|Dublin City Biodiversity Plan |ECJ judgement against Ireland |Poolbeg Tern SPA under threat |S2S meeting at Dun Laoghaire Council |S2S cycleway |Fitzsimon's Wood |Strategic Infrastructure Bill |The Eastern Bypass |Booterstown Heliport:Take #2 |Bolton Hall, Rathfarnham |South Bank Road UPDATE 09/2007 |Don't call us 24/7 |Sandymount Strand/Tolka Estuary SPA |Airfield Estate |Dun Laoghaire Baths |Fitzsimons Wood |Cutting Hedgerows |Poolbeg Framework Plan |Scully’s Field |Booterstown Heliport|

Dún Laoghaire "Baths" Project Mk II - 21th February 2008 Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have published their "East Pier to Sandycove Coastal Amenity Project", the successor to the ill fated "baths" project. Two options are outlined by the consultants and both involve the creation of parks on the foreshore i.e. "limited land reclamation" stretching to Sandycove. This will not be good news for the wintering Mediterranean Gulls unless they can adapt to the breakwaters and piers shown in CONCEPT B below. A public exhibition will take place from 4th April to 16th May 2008 at County Hall, Marine Road, Dun Laoghaire. See www.dlrcoco.ie Email submissions to eastpier2sandycove[AT]dlrcoco[DOT]ie Concept B: note lack of any scale Image showing the "limited land reclamation" required by DLRCoCo's Concept A & B proposals

13 February 2008: Launch of Dublin City Biodiversity Plan 2008-12 www.dublincity.ie NOT the new South Bay IWeBS team - Paddy Bourke, Lord Mayor of Dublin, John Gormley, Minister for the Environment and Mairead Stack, Biodiversity Officer DCC, marking the launch of DCC's Biodiversity Action Plan 2008-12 on Sandymount Strand (Photo: NewsFour www.news4.ie)

BirdWatch Ireland PRESS RELEASE .. European Court of Justice judgement against Ireland - 14th December 2007 The Irish Government has failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law in relation to the designation and classification of Special Protections Areas (SPAs) for wild birds ... [132] According to the Commission, the first area of 4.5 hectares, the inclusion of which in the SPA had been proposed previously, was excluded from the initial extension project for the Sandymount Strand and Tolka Estuary SPA following representations by the Dublin Port Company, which wished to infill the area for a port extension. PRESS RELEASE here

Poolbeg Tern SPA under threat rev. 04.10.2007 Dublin Port Co has lodged a planning application 5054/07 on 31 August 2007 for a Bulk Handling Facility to facilitate the import of blast furnace slag used in the manufacture of “environmentally sympathetic cement” by Ecocem Ireland Ltd, South Dock, Pigeon House Road. A wooden dolphin1 directly north of the derelict redbrick power station is used as a nesting site by over 400 pair of Common and Arctic Terns. Upstream of this and immediately east of the proposed development is a larger concrete dolphin used by a small number of mainly Arctic Tern. The dolphins are in a proposed National Heritage Area (pNHA)2 and a Special Protection Area (SPA)3 No. 004171 (according to some NPWS documents) for wild birds. Dublin Port Company “proposes to relocate the NHA in order to maintain the conservation value of the existing site” i.e. to make the large concrete dolphin uninhabitable for terns. Just how this is to be achieved is not explained, neither is any evidence provided that this has ever been successfully accomplished anywhere else. “To mitigate against this”, i.e. terns re-occupying the old nesting site, “it is proposed that prior to the nesting season a deterrent (e.g. netting) is installed to prevent the terns from establishing nest sites on the dolphin”. No net gain is proposed; the area of the relocated nesting area will be “no less than that of the existing dolphin”. 1 A cold water intake point for a power station. 2 Under the Wildlife Amendment Act (2000) NHAs are legally protected from damage from the date they are formally proposed for designation. 3 The EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC)

