Content Case Study
The Oral Hearing for the N7 Nenagh to Limerick High Quality Dual Carriageway Scheme commenced on the 30th of March 2004 in the Kilmurray Lodge Hotel Limerick, and lasted for 8 days, finishing on the 8th of April. The scheme consisted of the provision of approximately 28km of new high quality dual carriageway, and the upgrading to dual carriageway of approximately 10km of the existing Nenagh bypass.
The following documents were included in the display package for the hearing:
• 31 no. CPO deposit sheets
• Parts I, II and an Appendix of the CPO Schedule
• Individual Served Maps for over 300 Landowners
• Constraints Study Report (1 volume)
• Route Selection Study Report (3 volumes)
• Environmental Impact Statement (5 volumes)
While the above is larger than the average amount of material included in an Oral Hearing Display, it is by no means atypical of the content incorporated for a scheme of that size. The level of objections received to this scheme by An Bord Pleanala, prior to the Hearing, was slightly higher than that recently experienced by comparable schemes.
An element not included on this scheme, but one which features in the majority of displays produced is a set of "general arrangement" or display drawings, usually mirroring the layout of the CPO sheets, but comprised of preliminary design information overlain on orthographic photography or, if photography is unavailable, basic vector mapping. Generally, when such a set of drawings is available, it tends to be the most referenced set of documents during the course of the hearing.
