Biodiversity and Other Environmental Enhancement Measures

Cork City Council is responsible for the management and maintenance of public parks, public open spaces, including roadsides and quaysides, play areas and amenity walks throughout the city. This amounts to over 1,500 acres of parks, walkways and open spaces including Fitzgerald Park and the Lee Fields.

Planting for greater biodiversity will be a feature of LLFRS, with extensive areas of native riverside planting, including hedgerows and wildflower grassland proposed to the west of the City.

A significant body of additional design and analysis work has been undertaken to assess both the construction and the operational aspects of the Scheme and to minimise its environmental impacts and where possible enhance biodiversity and the environment.

Proposals have been informed by a detailed understanding of what exists, protecting valuable habitats. The Scheme has been designed to avoid, as far as possible, damage to, or the removal of, healthy specimen trees. Where the removal of vegetation is necessary, proposals target those which are non-native or where thinning is beneficial to the overall health. Opportunities are taken to introduce extensive areas of biodiverse planting, including riparian vegetation, woodland and hedgerows.

Proposals seek, particularly in the more rural landscapes, to use plants of a small size, increasing the potential for local sourcing and successful establishment. Within the more formal areas of Fitzgerald’s Park and the City’s quays, semi-mature trees will be used that provide immediate visual impact and which are robust, capable of withstanding the impact of being in busy places.

The Lee Fields provides a good opportunity to significantly enhance biodiversity. The ground will be profiled to create areas of wetland as well as variation in sunlight and shade that is suitable for different species. Cycle connections will enable pedestrians and cyclists to engage with areas of wildflowers, riparian areas and woodland. Educational opportunities will be taken to increase awareness of the importance of these environments. Proposals for areas like the Lee Fields introduce species-rich wildflowers, riparian vegetation and wildlife corridors.

Within the quayside areas, existing mature trees are safeguarded, recognising that they are valuable to birds, bats and insects; as well as being important in our views of areas such as North Mall. Proposals improve the environment in which existing trees can continue to grow healthily and introduce new trees that will contribute positively for years to come.

Care has been taken in developing proposals for the river edge. Where possible gradients are proposed, with associated planting, that nature can sustain. Slopes, particularly along the riverside are important environments for wildlife. Proposals have been carefully developed that have appropriate angles, where planting can naturally be sustained and where erosion is minimised. Incorporation of ‘toe’ wood’ in appropriate locations is one of the means of strengthening the natural resilience.

Throughout, the areas of existing and additional grass, shrub and tree planting, it is proposed to introduce bat boxes, kingfisher nest chambers, artificial otter holt, and sand martin nesting walls in appropriate locations.

A significant body of work has been undertaken to optimise the design of the south channel flow control structure to ensure fish passage is not negatively impacted during flood events.

Other design changes have been incorporated to reduce the whole life carbon footprint of the Scheme.