S2S meeting at Dun Laoghaire Council 20.04.2007

In mid March the South Dublin Branch as well as representatives from Birdwatch main office, An Taisce, the Dublin Field Naturalists Club, Coastwatch, the Friends of Booterstown Marsh, the DCC Biodiversity Officer Siobhan Egan and renowned bird specialists Oscar Meme and Maurice Bryan met with the Landscape Architect and a Engineer from Dublin City Council who are working on the S2S (Sutton to Sandycove) coastal promenade at a consultation meeting in Dun Laoghaire council hall chaired by Heritage Officer Tim Carey. We have previously called your attention to this proposed walkway/cycle path which could run all around the bay and has potential for causing great disturbance to feeding and roosting birds as, in its initial proposed route, it would be running on the seaward side of the railway line on areas which at the moment are of great benefit to wintering waders who feed and then roost in areas which are relatively free from disturbance from dogs and walkers. The case was very strongly made that the entire South Bay is a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds and the areas exposed at low tide are covered by a Special Area for Conservation (SAC) for the protection of habitats of European importance. Both of these go to make up Natura 2000, the EU's network of protected areas. The Bay is also a "Ramsar" site under the Ramsar Convention of 1971, an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and wise use of internationally important wetlands. The representatives of the S2S stated that the propose format and route of the walkway were still in a state of development and the purpose of the meeting was to address the concerns of those attending. It was suggested by some of the NGO representatives that the walkway could possibly deviate from going strictly beside the coast and suggested the path could divert from the coast at Merrion Gates on to the road side of Booterstown Marsh and then through Blackrock Park. Although the representations were well received this was only a initial meeting and though the S2S spokespersons were sympathetic and agreeable it's worth keeping in mind they are not the driving force behind it and the originators of the plan have a mindset for it to literally run along the coast. We must not let this valuable strip of wildlife habitat be walked over, in every sense of the word. from FlightLines, the monthly news letter of the South Dublin Branch, April 2007.

S2S cycle/walkway and conservation areas in the South Bay 04 February 2007 The proposed walkway and cycleway linking Sutton to Sandycove (S2S) has been endorsed by everyone from the Taoiseach and the Department of the Environment to the local councils involved. While superficially it appears a laudable plan, it should be noted that its construction would involve infilling of the coastline of the EU designated conservation areas in both North and South Dublin Bay with ensuing disturbance and loss of habitat. The entire South Bay is a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds and the areas exposed at low tide are covered by a Special Area for Conservation (SAC) for the protection of habitats of European importance. Both of these go to make up Natura 2000, the EU’s network of protected areas. The Bay is also a “Ramsar” site under the Ramsar Convention of 1971, an intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and wise use of internationally important wetlands. Bird life in the south Bay is already under pressure from commercial developments; it is ironic that a so-called “green” project proposes to put further pressure on this area designated for conservation. An environmental report on the project produced in January 2006 doesn’t inspire confidence with its gushing talk of Whooper Swan, Greenland White-fronted Goose, Peregrine Falcon and the Corncrake1 which can be seen from Sandymount, Booterstown and Blackrock, its disregard for the ensuing disturbance and its reliance on wishful mitigation measures. The proposed development is not inconsequential being approximately 13m wide to the north of Merrion Gates where there are valuable zostera grass beds within 18m of the existing coast line and approximately 11m wide from there eastward to Dun Laoighaire which is a relatively undisturbed area, used for feeding and as a high tide roost. The published cross sections of the construction are not fully dimensioned so it impossible to gauge the true extent of these proposals. With the year that’s in it, it would be a very useful topic to raise with would-be TDs when they come knocking at our doors. It is not acceptable that this site, which is among the 10 most important sites for wintering waterbirds in Ireland, should be compromised by uninformed and amateur proposals. The minimum we should demand from all parties is that, for a change, Special Protection Areas which cover a mere 3% of the national territory be treated seriously by the Irish Government. Find out if they know a “hawk from a hand-saw”, and either way, let them know there are votes in it! 1 Peregrine Falcon is of course the only one of these species likely to be seen, and then rarely. The environmental report produced by AWN Consulting is available on www.dra.ie/s2s.html - from FlightLines the monthly newsletter of the South Dublin Branch, February 2007. Proposed S2S route requiring in-fill of the Bay [in red]

