Fire prompts call for Lucan land to be taken into public ownership

TREES set alight on private land in Lucan last week have led to a councillor calling for the site to come under public ownership for safety reasons.

Cllr Derren Ó Brádaigh (SF) is calling for faster enforcement action by councils to intervene where “trees on privately owned land parcels are not being maintained.”

“This follows a serious incident last Thursday night (May 9) , when trees that help to form a boundary between 10 homes in Old Forge and Haydens Lane in Lucan were deliberately set alight,” said Cllr Ó Brádaigh.

“I have previously raised this issue with South Dublin County Council over concerns regarding the sheer height of these Leylandii trees that I would estimate to be about 70 feet high. This species of tree can in fact grow to 140 feet.”

Ó Brádaigh understands that the narrow land strip that extends for 100 metres here is not taken-in-charge by the council, as it remains privately owned.

“In terms of its value to anyone, not very much can be made of it and as we see elsewhere with small segments of ‘locked in’ land, nobody is ever quite clear over the actual maintenance. This needs to be addressed.

“These trees are more suited to woodland areas with deadwood and leaves dryer than that of most trees.

“On Haydens Lane they overhang family homes, are rooted to within 10 feet of an end house, in my view are unacceptably close to residential properties and as we’ve witnessed an immediate risk to lives.

“Only two years ago they were set alight in a near identical incident. If it were not for the rapid response of the fire brigade this could have been more serious.”