Submission on Proposed Variation No. 2 – St. Edmundsbury, Lucan

Dear Sir/Madam,

I wish to express my support for the decision of the elected members of South Dublin County Council not to proceed with the proposed residential rezoning of the lands at St. Edmundsbury and to retain their existing High Amenity (HA-LV) zoning.

I fully support the objective of providing sufficient land to accommodate future housing growth. However, planning decisions should be evidence-led and should balance housing delivery with the protection of important environmental assets.

The Council's own assessment indicates that the revised National Planning Framework housing requirement has already been met through the wider package of proposed rezonings. In those circumstances, I do not believe there is a compelling planning justification for removing the long-established High Amenity protection from the St. Edmundsbury lands.

The St. Edmundsbury lands form part of the wider Liffey Valley landscape and contribute significantly to biodiversity, ecological networks, Green Infrastructure and the visual character of the area. These qualities are increasingly recognised within national planning policy as essential components of sustainable development rather than constraints to it.

Development should continue to prioritise lands that are already appropriately zoned for residential use before considering the loss of protected High Amenity

land. Retaining the existing zoning is consistent with the principles of proper planning and sustainable development, allowing housing growth to continue while safeguarding irreplaceable environmental and landscape assets for future generations.

I therefore respectfully request that the elected members' decision be upheld and that the existing High Amenity (HA-LV) zoning at St. Edmundsbury remain unchanged.

Yours faithfully,
Mary Argue