Fitzsimon's Wood: Council rejects affordable housing plans 12.09.2006 Councillors in Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council yesterday rejected a plan to develop a housing complex beside Fitzsimon's Wood, a proposed National Heritage Area, at Blackglen Road in Sandyford. Some 400 objections were received from the public to the proposals which would have seen 61 houses and 70 appartments in five to seven story blocks constructed. The development would have cut the last remaining "wildlife corridor" leading from the wood to Ticknock Wood. Fitzsimon's Wood: Fiona Gartland - The Irish Times 12.05.2006 Almost 400 objections have been received to a plan to develop social housing close to a proposed Natural Heritage Area at the foot of the Dublin mountains. The plan, put forward by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, aims to develop six acres close to Fitzsimon's Wood on the Blackglen Road, Sandyford. The wood contains protected species and also has historical links to Countess Constance Markievicz. The development includes 61 two-storey social houses and 70 affordable apartments in a five to seven-storey apartment block with basement car parking and a resource centre. The 391 objections were received from groups including An Taisce, the Countess Markievicz Millennium Committee and the Sandyford Environmental Planning and Road Safety Group as well as many local residents. The wood is home to the smooth newt, a protected species as well as deer, badgers and other wildlife. The area on which the development is to be built is the remaining "wildlife corridor" leading from the wood to Ticknock Wood. Countess Markievicz rented a cottage on Blackglen Road between 1908 and 1920 and used the wood as a training ground for Cumann na mBan. The six acres were zoned for housing in 2001 and subsequent moves to rezone them for amenity, including a judicial review, failed. Margaret O'Reilly, spokeswoman for the Sandyford Environmental Planning and Road Safety Group, said the land they are building on is essential to the survival of the wood. "The county development plan has an objective to protect and enhance the biodiversity of the wood," she said. "How can they say they are doing that if they build on this land?" She said the historical links also make it worth preserving. Fianna Fail Cllr Maria Corrigan said if a wood is surrounded on all sides the features that merited its designation as a pNHA disappear. She said it was time the land was rezoned back to amenity. A spokeswoman for the council said the parks department is finalising a management plan for the wood and the new development does not encroach on it.

Strategic Infrastructure Bill 02 May 2006 The Government's proposed Strategic Infrastructure Bill will be debated in the Seanad this week. Under the Bill all major projects deemed to be "strategic" would be exempted from going through the normal planning process at local authority level and instead would go straight to An Bord Pleanala. it would be up to the appeals board to decide whether a project was "strategic". It would cover all motorways, rail projects, waste disposal facilities and other major pieces of infrastructure. The board would hold pre-application discussions with the promoters of strategic projects and, once an application was lodged, it would be required to make a decision within 18 weeks. In that period there would be a 10-week period of consultation with the relevant local authority, while members of the public would only have six weeks to make their views known. The Bill provided that anyone could challenge a board decision in the High Court (at what cost?) without having to prove a special interest in the project. This is in line with the public participation provisions of the Aarhus Convention which the State signed but has not yet ratified (is it really?).

Resurrecting the Eastern Bypass A serious threat to the South Dublin Bay SPA … January 2006

