlaghmore Dolines Large doline field Moyvannan Mushroom Rocks Mushroom Rocks Mullygollan Turlough Turlough Oweynagat Relict Cave Pollnagran Active Stream Cave Rockingham Spring Large karstic spring Ballinasloe-Split Hills-Clonmacnoise- Clara Esker System Long, sinuous esker ridge system 70 kilometres across the Central Midlands Boyle Drumlins Discrete drumlin field of approx 200 drumlins McKeon’s Pit Gravel pit in glacial fan Mid Roscommon Ribbed Moraines Ribbed moraine field with superimposed drumlins Castlesampson Esker Esker Cloonburren Fan Glacial fan Errit and Cloonagh Loughs Deltas Glacial deltas Garranlahan Esker Esker Castlemine Quarry Limestone quarry Keeloges Quarry Limestone quarry Largan Quarry Limestone quarry Boyle Road Cutting Road cutting in Devonian rocks Lecarrow Clay Pit Possible Tertiary clay deposit in a karstic solution pipe. River Shannon Callows River floodplain Suck River Callows River floodplain Altagowlan Disused coal mines and ancillary surface infrastructure, stone quarries Arigna Mining Experience Disused Coal Mines and visitor centre 143143Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
- 10.7 Woodlands, Trees and Hedgerows Trees and woodlands contribute to the landscape and visual amenity of County Roscommon. Native trees are particularly valuable as a habitat for invertebrates and bird life and trees provide a carbon sink and contribute to clean air and quality of life. They also provide a valuable source of shelter and act as a buffer from noise. Woodland sites, such as St. John’s Wood near Lecarrow are of national importance. Many other woodlands survive around the county, especially in demesnes and estates, such as at Rockingham near Boyle, Kilronan Castle near Keadue, Strokestown Park, and at Mote Park near Roscommon. Hedges are a valuable asset to the county, they add much to the scenic appearance of the landscape and provide many services on the farm. The root systems of hedgerow trees and shrubs regulate water movement in the land and improve the quality of water. Hedgerows are also enormously important for wildlife. They are a habitat for insects like butterflies and bumblebees and provide food, shelter, and nesting sites for birds, from small songbirds to larger birds of prey like the Kestrel and Sparrowhawk. Mammals such as wood mice, hedgehogs, badgers, and bats also depend on hedges for their survival. It is important that hedgerows be retained where possible, especially townland boundary, roadside hedges and hedgerows linking other habitats, forming a wildlife corridor. However, proper care and maintenance of hedgerows is also important. Site clearance is often carried out when a new dwelling is about to be constructed and natural features such as trees and hedgerows are regularly cleared without considering the potential of these features. The Habitats Directive provides a level of protection to Annex IV species, such as Bats and Otter. Proposed developments, including all proposals where woodland, tree or hedgerow removal is proposed, should be consistent with this. NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.13 Encourage the retention of hedgerows and other distinctive boundary treatments in rural areas and prevent loss and fragmentation, where practically possible. Where removal of a hedgerow, stone wall or other distinctive boundary treatment is unavoidable, mitigation by provision of the same type of boundary will be required. NH 10.14 Promote and encourage planting of native hedgerow species in new developments. NH 10.15 Ensure that hedgerows that are required to be removed in the interests of traffic safety or where breaches to hedgerows occur in compliance with relevant legislation, are replaced by the applicant/developer with suitable native species to the satisfaction of the Council. 144Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I144 Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
- 10.8 Peatlands Peatlands or bogs, as they are more commonly known, are a distinctive feature of the County Roscommon landscape. Bogs are a unique wetland habitat, rich in wildlife possessing a combination of plants and animals that have evolved specially to thrive in a bog. Bogs can also be considered a living history book, containing within them semi-fossilized plant remains and human artefacts, such as stumps of bog pine from trees that grew about 4000 years ago and ‘toghers’ or ancient wooden roadways which were built from the Bronze Age up to the medieval, from c. 2000 BC up to c. 1500 AD before the bog grew over and concealed them. Bogs are also important controllers of water levels in river catchments, providing a source of water in dry conditions and soaking up excess water during wetter periods. Developments sited on peatlands have the potential to increase overall carbon losses, potentially undermining expected carbon savings (in the case of renewable energy developments) and damaging rare habitats of European importance. It is recommended that when developing project proposals for developments on peatlands, assessments are undertaken that consider peatland stability, carbon emissions balance and hydrology and ecology. NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.16 Protect and enhance the valuable peatland resource in County Roscommon whilst protecting the heritage and environmental value of these peatland areas. The aims of the National Peatlands Strategy and the implementation of the National Raised Bog Special Areas of Conservation Management Plan 2017-2022 and the Enhanced Decommissioning Rehabilitation and Restoration Scheme will be supported. NH 10.17 Work with relevant agencies such as the Bord na Mona, NPWS, Coillte and adjacent local authorities to prepare an after-use framework plan for the peatlands and related infrastructure, to provide for the future sustainable and environmentally sensitive use of large industrial peatlands sites when peat harvesting finishes. 145145Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
