Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022–2028 — Chapter 11

1. Page 21

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028301 Archaeological Heritage Policy Objectives AH 04 Archaeological Impact Considerations It is the policy of the Council to: • Ensure that development in the vicinity of a site of archaeological interest shall be designed and sited sympathetically and shall not be detrimental to the character of the archaeological site or its setting by reason of its location, scale, bulk or detailing. • When considering development in the vicinity of all archaeological sites including remnants of the city and town walls, the planning authority will require the preparation of an archaeological assessment detailing the potential impact of any development on upstanding structures, buried structures and deposits. The report will also include a visual impact assessment to ensure adequate consideration of any potential visual impact the proposed development may have on any upstanding remains. • Proposed developments will be required to retain the existing street layout, including laneways, historic building lines and traditional plot widths where these derive from medieval or earlier origins. • When considering development in the vicinity of upstanding archaeological/historical monuments, to aim to achieve a satisfactory buffer area between the development and the monument in order to ensure the preservation and enhancement of the amenity associated with the presence of upstanding monuments within the historic urban pattern. • For all developments, which have potential to impact on riverine, intertidal and sub-tidal environments to require an archaeological assessment prior to works being carried out. In addition to planning permission, development works at National Monuments of which the Minister or local authority is owner of, guardian of or in respect of which a preservation order is in force, may also require Ministerial Consent under Section 14 of the National Monuments Act 1930 (as amended) and this will be determined by the relevant authority (Department of Housing, Local Government & Heritage) on application. 11.18 Medieval City Walls and Viking Triangle Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city and has a rich and significant archaeological heritage which provides a unique window into the past, presenting evidence of earlier settlements and an understanding of how the City evolved and how societies and cultures developed. The archaeology of the City is a non-renewable resource which provides a valuable and valued cultural, educational, tourism and increasingly accessible resource. Waterford has the largest collection of medieval urban defences in Ireland with six intact towers, and over 700m meters of wall.

2. Page 22

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   302 Archaeological Heritage Policy Objectives AH 05 Waterford City Walls and Towers We will protect the essential character and setting of the City Walls and Towers through the control of the design, location and layout of new development in their vicinity and through the control of changes of use of lands, by the protection of adjoining streetscapes and site features where appropriate and by protecting important views to and from the walls and towers from obstruction and/or inappropriate intrusion by new buildings structures, plant and equipment, signs and other devices; and where opportunities arise to create additional views of the walls and towers. We will continue to protect enhance and promote the City Walls by updating the City Walls Plan (2014) and implement an Interpretation Plan for Waterford Medieval City Walls and Towers.

3. Page 23

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028303 11.19 Woodstown Viking Site The discovery of a Viking site in Woodstown along the River Suir in 2003 is one of the most significant archaeological discoveries ever made in Ireland. Although only 5% of the site was excavated Woodstown produced information and artefacts that have given us new insights into the earliest phase of Viking settlement in Ireland. In May 2005 the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government declared the site to be a National Monument. In 2019 Waterford City and County Council commissioned a Conservation Management Plan for the site. The plan was prepared under the guidance of a Steering Committee with expertise in archaeology, conservation and landscape and all the agencies involved are committed to delivering the plan to conserve and promote Woodstown’s internationally significant Viking heritage. The vision of the plan is to develop Woodstown Viking Site as an accessible, engaging and active site that researches knowledge gaps on Viking life provides opportunity for experimental archaeology and training in artefact analysis and conservation. The location of the site along the Waterford Greenway presents an exciting opportunity for Waterford’s heritage tourism and complement’s Fáilte Ireland’s Viking Heritage Signature Story for Waterford and the South East. Archaeological Heritage Policy Objectives AH 06 Woodstown Viking Site We will deliver the actions of the Woodstown Viking Site Conservation Management Plan 2020, in collaboration with the Woodstown Steering Committee and all relevant Stakeholders. AH 07 Utilising and Promoting our Archaeological Assets It is a policy of the Council to • Utilise Waterford’s archaeology such as its City Walls and Towers as an educational and tourism resource and to facilitate the publication and dissemination of interpretative material to the general public, and to facilitate public access to the walls and towers and other sites of interest. • Promote the incorporation of or reference to significant archaeological finds in a development, where appropriate, through layout, displays, signage, plaques, information panels or use of historic place names. 11.20 Historic Graveyards/ Burial Grounds Many community groups are involved in the maintenance of their local historic graveyard. Historic graveyards include all graveyards and burial grounds used prior to the 20th century. A distinction is made between the terms “burial grounds” and “graveyards” where burial grounds are areas of land used for burials while graveyards are burial grounds associated with churches. There are 143 historic graveyards located in the City and County. Burial grounds and graveyards dating from pre-1700 A.D. are given statutory protection under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2014.

