boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council

PART II: DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR 2012 – 2018 & BEYOND Chapter 6: Built & Natural Heritage
and the drumlins to the south. The town of Boyle is the
main settlement in the area and all national (N61 and
N4) and regional (R361, R294, R295, R294) roads
going through the LCA feed into the town. Although
built development is sparse in the upland and river
corridor areas, there is significant development pressure
along the roads leading in and around Boyle Town. The
uplands are a complex mix of wet and dry grassland,
upland blanket bog, reclaimed upland blanket bog,
heath and under storey forest and scrub. The Boyle
River corridor has long stretches of wetland large
portions of which are designated as NHA. The area is
predominantly made up of dry grassland but patches of
wet grassland and reclaimed raised bog occur near
water courses.
The overall image of this landscape is one of a large
town nestled in the foothills of wooded upland.
Figure 10: Roscommon LCA 17 - Boyle and Curlew
Mountains
Landscape Value
The landscape value of this LCA is Very High. Boyle
town is known for its fine examples of built heritage,
including Boyle Abbey. Archaeological sites located in
the Curlew Mountains are also valued. There are also
views from the old railway track which are considered
valuable by the community.
Photo 51: View from Curlew Mountains to the south east
showing the dispersed housing around Boyle Town.
Forces of Change
Demand for additional housing on the outskirts of the
town is likely. Ribbon development creeping westward
into the Boyle River corridor could damage the water
quality of the wetland habitats. Insensitively located
and brightly coloured housing in the uplands around
Boyle Town will have a negative impact on the visual
quality of the Curlew Mountains.
Key Recommendation
Attention should be paid to existing policies that
constrain sprawling development around Boyle Town
and encourage a compact form.
6.2.5 Habitat Mapping
In accordance with Objective 252 of Roscommon
County Development Plan 2008-2014, Habitat Mapping
has been carried out for the Boyle Local Area Plan area.
The main aim of the survey in Boyle is to provide an
inventory and classification of the habitats present and
to identify areas of biodiversity importance. This should
create a more consistent sense of the value and
importance of local sites of ecological value, and secure
a broader awareness and support for their protection.
Habitat mapping for Boyle can be viewed on
www.roscommoncoco.ie in the Interactive
Development Plan Maps section of the Map Zone.
The habitat boundaries for Boyle were mapped and
classified to Fossitt III in accordance with the national
habitats classification produced by the Heritage
Council, A Guide to Habitats in Ireland (Fossitt, 2000).
Habitats listed on Annex 1 of the Habitats Directive
92/43/EU were identified. Significant hedgerows and
treelines have also been identified.
The habitats found within the study area were evaluated
based on their naturalness, value and vulnerability.
Habitats were rated on a scale from A: International
Importance; B: National Importance; C: County
Importance; D: Local Importance (higher value) to E:
Local Importance (lower value). Habitats in the Boyle
area are mostly of County or Local importance. (See
Map 8)
6.2.6 Natural Heritage Strategy
The Natural Heritage Strategy for Boyle aims to preserve
and enhance the amenity and natural beauty of Boyle by
preserving in so far as possible individual trees,
hedgerows, and woodlands. It also aims to integrate the
consideration of biodiversity into all Council actions and
work programmes in order to ensure the protection of
this important aspect of the local environment. In
considering landscape character in the area, RCC
acknowledges the importance of taking into account
Boyle Local Area Plan 2012-2018 Page 88