Retaining High Amenity Zoning at St Edmundsbury

I support Proposed Material Alteration 6.1 retaining the High Amenity (HA-LV) zoning at St Edmundsbury.

As a young adult living in Lucan, I recognise the importance of providing new housing, but I also believe that planning decisions should protect the natural assets that make an area a good place to live. These are not competing objectives; both are essential to creating sustainable communities.

The High Amenity designation at St Edmundsbury reflects the long-term value of these lands as part of the wider Liffey Valley landscape. Once land of this nature is rezoned and developed, that decision is effectively permanent. It is therefore important that any change to such a designation is supported by an exceptional planning justification.

The National Transport Authority has highlighted the accessibility of the site by public transport. While that is an important consideration when identifying locations for housing, accessibility alone should not determine whether protected High Amenity land should lose its designation. Planning decisions must also consider landscape, biodiversity, recreation and the long-term environmental quality of the area.

Retaining the existing High Amenity zoning recognises that these lands have value beyond their potential for development. It allows future generations to benefit from the same landscape and environmental assets that current residents enjoy, while ensuring that decisions affecting the wider Liffey Valley continue to be made strategically rather than incrementally.

For these reasons, I support Proposed Material Alteration 6.1 and ask the Council to retain the existing High Amenity (HA-LV) zoning at St Edmundsbury.