Chapter 8: Infrastructure (Formerly Chapter 7)

54

Amend Objective IN O2 Digital Connectivity to include the following:

h)  Support emerging innovations in the digital transformation of transportation, E-Mobility and sustainable mobility in line with Regional Policy Objective 160 Smart Mobility, including those identified in LSMATS.

7.4 Digital Connectivity and Limerick’s Digital Strategy

IN O2 Digital Connectivity

160, 249

55

Insert a new objective IN OXX Digital Innovations Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area in Section 7.4 Digital Connectivity and Limerick’s Digital Strategy as follows:

Objective IN OXX - Digital Innovations Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area - It is an objective of the Council to continue to develop digital services and work with relevant stakeholders to enhance digital innovations and digital transformation throughout Limerick and the Limerick Shannon Metropolitan Area, as opportunities arise.

7.4 Digital Connectivity and Limerick’s Digital Strategy

New objective

249

56

Amend Section 7.5.1 Water Services Act 2013 as follows:

The Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) is the economic regulator of public water services. The CER’s CRU’s role is to protect the interests of water consumers, ensure water services are delivered in a safe, secure and sustainable manner and that Irish Water operates in an economic and efficient manner.

7.5.1 Water Services Act 2013

205

57

Amend Objective IN O5 Water Services as follows:

b)  Collaborate with Irish Water in the protection of water supply sources to avoid water quality deterioration and reduce the level of treatment required in the production of drinking water, in accordance with Article 7(2) of the WFD. Protection and restoration of drinking water at the source can have co-benefits for biodiversity and climate change. 

1. Liaise with Irish Water during the lifetime of the Draft Plan to secure investment in the pro-vision, extension and upgrading of the piped water distribution network and wastewater pipe network across Limerick City and County, to serve existing population and future population growth and sustain economic growth, in accordance with the requirements of the Core and Settlement Strategies. 
2. Collaborate with Irish Water to resolve the existing water services infrastructural constraints in Newcastle West – a Key Town designated by the RSES. 
3. Ensure that development proposals connecting to the public water and/or wastewater networks comply with Irish Water Standard Details and Codes of Practice the standards and requirements of the Irish Water: Code of Practice for Water Infrastructure (December 2016) and any updated version of this document during the lifetime of the Draft Plan.   Where relevant ensure developments comply with the EPA Code of Practice for Domestic Waste Water Treatment Systems 2021. 

7.5.1 Services Act 2013

IN 05 Water Services

205

58

Replace Objective IN O6 Public Water Supply with a new Objective IN OXX Drinking Water Source Protection as follows:

Objective IN O6 Public Water Supply -It is an objective of the Council to:

a)  Promote and support water conservation and demand management measures among all water users in new developments.

b)  Restrict development within the zones of contribution for wells used as sources of water supply, except where established by Irish Water and to the Council’s satisfaction, that the development would not compromise the quality, quantity or pressure of the public supply extracting from the well.

Objective IN OXX - Drinking Water Source Protection – It is an objective of the Council to protect both ground and surface water sources, to avoid water quality deterioration and reduce the level of treatment required in the production of drinking water, in accordance with Article 7(2) of the Water Framework Directive. 

i.   New developments which could pose an unacceptable risk to drinking water sources will not be permitted.

ii.  New development should not conflict with the protection guidelines set out in the Limerick Groundwater Protection Scheme and/ or Groundwater Source Protection Zone reports.

7.5.1 Water Services Act 2013

IN 06 Public Water Supply

205

59

Amend Section 7.5.3 Public Waste Water Treatment as follows:

Further analysis by the Council has identified the following:

•   7.3% of settlements in Limerick have adequate wastewater capacity to facilitate future growth;

•   Three settlements that have limited wastewater capacity for future growth and currently do not comply with the Waste Water Discharge Licence granted by the EPA are Adare, Caherconlish and Kilfinane;

•   20% of settlements have no spare wastewater capacity, including Newcastle West, Askeaton and Foynes;

•   There is chronic overloading of the Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) in Askeaton, Hospital, Dromcollogher and Murroe.

