Riverine Community Project Marine Licence - ML2022012

Details

Reference: ML2022012
Project Type: Construction
Location: Strabane, Co Tyrone
Coordinates: Irish Grid Reference: 234119, 398597
Applicant: Derry City & Strabane District Council (Agent – McAdam Design)
Status: Under Consideration

Project Description

Donegal County Council (DCC) and Derry City & Strabane District Council (DCSDC) are jointly proposing the Riverine Community Park, an iconic cross border Community Park within Lifford (Co. Donegal), Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Strabane (Co. Tyrone), Northern Ireland, currently divided by the River Foyle.

The proposal focuses on connecting the two currently separated lands either side of the border with a new pedestrian and cycle bridge, reimagining the space either side to create a shared community parkland which links to the wider landscape and adjacent border towns through new routes and physical connection with the anticipated Strabane North Greenway (which will be developed separately to this Proposal by DCSDC).

The Strabane site is situated at Barnhill Road, in the north-western area of Strabane, County Tyrone.

For further information on the overall project, please click on link below:

Derry City & Strabane - Riverine Community Park (derrystrabane.com)

The components of this project that are subject to a Marine Licence within the NI jurisdiction are limited to:

• temporary in channel works to construct a buttress (located above MHWS) to support the suspended footbridge and,
• the installation of the suspended footbridge above the tidal River Foyle.

Planning Authorisations

This project has been considered as a whole by planning authorities in both NI and RoI jurisdictions.  There is currently an active planning application for the proposal within the NI jurisdiction-

Northern Ireland Planning Portal link -  Northern Ireland Public Register (planningsystemni.gov.uk)

Planning Application Reference Number - LA11/2022/0207/F
NI Planning Portal Reference – PAO962886

Please also see attached PDF document for planning authorisation documentation from An Bord Pleanála for the Lifford, County Donegal aspect of the proposal.

EIA Screening Opinion

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is the marine licensing authority for the Northern Ireland inshore region as set out at section 113(6) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. DAERA is also the appropriate authority under the Marine Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2007 as amended (the EIA Regulations). 

DAERA Marine Licensing has made a screening decision that the works proposed would not require an EIA under the Regulations. DAERA Marine Licensing are content that no issues have been raised during this screening process and that due to the transboundary nature of the project, that the proposed works will have no significant effect on the environment in either of the NI and RoI jurisdictions. However, these works will require a marine licence and that application will now be considered under Part 4 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (MCAA). Conditions must be met under this licence in regard to mitigation measures.

How to respond

Please send your written responses to the consultation to the email address listed below.

Please note the closing date for responses is Thursday 21st December 2023. 

Any comments received after this date will not be included in the final decision.

Documents

1. Marine Construction Licence Application Form
2. Shadow Habitat Regulations Assessment
3. Environmental Statement
4. Table of Contents for Environmental Statement
5. Outline CEMP
6. Combined Drawings – Strabane
7. Combined Drawings – Lifford (For reference)
8. An Bord Pleanála Planning Approval documents
9. EIA Screening Report