The Poolbeg Framework Plan The Poolbeg area bounded by Beach Rd to the west, Sean Moore Rd to the north, the Liffey to the east and Sandymount Strand to the south was until recently under the planning remit of Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA). It is now under the remit of Dublin City Council (DCC) who published the Poolbeg Framework Plan (PFP) in 2005. This visualises major housing, industrial and cultural development within the area. While much of the Poolbeg is owned by Dublin Port Co (DPCo), Dublin City Council and the ESB, matters are complicated by intermittent private ownership such as the Fabrizia (AKA Zoe) site. The site of the old Glass Bottle Co (GBCo) to the north of Fabrizia is leased from DPCo but is the subject of litigation i.e. the lessee claims a buy out right. While it is almost inevitable that the Fabrizia & the Glass Bottle Company sites will be developed for high-density accommodation, the proximity of high-rise buildings on the Fabrizia site within metres of the SPA is hardly acceptable. Their proposals to drain the construction site, used as an illegal dump for contaminated waste from the Gas Company site by the same developers, into the SPA is not acceptable. The sanitisation of the shoreline to tart up these developments which will inevitably follow and is prefaced in DCC’s PFP will impinge on the SPA. In fact the Poolbeg Framework Plan could be seen as little more than a plan by DCC to facilitate the development of the Fabrizia/Zoe and GBCo sites (both of whose principles had input into drafting the plan, unlike the public), with a lot of waffle about cultural development on the site of the ESB’s oil & gas tank farm at the NE of the peninsula thrown in. I see that the ESB aren’t having any of this nonsense in their tank farm (Irish Times 09 Oct 2005). The PFP is basically an unintelligible document and deliberately so. The South Dublin Bay SPA The South Dublin Bay SPA is already under considerable pressure from the indifference of DCC, the negligence of NPWS, disturbance from a minority of dog walkers who use the birds to exercise their mutts and by quad/4x4 access. DCC parks department have responded to the dog walkers but they can’t be there continually. The ESB have been co-operative in blocking off access for quads/4x4, much of this caused by DCC who then refused to take responsibility. DCC have lately taken to using mechanical beach cleaners on the Shelly Banks beach as a matter of course, without regard to the SAC designation. Away from the tarmac, walkers who are relatively scarce anyway, bait diggers and water sports enthusiasts seem to cause little or no disturbance. There is zero public awareness that an SPA exists never mind what it means. There are no notices such as NPWS erected at Raven’s Point, etc; NPWS have been totally derelict in their duty to both inform about and protect the site. The obligation of owners bordering this SPA is extremely difficult to question never mind enforce by ordinary citizens when ownership of the foreshore is not readily apparent. To obtain anything definitive re. ownership, agreements, etc it is necessary to go to the EU DG Environment; DCC are only interested in passing the buck and there is no NPWS ranger in Dublin, surely a record of some sort for any EU capital? The grassland of Sean Moore Park hitherto used by Brent later in the winter is mostly now fenced off by Clanna Gael GAA club and covered in all weather pitches with night lighting. Efforts are continually being made to make this so called public “park” as inhospitable as possible not only for the general public but also for the Brent e.g. the large netting erected recently behind all the goalposts. The only grassland remaining with low disturbance is the 2ha field between the Nature Park and the sewage works. This is shown traversed by the main access road to the South Wall in the PFP. Fallout on the SPA from the proposed Incinerator The proposed incinerator on the Poolbeg poses potentially terminal physical problems for the S Dublin Bay SPA, whatever about subsequent chemical problems which will inevitably follow due to our laid-back EPA. The planning application for the incinerator goes before An Bord Pleanála in April. The site for this incinerator was chosen presupposing the existence of an Eastern Bypass. One of the platforms being used by opponents of the incinerator is the lack of road access to the Poolbeg and the congestion that will be caused by hundreds of trucks converging on the city centre to feed the incinerator 24/7. DCC are well aware that this is a weak point in their proposal and that they could fall foul of An Bord. The National Roads Authority have been handed the job of fast tracking a motorway design to facilitate the planning proposal and, given the sickener that they’ve had with the Port Tunnel, it is likely that some proposals for an elevated motorway on an embankment running from the East Link roundabout to Booterstown/Williamstown as per the old Ove Arup plans will surface shortly. DCC will see this as killing many birds with the one stone i.e. removing a plank in the opposition to the incinerator and rectifying flooding problems due to rising tide levels in Sandymount, Merrion and along the critical DART line to Booterstown. It would facilitate the development on the Fabrizia site, which otherwise risks having cars floating around periodically in the basements, and on the Poolbeg in general. It would also create a large area requiring infill either of waste or of spoil/overburden from major infrastructural projects which would be of benefit to them. If this scenario is anyway accurate it would obviously mean the end of the South Dublin Bay SPA. The time scale is short and the authorities have to act soon. See www.fiasco.ie for detail on the incinerator.

