elphin local area plan 2009 - 2015 - Roscommon County Council
elphin local area plan 2009 - 2015 - Roscommon County Council
elphin local area plan 2009 - 2015 - Roscommon County Council
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Chapter 10: Development Management Guidelines and Standards<br />
All proposed developments must comply with Environmental Management Guidelines in the Extractive<br />
Industry, EPA 2006. Under Section 261 of the Planning and Development Act 2000-2004, registration of<br />
all quarries operating in the Country is required. This section commenced with effect from 28th April<br />
2004 and it is intended to bring all quarries - including those that have claimed exemption because they<br />
were operating before the 1963 Planning Act - within the <strong>plan</strong>ning system and thus deal with concerns<br />
regarding unauthorised sand and gravel quarries in the country.<br />
10.29 FORESTRY (To be read in conjunction with Chapter 6 of the RCDP 2008 - 2014)<br />
The <strong>Council</strong> recognises the economic and recreational potential of forestry. Forestry as a land use and its<br />
ancillary development will be encouraged in suitable <strong>area</strong>s subject to such development not interfering<br />
with significant views or prospects or being unduly obtrusive in the landscape. The <strong>Council</strong> will cooperate<br />
with the Forest Service in promoting greater recreational use of state forests in the <strong>County</strong>. In<br />
cases where forestry development is likely to adversely affect public roads, charges will be levied on<br />
developers to defray the improvement/maintenance of such roads.<br />
The introduction of large-scale forestry <strong>area</strong>s can have significant negative impacts on an <strong>area</strong> if they are<br />
not in context with the surrounding environment. Forestry activities must be appropriate in terms of nature<br />
and scale with the surrounding <strong>area</strong>, so they are not visually intrusive on the landscape or cause damage to<br />
important habitats or the ecology of the <strong>area</strong>. In order to avoid acidification of our soils and watercourses<br />
from coniferous <strong>plan</strong>tations and to promote bio-diversity in so far as it is possible, the <strong>Council</strong> shall<br />
encourage a diversity of species in afforestation proposals. This shall require a proportion of all new<br />
forestry development to consist of native hardwood species in order to extend the range of potential end<br />
uses and to reduce the potential for adverse impact on the landscape and biodiversity resulting from<br />
monoculture.<br />
10.30 RIVER DRAINAGE<br />
Traditional drainage practices have resulted in the widening, deepening and straightening of rivers or<br />
streams and the creation of channels of uniform gradient and sections. This is highly destructive to<br />
fisheries and the following shall be taken into account:<br />
- Flood relief can be handled in an environmentally sensitive way by constructing flood berms<br />
away from the existing channel or flood bypass channels. These techniques leave the existing<br />
channel and bank vegetation intact.<br />
- If it is necessary to drain the existing channel consider a two-stage channel retaining as much<br />
bank vegetation as possible and avoiding disturbance of the existing river bed.<br />
- If lowering the existing channel bed cannot be avoided. Maintain the original low flow channel<br />
width. Retain existing bankside vegetation on one side if possible. Restore riffles, pools, bed<br />
material and bank cover at the new drainage level. Store gravel bed material for reuse if not<br />
naturally available in the lower excavated bed.<br />
- Spoil should not be deposited in mounds on the river banks except as a flood berm.<br />
10.30.1 Other Works<br />
Any development of the following works (including ancillary) wherein the aquatic environment may be<br />
affected shall have regard to Fishery Guidelines published in 1998 by the Department of Marine and<br />
Natural Resources including the following: river diversion / road-works; bridges; culverts; fords; storage<br />
of fuels and chemicals; concrete and cement; and, amenity works.<br />
The council shall also have regard to the prevention or mitigation of any impacts that a development may<br />
have on the aquatic environment where amenity is impinged on, especially in urban <strong>area</strong>s.<br />
Elphin Local Area Plan <strong>2009</strong>-<strong>2015</strong> Page 154