COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING
Tuesday, March 01, 2022
MOTION NO.38
MOTION: Councillor Peter Kavanagh
This motion refers to Chapter 4: Green Infrastructure, pg 447-450 Submission SD-C195-248 To amend Strategic Corridor 5: Camac River Corridor Under Core Areas and Stepping Stones from Core Areas: Corkagh Park to Core Areas: Corkagh Park Rathcoole Woodlands Rationale: To include the Rathcoole Woodlands as a core green area in the GI. The CE Response considers the woodlands too small, but the Alluvial Woodland component of woodlands at Rathcoole is still considerable given that the National Survey of Native Woodlands found: 'The majority of surveyed woodlands were small or very small in extent, with 50% of sites being 6 ha or less…, over two thirds (67.8%) of sites were 10 ha or less and only 3.3% of sites surveyed were 50 ha or more, with just ten sites over 100 ha…This reflects the highly fragmented nature of the Irish woodland resource..' I believe this significance merits inclusion as a core area.
REPORT:
The issue addressed in this motion was raised in a submission to the Draft Plan public consultation process in a range of submissions relating to Rathcoole Woodlands. As noted in the wording of the motion the Chief Executive responded under Chapter 4: GI Strategic Theme-Recreation and Amenity (Human Health and Wellbeing).
Having examined and considered the content of the motion and acknowledging the arguments made in support of the motion and proposed amendment the view of the CE remains that the woodlands are not appropriate as a Core Area but should be clearly identified as a Stepping Stone for the following reasons:
Any proposed amendments to the Corridors must take into account the hierarchy of Core Areas and Stepping Stones within each corridor. The scale of the core areas throughout the County is reflected in their identification within the different Corridors in the GI Strategy as the Dublin/Wicklow Mountains, the Liffey Valley, the Grand Canal, the Dodder Valley and Tymon Park. For the Camac corridor the hierarchy reflects the ecological, heritage and cultural value of the 120 hectare Corkagh Park. Rathcoole Park has been identified within the hierarchy along with Slievethoul/Slade Valley, Lugg forest and additional areas at Kilcarbery and Citywest as Stepping Stones. Given the size and characteristics of the woodlands, it is considered in this context that a more explicit designation as a stepping stone would be appropriate. The inclusion of the woodlands as a stepping stone rather than as a core area does not in any way diminish their habitat or amenity value and that the objectives associated with both apply.
Wildlife habitats that are not nationally designated may still be important at a County level by acting as Green Infrastructure stepping-stones within the wider ecological network. This is encapsulated by Article 10 of the Habitats Directive which encourages the management of features of the landscape which are of major importance for wild plant (flora) and animals (fauna), and which are essential for the migration and dispersal of species. Under NCBH2 Objective 3 of the Draft Plan, the objective seeks to ‘protect and conserve the natural heritage of the County, and to conserve and manage EU and nationally designated sites and non-designated locally important areas which act as ‘stepping stones’ for the purposes of green infrastructure and Article 10 of the Habitats Directive’.
In addition, it is noted that the CE Report included a number of recommendations to amend Corridor 5 Camac River and the description of Local Corridor 7 (Appendix 7). These amendments were as follows;
Amend objective (bullet) 2 on Strategic Corridor 5: Camac River
Corridor, Objectives associated with the Core Areas/Stepping
Stones as follows
From:
Objective (bullet) 2
-To support the development of a masterplan for the
zoned lands at Rathcoole and implement the
CE Recommendations.
to
Investigate the potential opportunities to link woodlands at
Rathcoole to existing and proposed recreational trails at Lugg
Woods and Slade Valley.
Insert a new objective into Strategic Corridor 5: Camac River
Corridor, Objectives associated with the Core Areas/Stepping
Stones as follows:
To include woodlands at Rathcoole as part of a wider
nature/walking trail from Saggart to Lugg Woods subject to the
protection of its biodiversity, wildlife and ecological value which is
of primary importance
and to insert ‘Rathcoole Woodlands’ into the description of the
local corridor L7 so that it reads from:
L7 – Citywest-Saggart Link
Rathcoole Park – Citywest Golf Club – Green space at Cooldown
Commons –Coldwater Commons – Green space for development
adjacent Fortunestown Luas Stop – Citywest Village Green –
Citywest Ave green space – Roadstone Quarry
To
L7 – Citywest-Saggart Link
Rathcoole Woodlands - Rathcoole Park – Citywest Golf Club –
Green space at Cooldown Commons –Coldwater Commons –
Green space for development adjacent Fortunestown Luas Stop –
Citywest Village Green – Citywest Ave green space – Roadstone
Quarry
Add a new objective to the L7 Corridor:
‘To provide connections between Rathcoole Woodlands and Rathcoole Park as part of a wider walking trail in the area.
The CE Report also recommends an SLO on the woodlands within the area proposed to be zoned ‘RU’, which states:
To ensure the protection and augmentation of the identified alluvial woodlands within the zoning RU, and in recognising their value as green infrastructure and the potential linkages to Lugg Woods and Slade Valley and other amenity areas, provide for sensitive passive amenity uses which have regard to their Annex 1 status.
The above SLO is subject to motion 73889 (Core Strategy).
It is considered that Rathcoole Woodlands are clearly identified in the Green Infrastructure Strategy of the Draft Plan. To change their designation from stepping stone to core area would not reflect the hierarchy which is part of any green infrastructure strategy. However, their designation as a stepping stone should be made explicit in the Plan which will align with NCBH2 Objective 3 of the Draft Plan, the objective of which is to ‘protect and conserve the natural heritage of the County, and to conserve and manage EU and nationally designated sites and non-designated locally important areas which act as ‘stepping stones’ for the purposes of green infrastructure and Article 10 of the Habitats Directive’.
CE Recommendation: It is recommended that the motion is amended to explicitly include ‘Rathcoole Alluvial Woodlands within RU zoning’ as a Stepping Stone within Strategic Corridor 5: Camac River Corridor with the following objective ‘To preserve and protect the Alluvial Woodlands at Rathcoole within the zoning RU as an environmentally sensitive area for biodiversity and ecosystems services of importance having full regard to their Annex 1 status.’