New poll finds growing support for Dublin eastern bypass IBEC Press Release - 05.01.2006 IBEC's hired statisticians once again confirm exactly what they want to hear .. The business and employers group IBEC today called on the government to fast track plans for an eastern bypass of Dublin, connecting Dublin Port to the southern end of the M50, following the publication of a TNS/MRBI poll which finds growing public support for the project. ‘The eastern bypass, which could be provided by a tunnel, a bridge or a causeway across the south of Dublin Bay, is vital for the capital. The new road would connect to the existing M50 and create a full ring road around the city, greatly reducing traffic congestion in the city centre,’ said IBEC Transport Director Reg McCabe. Key findings from the IBEC commissioned TNS/MRBI poll conducted in October 2005 and based on a sample of 500 adults residing close to the proposed route, in Sandymount, Irishtown, Booterstown and Blackrock, are as follows: Just under three quarters of local residents (74%) favour an eastern bypass motorway link. A similar MRBI survey in 1998 showed overall support at 72%. On the construction options, opinion is almost equally divided, with 46% favouring a tunnel and 38% supporting the cheaper ‘surface’ option. This represents a significant increase in levels of support for the surface option – only 30% favoured this option in 1998. However, when residents were asked how their preference might change if the tunnel option proved to be too expensive, the level of support for the surface option increased dramatically to 60%. Questioned on traffic congestion relief measures, extending the LUAS system is the option which attracted strongest support at 48%. Banning trucks from the city centre is also a popular option at 44%. Reducing car traffic is somewhat down the list of priorities at 30%. In this area the survey shows a strong shift in public perceptions on the relative importance of cars and trucks as contributors to congestion. In 1998 reducing car traffic attracted 44% support with truck reduction measures at 26%. Today, these respective priorities have been reversed. ‘The eastern bypass would dramatically improve access to Dublin Port and divert traffic away from already congested roads. Dublin Port handles about 60% of our total trade and is badly in need of improved transport links,’ said Mr McCabe. ‘Financial analysis undertaken by IBEC indicates that prospects for carrying out the project under a public private partnership (PPP) are very positive, with projected toll revenue likely to cover most, if not all of the project construction cost. The cost to the taxpayer would therefore be relatively modest,’ concluded Mr McCabe. The concept of a motorway bypass to the east of the city has been mooted for nearly 40 years, commencing with the Myles Wright study in 1967. Since 1991 a ‘port access and eastern relief route’ has formed part of the City Council’s development plan. The Dublin Port Tunnel, scheduled to open later this year, was envisaged as the first phase of this plan.

Booterstown Heliport: Take #2 .. the definitive statement ? November 2005

In a landmark decision yesterday (10.11.2005) property tycoon Bernard McNamara was told by an Bord Pleanala that a helicopter pad he had operated beside Booterstown bird sanctuary needs planning permission. McNamara claimed that landing the aircraft beside the An Taisce leased sanctuary does not breach any law or regulation. Bord Pleanala clarified the law in relation to having helicopters landing and taking off from private land. They ruled that using the land on the seaward side of the Rock Road involved a change of use of the lands designated for open space and recreational amenity. Having helicopters landing and taking off was not a normal use for lands at this location and was not exempted development. - mainly from The Irish Independent, 11.11.2005

Bolton Hall, Rathfarnham ... Junction of Ballyboden Road & Ballyroan Road. August 2005 The house and lands known as Bolton Hall on the Ballyboden Road, Rathfarnham, at its junction with Ballyroan Road is threatened with development under planning application SD05A/0615, yet another piece of the relentless, incremental erosion of wildlife habitat around the city. The 1.923 ha grounds of mature trees and woodland, which contains a tributary of the Owendoher River, has been an undisturbed haven for wildlife for centuries. The woodlands are rich in passerine birds and contain a heronry. The house dates from 1818, however there is evidence that Bolton Hall is on the site of or incorporates an earlier house or structure extant in 1760. In addition Bolton Hall is on an elevated site which is man made. A circular or sub-circular feature is denoted on Rocque's Map of 1760. This would predate 1700 and therefore come within the Monuments Act, so it is conceivable that the site could be a defensive ring of a prehistoric hill fort or motte. SDCoCo's Development Plan 2004-2005 has a Specific Local Objective for Bolton Hall: "To protect and preserve trees and woodland". The deadline for submissions to South Dublin County Council is Thursday 25th August.

