Thank you for considering this submission. I am writing to strongly oppose any attempt to rezone the St. Edmundsbury lands in Lucan and to request that they be retained as High Amenity (HA) lands in the South Dublin County Development Plan.
The St. Edmundsbury lands form part of a continuous ecological corridor stretching through the Liffey Valley. These lands support:
Birds of prey such as buzzards, kestrels, and red kites
Songbirds including yellowhammers and linnets
Pollinator pathways linking the Liffey Valley to St. Catherine’s Park
Agricultural and semi‑natural landscapes are not “empty” or “under‑utilised” spaces. They are functioning ecosystems. Once fragmented by housing estates, they do not recover. Narrow “green strips” or token corridors proposed by developers are not ecological replacements.
Protecting St. Edmundsbury as HA lands is consistent with the principles of no net biodiversity loss, climate resilience, and the long‑term environmental commitments of both SDCC and national policy.
Lucan is already experiencing severe congestion:
N4 operating at or above capacity
Lucan Road and village routinely gridlocked at peak times and Lucan residents cannot get to the village to avail of local businesses
Public Transport is not fit for purpose in any way shape or form.
Adding thousands more residents without major transport investment will worsen congestion, reduce air quality, and undermine sustainable mobility goals. Rezoning St. Edmundsbury would intensify traffic in an area already struggling to cope.
Lucan has absorbed more development than any other part of SDCC over the past two decades:
Despite this, the delivery of infrastructure has lagged far behind the delivery of housing. Schools, GP services, community facilities, and transport capacity are all under strain. Lucan has taken the brunt of development, and the imbalance is now stark.
The core issue is simple: housing has been delivered; infrastructure has not.
Lucan needs, healthcare facilities, School places, Community and recreational facilities, protection of all remaining green spaces.
Lucan has lost significant green space to development. The remaining pockets of landscape—especially those designated as High Amenity—are essential for: Physical and mental health, biodiversity,climate resilience and visual characteristics.
We cannot build on every remaining green space simply because it exists. High Amenity zoning exists for a reason: to protect landscapes that are valuable, sensitive, and irreplaceable.
There is a growing narrative that every green field must be rezoned to “solve the housing crisis.” But this narrative is often driven by developer interests, not community needs. Developers may present themselves as partners in addressing housing shortages, but their primary motivation is profit, not the good of the people and they are far removed from the places they build on. Rezoning St. Edmundsbury would serve private interests at the expense of biodiversity, infrastructure, and the long‑term wellbeing of Lucan.
Lucan has already delivered more than its fair share. It is time to consolidate, invest in infrastructure, and protect the remaining high‑value landscapes that define the Liffey Valley.