COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
MOTION NO.8
MOTION: Councillor Eoin Ó Broin
Cathaoirleach's Business
"That this Area Committee agrees that South Dublin County Council should produce a map of publically owned land in the greater Clondalkin area and indicate on it areas where trees could be planted over coming years. The motivation behind the motion is to increase forest cover in the area."
REPORT:
Trees make a major contribution to the character and appearance of the County. They provide significant economic, social, environmental, ecological, and aesthetic benefits to communities and to urban and residential streets, parks and open spaces. They also enhance biodiversity and play a crucial role in mitigating climate change.
The Council’s annual tree planting programme is presented to the Area Committee outlining proposed street and open space tree planting locations. Tree planting is undertaken in regional parks and larger parks with the aim of tree renewal and planting of woodland areas. Areas targeted for new tree planting are those where trees have been removed or where there is an identified need to increase the overall tree cover. Requests from Council members and residents for new trees in their streets or areas have also been taken into consideration within the planting programme.
The conversion of any open space area to woodland must be carefully assessed and managed to ensure that there is provision for passive and active recreation.
The significance of tree planting is recognised in the Council’s policies – Tree Management Policy – Living with Trees, the County Development Plan 2016-2022 and the Council’s Climate Change Action Plan
The County Development Plan - Green Infrastructure G Policy 2 Objective 9: states - 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.
In addition, the Council's Climate Change Action Plan contains several intended actions under the Nature Based Solutions section which will help increase tree canopy cover in the County into the future. These include the following actions -
- To develop an urban woodland management strategy and action plan, and
- To increase tree canopy cover in the County through annual planting and maintenance.
The Council’s draft Tree Management Policy - Living with Trees - also supports the increase of tree canopy within the County.
The drawing below outlines the tree canopy cover in the County as outlined in the Dublin Tree Canopy Study.