One to Watch ... on "South Bank Road, Ringsend", D4. July 2005

Fabrizia Developments AKA Zoe have applied for permission to build 16 blocks of mixed use apartments on a site immediately north of the walkway from Beach Road out to Irishtown Nature Park. The 7 to 8 storey blocks create a wall slap up against the current walkway which is the northern boundary of the South Dublin Bay Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds and SAC. Their effect on wintering waders and Brent Geese can only be negative. The sanitization of the shore which will inevitably follow and is already proposed in DCC's Poolbeg Framework Plan will effectively destroy the SPA at this end of the S Bay. Fabrizia also want to drain the construction site, a disused municipal garbage dump, into the SPA/SAC. The site is currently being used as an illegal dump by the developer. UPDATE: Decision by An Bord Pleanála to refuse 19.09.2007 Notwithstanding that the site is generally suitable fpr development of the kind proposed, it is considered that the proposed development would be premature by reason of existing deficiencies in the capacity of the local road network, serving the area of the proposed development, and in the extent of public transport and associated infrastructure, necessary to serve this area, and the period within which the constraints involved may reasonably be expected to cease. Such deficiencies would render the network unsuitable to carry the increased traffic likely to result from the proposed development and would result in increased congestion on adjoining roads. In particular, the Board is not satisfied that a viable, sustainable quality public transport service can be provided within an appropriate timeframe, having regard to uncertainties in the funding, design and implementation of the proposed Dodder Bridge, approach routes and connections to the site. The proposed development would, therefore, be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. In relation to the second reason for refusal recommended by the Inspector, which relates to protection of the natural heritage, the Board noted that the lands subject of the planning application and appeal are not located within any designated site of ecological importance, although adjoining such (cSAC, SPA and pNHA). The Board was satisfied that this matter had been adequately addressed in the documents submitted by the applicant and considered, subject to appropriate conditions in the event of a grant of permission, that the integrity of the European Site would not be adversely affected and that this issue did not constitute a reason for refusal of planning permission.

Don't call us 24/7 ... July 2005

Cork County Council is to write to the EPA to ask why it was so late arriving at the scene of a spillage of caustic soda in Cork harbour and why it did not inform the community of the spillage. The EPA displays some of the traits of the old Irish Navy, beloved of Ronnie Drew, i.e. having finished manoeuvres in the 'Green, they just go home for their tea.

Sandymount Strand/Tolka Estuary SPA order made without proper authority .. See Infilling Dublin Bay .. again for details. May 2005

Airfield Estate .. May 2005

DLR Council officials have plans in hand for a new road, the Sandyford Link Road. It will run from the Gannon Apartments opposite Dundrum Town Centre, over the Luas, along the southern boundary of Airfield and over the Drummartin Link Road to Blackthorn Drive in Sandyford Industrial Estate. See www.dlrcoco.ie for details. The road will: expose the southern border of the estate, removing the hedgerow which is an important wildlife corridor ruin the quiet rural character of the south-eastern part of the farm cause the loss of one of the 37 remaining acres of Airfield land more seriously, it will open up the estate to the danger of building development. The three fields that border the proposed road are zoned residential but are currently landlocked. People living in the locality are not convinced by the Council's argument that the road is necessary to relieve traffic congestion. They are concerned that it appears designed to facilitate access to Dundrum Town Centre and the development of apartments in Sandyford Industrial Estate. There are serious worries about the effect it will have on residents of Holywell, Balally and Lakelands but especially about the danger it poses to Airfield. See www.saveairfield.com for details and maps.

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF DUN LAOGHAIRE BATHS Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council last month, at a private meeting, unveiled its latest plans for the development of Dún Laoghaire Baths. The plans, which include a maritime park, essentially involve building a luxury eight-storey apartment block on the Baths’ site. The Local Coastal Plan was adopted by the Council in June, 2002. It is the Council’s policy document in relation to the development of the coast from Booterstown to Sandycove. Regarding the development of Dún Laoghaire Baths, the plan states: There is potential for a 2 to 3 storey development over two basement levels, provided that a design of sufficient architectural merit is proposed. Residential development will not be permitted. Such a flagrant breach of the Local Coastal Plan, less than three years after it was adopted by councillors, is of major concern ... from The Green Party newsletter, June 2005

