COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 14, 2020

QUESTION NO.5

QUESTION: Councillor Yvonne Collins

To ask the Chief Executive if there are plans to consider planting tracts of open grassland with a series of pocket sized forests, consisting exclusively of a wide range of native shrubs and trees, so as to provide contiguous forest stepping stones for wild life, in effect, a nature corridor superimposed upon and enhancing the existing green infrastructure.

REPLY:

Pocket forests area mini urban forests of native woodland planted using a method invented by a Japanese botanist, Miyawaki in the 1970s . The forests located in small areas – 100 square metres – grow very quickly and act as an oasis for biodiversity.

The Council have received a request from a local community group regarding examining the possibility of using this method in the parks.

The Council’s tree management strategy for the period 2015 to 2020 ‘Living with trees’ is being reviewed at present and will be replaced with a new policy document from 2021.  The strategy currently deals with the planting and maintenance of trees in on-street locations, it does not consider trees in park or urban woodland settings.  These areas will be included in the scope of the review of the strategy and will form part of the new strategy.  Work is due to be carried out to establish the extent of existing woodlands in SDCC ownership, these areas will be mapped in the strategy and this will help to identify areas where there is potential for urban woodlands to be extended or newly developed. The concept will be examined in this context and also as part of developing greater biodiversity and amenity value along the Green Infrastructure of the County.