Tree preservation order has been requested to protect hedgegrow

“They are a powerful part of our history and area.”

A tree preservation order has been requested to protect a hedgerow in Rathcoole, despite the local authority stating that TPOs don’t cover hedgerows.

The process for a TPO on the hedgerow along Green Lane/Stoney Hill Road was debated at length in a recent meeting, where the local authority was at odds with councillors.

A hedgerow is a line of closely spaced shrubs and sometimes trees planted often to mark the boundary of an area.

Councillor Francis Timmons underlined the importance of protecting rural growths such as these and noted that many hedgerows have already been lost in the Newcastle area.

Cllr Timmons stated: “[This] is to protect a historic medieval burgage hedgerow that is at least 182 years old, and some of it is dating back to the 14th century…I’m not anti-development, but I think we have to coexist with hedgerows.”

The Clondalkin councillor noted that the move will display the necessity of protecting such growths to landowners and other parties and falls in line with the current County Development Plan’s objectives on green growths such as hedgerows.

However, the local authority stated that TPOs are not intended to protect or preserve hedgerows and are designed for the protection of trees and woodlands.

Councillor Jess Spear noted that if councillors are made wait on this issue, hedgerows such as the one along Green Lane/Stoney Hill Road could be removed.

Cllr Spear stated: “On private land, when people are tearing these down, it’s very hard for the community to see that and not want to step in and take action.”

Four TPOs exist across the South Dublin region, with only one created in the last 35 years.

Coolamber in Lucan was the last site to receive a TPO in 2015, with past TPOs being initiated in Clondalkin, Rathfarnham and Palmerstown dating back to 1973 at the earliest.

Councillor Helen Farrell urged the local authority to do more to preserve and protect similar areas across the region.

Cllr Farrell said: “You also get burgage strips as a land feature in Lucan village, Newcastle village and various other places around the county.

“We really should be protecting these heritage landscape features, and they are perfectly compatible with development as well, we can work around that, we can keep them.

“But they’re really important for our wildlife and our biodiversity. There’s really an insufficient number of TPOs within the council as well, given the kind of forestry that we do have in our council area.”

There is a Protection of Hedgerows Bill 2024 currently before the Oireachtas which aims to establish a register of significant hedgerows and prohibit removal except in defined circumstances, as well as introduce offences and appeals procedures.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.