Fitzsimons Wood .. April 2005

There is widespread local concern over the attitude taken by DLRCoCo to Fitzsimons Wood in Sandyford, Dublin 18. This is a semi-natural, mainly birch woodland covering 10 acres, owned by the County Council but now encircled by development. The site is a proposed Natural Heritage Area and is a conservation area under the county plan. Part of the site was rezoned for housing about two years ago, but the woodland proper is still conservation-zoned. The Council may want to turn it into a public amenity like a "nature conservation park" or a "NeighbourWood Scheme". The Council's view, as put forward by its Park authorities, is that the site certainly deserves protection, but perhaps as an amenity area rather than a listed conservation area. Developing it as a public park would inevitably mean installing car parking, paths etc, and clearing all undergrowth and scrub in the mistaken belief that this increases "public safety". Once this is done there is no hope of the woodland regenerating naturally and the site looses all ecological and scientific value. There will be a meeting between the Council and those concerned about the future of this woodland in Marlay House, Marlay Park, Rathfarnham on Wedensday 20th April. It is an all-day workshop beginning at 9.30am. Prior to that, there will be a guided walk in Fitzsimons Wood on Sunday 17th April starting at 2.30pm. Perhaps Oliver Rackham had local authority Parks Departments in mind when he wrote The land is full of young trees which would grow into big trees if tidy-minded people did not cut them down. - "The History of the Countryside" 1986. As a result of the Fitzsimon's Wood forum .. it appears that DLRCoCo are in favour of maintaining the wood as a viable NHA. A management plan is being drawn up which will ensure its integrity while allowing public access, something along the lines of Knocksink Wood. Full praise to DLR Parks Department in this case. (update:22/05/05)

Cutting of Vegetation and Hedgerows .. March 2005 The Wildlife Act 1976/2000 restricts the cutting, grubbing, burning or destruction by other means of vegetation growing on uncultivated land or in hedges or ditches during the nesting and breeding season for birds and wildlife, from 1 March to 31 August. In Ireland, where there is a low cover of native woodland, hedges are of exceptional importance as habitats, particularly for birds but also for wild flowers, shrubs and trees that provide food and shelter for birds and other wildlife and enhance the diversity of nature in our countryside. This applies not only to private land-users but also to local authorities, public bodies and to contractors. Species and Regulations Unit, NPWS, Ely Place, Dublin. 6472404 or 6472412

DCC publish Poolbeg Framework Plan

DCC plans for the Poolbeg Peninsula are on show at the Civic Offices, in Ringsend and Ballsbridge libraries and on their website at www.dublincity.ie The area of Sandymount Strand immediately south of the peninsula is one of the richest areas for bird life in the south bay. The plan includes proposals to infill the angular corners creating a rounded profile along the south shore of Poolbeg. No enviromental assessment is provided. The 2ha field alongside Irishtown Nature Park, set-aside as compensation for Brent Geese when the new sewage plant was built, is shown traversed by an access road. The report breaks new ground for DCC in that it dispenses with the English language and not a single scale plan nor elevation is included. Be prepared for sales-brochure sketches and watercolours instead. Anyone interested in the bird life of the bay should check it out at www.dublincity.ie in so far as it is possible and make their opinions known to DCC before 3:30pm on March 4th. to: Executive Manager Planning Department Dublin City Council Civic Offices Wood Quay Dublin 8 or email: poolbeg.project@dublincity.ie

Scully’s Field, Milltown, D6. An Bord Pleanála has overturned DCC’s decision to grant permission for 92 apartments in four blocks at Scully’s Field, Milltown. This area, zoned “Z9” in the Dublin City Development Plan, is similarly zoned to the so-called Ashcastle site north of Booterstown marsh (see below). The reasons given for refusal were: - The site of the proposed development is located in an area zoned ‘Z9’ in the current Dublin City Development Plan, where it is an objective of the planning authority to preserve, provide and improve recreational amenity and open space. - It is considered that the scale of the proposed development would intrude significantly into the open character and appearance of the site and the setting to the River Dodder thereby detracting from its natural and organic character and unique natural amenity See An Bord Pleanála

Booterstown Heliport shot down ... 02.02.2005 An attempt by developer Bernard McNamara to establish a helipad on his recently acquired "Ashcastle" site, north of Booterstown Marsh, ended in tears when it was pointed out to him that he might need planning permission. The helipad was intended to service his nearby "Elm Park" site, west of the Merrion Road. The pad is being removed.