An environmental impact assessment (EIS) submitted to An Bord Pleanála by Galway city and county councils shows that 195 farms are directly affected by the proposed development of the N6 Galway City ring road.
The road is to run around the city from Barna in the west to Ballybrit on the east.
The main farm enterprises along the route of the proposed road development are beef and sheep farms, with these lands assessed as having a very low to medium sensitivity to the development.
However, there is one high-sensitivity beef enterprise and two high-sensitivity dairy enterprises.
In addition, the Galway Racecourse is classified as very high sensitivity due to the equine enterprise and regional importance.
Regardless of high or low sensitivity to the development, in total six dairy farms,119 beef and four sheep farms are in some way affected by the proposed road.
It is proposed that 17 farm buildings will be acquired to accommodate the proposed
road development.
For the EIS, the agricultural study area consisted of 195 land parcels and 1,096ha of land, of which approximately 219ha is within the proposed development boundary.
Before mitigation, the potential impact on the study area is moderate adverse where in addition to 219ha of agricultural land which is acquired an additional 172ha of land is separated without effective access.
Compensation to farmers
The EIS outlines the compensation for farmers who are affected by the proposed development:
The loss of agricultural land due to the construction of the proposed road development is a permanent loss which cannot be mitigated except through financial compensation.Landowners who lose buildings to the proposed road development will be compensated. Compensation payments will enable farmers to replace buildings.All separated land parcels will be accessible either via the local road network, via accommodation access roads and access tracks.Where existing water and electricity supplies to fields or farm yards are severed, the supply will be reinstated by provision of ducting where possible. Alternatively, where ducting is not feasible a permanent alternative water source or electricity supply will be made available. Compensation payments will enable farmers to replace power and water supplies.Landowners may have to build additional farm facilities (eg cattle holding and testing pens) on their separated land. Field boundaries and paddock systems may have to be re-organised to take into account the altered shape of fields. These matters are addressed in the compensation settlements.Water from the proposed road development will be diverted to attenuation ponds before discharging to watercourses or to ground. The drainage design of the proposed road development will intersect existing field drains and carry the drainage water to suitable outfalls.Other injury impacts such as loss of shelter, removal of field boundaries, disruption of farm roads and field paddock systems and the increased potential for trespass on to private land due to the proposed road development are taken into account in this assessment. Statutory compensation will be used to compensate landowners for residual effects.The road development
The proposed road development is to provide:
A dual carriageway, consisting of two lanes and a hard shoulder in each direction divided by a segregating barrier.New link roads.The realignment / improvement of regional, county and local roads crossed by the proposed scheme.Localised works to the existing electricity transmission and distribution networks (specifically comprising of the diversion of the 110kV and 38kV services) together with all ancillary and consequential works associated therewith.Earlier this month, the Cabinet approved the road development and announced that in total 1,000 CPO letters would be issued.
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An environmental impact assessment (EIS) submitted to An Bord Pleanála by Galway city and county councils shows that 195 farms are directly affected by the proposed development of the N6 Galway City ring road.
The road is to run around the city from Barna in the west to Ballybrit on the east.
The main farm enterprises along the route of the proposed road development are beef and sheep farms, with these lands assessed as having a very low to medium sensitivity to the development.
However, there is one high-sensitivity beef enterprise and two high-sensitivity dairy enterprises.
In addition, the Galway Racecourse is classified as very high sensitivity due to the equine enterprise and regional importance.
Regardless of high or low sensitivity to the development, in total six dairy farms,119 beef and four sheep farms are in some way affected by the proposed road.
It is proposed that 17 farm buildings will be acquired to accommodate the proposed
road development.
For the EIS, the agricultural study area consisted of 195 land parcels and 1,096ha of land, of which approximately 219ha is within the proposed development boundary.
Before mitigation, the potential impact on the study area is moderate adverse where in addition to 219ha of agricultural land which is acquired an additional 172ha of land is separated without effective access.
Compensation to farmers
The EIS outlines the compensation for farmers who are affected by the proposed development:
The loss of agricultural land due to the construction of the proposed road development is a permanent loss which cannot be mitigated except through financial compensation.Landowners who lose buildings to the proposed road development will be compensated. Compensation payments will enable farmers to replace buildings.All separated land parcels will be accessible either via the local road network, via accommodation access roads and access tracks.Where existing water and electricity supplies to fields or farm yards are severed, the supply will be reinstated by provision of ducting where possible. Alternatively, where ducting is not feasible a permanent alternative water source or electricity supply will be made available. Compensation payments will enable farmers to replace power and water supplies.Landowners may have to build additional farm facilities (eg cattle holding and testing pens) on their separated land. Field boundaries and paddock systems may have to be re-organised to take into account the altered shape of fields. These matters are addressed in the compensation settlements.Water from the proposed road development will be diverted to attenuation ponds before discharging to watercourses or to ground. The drainage design of the proposed road development will intersect existing field drains and carry the drainage water to suitable outfalls.Other injury impacts such as loss of shelter, removal of field boundaries, disruption of farm roads and field paddock systems and the increased potential for trespass on to private land due to the proposed road development are taken into account in this assessment. Statutory compensation will be used to compensate landowners for residual effects.The road development
The proposed road development is to provide:
A dual carriageway, consisting of two lanes and a hard shoulder in each direction divided by a segregating barrier.New link roads.The realignment / improvement of regional, county and local roads crossed by the proposed scheme.Localised works to the existing electricity transmission and distribution networks (specifically comprising of the diversion of the 110kV and 38kV services) together with all ancillary and consequential works associated therewith.Earlier this month, the Cabinet approved the road development and announced that in total 1,000 CPO letters would be issued.
Read more
Compulsory purchase orders are not the way to treat farmers – INHFA
Kerry County Council to push ahead with greenway CPOs
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