I support the decision to retain St Edmundsbury as high amenity lands. 

The lands are an important asset for wildlife and the Liffey Valley should be preserved as an ecological corridor as much as possible. The large volume of vegetation and lack of concrete in the area is important in the ongoing fight against climate change and prevention of localised flooding. It allows for multiple species of animals to thrive in a large area of uninterrupted land in an area that is increasingly urban. This biodiversity should be protected as much as possible. 

These lands are one of the last large areas of high-value green space in West Dublin. They provide local residents a large area for outdoor exercise in nature, improving both physical and mental health of users of the land. In a time where we are moving increasingly towards technology and screen times, a large green area is massively important for locals general well-being. It also gives people a place to meet socially and enhances general community integration and sense of place.

It is a sanctuary for the local community to unwind and observe nature uninterrupted. It is a place where biodiversity and red-listed species are allowed to flourish. 

The St Edmundsbury lands form part of an interconnected network of woodland, mature trees, hedgerows, open grassland and ecological corridors extending through the Liffey Valley. The Development Plan specifically identifies the area as an important Green Infrastructure asset and contains objectives to preserve existing woodland and hedgerows, improve ecological connectivity with Lucan Demesne and enhance public amenity rather than facilitate urban expansion. Rezoning these lands would undermine these long-established objectives and diminish the integrity of one of the county’s most important landscape assets.