Ringaskiddy Port Redevelopment Environmental Impact Statement

1.0 INTRODUCTION, SCOPING & CONSULTATION

1.1 Project Summary
The Port of Cork (POC) has appointed a team of specialist consultants to compile an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) of their redevelopment proposals at Ringaskiddy. A comprehensive
description of development is included in Chapter 3 of this EIS.

1.2 Planning Context

Strategic infrastructure provisions contained within the Planning and Development (Strategic
Infrastructure) Act 2006 came into effect on 31st January 2007. This Act, amending the Planning and
Development Act 2000 (the 2000 Act) provides generally for certain planning applications relating to
specified private and public strategic infrastructure developments to be made directly to An Bord
Pleanla as opposed to the relevant local planning authority.

Through direct correspondence with An Bord Pleanla, this planning application was determined as
Strategic Infrastructure development. This correspondence is contained within Volume III a - Appendix
1.1 of this Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

1.3 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) - Concept

EIA is a key instrument of European Union environmental policy and a procedure required under the
terms of European Union Directives 2011/92/EU (Consolidated EIA Directive) on assessment of the
effects of certain public and private projects on the environment

Article 2 of the Directive requires, inter alia, that Member States shall adopt all measures necessary
to ensure that, before consent is given, projects likely to have significant effects on the environment by
virtue, inter alia, of their nature, size or location are made subject to a requirement for development
consent and an assessment with regard to their effects. Article 8 requires that The results of
consultations and information gathered pursuant to [the EIA process] must be taken into consideration
in the development consent procedure.

EIA requirements under domestic planning legislation have been consolidated, inter alia, into the
Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and the Planning and Development Regulations
2001 (as amended).

1.4 Environmental Impact Statement - Structure

The EIS is comprised as follows:

Non-Technical Summary
Volume I - EIS: Main Statement
Volume II - EIS: Figures & Photomontages
Volume III a - EIS: Appendices
Volume III b - Traffic & Transportation Appendices

The EIS should be read in conjunction with the associated planning submission to An Bord Pleanla
including the planning application drawings. Where figures referenced in the chapters of this EIS are
not located within the relevant chapter, they are provided in EIS Volume II. Where appendices are
referenced in the Chapters of this EIS, they are provided in EIS Volume III a or III b.

The EIS comprises the following specific chapters:

01 Introduction;
02 Need for the Scheme & Outline of Alternatives;
03 Project Description;
04 Planning Policy;

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05 Human Beings;
06 Cultural Heritage;
07 Landscape and Visual;
08 Traffic and Transportation;
09 Noise and Vibration;
10 Air Quality and Climate;
11 Soils and Geology;
12 Coastal Processes;
13 Water Environment;
14 Marine Ecology;
15 Terrestrial Ecology and Ornithology;
16 Interactions / Inter-Relationships;
17 Schedule of Commitments.

1.5 Methodology
The EIS follows the format of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Guidelines on the
information to be contained in Environmental Impact Statements (March 2002). The EPA Advice
Notes on Current Practices (in the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements) (September
2003) details the topics usually addressed for particular project types.

Whilst details of the methodology used in each individual discipline are given in the relevant Chapter
of the document each EIA chapter broadly conforms to the following format:

An Introduction describing the purpose of the Chapter;

A description of the Methodology used in the Chapter;
A description of the aspects of the Existing Environment relevant to the environmental topic
under consideration;
An assessment of the Impact (including cumulative) of the proposed development on the
environmental topic;
Recommendations for Mitigation measures to avoid, reduce or remedy where possible, any
significant negative impacts identified; and
An assessment of the Residual Impact which will remain assuming that the recommended
mitigation measures are implemented.

1.6 Scoping & Consultation

1.6.1 Introduction

The Ringaskiddy Port Redevelopment project arises from a strategic need identified by POC as
described in Chapter 2 of this EIS. The process of consultation has enabled POC to gauge opinions
on general development options for the Port and facilitated differing perspectives to be taken into
account in the initial stages of the development proposal. The consultation processes have helped to
shape the proposal now being presented to An Bord Pleanla.

