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involves a report on the current state of the physical environment. The Irish Landslides Database could be avaluable baseline data input at the start of the SEA process. Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) have to becompleted for specified projects. The topics to be covered in an EIS are set out in the Regulations pertaining tosuch statements. Geology is not specifically mentioned, but the EPA Guidelines for them do make referenceto consideration of all the natural materials underlying a development so geology should be considered.The United Kingdom (UK) has a lot more landslides than Ireland. England and Wales have specific guidance onlandslides and planning. These are PPG 14 “Landslides and Planning” and PPG 20 “Coastal Planning”. Theguidance aims to advise all interested parties about the exercise of planning controls on lands which are, orpotentially are, unstable. It requires the carrying out of detailed identification and assessment of landslides.Given that there may be a greater frequency of landslides in the future due to the impact of climate change andthe increased pressure for development in remoter areas, it is important that the issue of land instability isaddressed at all stages of the planning process. This will require up to date information on landslide occurrencein a readily accessible format. Before this can be achieved the Irish Landslides Database needs to be expanded,and research work on landslide susceptibility mapping and hazard assessment needs to be undertaken. Thisresearch would require an appropriate level of funding. The preparation of national guidance on this issueshould be considered as part of the wider issue of natural hazards in general. Specific national guidance couldthen be formulated which could call upon a landslides database, require the identification of susceptible areasand the formulation of landslide risk assessments where relevant. The guidance would also ensure that thetype of development is suitable for the ground in question, and recommend that landslide mitigation measuresbe taken to reduce the risks linked to developments.7. Landslides in Northern IrelandLandslides occur in a number of different geological settings in Northern Ireland and in some cases constitutesignificant geohazards. Landslides are common around the edge of the basalt plateau in Counties Antrim andLondonderry where large, deep-seated rotational slip blocks of basalt and chalk were activated as a result ofglacial erosion of the underlying softer Jurassic mudstones. Mudflows and debris flows are also a significanthazard along the Antrim Coast Road. Catastrophic flows of mud, triggered by the ground saturation of theJurassic mudstone after heavy rainfall, have blocked the road near Glenarm on many occasions. Rock falls arean ever present problem around the edge of the plateau in Counties Antrim and Londonderry, and the steepoverhanging basalt cliffs require continuing management with the use of geotextiles or rock anchors and, insome cases, removal of sections of the rock face. In 1998 the British Geological Survey (BGS) undertook ageohazard research project on the Antrim coast which identified zones of landslide risk and described theconstraints to development within the various hazard zones.In Co. Fermanagh landslides and large block screes occur at the base of the steep mountain slopes and alongthe cliff lines at Magho, Belmore, and Cuilcagh. Glacial erosion produced oversteepening of the cliffs of limestoneand mudstone and triggered rotational landslides. Although now mainly dormant, slope instability at Maghocontinues to affect the A46 road.Peat slides and bog bursts are rapid mass movements in upland peat areas triggered by heavy rainfall. Theyhave been recorded on the Antrim Plateau and on Cuilcagh Mountain in Co. Fermanagh. Peat failure is not fullyunderstood but there are some common factors. The peat generally overlies a low permeability mineral soillayer and there is connectivity between the surface drainage and the peat/impermeable layer interface. Theyare found on a convex slope or a slope with a break of slope at its head, and in proximity to local drainage.Upland peat areas are under pressure from wind farm developments and developers are now routinely asked toassess the risk of landslides in their Environmental Impact Assessment submissions.The Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) is a statutory consultee to the Planning Service in NorthernIreland and provides advice on a range of geologically-related planning matters including landslide risk.It is difficult to predict whether or not landslide risk will increase as a result of future climate change. Thepredicted increase in amounts and intensity of winter precipitation, accompanied by increasing severity ofwinter gales, could increase the risk of slope instability.A landslides database for Northern Ireland would help raise awareness of landslide hazard and provide animproved capability to deliver geological information to key stakeholders. It is therefore recommended thatlandslides in Northern Ireland be fully documented in a database, and, where appropriate, research be undertakeninto landslide risk assessment and landslide susceptibility mapping. Consideration should also be given to thedevelopment of a detailed Planning Policy Statement similar to PPG 14 “Development on Unstable Ground”already in operation in England and Wales.v