- 10.9 Wetlands Wetlands range from ponds to rivers, reed beds to bogs and fens to turloughs and are home to a large diversity of plants and animals. They support a variety of habitats and species, function in the protection of water quality and/ or flood control, are important carbon stores contributing to climate resilience and provide open space and recreational opportunities. However, wetlands have another importance – drainage; much of the surface water, which remains on land in Ireland is stored in wetlands. However, wetlands, including fens, are under increasing threat from drainage, reclamation and development. A survey of wetland sites undertaken in 2017 identified the area of wetland sites in Roscommon covering 580 km2 (21.9% of land area). NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.18 Manage, enhance and protect the wetlands of the county having regard to the County Roscommon Wetland Survey (2017) and ensure that there is an appropriate level of assessment in relation to proposals which would involve draining, reclaiming or infilling of wetland habitats. The Council shall be available to engage with the NPWS with the objective of facilitating the monitoring and surveying of wetland sites in Roscommon. 146Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I146 Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
- 10.10 Inland Waterways There are eight inland waterways in County Roscommon, all of which are connected to the Shannon Navigation. 33 Consideration should be given to Inland Fisheries Ireland’s guidance document “Planning for watercourses in the urban environment” (2020). Table 10.2: Inland Waterways River Shannon Boyle River Boyle Canal Jamestown Canal Carnadoe Waters River Suck Lough Allen Lecarrow Canal These waterways have a rich built, natural and cultural heritage. The bridges, locks, lock keeper’s cottages, harbours and navigation markers found along the inland waterways represent skills and workmanship dating from the 1700’s to the present day. Inland waterways provide a valuable habitat for many diverse species of flora and fauna. Nowadays, inland waterways have an economic value, in terms of tourism attractions with potential to generate revenue. They also have a quality of life value, valuable to locals and visitors alike. They provide access to places where people can walk along towpaths and enjoy the surroundings of the waterside. The Council shall be available to engage with the NPWS with the objective of facilitating the monitoring and surveying of wetland sites in Roscommon.33 NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.19 Ensure that the county’s watercourses are retained for their biodiversity and flood protection values and to conserve and enhance where possible, the wildlife habitats of the County’s rivers and riparian zones, lakes, canals and streams which occur outside of designated areas to provide a network of habitats and biodiversity corridors throughout the county. The Council shall be available to engage with the NPWS with the objective of facilitating the monitoring and surveying of wetland sites in Roscommon. NH 10.20 Protect waterbodies and watercourses from inappropriate development, including rivers, streams, associated undeveloped riparian strips, wetlands and natural floodplains. To this effect, consideration should be given to Inland Fisheries Ireland’s guidance document Planning for Watercourses in the Urban Environment (2020). NH 10.21 Support the sustainable development of the fisheries and aquaculture industry in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Inland Fisheries Ireland. 147147Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
- 10.11 Urban Habitats Urban settlements are often located near biodiversity hotspots, such as rivers, wetlands and flood plains. In urban areas, artificial habitats such as parks and water features also support wildlife, and this can be enhanced through improved wildlife-friendly management. Private gardens also encourage wildlife and buildings can be designed to incorporate biodiversity with features, such as green roofs, and they can play an important role in supporting biodiversity in urban areas. They provide important habitats and wildlife corridors and enhance both the public realm and quality of life in urban areas. NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.22 Encourage and enhance, where appropriate, the provision of biodiversity features in urban areas through the preparation of local area plans/settlement plans, green infrastructure strategies and through the development management process. 