Building on the consultation carried out during the process to develop the POC Strategic Development
Plan Review in 2010, POC has carried out further extensive consultation on the project in the course
of developing the proposal. RPS has also consulted with various statutory and non-statutory bodies in
preparing the EIS and this has facilitated changes to be made during the design stage of the
redevelopment to take account of comments, and suggestions arising from the consultation process.

1.6.2 Consultation with An Bord Pleanla

A pre-application statutory consultation process was held with An Bord Pleanla relating to the
proposed redevelopment. This occurred over a series of five pre-application consultation meetings
between 2011 and 2014 on dates listed below.

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Meeting Date Written record response

1 20th December 2011 8th March 2012
2 18th April 2012 5th February 2013
3 6th June 2013 11th July 2013
4 25th July 2013 9th September 2013
5 13th February 2014 7th March 2014

Copies of the written records of those consultations are included in Volume III a - Appendix 1.2.
Following on from that process, the An Bord Pleanla served notice that it is of the opinion that the
proposed redevelopment falls within the scope of paragraphs 37A(2)(a) and (b) of the 2000 Act and
accordingly any application for permission for the proposed redevelopment must therefore be made
directly to An Bord Pleanla under section 37E of the Act.

1.6.3 Informal EIA scoping exercise with statutory and relevant bodies
A significant level of consultation has taken place with statutory consultees and relevant bodies by
both POC directly and RPS as part of the development of the Ringaskiddy Port Redevelopment
proposals. Prior to the designation by An Bord Plenala of the project as Strategic Infrastructure ,
RPS undertook a scoping exercise with the following organisations. These consultations have
informed the nature of the development application. Letters were sent to the relevant statutory and
non-statutory consultees listed below, informing them of the proposed development and inviting their
comments on the proposal;

An Taisce
Arts Council
Birdwatch Ireland
Bord Gais Eireann
Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Commissioners of Irish Lights
Cork City Council
Cork County Council
- County Manager
- Planning
- Environment
- Water Services
- Roads
- Corporate, Community & Emergency Services
Cork Kerry Tourism
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
- Development Applications Unit
- NPWS Divisional Ecologist
- Underwater Archaeology Unit
Department of Children and Youth Affairs
Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Department of Defence

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Department of Education and Skills

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Health
Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation
Department of Justice and Equality
Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport
EirGrid
Electricity Supply Board
Enterprise Ireland
Environmental Protection Agency
Failte Ireland
Geological Survey of Ireland
Health and Safety Authority
Health Service Executive Southern Area
Heritage Council
Inland Fisheries Ireland
Irish Federation of Sea Anglers
Irish Whale and Dolphin Group
Irish Wildlife Trust
Marine Institute
National Roads Authority
Office of Public Works
RNLI Ireland
South West Regional Authority
Sustainable Energy Authority for Ireland
Teagasc

1.6.4 Public Consultation Exercise

A programme of public consultation concerning the Ringaskiddy Port Redevelopment project was
undertaken between April 2013 and February 2014 to seek the views of the wider public on the
proposal.

The consultation process involved;

Briefings with local public representatives on the proposal
Provision of up to date project information on the POC website: www.portofcork.ie
The publication of public notices (see Volume III a Appendix 1.3) in local newspapers

The 1st Public Consultation event was held as follows:

Fota Island Golf Clubhouse

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Thursday, 11th April 2013 (4-8pm)

Carrigaline Court Hotel

Friday, 12th April (2-8pm)

Saturday, 13th April (10am-2pm)

After the 1st Community Consultation, the project was redefined as described in Chapter 3 of this EIS.
A second community consultation exercise was organised and occurred as follows

Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh

Thursday 6th February 2014 (3-8pm)

National Maritime College, Ringaskiddy

Friday 7th February (3-8pm)

Saturday 8th February (10am-2pm)

The purpose of the public consultation exercise was to inform people of the redevelopment proposals,
record their views and ensure that they are aware of the opportunities available to them to participate
in the development assessment process.

The redevelopment proposals advanced in the Ringaskiddy Port Redevelopment project reflect the
significant levels of consultation that have taken place since 2010 on the future of the Port.

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