Galway County Landscape Sensitivity Ratings. Produced as part of the Galway County Development Plan 2022-2028.  See www.galway.ie for further details.   A landscape’s capacity to absorb new development, without exhibiting a significant alteration of character or change of appearance is referred to as it’s ‘sensitivity’. This depends on factors such as elevation, slope, as well as the types of land-cover and soil. Landscape sensitivity increases when one or more of these factors occur in the same place. e.g. development on a steep heather-covered elevated site on shallow soils is highly likely to be visually prominent over a wide area Arising from this analysis the following Sensitivity Ratings have been defined.Class 1 – LowClass 2 – HighClass 3 – SpecialClass 4 – IconicGalway County Council provides this information with the understanding that it is not guaranteed to be accurate, correct, or complete. Galway County Council accepts no liability for any loss or damage suffered by those using this data for any purpose.