Landscape and Amenities.pdf - Offaly County Council

OFFALY COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2009 - 2015
Volume 1 - Written Statement
16.3 POLICY
P16-01 It is Council policy that landscape considerations will be an important factor in all land use policy and
decision making for the county, ensuring that a pro-active view of development is undertaken whilst
maintaining respect for the environment and heritage, as per the general principles of sustainable development.
Further it is policy to conserve, protect and enhance the landscape of Offaly at a number of levels:
• The value of the landscape itself, as open countryside and the associated form and character of
settlements.
• The value of the landscape as a resource for economic growth in accordance with its physical and visual
attributes.
• The value of the landscape and its role with habitats and species whose diversity enriches the
environment.
P16-02 It is Council policy to control development as per the county’s landscape classification listed in Tables
16.2-16.5.
P16-03 It is Council policy to protect and preserve the county’s Areas of High Amenity, including the Slieve
Bloom Mountains, Clonmacnoise Heritage Zone, River Shannon, Lough Boora Parklands, Grand Canal, Croghan
Hill, Raheenmore Bog, Pallas Lake, Clara Bog and eskers, Eiscir Riada, other eskers and Durrow High Cross, Abbey
& surrounding area from development(s) which would be visually obtrusive or which would detract from the
intrinsic character and environmental quality of the landscape.
P16-04 It is Council policy to protect the county’s attractive scenic amenity routes from insensitive levels of
roadside development and excessive levels of development. For development directly accessing onto restricted
regional routes (key amenity routes) as shown on map 13.3 (Chapter 13, Transport and Accessibility) and on map
16.9, restrictions as per policy P13-05 will apply.
P16-05 It is Council policy that existing local landscape features, including hedgerows, shelter belts and stone
walls are retained, protected and enhanced where appropriate, so as to preserve the local landscape and
character of an area, whilst providing for future development.
P16-06 It is Council policy to protect the landscape comprising the River Shannon and flood plain including the
callows and views of special interest from inappropriate development. However, appropriate development
within settlements adjacent to the Shannon and its callows and which act as focal points for both residential and
commercial / business, industry and recreation will be positively considered.
P16-07 It is Council policy that new development should ensure the protection of mature trees, hedgerows
and the conservation of existing stone walls, and their integration into new development. Where the provision
of new boundaries is required, these should comprise native hedgerow planting, or stone walls which consist of
stone found in the locality. Where comprehensive new development occurs, it should take into account the
pattern of existing hedgerows and incorporate same into layouts or plant connecting hedgerows where
hedgerow removal to facilitate development works is necessary. The Council will require that all new
development will respect the existing character of the settlement, in particular through the provision of
sensitive landscaping schemes. In the event that the removal of tree(s) is deemed to be necessary, it will be
generally conditional on replacement with appropriate species.
Chapter 16 | Landscape & Amenities | page 177