COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, February 04, 2016

MOTION NO. 169

MOTION: Councillor F.N. Duffy

On page 138  Replace Objective 4 with: In respect of both navigable and non-navigable waterways and riparian zones, maintain, preserve, protect from inappropriate development, conserve, safeguard, enhance their amenity and recreation value, restrict the encroachment of development and, where appropriate, restore waterway corridors and riparian zones, including floodplains and valleys of rivers, streams, associated undeveloped riparian strips lakes, canals, springs and other watercourses(including shorelines in immediate adjoining area and skyline development on surrounding hill crests). Keep waterways free from inappropriate development and incompatible use, including clearance and storage of materials taking place within a minimum distance of 10-15m from each bank of any river, stream or watercourse, to ensure that public use is not prejudiced by incompatible use, such as facilities for noise-generating sports and interference with public walking and cycling routes and public rights of way. Protect, maintain and enhance their natural heritage, appearance, quality and landscape character and archaeological heritage and avoid adverse visual impacts so as to maintain their aesthetic,ecological, amenity and tourism and recreational values from the impacts of dispersed and highly visible development. Create and maintain buffer zones and riparian corridors and keep them in an open state and in a natural condition by discouraging culverting or realignment. Prohibit developments which are likely to have significant adverse visual impacts, either individually or cumulatively, on the character of River Valleys and where there is no overriding need for the development to be in that particular location. Ensure that, where an overriding need is demonstrated for a particular development in the River Valleys, careful consideration is given to site selection. The development should be appropriate in scale and be sited, designed and landscaped in a manner which minimises potential adverse impacts on the landscape. Take into account any landscape, nature or archaeological designations. Locate new development in water corridor landscape character areas towards existing structures and mature vegetation. Seek during redevelopment the creation of a riparian buffer strip, where practicable. Promote the natural amenities of rivers for the benefit of recreation and tourism. Development in identified floodplains and riparian corridors must not adversely affect the river’s function as a green infrastructure corridor. Adopt a regional approach in the protection of watercourses by co-operating with neighbouring counties. Seek to limit development in identified floodplains and preserve riparian corridors. Development proposals in river corridors will be considered favourably providing  that they do not involve land filing, diverting, culverting or realignment of river or stream corridors and that  they do not have a negative effect on the distinctive character and appearance of the waterways corridor and the specific characteristic and landscape elements of the specific site and its context.

REPORT:

The Chief Executive Report on Draft Plan Public Consultation (December 2015) notes the content of the submission and is summarised as follows;

Requested that Objective G3-4 be reworded to include additional wording and phrases, which would expand on details covered within the Objective and the Green Infrastructure Chapter in general. In particular, requested that development be prohibited alongside watercourses, that the watercourses remain open and gives guidance on how development should be assessed when proposed alongside a watercourse.

It is considered that the content of the proposed motion is provided for under the following policies/ objectives in the Draft Development Plan 2016 – 2022;

Policy G3:

‘It is the policy of the Council to promote the natural, historical and amenity value of the County’s watercourses; to address the long term management and protection of these corridors and to

strengthen links at a regional level’. Objective under Policy G3 are as follows;

G3 Objective 1:

To promote the natural, historical and amenity value of the County’s watercourses and address the long term management and protection of these corridors in the South Dublin Green Infrastructure Strategy.

G3 Objective 2:

To maintain a biodiversity protection zone of not less than 10 metres from the top of the bank of all watercourses in the County, with the full extent of the protection zone to be determined on a case by case basis by the Planning Authority, based on site specific characteristics and sensitivities. Strategic Green Routes and Trails identified in the South Dublin Tourism Strategy, 2015; the Greater Dublin Area Strategic Cycle Network; and other government plans or programmes will be open for consideration within the biodiversity protection zone, subject to appropriate safeguards and assessments, as these routes increase the accessibility of the Green Infrastructure network.

G3 Objective 3:

To ensure the protection, improvement or restoration of riverine floodplains and to promote strategic measures to accommodate flooding at appropriate locations, to protect ground and surface water quality and build resilience to climate change.

G3 Objective 4:

To uncover existing culverts and restore the watercourse to acceptable ecological standards and for the passage of fish, where possible.

G3 Objective 5:

To restrict the encroachment of development on watercourses, and provide for protection measures to watercourses and their banks, including but not limited to: the prevention of pollution of the watercourse, the protection of the river bank from erosion, the retention and/or provision of wildlife corridors and the protection from light spill in sensitive locations, during construction of permitted development.

Policy HCL 10 Objective3:

‘To ensure that development proposals within the Liffey Valley and Dodder Valley, including local and regional networks of walking and cycling routes, maximise the opportunities for enhancement of existing ecological features and protects and incorporates high value natural heritage features including watercourses, wetlands,

grasslands, woodlands, mature trees, hedgerows and ditches, as part of the County’s Green Infrastructure network’.

HCL 11 Objective 5:

‘To ensure that development along and adjacent to the Grand Canal protects and incorporates high value natural heritage features including watercourses, wetlands, grasslands, woodlands, mature trees, hedgerows and ditches and includes for an appropriate set-back distance or buffer area

from the pNHA boundary to facilitate protected species, biodiversity, and a fully functioning Green Infrastructure network’.

Policy IE2 Objective 9:

‘To protect water bodies and watercourses, including rivers, streams, associated undeveloped riparian strips, wetlands and natural floodplains, within the County from inappropriate development. This will include protection buffers in riverine and wetland areas as appropriate (see also Objective GI2 Objective 13 – Biodiversity Protection Zone)’.

Infrastructure and Environmental Quality with regard to Water Management and Flood Risk Assessment is provided for under Section 11.6.1 of the Draft Plan (see Section for further details).

As the intent of the proposed motion is provided for under the policies / objectives referred to above, it is considered that the wording of the proposed motion is not warranted within the Draft Plan. The wording of the proposed motion is not succinct and would result in a significant degree of duplication within the Development Plan. The proposed wording is also protracted and difficult to decipher. This may lead to difficulties and confusion in the application of the Plan and therefore the proposed wording cannot be supported.

Recommendation

No amendment required to the Draft Development Plan 2016 – 2022.