10.12 Alien Invasive Species Invasive species are species that have been introduced, generally by human intervention, outside their natural range and whose establishment and spread can threaten native ecosystem structure, function and delivery of services. There is potential for the spread of nonnative invasive species during excavation and construction works and for such species to be introduced into the environment via spreading from private gardens, boat users, aquaculture, horticulture etc. The risk of accidental transfer of the non-native invasive species requires adherence to current best practice protocol for avoiding the spread or transfer of all invasive animals and plants. NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.23 Require all development proposals to address the presence or absence of invasive alien species on proposed development sites and (if necessary) require applicants to prepare and submit an Invasive Species Management Plan where such a species exists to comply with the provisions of the European Union (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 to 2015. NH 10.24 Ensure, where the presence of invasive species is identified on any proposed development site, that robust treatment measures are detailed to demonstrate how these species will be appropriately managed and controlled. 148Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I148 Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
- 10.13 Landscape Character In considering the character of the landscape when preparing the Plan, a Landscape Character Assessment has been prepared and accompanies the Plan. Within it, Landscape Character Types or distinct landscapes that exist within the county are identified. These are then grouped or identified as Landscape Character Areas. A Landscape Value is then assigned to the landscape character areas. The landscape values presented in the Landscape Character Assessment classif ies each of the landscape character areas into one of the following four classes: Exceptional Value, Very High Value, High Value and Moderate Value. Two landscapes in the county are classified as Exceptional Value, namely the Tulsk and Rathcroghan Plateau in the centre of the county and the Lough Key and Boyle River Network in the northeast of the county. PROTECTED VIEWS AND SCENIC ROUTES The landscape of the county has many vantage points which offer attractive views. These scenic views are of an amenity and tourism value and contribute to our quality of life. It is not envisaged that the designation of a protected view would prohibit all development within the view, but any development proposed within the view is required to be designed and located so as not to obstruct the view or be unduly intrusive in the landscape as seen from these vantage points. Maps identifying the location of protected views and designated scenic routes are contained in the Landscape Character Assessment which accompanies the Plan. NATURAL HERITAGE POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: NH 10.25 Minimise visual impacts on areas categorised within the County Roscommon Landscape Character Assessment including “moderate value”,” high value”, “very high value” and with special emphasis on areas classified as “exceptional value” and where deemed necessary, require the use of Visual Impact Assessment where proposed development may have significant effect on such designated areas. NH 10.26 Protect important views and prospects in the rural landscape and visual linkage between established landmarks, landscape features and views in urban areas. NH 10.27 To co-ordinate with all adjoining Local Authorities in reviewing Landscape Character Assessments (LCAs) to ensure consistency in classification and policy in adjoining areas of similar character. A targeted review of the LCA shall be undertaken following the completion of the National Landscape Character Assessment, and any associated statutory Guidelines as well as the Regional Landscape Character Assessment to be completed by the Regional Assembly. 149149Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
- 10.14 Green Infrastructure Green infrastructure has been discussed in Chapter 8 (Climate Action, Energy and Environment) in the context of its contribution to climate action. Green infrastructure refers to the interconnecting network of high quality biodiversity areas that sustains environmental quality and enriches quality of life. It provides economic, educational, ecological and social benefits and should be designed and managed to maximise these benefits. Green inf rastructure can include urban parks and gardens, amenity green spaces, woodland, peatlands, floodplains, cycling and walking routes, domestic gardens and civic spaces. These features can be inter-connected to achieve a network that can be used for a wide range of outdoor recreation as well as act as a wildlife and biodiversity corridor. A strong green infrastructure network can also be beneficial from an economic perspective as well as addressing issues such as climate change adaptation and flood management. Some of the many benefits to a strong green infrastructure network are highlighted in Figure 10.1. Within the county there are opportunities to expand and strengthen the green infrastructure network and to further explore the integration of green inf rastructure into both public and private developments in the future. Figure 10.1: Benefits of Green Infrastructure Attracting business and investment Diversifying the local economy Improved habitats Ecological corridors Local Food production Flood alleviation Pollination provision Carbon storage and sequestration Mitigation of urban heat islands Improved land quality Environmental education Benefits of Green Infrastructure Creation of job opportunities 150Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I150 Chapter 10: Natural Heritage
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.