I support Amendment Reference 3 because it removes the proposed residential zoning from the Finnstown Castle lands.
These lands are an important open space for the people of Lucan and Adamstown. The lands border a recently built public park (Tandy’s Lane Park) which is a great little park but it's a bit small compared to other parks (it can be walked in 10 min). This would be a fantastic opportunity to add the Finnstown House lands onto a park which already has eg signage, playgrounds, car parking facilities.
Finnstown House and its grounds have always been a key part of the local community. I remember many happy occasions walking the avenue, exploring the grounds and visiting the animals as a child. The land provides a valuable habitat for wildlife and contributes to the character and heritage of the area. I believe it should be protected from future housing development and retained as open space for the benefit of current and future generations.
Finnstown is a unique and irreplaceable part of our heritage. The lands form part of the original nineteenth-century demesne associated with Finnstown House and its grounds. The lands are one of the last remaining areas in South Lucan& Adamstown where the historic relationship between open fields, mature trees, hedgerows and the setting of Finnstown House can still be experienced. The historic value of the site lies not only in the protected buildings themselves, but in the relationship between those buildings, the mature trees, hedgerows, avenue and surrounding open landscape.
Residential development would fundamentally alter the character of the demesne and weaken the historic setting of Finnstown House. New roads, housing, landscaping works and tree removal would fragment a landscape that has survived for generations.
The lands are also important for biodiversity. Mature tree lines and hedgerows provide valuable habitat and act as wildlife corridors for animals, birds and insects. For example bats use these linear features for navigation, commuting and foraging and I would often see different bat types like Pipistrelles in the evening on this site.
I object to the proposed rezoning because it would reduce the space available for wildlife to live and diminish an increasingly rare green area within the community. Like many local residents, I value Finnstown not only for its history but for its sense of openness, tranquillity and connection with nature. These qualities cannot be recreated once lost.
For these reasons, I respectfully request that the Finnstown Castle lands retain their Open Space designation and are not rezoned for residential development.