European Sites wholly or partially within the 4km NCN Proposed Corridor
Consideration of potential impacts
Mitigation approach for Corridor
are avoidable for most of the corridor through either routing decisions or decisions regarding how the relevant sections of cycle route will be created (e.g. utilising existing infrastructure rather than creating new infrastructure in the most constrained sections, or using standard mitigation methods). Parts of the 4km corridor within which the final cycle route will be located lie within 2km of Ballysadare Bay
otter passage along the riverbanks. If any temporary ‘in river’ works were to be necessary, studies (including but not limited to underwater noise and hydrodynamic studies), and potentially mitigation, would be required to ensure the works could be delivered without an adverse effect on the SAC habitats or salmon population; 3. If a new bridge crossing the Unshin River SAC is required, the following general requirements must be followed in designing and assessing the structure: a. Any abutments must be located outside the SAC boundary and/or must involve no loss of qualifying SAC habitat; b. Any abutments must be located outside the river channel and must be set sufficiently far back from the bank top to ensure passage of otter along the banks is not prevented; c. The soffit of the bridge should be sufficiently high that significant shading impacts on the water column and in river vegetation will not arise. Research suggests this would require a soffit height: deck width ratio of 0.7 or above. d. A noise impact assessment of bridge construction regarding salmon and otter will be required, and potentially mitigation (such as seasonal restrictions on working, alternative construction methods or noise control techniques) to ensure no significant effect on the population of either species. e. Water quality protection measures will be required as well as a hydrological study to confirm any new construction would not affect special interest features that are hydrologically sensitive (e.g. alluvial woodland). f. Lighting should be avoided in areas that are currently unlit unless it can be demonstrated that there would be no adverse effect on site integrity. If detailed design work indicates that a new crossing of the Unshin River is required but it is not possible to deliver such a crossing over the SAC without an adverse effect on site integrity, the Corridor should be revised (such as to not to connect to Sligo) to demonstrate no adverse effect on site integrity.
Corridor Number and Name
European Sites wholly or partially within the 4km NCN Proposed Corridor
Consideration of potential impacts
Mitigation approach for Corridor
SPA and Cummeen Strand SPA. Since these sites are designated for mobile species that may make use of habitat outside the SPA boundary there is potential for any new cycle route construction to affect functionally- linked land for SPA birds outside the SPA boundary. At Ballisodare and again at Collooney the entire 4km corridor traverses the Unshin River SAC. The SAC is designated for
Corridor Number and Name
European Sites wholly or partially within the 4km NCN Proposed Corridor
Consideration of potential impacts
Mitigation approach for Corridor
its water courses of plain to montane levels with the Ranunculion fluitantis and Callitricho- Batrachion vegetation, its semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates, its Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clayey- silt-laden soils, its alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior and its populations of salmon and otter. In all three
Corridor Number and Name
European Sites wholly or partially within the 4km NCN Proposed Corridor
Consideration of potential impacts
Mitigation approach for Corridor
cases it would not be possible to make the connection to Sligo from the south without crossing the Unshin River SAC due to the length of the river.
The 4km corridor is sufficiently wide that direct impacts on any European sites can be avoided if necessary. Therefore, while noise and visual disturbance impacts, and air quality impacts (if construction was required) could arise if the final route ran within
It is possible to deliver most of the final cycle route without any direct effects on European sites. The final route alignment should avoid any new construction within 200m of any European sites where possible. Where European sites are to be traversed existing roads and bridges should be used to carry the cycle route where feasible and there should be no new lighting introduced in areas that are currently unlit unless it can be demonstrated that there would be no adverse effect on site integrity. Where the cycle route will traverse a European site there will also be a need for consideration at the project level of any detailed design requirements (such as prevention of access) that will assess the potential impact of any possible net increase in recreational access to, or pressure within, the European site and determine if it is considered acceptable. If any new construction within 200m is needed to create the cycle route a noise and air quality assessment (and potentially noise and air quality mitigation) will be required to ensure there is no construction-related disturbance that could significantly affect SPA birds or significant air pollution impacts on sensitive habitats. Parts of the 4km corridor lie within 2km of Lough Oughter SPA. There will therefore need to be consideration of any potential for loss of functionally-linked habitat for SPA birds once the actual cycle route is determined. This will only be required if new construction is required within natural habitats and loss of habitat is greater than trivial; this is relevant because very little land is required for a cycle route. In such a situation wintering bird surveys to