COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

MOTION NO. 10

MOTION: Councillor E. Tuffy

Cathaoirleach's Business

That this Committee congratulates the Heritage Officer, Dr Rosaleen Dwyer, and the staff involved in the design, production and publication of the South Dublin County Heritage Plan, welcomes the acceptance of a number of well qualified persons with placements in SDCC under the FáS Placement Programme, and requests the Manager to advise the Committee on Actions in the Heritage Plan, which apply to the Lucan and Palmerston Electoral Areas, and are proposed for implementation in the period up to the end of 2012.

REPORT:

The County Heritage Plan produced through a collaborative and partnership process outlines a consensus on how local heritage can best be conserved and managed.  It provides a broad context within which the efforts and initiatives of local groups, individuals, and state agencies can cooperate.   It identifies heritage issues and needs at a local level and actions to address them locally, within a regional and national framework.  Thus it is an agreed and a realistic county action plan, with reference also to delivery and monitoring mechanisms.  It is, therefore, both a strategic statement about what the county wants to achieve in terms of heritage management and conservation over a defined time period, while also being a list of achievable actions which will be undertaken to achieve those aims and objectives.

The countywide actions relate also to the Lucan and Palmerston Electoral Areas.   The following are the relevant actions that support the various objectives set out in the plan currently initiated or proposed for implementation in the period up to the end of 2012 for areas including Lucan and Palmerston;

• Establish a County Heritage Database to collate archaeological, architectural, cultural and natural heritage records for the County.
• Support the continued development of the database of Protected Structures in the County which is currently being established by SDCC.
• Raise the profile of the County’s literary and artistic heritage.
• Raise the profile and promote the national importance of the medieval history of Newcastle and its environs.
• Support and assist the advancement of the objectives as stated in the County Development Plan 2010-2016 in relation to the development of the Liffey Valley Park and the provisions for a Dodder Linear Park and other projects relating to similarly important riverine systems.
• Promote the industrial, natural, historical, and architectural heritage of the County’s waterways e.g. the Grand Canal, the River Liffey, the River Dodder etc.
• Promote active participation in heritage celebration events and support initiatives such as National Heritage Week, National Biodiversity Day, National Tree Week etc.
• Support the provision of appropriate and managed access for all to heritage features in public parks and open spaces under the control of SDCC.
• Prepare a County Biodiversity Plan
• Continue to develop a sustainable, integrated, network of green spaces in the County that will provide a functioning, sustainable, connective link for people and wildlife between parks, protected sites, gardens, and other areas of biodiversity, geological and recreational importance.
• Liaise and co-operate with state bodies and other agencies in relation to the protection of natural heritage designations in the County.
• Develop links between SDCC and other agencies at a national, regional, County, and local level, to work together to address heritage related issues within the County.
• Provide information and support to Council, residents and landowners on how to encourage greater biodiversity in parks, suburban gardens and green spaces.
• Support the continued development of ecologically sensitive areas in public parks.