Appendix Full - Fingal County Council

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INTRODUCTION Your Fingal – Written Statement/Draft Landscape Character can be defined as the distinctive, recognisable and consistent pattern of elements that make one landscape different from another, rather than better or worse. Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) attempts to describe landscapes in terms of their character in an objective way. This can then be used to inform decision making in relation to the protection of the environment, natural resources and heritage; it can be used to monitor change and it can be used to guide development. The Landscape Character Assessment for Fingal divides the county into 7 Landscape Character Areas. These are the Coastal Character Area, the Estuary Character Area, the River Valleys/Canal Character Area, Airport and Swords Character Area, High Lying Agricultural Character Area, the Low Lying Agricultural Character Area and the Rolling Hills With Tree Belts Character Area. A description of each Landscape Character Area and principles for development for each are detailed below. A High Amenity Zoning (Zone HA) has been applied to areas of the County of high landscape value. In addition areas of sensitive landscape have been identified which generally adjoin the High Amenity Areas. These have some of the qualities of the High Amenity Zone but to a lesser degree. Sixteen (16) Landscape Groups are also identified and described below. These are areas where interrelationships between particular areas of landscape give rise to particular sensitivities when considering development proposals. The Landscape Character Assessment also identified important views and prospects in the County. The coastline has been divided into 9 visual compartments which are indicated on sheet 19. The coast is, among other things, particularly vulnerable to visual intrusion. Development occurring within a visual compartment has the capacity to visually affect the whole compartment and therefore must be sited and designed appropriately. Prospects worthy of protection have been identified together with roads or other public areas from which there is a view worthy of protection. In addition major ridgelines have been identified. Ridgelines and other elevated sites in the county are sensitive to development because structures on these sites can be seen over a wide area and may be obtrusive. LANDSCAPE CHARACTER AREAS ROLLING HILLS CHARACTER AREA This area of Fingal is mainly agricultural land characterised by rolling landscapes across the Ward and Broadmeadow river valleys. The undulating nature of the countryside together with the presence of larger properties and tree belts has resulted in a varied landscape. The trees together with the river corridors help create a rich landscape, both visually and ecologically. Views are generally contained by the rolling landscape, which creates a landscape of short horizons. There are some panoramic views which are listed in the Development Plan to the north over the more level land adjoining this character area from the R108 (St Margarets to Naul road) and R125 (Swords to Dunshaughlin road). This type of landscape can absorb a certain amount of development once the scale and forms are kept simple and surrounded by adequate screen boundaries and appropriate landscaping to reduce impact on the rural character of the surrounding roads. Principles for Development / The skyline within this rolling landform should be protected. / Existing tree belts should be retained and managed and older stands of trees restocked. / Roadside hedging should be retained and managed. Proposals necessitating the removal of extensive field and roadside hedgerows will not be permitted. / The river corridors should be protected and improved by leaving a minimum 10 metre wide margin undeveloped and encouraging planting where appropriate, to enhance the landscape and habitat value of these corridors. 1
2 Your Fingal – Written Statement/Draft HIGH LYING CHARACTER AREA This is an area of upland, rising to a high point of 176 metres at Hillfort Mound, to the south east of the Naul Village. These hills while not significant on a national scale are of regional importance and afford panoramic views of the Mourne Mountains to the north, the coastline to the east and the Wicklow Mountains in the South. This landscape character area includes Landscape Groups 2, 3 and 4. There are a number of important visual ridges on these uplands, which are visible over a wide area of Fingal and Meath. Almost the whole county can be seen from the more elevated roads. The character of the uplands is very attractive in its own right with a mixture of pasture and arable farming combined with strong hedgerows in a rolling landscape. Principles for Development / New development should be located well below the skyline. / The use of existing housing stock should be maximised and existing housed should be refurbished in preference to replacement by new house. / Ridgelines should be protected from development. / Listed views and prospects should be protected. / Field and roadside hedgerows should be retained. Proposals necessitating the removal of extensive field and roadside hedgerows will not be permitted. / A number of areas have been identified as particularly sensitive to the development of forestry; they include Landscape Groups 2, 3 and 4. LOW LYING CHARACTER AREA A mix of pasture and arable farming on level land or land with few views or prospects. Generally large fields with few tree belts or large settlements. The more open character of the land combined with larger field patterns and low roadside hedges makes it a more difficult landscape to find suitable sites for development. Principles for Development / Sites with natural boundaries should be chosen, rather than open parts of larger fields. / New development should be located close to existing trees and field hedgerows. / Houses should be located further back from roads in order to reduce the scale of development as seen from the road and so minimise visual impact. / Sites necessitating the removal of excessive hedgerows or trees are not suitable. / Strong planting schemes using native species, to integrate development into these open landscapes, will be required. / Clustering with existing farmhouse and/or farm buildings is generally preferable to stand-alone locations. ESTUARY CHARACTER AREA Along the coast of Fingal there are three large sand spits which have created protected estuarine and saltmarsh habitats of great ornithological and ecological interest at Rogerstown, Swords/Malahide and Baldoyle. These are all designated European Sites (Special Protection Areas or Proposed Special Areas of Conservation) under the European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations 1997 and any development proposed in these areas must comply with these regulations. The margins of the estuaries are generally free of development with the exception of Malahide along the south side of the Swords/Malahide estuary. The flat horizontal nature of estuaries means that views are generally contained within the low hills and dunes that enclose these areas. These are some groups of trees to the edges of the estuary zones especially to the north side of the Swords/Malahide estuary. The character of these zones can alter depending on the tidal condition.
Page 1 and 2: Appendix A Record of Protected Stru
Page 3 and 4: 2 Your Fingal - Written Statement/D
Page 11 and 12: 10 Your Fingal - Written Statement/
Page 21: Appendix B Landscape Character Asse
Page 31 and 32: Appendix C Specific Design Criteria
Page 39 and 40: Appendix D Guidelines for Works in
Page 45 and 46: Appendix E Housing Strategy for the
Page 69 and 70: Your Fingal - Written Statement/Dra
Page 71 and 72: Your Fingal - Written Statement/Dra

Appendix Full - Fingal County Council

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