Protest group urges public to voice opinions on rezoning again

FOLLOWING an agreed vote by councillors against the proposed rezoning of the historic lands at St Edmundsbury, plans have entered into the next stage, involving a second round of public consultation.

This has prompted passionate protest group, the Save St Edmundsbury Protest Committee, to encourage Lucan residents to voice their opinions against the proposed rezoning once again.

The Committee is urging all concerned residents to have their say and make their submissions before the deadline on August 5.

On Tuesday, June 16, a peaceful protest was held in Lucan Village to publicise the proposed rezoning of €4m worth of land for 540 homes and noted worries about overdevelopment as the council’s head indicated support.

SDCC councillors voted against the rezoning on June 19, to the relief of protestors who have now returned to their post to ensure previously concerned residents get their say once again during the second round of consultation.

Previously, the proposal received over 1,500 submissions, something that Save St Edmundsbury Protest Committee Co-Founder, Rachel Tuohy hopes to see again before August 5.

“We need to let the council know how much we support keeping St Edmundsbury as High Amenity Land.

A few pointers for your submissions; state that you agree/support retaining St Edmundsbury as high amenity lands and give your reasons.

“We recommend referencing compliance with the National Planning Framework (NPF) that seeks to enhance amenity, preserve heritage, transition to a climate resilient society. Green infrastructure aligns with the NPF’s focus on biodiversity, climate action, natural capital” she explained.

Cllr Liona O’Toole, who helped lead the protests last month, reiterated the need for residents to voice their opinions once again and referenced the need for infrastructure before any further homes can be delivered in the area, saying: “I think the biggest challenge this time will simply be encouraging more people to make submissions/ observations.

In particular, I’d encourage support for St Edmundsbury, Finnstown Castle and the amendment requiring DART+ West to be operational and not just commenced before Adamstown West can proceed.

“Although the 1,000 units haven’t been removed from the Adamstown West plans the Chief Executive has noted that making DART+ West operational as a condition could delay delivery of those homes.

In my view that simply strengthens the message to Government that funding needs to be released now so DART+ West can be delivered. We really need as many submissions as possible on the Adamstown-related amendments.

The lands at St Edmundsbury are current zoned as ‘high amenity’, which is utilised to protect scenic locations within the county.

During the last public consultation period, many of the submissions referenced the importance of green spaces in areas such as Lucan, with one reading:

“St Edmundsbury is a vital green area that contributes to the ecological balance and provides a natural habitat for various species.

“Rezoning this land would lead to the destruction of these green spaces, which are essential for the environmental sustainability of our community.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme