COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN / PALMERSTOWN / NORTH CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Thursday, December 16, 2021

MOTION NO. 5

MOTION: Councillor P. Gogarty

That this Committee reiterates its support for the Extension of the Special Amenity Area Order at St Edmundsbury to include the lands surrounding the valley up to the Lucan Road and writes to the Minister for the Environment urging action on same.

REPORT:

The SAAO of Liffey Valley was made under Statutory Instrument ‘Dublin County Council (Lucan Bridge to Palmerstown) Special Amenity Area Order (Confirmation) Order, 1990, S.I. No. 59 of 1990’

The Order was made following an extensive process of assessing the lands within the Valley which at the time were all with Dublin County Council. The lands designated stretch from the bridge at Lucan as far as Glenaulin in Palmerstown where it lies within South Dublin to the south side of the River. The SAAO also extends into Fingal on the north side of the River.

The current 2016-2022 Development Plan includes policy to ‘implement the Liffey Valley Special Amenity Area Order (SAAO) and to seek to improve and extend the Liffey Valley Special Amenity Area and to promote its tourism potential’.

The SAAO in Lucan at St. Edmundsbury extends some say up the valley, behind the old St. Andrew’s National School (Canon Despard’s Centre) eastwards, extending from the river as far south as St. Patrick’s Hospital and taking a straight line across the lands eastwards from there. It does not extend as far as the Lucan Road.

However, the lands up as far as the Lucan Road at St. Edmundsbury are zoned High Amenity – Liffey Valley. This is a very restrictive zoning, reflecting not only the SAAO but the wider valley area.

The Draft Development Plan 2022-2028 provides for policy to ‘Protect and enhance the special amenity value of the Liffey Valley, including its landscape, visual, recreational, ecological, geological, and built heritage value, as a key element of the County’s Green Infrastructure network and implement the provisions of the Liffey Valley Special Amenity Area Order (SAAO)’.

The related objectives outline these restrictions and the support of a Liffey Valley Park:

NCBH7 Objective 2: Within areas designated ‘High Amenity – Liffey Valley’ (‘HA-LV’), non[1]residential development will only be permitted where it; à relates to the area’s amenity potential or to its use for agriculture or recreational purposes, including recreational buildings; or à comprises the redevelopment of or extensions to existing commercial or civic uses or development of new commercial or civic uses within an existing established area of commercial or civic activity; and à preserves the amenity value of the river valley including its biodiversity value, its landscape value, and views or vistas of the river valley

NCBH7 Objective 1: To restrict development within areas designated with Zoning Objective ‘HA – LV’ (To protect and enhance the outstanding character and amenity of the Liffey Valley) and to ensure that new development: à does not significantly impact on built or cultural heritage assets, on sensitive habitats, species, or ecosystem services, à is related to the area’s amenity potential, à is designed and sited to minimise environmental and visual impacts, à and enhances the County’s green infrastructure network

NCBH7 Objective 4: To facilitate and support the development of the Liffey Valley (Zoning Objective ‘HA – LV’) as an interconnected green space and park in collaboration with Dublin City Council, Fingal County Council, Kildare County Council, the OPW and other State agencies, existing landowners, community groups and sectoral and commercial interests in accordance with the Ministerial Order for the Liffey Valley SAAO by: à Carrying out a study of the lands that comprise Liffey Valley inclusive of the Special Amenity Area Order (SAAO) and adjacent lands; à Investigating and determining, as part of the study, viable and appropriate uses to support and facilitate the development of a Regional Park (Liffey Valley Park), with particular emphasis on enhancing the recreation, amenity value and accessibility of the area while protecting the valley’s biodiversity and enhancing the green infrastructure network; à Identifying and designating, as part of the study, possible future new pedestrian routes and footbridge locations in accordance with ‘Towards a Liffey Valley Park’ (2007) or any superseding plan, including potential permissive access routes. Universal accessibility for all should be balanced with ensuring that environmental and built heritage sensitivities are not negatively impacted upon

NCBH7 Objective 6: To actively pursue the extension of publicly owned lands, either by direct purchase or land swap within and adjacent to the Liffey Valley Special Amenity Area to create a linked series of park land and open spaces

There is a further objective relating to the extension of the SAAO:

NCBH7 Objective 3: To improve and extend the Liffey Valley Special Amenity Area Order along the Liffey Valley area in South Dublin from the border with Dublin City administrative area to Kildare County and promote its tourism potential subject to the protection of its biodiversity and ecological value

The support for the extension of the SAAO has been reiterated through the Members inclusion of the objective above into the Draft Plan.

Part XIII of the Planning and Development Act amended the 1963 Act so that the confirmation of making an order now lies with An Bord Pleanala and not the Minister. However, there is provision for the Minister to direct a Planning Authority to make an order where it appears to the Minister that it is an area of special amenity by reason of (a) its outstanding natural beauty, or (b) its special recreational value and having regard to any benefit for nature conservation.

Prior to any decision to make an order, a detailed assessment of the lands would have to be conducted to inform the order.

Notwithstanding the above, both the current Development Plan and the Draft Development Plan contain strong policy on the Liffey Valley both inside and outside the SAAO through the zoning objective HA-LV, which in effect, transposes the intent of the SAAO.