Heritage plays an essential role in maintaining a high quality of life by way of promoting biodiversity, providing features of interest and contributing to the history, character and identity of areas. Heritage includes, buildings, rivers, trees, landscapes, archaeological sites together with their interrelationship with mankind. Some aspects of Carlow’s heritage are important in their own location and some are of national or international importance and contribute to the overall biodiversity of the wider region. Mechanisms for the protection of heritage features, landscapes and sites are provided through Planning and Development legislation together with Wildlife, National Monuments and Habitats legislation. The County Development Plan is an important medium that brings the various forms of heritage and landscape protection together.
Designated nature conservation sites located in County Carlow provide important habitats for flora and fauna and contribute to the overall biodiversity of the area. Designated natural habitats in County Carlow include the Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) comprising the Blackstairs Mountains, Slaney River Valley and River Barrow and River Nore. The basic designation for wildlife is the Natural Heritage Area (NHA). This is an area considered important for the habitats present or which holds species of plants and animals whose habitat needs protection. Within Carlow there are four Proposed Natural Heritage Areas, namely, Ardristan Fen, Ballymoon Esker, John’s Hill and Oakpark. Sites of geological interest have also been designated by the Geological Survey of Ireland. Preservation of these resources not only enriches quality of life and the identity of Carlow but also provides a unique selling point in terms of tourism and thus the local economy.
Architectural heritage is afforded protection through the Record of Protected Structures as contained in the County Development Plan which gives protected status to all structures that are deemed of special interest. Categories of special interest include architectural, historical, archaeological, artistic, cultural, scientific, technical and social interest. There are 546 structures on the County Development Plan list and 115 on the list of the Joint Spatial Plan for the Greater Carlow Graiguecullen Urban area. One overall list will be incorporated into the forthcoming County Development Plan at which time additions/deletions may be made in light of further survey work conducted.
Areas of the county which have a special character and architectural interest may also be protected through the designation of Architectural Conservation Areas (ACA’s). An ACA is a place, area or group of structures or townscape, whose character it is an objective of the development plan to preserve. Currently, there are ACAs contained within the Carlow Town Area and Borris village. An ACA provides a framework that will permit a degree of flexibility in terms of design consistent with the maintenance and improvement of the special character of the area.
Archaeological heritage is afforded protection through the National Monuments Acts. Currently there are c.950 recorded monuments within the county. Urban Archaeological Surveys have also been conducted for a number of settlements in the county. These surveys have identified areas containing a significant number of recorded monuments and therefore have the potential to contain more undiscovered sites. Areas within these settlements have been identified as Zones of Archaeological Potential.
The landscape of County Carlow is characterised by four main character areas, namely the Central Lowlands, River Slaney – East Rolling Farm land, Blackstairs and Mount Leinster Uplands and the Killeshin Hills. The importance of these Character Areas, together with protected views and prospects and their ability to accommodate development has been assessed as part of the Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) contained within the existing Carlow County Development Plan 2015-2021. The LCA provides the basis for informed decision making and policy formulation and for the conservation and protection of the landscape. Carlow County Council recognises its responsibility to manage lands in the county on a sustainable basis. Sustainable land management requires an understanding of the nature and components of the landscape that create distinctive character and an understanding of the capacity of different landscapes to accommodate different forms of development. The County Development Plan will contain guidance together with policies and objectives that will seek to ensure that changes arising from developments will be sympathetic to the county’s landscape and provide a basis for landscape planning and management consistent with the principle of sustainable development.
The term Green Infrastructure (GI) describes the interconnected networks of land and water all around us that sustain environmental quality and biodiversity and enrich quality of life. These areas include conservation areas, parks, open spaces, gardens, rivers, streams, floodplains, wetlands, woodlands, farmland and mountainous areas. The provision of green infrastructure contributes to environmental, economic and social benefits through natural solutions that support ecological processes thereby reducing dependence on “hard” infrastructure. As part of Project Ireland 2040, the importance of green infrastructure planning to inform the preparation of county development plans is recognised and supported. The County Development Plan will seek to address the importance of green infrastructure and recognise its multi-functional role performing several functions in a single shared space thereby enhancing opportunities for recreation and tourism, encouraging new business to invest and contributing to climate change adaptation.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
SOCIAL BENEFIT
CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION BENEFITS
BIODIVERSITY BENEFITS