COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

MOTION NO. 252

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell, Councillor P. Gogarty, Councillor L. O'Toole

That the Chief Executive, in the section Built Environment and Placemaking and/or Natural Heritage and Biodiversity (whichever is most applicable) makes it a strategic objective to plant suitable fruit trees in the public realm as well as allocate a proportion of green space for community gardens and additional biodiversity spaces to complement the work being done under the National Pollinator Plan.

REPORT:

The Environment, Water and Climate Change Section of the Council has the responsibility for Tree Management and operational aspects of such.  Trees make a major contribution to the character and appearance of the County, enhance biodiversity and contribute to climate change mitigation. The current Development Plan provides for objectives in relation to tree planting, community gardens and allotments.  South Dublin County Council will seek to promote the objectives of the National Biodiversity Plan 2017-2021 and the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan via the SDCC Draft Biodiversity Plan 2020 and the SDCC Pollinator Action Plan which is currently being finalised and will be published shortly.   

The objectives proposed by the motion are overly detailed for this strategic stage but could be considered as part of the draft plan preparation on foot of the strategic direction provided under the CE Recommendations: ‘Ensure that the Development Plan provides for appropriate protection of trees and hedgerows, where possible, recognising their value to our natural heritage, biodiversity and climate action and encourage tree planting in appropriate locations’ and 

‘Develop policies and objectives within the Draft Plan that reflect the objectives of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021, or subsequent plan’. 

Recommendation: It is recommended that this motion is adopted with amendment to recognise that this type of objective is overly detailed for this strategic stage but could be considered as part of the draft plan preparation on foot of the strategic direction provided under the CE Recommendations: ‘Ensure that the Development Plan provides for appropriate protection of trees and hedgerows, where possible, recognising their value to our natural heritage, biodiversity and climate action and encourage tree planting in appropriate locations’  

and 

‘Develop policies and objectives within the Draft Plan that reflect the objectives of the National Biodiversity Action Plan 2017-2021, or subsequent plan’.