5 Development of Preferred Route

5.3 Southern Assessment

Method of Assessment
The assessment process by which a preferred route corridor was selected covered 5 steps.

Step 1: A detailed assessment of all options was undertaken between "nodes" by Arup Consulting Engineers and expert sub-consultants to cover the areas identified in 5.2.2 to 5.2.8 above. Added to that was an assessment for hydrology and drainage. These assessments are explained in detail in RSR3 Chapters 9 to 16 and tabulated in matrix form in Selection Matrix A, RSR3 Figures 18.1 to 18.3. The matrices have all summarised impacts (where possible) using significance criteria based on the Environmental Protection Agency Guidelines which recommended five levels of importance, severe, major, moderate, minor and neutral. The criteria is explained in detail in Section 2.5 of RSR Volume 3/1.

The planning and socio-economic aspects of the assessment reported in complete sections (E, F or G) rather than between nodes given the wider geographical nature of those type of impacts.

Step 2: A review of the Step 1 process took place at a workshop attended by the contributors to the assessments. The aim was to discuss the assessment and the reasons why certain links attracted high impacts. Socio economics and traffic were included in the workshop review and options were discarded that could not meet the scheme objectives. The workshop then identified a number of modifications to the remaining links, and new links, that should reduce impacts in the areas of greatest concern.

Step 3: Assessment of the modifications and new links and preparation of Selection Matrix B, based on the most favourable links.

Step 4: Preparation of a number of complete route options in each section (E, F and G). A further Selection Matrix C compared these options and an analysis of this matrix assisted in the decision on the preferred route corridor. This analysis included discussions on junction arrangements in any option and traffic, economic, socio economics and cost benefit factors that might affect the choice of preferred route corridor.

Step 5: Description of the preferred route corridor with the relevant details summarised in the Preferred Route Corridor Residual Impacts table.
The following is a summary of Step 1

Planning and Socio-Economics

• Strategic Planning
  It is considered that the scheme will have a beneficial effect in terms of satisfying the National planning policy outlined in the National Development Plan.
  
• Regional Planning
  The route corridor options are largely in conformance with the stated policies and objectives. In overall terms, it is considered that there is a beneficial effect on the planning environment in County Kilkenny.
  
• Socio-Economics
  The principal socio-economic benefit of all of the routes is the enhancement of the links from the wider Kilcullen-Waterford corridor as described earlier in this section.
  

In overall socio-economic terms, the highest benefits would arise from Option E1 (and possibly utilising E3). These Options service Kilkenny well, promoting and consolidating development within the City boundary. There is little to differentiate in socio-economic terms, between the options in the remaining sections, with any of the options presenting a socio-economic benefit to the region, subject to any mitigation measures that may be necessary.

Impact on People
The route corridor options pass through the county of Kilkenny, which is mainly rural in character. Due to the lack of restriction on one-off housing developments in rural areas in the past, the entire county of Kilkenny is sprinkled with ribbon development along its existing roads network. In this respect the routing of any corridor through the area is hindered by this spread of development. There are also many fine older houses and estates (as discussed in Section 11.0 and 13.0 of Volume 3) and numerous agricultural based developments (as outlined in Section 12.0).

There are a number of noteworthy community centres within each section. In section E, the towns of Paulstown, Bennettsbridge, Gowran and Stoneyford are the most significant, after the city of Kilkenny. In Section F, Knocktopher and Ballyhale (both on the National Primary Roads network) are the main population centres and in Section G, Mullinavat and Kilmacow villages are most prominent.
In addition to the above, there are numerous local communities and many rural and tourism based community facilities across the county.

In overall terms it was shown that in Section E Options E1 and E6 would have the greatest impact on property and people whereas options E1/E6, E2, E3, E4 and E5 have lesser impact and are similar to each other. In Section F, F3 would have the greatest impact and F1 the least. Option G2 had the greatest overall impact in Section G with Options G1 and G3 being similar.

Community facilities features a range that could be considered typical for County Kilkenny including racecourses, stud farms, caravan parks, golf courses, GAA pitches and quarrying industries. The highest number of facilities were located in Section E and impacts varied with the differing options.

Flora, Fauna and Fisheries
The route options would pass through a broad band of mainly flat to gently undulating land from Paulstown to Stoneyford in the east and centre of Co Kilkenny. Most of the land is used for intensive agriculture with a high proportion of improved grassland and some arable land. Further south, the route options pass through undulating to hilly land and along river valleys in south Co Kilkenny. The land is primarily agricultural and varies from intensive with large areas of improved grassland and abundant dairy farms in lowland areas, to less intensive pasture with sheep and cattle grazing in the uplands. There are numerous large conifer plantations in the uplands and scattered small conifer and broad-leaved plantations in wetland areas and along river floodplains, particularly in the south. Areas of broad-leaved woodland are widespread but generally limited in extent on old estates and along the river valleys. Comparatively few ecological sites would be impacted by the route corridors in lowland areas.

Ecological sites are shown on RSR3 Figures 10.1 to 10.5 and a full list of the ecological sites with site number references is included in Appendix B of Volume 3 as Table 3. The number of ecological sites increases in the uplands and river valleys to the south. Hedgerows are found throughout the study area and many contain mature broad-leaved trees. The route corridors would cross numerous watercourses which are part of the Barrow, Nore and Suir catchments. This includes the main channel of the Nore and King's rivers, and the Blackwater and Pollanassa rivers, tributaries of the Suir. All the main watercourses are important for salmonid fish.

All options in Section E would cross designated conservation areas at either the River Nore or Kings River, both of which are part of the River Barrow and Nore cSAC. Option E5 would affect the Red Bog at Dungarvan (pNHA) and both F1 and G2 would affect Hugginstown Fen, also pNHA.