COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

MOTION NO. 9

MOTION: Councillor Peter Kavanagh

 

"This Area Committee agrees to ask the Council, in accordance with its stated policy and in line with G6 Objective 1, and G2 Objective 9, (see below), grant The Rathcoole Woodlands a protection status recognising the important role it plays in the SDCC Climate Change Action Plan 2019.

SDCC Policy

It is the policy of the Council to protect and promote the conservation of biodiversity outside of designated areas and to ensure that species and habitats that are protected under the Wildlife Acts 1976 and 2000, the Birds Directive 1979 and the Habitats Directive 1992 are adequately protected.

G6 Objective 1:

To protect and enhance existing ecological features including tree stands, woodlands, hedgerows and watercourses in all new developments as an essential part of the design process.

G2 Objective 9:

To preserve, protect and augment trees, groups of trees, woodlands and hedgerows within the County by increasing tree canopy coverage using locally native species and by incorporating them within design proposals and supporting their integration into the Green Infrastructure network."

REPORT:

The Rathcoole woodlands are partly located on lands zoned Public Open Space and Res N respectively under the County Development Plan 2016 – 2022. The open space zoning objective under the County Development Plan seeks ‘To preserve and provide for open space and recreational amenities’, therefore any development proposal must comply with this zoning objective.

In addition to the zoning of the said lands, the County Development Plan includes a series of policies and objectives, including those referenced in this motion, which provide protection for trees within South Dublin County Council. In this regard, there are already policy measures in place, which afford protection to the woodlands in Rathcoole.

It should be noted that as part of the development of a masterplan for the Rathcoole lands, an assessment of the existing trees will be undertaken, which will inform the preparation of the masterplan, whilst it will also enable South Dublin County Council to accurately understand the status and condition of these trees. The analysis, which is informing the preparation of the masterplan for these lands is still ongoing and any recommendations derived from this analysis will directly contribute to the preparation of the masterplan, including any requirement to offer protection to trees within the masterplan lands. In this regard, any consideration of a proposal to designate a protected status to the Rathcoole woodlands is premature pending the completion of the masterplan analysis work, which is presently ongoing.