St Edmundsbury:

I support retaining St Edmundsbury as high amenity lands.

As you are aware Edmundsbury lands are in a proposed Natural heritage Area and contains the River Liffey with its high amenity value

Any development in any part of these lands could upset the natural ecological value that these lands have been designated for.  These lands have a bat species habitat, and Irish bats are protected under the Wildlife Acts and EU Legislation.

Badgers are another species protected under the Wildlife Act and are frequently seen in St Edmundsbury lands. Badgers use pasture, woodland scrub and hedgerow to forage and can be seen foraging on the lands beside the road of St Edmundsbury during Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Also numerous different birds nest, forage and live in St Edmundsbury lands from small passerines to Buzzards. All birds are protected under the Wildlife Act.

In a half a mile of road there are numerous housing estates, 3 primary schools, a veterinary premises a church and approval for an apartment block and a small office block. These are all creating huge pressure on an already busy road. Soon the new St Patricks Hospital will be built on that road

We need green space, to absorb all this CO2 emissions arising from the burning of fossil fuels to the manufacturing of cement. We need to go back to basics and leave greenspaces, Natural Heritage Areas, where we can all go off road to maintain our mental health and wellbeing.

We are merely Custodians of land and nature and need to protect, manage, and care for this land as a great amenity now and for generations to come.

I support the retaining of St. Edmundsbury as High Amenity Lands.

Finnstown Castle:

I also support the removal of the proposed residential zoning at Finnstown Castle.
These lands perform an important role in protecting landscape character, heritage, biodiversity and the setting of the historic Finnstown Castle.

In addition to the above South Dublin County Council has demonstrated that sufficient housing capacity exists elsewhere within the county to meet revised housing targets. Retaining these lands as open space therefore represents a balanced planning outcome while protecting an important environmental and heritage asset.