COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE-TERENURE AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, June 13, 2017

QUESTION NO. 1

QUESTION: Councillor D. Looney

"To ask the Chief Executive to provide a full run down of tree works associated with St Joseph's Rd Greenhills since 2009; to state what works specified under the Tree Audit for this road have been heretofore carried out, and which have not; to state the cost of this Audit and meetings with residents in terms of money and human resources; to state why the Council has failed to carry out these works despite commitments given over several years to residents and despite the agreement of the forerunner to this Committee to ringfence any money required for such works; to ask if representations have been made to the Council not to carry out these works despite earlier agreements, and how these have been dealt with; to state why schemes in other estates have been given priority over these agreed works; and to state if, in light of the history of the issue, he will direct work to begin as soon as possible to carry out the agreed pruning, removal, planting and other associated works?"

REPLY:

"The trees on St Joseph’s Road have mostly reached maturity. Since 2009, a considerable number of trees have been removed and a replanting programme was agreed with the residents following a public meeting in February 2013. There are 17 trees standing on St Joseph’s Road at present.

A survey of these existing trees carried out in late 2015 has identified 4 trees for removal and 12 locations that are potentially suitable for replanting. The trees for removal are in close proximity to overhead electricity wires and require to be removed under contract by a qualified utility arborist. They are being included in a tender for contract tree removals currently in preparation.

The road setting in St Joseph’s Road and in nearby roads is a very challenging environment for the successful establishment and growth of trees. Opportunities for replacement tree planting are significantly limited by narrow roads, widening of residential driveways, a significant requirement for on-street resident car parking, a constant flow of traffic serving nearby schools, churches and local shop amenities, overhead wires and a proliferation of underground utility cables located within narrow grass and roadside margins. In order to enable the establishment and long term viability of new trees planted in this challenging growing environment, the above limitations require research and development of an alternative and more complex solution to street tree planting than normal.

The Council is committed to delivering a tree planting scheme for St. Joseph’s Road that is aesthetically pleasing and makes a positive contribution to the local living environment. However, it is not simply a matter of excavating a tree pit and planting a tree. The solution requires a co-ordinated approach to the design of a tree planting scheme that is sustainable into the long-term and takes consideration of the St. Joseph’s Road streetscape as a whole. This process to identify a design solution has commenced and is ongoing and will involve collaboration with utility companies and the Council’s Roads Section. It is likely that the design proposal will require a formal public consultation process."