COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 17, 2021

MOTION NO.

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell, Councillor Eoin Ó Broin

Remove references to Permissive Access Routes from Section 9.9.1, Public Rights of Way and create a new Section 9.9.2 for them as laid out in the attached document. This is to comply with both the Planning and Development(Amendment) Act 2000 and the Planning Regulator with regard to Public Rights of Way and not to give undue status to Permissive Access Route which unlike Public Rights of Way confer no inalienable rights on users.

REPORT:

POLICY EDE 23 CE DRAFT PLAN

Policy EDE23 Continue to promote and improve access to high amenity, scenic, and recreational lands throughout

the County and within adjoining counties, including places of natural beauty or recreational utility,

for the purposes of outdoor recreation, while avoiding environmental damage, landscape damage

and impacts to Natura 2000 sites.

 

EDE23 Objective 1: To promote the preservation of public rights of way that give access to mountain,

lakeshore, riverbank or other places of natural beauty or recreational utility.

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EDE23 Objective 2: To identify, in a logical and sequenced way, existing public rights of way in relevant

areas of the County and to investigate the creation of new public rights of way by taking the following steps

within two years of adoption of the Plan:

1. Identify and map those areas within the County which have the potential to give access to

mountain, lakeshore, riverbank or other places of natural beauty or recreational utility.

2. Examine the identified areas for existing access routes.
3. Investigate whether existing access routes are public rights of way and where there is an

understanding that a public right of way may exist undertake the necessary steps for consultation set out

in the Planning Acts.

4. Once verified, map and identify those public rights of way in the Development Plan
5. Where public rights of way do not exist and access would be appropriate, consider using public

rights of way agreements available under section 206 of the Planning and Development Acts

6. Where public rights of way agreements are not possible, consider the use of compulsory purchase

orders under section 207 of the Planning and Development Acts.

EDE23 Objective 3: To integrate any identified public rights of way or newly created public rights of way

into the County Development Plan by way of a Variation.

EDE23 Objective 4: To promote and facilitate the creation of Permissive Access Routes and heritage trails,

where they would not compromise environmentally sensitive sites, that provide access to high amenity,

scenic and recreational lands including rural areas, forests, woodlands, waterways, upland/mountain

areas, the Grand Canal, the Dodder Valley, the Liffey Valley and between historic villages, in partnership

with adjoining local authorities, private landowners, semi-state and other public bodies such as Coillte,

Waterways Ireland and the Forest Service.

EDE23 Objective 5: To promote and facilitate the continued development of the Dublin Mountains Way

and the Wicklow Way in association with the Dublin Mountains Partnership, particularly Permissive Access

Routes that provide access to regional and local networks of walking, running, hiking and mountain bike

trails and other recreational facilities provided that such routes/trails and their use does not significantly

impact on environmentally sensitive sites.

EDE23 Objective 6: To promote and improve access, in partnership with the relevant landowners, to all

the historic sites in the County and seek to maximise their tourism potential in partnership with the

relevant landowners.

EDE23 Objective 7: To bring mountain amenities closer to residential communities by promoting the

establishment of a network of formal footpaths, off-road paths and cycleways that facilitate casual walkers

and cyclists.

 

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO EDE 23

 

EDE23 Objective 1: To promote the preservation of public rights of way that give access to mountain,

lakeshore, riverbank or other places of natural beauty or recreational utility.

EDE23 Objective 2: To identify, in a logical and sequenced way, existing public rights of way in relevant

areas of the County and to investigate the creation of new public rights of way by taking the following steps:

1. Identify and map those areas within the County which have the potential to give access to

mountain, lakeshore, riverbank or other places of natural beauty or recreational utility.

2. Examine the identified areas for existing access routes.
3. Investigate whether existing access routes are public rights of way and where there is an

understanding that a public right of way may exist undertake the necessary steps for consultation set out

in the Planning Acts.

4. Once verified, map and identify those public rights of way in the Development Plan
5. Where public rights of way do not exist and access would be appropriate, consider using public

rights of way agreements available under section 206 of the Planning and Development Acts

6. Where public rights of way agreements are not possible, consider the use of compulsory purchase

orders under section 207 of the Planning and Development Acts.

EDE23 Objective 3: To integrate any identified public rights of way or newly created public rights of way

into the County Development Plan by way of a Variation.

EDE23 Objective 4: In accordance with the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2000 ‘include in this development plan a list of public rights of way which give access to mountains, lakeshores, riverbanks and other place of natural beauty or recreational utility and identify them by marking them on at least one of the maps forming part of the development plan and on a list appended to this plan.’

PROPOSED NEW EDE 24

 

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT (EDE) Policy 24 Permissive Access Routes

 

EDE24 Objective 1: To promote and facilitate the creation of Permissive Access Routes and heritage trails,

where they would not compromise environmentally sensitive sites, that provide access to high amenity,

scenic and recreational lands including rural areas, forests, woodlands, waterways, upland/mountain

areas, the Grand Canal, the Dodder Valley, the Liffey Valley and between historic villages, in partnership

with adjoining local authorities, private landowners, semi-state and other public bodies such as Coillte,

Waterways Ireland and the Forest Service.

EDE23 Objective 2: To promote and facilitate the continued development of the Dublin Mountains Way

and the Wicklow Way in association with the Dublin Mountains Partnership, particularly Permissive Access

Routes that provide access to regional and local networks of walking, running, hiking and mountain bike

trails and other recreational facilities provided that such routes/trails and their use does not significantly

impact on environmentally sensitive sites.

EDE23 Objective 3: To promote and improve access, in partnership with the relevant landowners, to all

the historic sites in the County and seek to maximise their tourism potential in partnership with the

relevant landowners.

EDE23 Objective 4: To bring mountain amenities closer to residential communities by promoting the

establishment of a network of formal footpaths, off-road paths and cycleways that facilitate casual walkers

and cyclists.

The proposed amendments are considered to be acceptable

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion be adopted.