COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, February 04, 2016

MOTION NO. 207

MOTION: Councillor F.N. Duffy

On page 143  Include additional Objective: Recognizing the role played by natural amenities and landscape, as part of our heritage and as a major resource both for visitors and local people, identify, provide, support, maintain, promote, encourage, protect, preserve, improve, safeguard and enhance public access to our natural heritage including mountains, commonage and other hill land, moorlands, forests, rivers, lakes, valleys, nature reserves other natural amenities and to the countryside generally by creating a meaningful network of access routes as the opportunity or need arises. This will be done in co-operation with state agencies, other interested bodies and local community groups.

REPORT:

The Chief Executive agrees with the sentiment of the motion, however, the proposed wording is unstructured and complex and is not consistent with policy contained with ‘Taking Steps to be a Literacy Friendly Local Authority’ (SDCC and National Adult Literacy Agency, 2012) in relation to the use of simple, plain and clear language that is literacy friendly.

The objectives contained under HCL Policy 2 of the Draft Development Plan relate to the protection of the Archaeological Heritage of the County. The proposed motion is considered to be excessive, imprecise and not appropriate to Archaeological Heritage in that it attempts to cover a multitude of elements that are either:

- already covered by other more appropriate policies contained in Chapter 9 of the Draft Plan (landscapes, natural heritage features, public access);

- covered by other chapters contained in the Draft Plan (access routes/heritage trails); or

- are not relevant or actionable through the Draft Plan (consultation on matters relating to access routes/heritage trails).

The wording of the proposed motion would therefore hinder and detract from the quality, structure and implementation of policy on Archaeological Heritage as contained in the Draft Development Plan.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.