Section 6 Alternatives

The SEA Directive requires that reasonable alternatives (taking into account the objectives and the geographical scope of the plan or programme) are identified, described and evaluated for their likely significant effects on the environment.

The description of the environmental baseline (both maps and text) and Strategic Environmental Objectives (SEOs) are used in the evaluation of alternatives.

Kilkenny County Council in preparing the Amendment to the Callan Local Area Plan 2009-2020 developed three alternative development strategies as follows:

·         Alternative A is a do-nothing scenario whereby the site remains un-zoned and outside the Callan LAP boundary as it is presently. 

·         Alternative B provides for a zoning change to ‘Residential’ with no site specific development objective to integrate environmental considerations arising from the SEA, AA and SFRA processes. 

·         Alternative C provides for a zoning change to ‘Agriculture’ with a site specific objective that integrates environmental considerations identified by the AA, SEA and SFRA into the proposal.  These considerations were identified during the SEA Scoping exercise, and were informed by both the AA and SFRA and by submissions from the environmental authorities. 

These alternatives are mapped on Figure 6.1, Figure 6.2 and Figure 6.3.

Figure 6.1 Alternative A – Do Nothing Scenario

Source: Current Zoning Map for Callan LAP, as amended. 

Figure 6.2 Alternative B

Figure 6.3 Alternative C