Strategies and evaluation for Green Infrastructure/Natural Heritage
Green Infrastructure that supports biodiversity and mitigates (and adapts to) climate change.
There are a wide variety of existing and developing plans that include many elements of Green Infrastructure. The Council is working on a formal Green Infrastructure Strategy, which will be part of this Development Plan and presumably will combine all the elements that are to be found scattered throughout the current Development Plan, concentrated in the Chapters on Green Infrastructure (Chapter 8) and Heritage, Conservation and Landscapes (Chapter 9), and in the County’s Corporate Plan 2020-2024, which is the basis of the Council’s own actions (leading to the Annual service plan, monthly and annual reports organised according to the Council’s actual management structure), in the National Planning Framework to 2040, with the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) 2019-2031 (including the Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan), the National and Council Climate Change Plans, the Heritage Plan 2010-2015, the National and eventual County Biodiversity Plan and various pre-planning guidelines.
There is a hierarchy of elements of Green Infrastructure in the County, mentioned throughout all these documents, each of which can be examined for how it can be developed to benefit biodiversity and also contribute to climate change mitigation (and adaptation). Some areas are nationally designated and/or cared for by national agencies, but the Council has some responsibilities. Many areas are owned by the Council, which can make its own specific plans. Others are privately owned, and the Counciil can find more ways to foster the development of Green Infrastructure on private property.
The various elements referred to throughout the existing documents include the following. Ultimately, the goal could be that every area of the county is a natural and productive part of the Green Infrastructure, completely removing fragmentation.
1) Dublin Mountains, including the Natura 2000 areas, the Coillte Forest areas, areas of private forest, etc.
2) Proposed Natural Heritage Areas
3) Liffey Valley and Dodder Valley
4) Grand Canal
5) Other Waterways (Griffeen, Camac, Poddle, Owendoher, Whitechurch, Whitestown)
6) Other Surface Water/Flood Control/General Waterways
7) Parks and other open spaces
8) Woodlands, private forests, hedgerows, pocket forests, individual trees, including fruit trees
9) Agricultural areas
10) Sports grounds, Golf courses, cemeteries (Council-owned and private)
11) Grassy areas in estates and road verges
12) Schools, Churches, Industrial Estates, Other Businesses
13) Allotments
14) Private gardens
15) Corridors and linkages between all these areas.
The afore-mentioned documents express many worthwhile aspirations and the Council has already taken many actions in relation to these areas, many of which have been successful. It would be useful to do a very detailed evaluation of what the Council aspires to do, what has been attempted and what obstacles have been encountered or are expected. These obstacles could include financial resources, communication between the departments and with private contractors, requirements to rapidly provide housing, resources required for maintenance, the need to promote tourism and other ecosystem services or just unintended consequences. For example, the aspiration to use natural means of flood control, which is mentioned throughout the Council’s plans, but is not fully implemented. Or the covering over of a naturally occurring wetland in Sean Walsh Park. Or planting almost 2,000 trees during a year, but also removing almost 1,000. Or analysing sometimes disappointing participation in public events. Or the naturally occurring woodland in Rathcoole, which is a great resource and helps fulfil the Green Infrastructure goal, but faces the competing goal of house-building. Or the possibility of hedgerows or other bushes needing to be removed because of attracting undesirable wildlife. This way the new plan can build on experiences with the previous plan. The two-year review of the current plan carried out in 2018 had some useful lessons and comments, but it was not a full point-by-point evaluation. Doubtless there are many mechanisms for this which are not widely known, but it would be good to have more public participation in it.
It would be useful if the detailed maps that are included with the current Plan, and will doubtless also be included in the new Plan, could include more detail of the Green Infrastructure elements, making the rivers and streams more visible, labelling areas of green as parks, golf courses, woodlands, etc. Maybe these maps could be made more widely available and even could be provided in a format where people could make or suggest additions to them (in addition to keeping a copy of the version that goes with the Plan itself).