I wish to strongly support the democratic decision of the elected members of South Dublin County Council to reject the proposed rezoning of the lands at St. Edmundsbury from High Amenity (HA-LV) to Residential.
While I fully recognise the need to provide additional housing to meet national targets, I do not believe that St. Edmundsbury is an appropriate location for residential development.
The St. Edmundsbury lands form an integral part of the wider Liffey Valley landscape, one of the county's most important environmental, ecological and recreational assets. The existing High Amenity (HA-LV) zoning recognises the area's exceptional landscape character, biodiversity and amenity value and has long sought to protect these lands from inappropriate development.
These lands make a significant contribution to the Green Infrastructure network of South Dublin County. They provide valuable habitat for wildlife, support biodiversity, enhance climate resilience and offer an increasingly important natural amenity for residents of Lucan. As the population of Lucan continues to grow, the protection of remaining green spaces becomes even more important. Once High Amenity lands are developed, their environmental and recreational value is lost permanently.
The Council's own assessment demonstrates that sufficient lands have already been identified across the county to meet the revised housing targets under the National Planning Framework, with additional residential capacity above the required baseline. Consequently, there is no planning necessity to remove the existing High Amenity zoning from St. Edmundsbury in order to achieve national housing objectives.
Retaining the existing zoning is also consistent with the principles of proper planning and sustainable development. It supports the objectives of the County Development Plan to protect landscape character, biodiversity, ecological networks and green infrastructure while ensuring that future development is directed to more appropriate locations.
I also believe these lands should form part of any future extension of the Liffey Valley Special Amenity Area. Protecting St. Edmundsbury would strengthen the long-term vision for the conservation of the Liffey Valley, safeguard one of Lucan's most important natural landscapes and prevent further pressure for incremental development along this sensitive corridor.
For these reasons, I respectfully request that the elected members' decision be upheld, and that the existing High Amenity (HA-LV) zoning for the St. Edmundsbury lands be retained. This will protect an irreplaceable landscape for the benefit of biodiversity, recreation, climate resilience and future generations of the people of Lucan.