4. Page 24

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   304 Archaeological Heritage Policy Objectives AH 08 Historic Graveyards We will apply best practice in the care and management of historic graveyards as detailed in “Care Conservation and Recording of Historic Graveyards in County Waterford” published by Waterford County Council in 2009 and “Places of Worship- Heritage Advice Series of Department of Housing, Local Government

5. Page 25

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028305 11.21 Community Archaeology Local communities take great pride in their local heritage and are well placed with support and partnerships to promote care, conservation and engagement with that heritage. Waterford has had the benefit of involvement with the Adopt a Monument Scheme at sites such as Gallows Hill, Dungarvan, Round Hill, Lismore and Knockboy Medieval Church. Creadan Head Creadan Head on the western side of Waterford Harbour and 4km north of Dunmore East is the first early Mesolithic Site to have been identified in Waterford Estuary and in County Waterford. The Creadan Head site and its encompassing landscape has been subject of a number of archaeological investigations uncovering prehistoric sites indicating activity along the coastline and further inland. A Conservation Management Plan for the site was prepared in 2020 by the Creadan- Waterford Estuary Steering Group. Community Archaeology Policy Objective AH 09 Community Archaeology Local communities take great pride in their local heritage and are well placed with support and partnerships to promote care, conservation and engagement with that heritage. Waterford has had the benefit of involvement with the Adopt a Monument Scheme at sites such as Gallows Hill, Dungarvan, Round Hill, Lismore and Knockboy Medieval Church. Creadan Head Policy Objective AH 10 Creadan Head We will support delivery of actions in the Creadan Head Conservation Management Plan by the Creadan-Waterford Estuary Steering Group.

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   306 11.22 Underwater Archaeology Underwater environments may contain very well-preserved archaeological sites, monuments and objects which are completely invisible from the surface. The potential for underwater archaeology in Waterford is not just along the coasts and the banks of large Rivers such as the Suir and Blackwater but other freshwater and marine environments along quays in urban and rural areas, historic fording points over rivers and streams, estuaries, and flood plains. The Historic Wreck Viewer4 (www.archaeology.ie) notes finds such as the five wooden wrecks exposed at low tide at Tramore as 16th and 17th century wrecks in Waterford Harbour. Finds such as ship timbers from excavations within the city, artefacts such as anchors and cannons have also been discovered. With underwater heritage can be exposed and/or impacted upon by improvement works along any waterways, harbour developments, marina developments, harbour dredging and dumping at sea, waterfront expansions, reclamation, and excavations. Our underwater cultural heritage has to be acknowledged and protected. 4 https://dahg.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=89e50518e5f4437abfa6284ff39fd640 Underwater Archaeology Policy Objective AH 11 Underwater Archaeology To preserve the integrity of existing and potential underwater archaeological sites and monuments in their setting and to ensure that development in the vicinity of a site of archaeological interest does not physically impact the character, there is a requirement to undertake Underwater Archaeological Impact Assessment (UAIA).

Source Waterford City and County Council: Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022–2028 — Chapter 11 (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.