11.
Land Use and Agriculture
11.2
Assesment Criteria
The
land within the constraints study area has been categorised
under the following headings:
- Agricultural
Lands
- Stud
Farms and Training Establishments
- Tillage
Farms (including Sugar Beet Farms)
- REPS
Farms
- Grassland
Farms
- Significant
Land Based Sports Establishments
- Agri-Businesses
The farming practice, enterprise mix and soil types are similar
throughout the constraints study area. Therefore it is unlikely
that standard farming practices will act as a constraint in
deciding the route to be selected. The affect of a new road
will be keenly felt by a given number of farmers along the
chosen route.
It is important to consider areas in which the placing of
a major road would create a significant impact. For example
where prominent dairy farms or a cluster of dairy farms occur,
and/or where land based sports establishments, stud farms
and training establishments are based. Establishments that
are of national and international importance would need individual
assessment before deciding to route a road through them.
11.2.1 Agricultural Lands
All of the constraints study area, except for urban areas
and roads, can be broadly classified as agricultural land.
Generally soils are highly fertile and agricultural land is
highly productive. Agriculture is practiced intensively with
specialist sugar beet, cereal, dairy, stud, beef & sheep farms
throughout the area.
Individual farms occupy the vast majority of the area and
should a route pass through these individual farms they will
be significantly affected. However, the selection of an alternative
route will equally significantly affect another set of individual
farms. Therefore, since the quality of land and the farming
practices are common throughout the area, the length of the
route is of most significance since it will decide the number
of farmers affected.
11.2.2
Dairy Farms
Table 1 of Appendix E lists a number of the prominent dairy
farms, including individual dairy farms or clusters of dairy
farms may be found, highlighting where dairy farming is of
importance in the local industry. Field assessment to reveal
more comprehensively the level of dairy farming will be required
at route selection stage.
Dairy farms are particularly sensitive to the location of
a major road. A dairy farm is entirely dependent on the land
parcel or grazing paddocks adjacent to the farmyard. The location
of a major road may cause severance of the land parcel into
smaller areas or severance of the access from the yard to
the grazing paddocks. This would have a significant impact
on the future viability of the farm or it's continuation in
dairying.
11.2.3
Stud Farms and Training Establishments
Table 2 of Appendix E highlights a non-exhaustive listing
of stud farms and training establishments. The exact site
boundaries of these industries would require individual mapping
surveys at route selection stage.
The
location of a proposed road would have a significant impact
on stud farms or equine-based enterprises. Horses would be
greatly affected by the location of a major road in close
proximity to a farm. It would have implications for both the
rearing and breeding of horses in the area. The severance
of land parcels can create field sizes and shapes unsuitable
to the training of horses.
11.2.4 Tillage Farms
Prominent tillage regions are associated with lands of very
high quality and fertile soils. The southern section of the
study area does not contain significant tillage areas.
The
impact of the location of a major road on a tillage farm is
not as significant as the impact on a dairy or stud farm.
It may lead to the severance of an area or parcel of land
resulting in access problems for machinery.
11.2.5
Sugar Beet Farms
The soil type and the climatic conditions favour the growing
of sugar beet in this area. The sugar factory located in Carlow
town has contributed to farms within the constraints study
area growing sugar beet.
The location of a major road in the area will have a similar
effect on individual sugar beet farms as tillage farms. That
is, severance of land causing problems for machinery, as well
as the additional potential impacts of access problems and
severance of minor local roads impeding the delivery of beet
to the factory in Carlow town.
11.2.6
Rural Environment Protection Scheme Farms
There is among the lowest uptake of the Rural Environment
Protection Scheme (REPS) in Ireland, reflecting the high percentage
of intensive farmers and high quality soils within the study
area.
It is not considered that REPS farms will form a significant
constraint in the routing of the new road.
11.2.7 Grassland Farms
Grassland based farming operations include suckler, drystock,
sheep or mixed farms. These farms are spread evenly throughout
the study area.
The impact of the location of a major road on grassland farming
is not as significant as the impact on a dairy or stud farm.
This is due to access not being required to the grassland
areas on as regular a basis as with the dairy farm. Cattle
and sheep are not as sensitive as horses would be to the impact
of a major road. The route location may lead to the severance
of an area or parcel of land resulting in access problems
for machinery to the severed area.
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