Irish Water’s current 2019 wastewater treatment capacity register for County Limerick, states that there is capacity available in 41 no. of the 53-no. waste water treatment plants (WWTPs). These include Bunlicky and Castletroy WWTPs, which serve the Limerick City Metropolitan Municipal District. These WWTPs require some upgrading and it is envisaged by Irish Water that, with the completion of these upgrades, there will be sufficient spare capacity to accommodate the projected growth in Limerick City and Environs, Mungret and Annacotty as set out in the RSES and the Core Strategy, over the lifetime of the Draft Plan, subject to planning and other approvals.

7.5.3 Public Waste Water Treatment

205, 249

60

Insert a new Objective IN OXX Trade Discharges as follows:

Objective IN OXX - Trade Discharges – It is an objective of the Council to support Irish Water in the promotion of effective management of trade discharges to sewers in order to maximise the capacity of existing sewer networks and minimise detrimental impacts on sewage treatment works.

7.5.3 Public Waste Water Treatment

New objective

205

61

Amend Objective IN O10 Surface Water and SuDs to include the following:

m)  To prohibit the discharge of additional surface water to combined (foul and surface water) sewers in order to maximise the capacity of existing collection systems for foul water.

n)    Encourage green roofs for the following types of development:

        -Apartment developments;

        -Employment developments;

        -Retail developments;

        -Leisure facilities;

        -Education facilities.

7.5.5 Storm Water and Surface Water

IN 010 Surface Water and SuDS

146, 155, 190, 205, 241, 244

26 - Cllr. John O’Donoghue

62

Amend Objective IN O11 Energy and Gas Network to include the following:

g)  Ensure that in the delivery of energy infrastructure, the strategic function of the national road network is safeguarded in accordance with national policy by utilising available alternatives.

7.6 Energy Networks – Resource efficiency, Electricity and Gas Networks

IN O11 Energy and Gas Networks

70

63

Relocate Section 7.7.1.2 Circular Economy for Building Design and Construction Projects to Chapter 11 Development Management Standards and amend as follows:

The concept of the circular economy can be applied to the whole lifecycle of new developments, from planning and design right through demolition, construction, end-use and repurposing or end of life of a development. To adopt the principle of the circular economy more fundamentally, applicants shall be required encouraged to submit a Resource Management Plan, including a Circular Economy Statement, covering different phases of the project from initial design through to construction and end-use functioning. This approach would help the application of modular construction and the facilitation for easy repair and replacement of components and repurposing for reuse. Avoidance of demolition should be promoted in order to promote circularity and/or design for disassembly to facilitate reuse and recycling of materials back into a circular economy loop. An important source of information is the Environment Protection Agency’s Draft Best Practice Guidelines for the preparation of Resource Management Plans for Construction and Demolition Waste Projects. 

7.7.1.2 Circular Economy for Building Design and Construction Projects

241, 244, 248

64

Amend text in Section 7.7.1.3 Economic Opportunities around the Circular Economy as follows:

A current example is the potential for transferring jobs from peat extraction and processing to new green jobs, such as reinstatement and protection of wetlands. Current examples include organizations involved in designing out waste and those in equipment lease, reuse and repair sectors and materials recycling.

7.7.1.3 Economic Opportunities around the Circular Economy

244, 248

65

Amend Section 7.7.2 Waste Infrastructure to include the following:

Waste infrastructure shall have regard to new guidance Waste Infrastructure – Guidance for Siting Waste Management Facilities.  

7.7.2 Waste Infrastructure

248

66

Replace Table 7.1 Seveso Sites in Limerick with the following:

Source: www.hsa.ie (2021)

Insert a map identifying all SEVESO sites in Limerick (refer to end of this section)

Table 7.1 Seveso Sites in Limerick

225