boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council

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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
PART II: DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR 2012 – 2018 & BEYOND Chapter 6: Built & Natural Heritage adjoining landscape character, landscape features and designations, including those in adjoining Counties. The main policies and objectives for Natural Heritage are outlined below. Policy for Natural Heritage Policy 56 Promote the retention and enhancement of existing habitats and biodiversity in Boyle. Objectives for Natural Heritage Objective 84 No projects which will be reasonably likely to give rise to significant adverse direct, indirect or secondary impacts on the integrity of any Natura 2000 sites having regard to their conservation objectives, shall be permitted on the basis of this Plan (either individually or in combination with other plans or projects) unless imperative reasons of over-riding public interest can be established. Objective 85 Encourage the preservation of wildlife through the: ‣ retention and improvement of features such as hedgerows, roadside and townland boundaries, trees, ponds and watercourses, ‣ the active discouragement of draining and filling-in of field ponds, and ‣ the appropriate management of existing woodland and hedgerows. Objective 86 Require significant development proposals to include a visual impact assessment demonstrating that landscape impacts have been anticipated and avoided to a level consistent with the sensitivity of the landscape. Objective 87 Protect features of the natural environment including existing ecological corridors (trees, hedgerows, scrub, wooded areas, rivers, and streams). All significant proposals for development shall be required to identify all ecological corridors, assess the impact of the proposal on these, and set out detailed mitigation measures to offset any negative impact. Objective 88 Have regard to impacts of floodlighting and public lighting in open spaces and to minimize light intrusion in areas of habitat value. Objective 89 An Ecological Assessment may be required where a development impacts on a sensitive habitat. This assessment must assess the likely impact of the proposed development and propose suitable mitigation measures. Objective 90 Support initiatives, which reduce the risks of invasions, help control and manage new and established invasive species, monitor impacts, raise public awareness, improve legislation and address international obligations. Objective 91 Implement conditions as appropriate, as part of a grant of a planning permission, to prevent the spread of invasive species. Objective 92 Encourage the use of native species in amenity planting, stocking and related community actions to reduce the introduction and spread of non-native species. Boyle Local Area Plan 2012-2018 Page 89
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boyle local area plan 2012 - 2018 - Roscommon County Council

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