COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 13, 2021

QUESTION NO 8.

QUESTION: Councillor Peter Kavanagh

To ask the Chief Executive if the Green Infrastructure Strategy will allow for any public consultation beyond the general Development Plan Consultation and if he will make a statement outlining the rationale for his answer.

REPLY:

Green infrastructure is a strategically planned network of natural and semi-natural areas with other environmental features designed and managed to deliver a wide range of ecosystem services such as water purification, air quality, space for recreation and climate mitigation and adaptation.

SDCC have commenced the delivery of a Green Infrastructure Strategy which forms the basis for the identification, protection, enhancement and management of the Green Infrastructure network within the County. The Green Infrastructure Strategy is being delivered in tandem with the review of the County Development Plan, which ensures information relating to Green Infrastructure is considered and incorporated at an early stage into the County Development Plan review process. 

Public consultation of both the Draft County Development Plan and the Green Infrastructure Strategy are being carried out at the same time. This ensures that draft policies and objectives which relate to and interconnect with Green Infrastructure are considered as an integral part of the County Development Plan review. The Draft South Dublin County Development Plan 2022 - 2028 has been prepared in accordance with the provision of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and is now on public display for 10 weeks.

The Draft Plan (Written Statement, including Appendices) and associated SEA Environmental Report and AA Natura Impact Report will be on public display and available for public inspection from 7th July to 15th September 2021 on this public consultation portal, at https://www.sdcc.ie/en/devplan2022/ and at the following locations:

at the following Council libraries during normal opening hours and subject to relevant Covid restrictions in place during the consultation period:

Hard copies of the Draft Plan [written statement, including appendices, environmental report and maps] are available to purchase.

At the commencement of the review of the County Development Plan process a series of webinars were held; these webinars included information on Green Infrastructure and invited questions and comments. During the review process the Green Infrastructure Strategy has been subject to regular and on-going updates to both the Environment, Public Realm and Climate Change Strategic Policy Committee and Land-use Planning & Transportation Strategic Policy Committee.

The consultation for the County Development Plan was advertised in a locally circulated newspaper and has been subject to regular updates and information on the Council’s social media. Weekly articles on the draft County Development Plan have appeared in local newspapers; including an article specifically on Green Infrastructure.

The public consultation process is currently underway and nearing completion; it is not intended to carry out an additional seperate process. The inclusion of the Green Infrastructure Strategy as part of the County Development Plan process incorporates it as an integral part of a major strategic document and will give it a statutory basis. It also allows for it to be incorporated into the relevant environmental assessments and to inform indicators as part of the required Strategic Environmental Assessment monitoring following the adoption of the Plan. A key deliverable is to allow Green Infrastructure related policies and objectives, including zoning and GI mapping, to inform and be incorporated into the County Development Plan and be an integral consideration within new development.

By proceeding on this basis the Green Infrastructure Strategy will become a part of the adopted County Development Plan. Green Infrastructure policy and objectives will be evident throughout the County Development Plan and the strategy document will be incorporated as an individual chapter and as an appendix to the County Development Plan