Residents feel strongly about keeping Newlands a green belt

WATCH:

THE 100-acre Newland’s Farm is going in front of councillors to be considered as a future Strategic Development Area for a second time this year

The well-known site by Newland’s Cross and between the Tallaght and Clondalkin areas is a large stretch of green that separates the two communities and is currently designated for agricultural use.

The green belt will go before councillors again on Monday, four months after the proposal to designate it as a future SDA was rejected.

Per the Chief Executive’s report on the latest round of public consultation in regard to the lands, ‘Proposed Material Alterations to Proposed Variation No. 2 to the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-2028’, it is noted that Hibernia Real Estate Group “objects” to the council’s vote to reject the proposal and “seeks the reinstatment” of these plans.

Kingswood resident Mary Keogh questioned this inclusion in the latest report after the votes in June on lands, and noted that many local residents feel the green belt should be maintained.

The local resident said: “Most of the residents in Kingswood feel very strongly about maintaining the status of the green belt. It’s actually zoned agricultural, but it has been there for many, many years. It goes all the way back to Katharine Tynan and her family when it was a dairy farm…

…The council wanted certain numbers from certain areas for potential housing, and we exceeded those numbers.

“So, it doesn’t make any sense. It’s just not logical in any way you look at it or think about it.”

In June, the proposal was rejected, and this came five years after plans to develop the area into a site with 3,500 homes were shelved.

Hibernia Real Estate Group acquired the Newlands Farm site just over a decade ago and have been interested in delivering developments there.

The owners had lodged an unsuccessful submission during the consultation process for the initial version of the 2022-28 county development plan, seeking to rezone the 144-acre greenfield site from agricultural to residential use.

Mary noted that the location “is awash with biodiversity” and serves as a habitat for several different species, while also housing periodic wetlands.

Mary said: “It is awash with biodiversity and nature. There are little creatures down there that are on the endangered list and on the protected list of the Irish nature habitat. The European Nature Directive that was issued a few years ago – we hit every one of those markers for what’s down there…

“…There is a small but nevertheless very important wetland area that the enforcement area in South Dublin County Council have put a protection order on, and there are all the associated flora and fauna involved with that area, including frog spawn, which is protected in Ireland.

“The little frog that would be responsible for the frog spawn is the Irish common frog – which is also protected.”

She also noted the existence of badgers, hedgehogs, owls and bats in the area, and pointed to trail cameras that collected data and also a walk on the lands alongside Birdwatch Ireland where several species were spotted.

The CE SKILLS: report that outlines a plan Members   to resubmit the proposal for of Silver Surfers consideration also notes that the planned designation “would not constitute a rezoning” of lands.

The report states: “The submission states that the proposed Future SDA designation would not constitute a rezoning of the lands, would not facilitate residential development and would not prejudice the plan-led process.

“It is submitted that the designation would simply allow the preparatory studies, infrastructure assessments and strategic planning work envisaged under Policy CS3 in advance of the next Development Plan review.”

South Dublin County Council declined to comment.