Chapter 18: Green Infrastructure

Closed27 Apr, 2022, 09:00 - 25 May, 2022, 17:00

The following material alterations are proposed to Chapter 18 –  Green Infrastructure.  The proposed alterations should be read in conjunction with the original draft chapter which can be viewed here.

AMENDMENT V1 – 74

Section 18.1     Statutory & Policy Context

Project Ireland 2040: National Planning Framework (NPF)

In addition, a number of NPF National Policy Objectives address green infrastructure directly:

NPO 22

Facilitate tourism development and in particular a National Greenways, Blueways and Peatways Strategy, which prioritises projects on the basis of achieving maximum impact and connectivity at national and regional level.

NPO 58

Integrated planning for Green Infrastructure and ecosystem services will be incorporated into the preparation of statutory land use plans.

NPO 64

Improve air quality and help prevent people being exposed to unacceptable levels of pollution in our urban and rural areas through integrated land use and spatial planning that supports public transport, walking and cycling as more favourable modes of transport to the private car, the promotion of energy efficient buildings and homes, heating systems with zero local emissions, green infrastructure planning and innovative design solutions.

 

AMENDMENT V1 – 75

Section 18.6     Green Infrastructure Objectives

CPO 18.5          To identify and facilitate the provision of linkages along and between green / river corridors within the county and adjoining counties to create inter connected routes and develop riverside parks and create linkages between them to form ‘necklace’ effect routes including development of walkways, cycleways, bridleways and wildlife corridors where feasible and ensuring that there is no adverse impact (directly, indirectly or cumulatively) on the conservation objectives of European sites.

CPO 18.6          To promote and facilitate the development of coastal paths trails linking up with existing recreational paths/strategic walkways/cycleways trails, creating new linkages between coastal sites and inward linkages to settlements and green spaces in built up areas and extensions to existing facilities where feasible and ensuring that there is no adverse impact (directly, indirectly or cumulatively) on the conservation objectives of European sites.

 

AMENDMENT V1 – 76

Section 18.6     Green Infrastructure Objectives

Recreational Use of Natural Resources

CPO 18.11        To support the development of greenways, blueways and other access routes along natural corridors while ensuring that there is no adverse impact on the flora and fauna, biodiversity or water quality of natural assets. Wicklow County Council prioritises environmental protection in our design and construction of routes and surface selection.

In particular, to support the development of existing and examine the feasibility of new walking, and cycling, horse riding and water based routes and trails along the following routes:

  • from Bray Head, via the Sugarloaf Mountains, joining up with The Wicklow Way;
  • the extension of the ‘Blessington Greenway’ walk around the Phoulaphuca reservoir;
  • the expansion of a lakeshore walk around the Vartry reservoir;
  • the extension of the old Shillelagh branch recreational trail - railway walk from Arklow to Shillelagh;
  • the development of a route along the disused Great Southern and Western Railway line (Naas to Tullow branch) through Dunlavin and Baltinglass.
  • the development of a coastal route from Bray to Arklow as well as links between this potential route and the coast road;
  • the Wicklow Way and St. Kevin's Way (as permissive waymarked routes).
  • the Wicklow to Glendalough “pilgrim walk” incorporating ancient wells.
  • ‘Mountains to the Sea’ amenity route incorporating Glendalough, Laragh, Annamoe, Roundwood, Newtownmountkennedy and Kilcoole-Newcastle.

 

AMENDMENT V1 – 77

Section 18.6     Green Infrastructure Objectives

Public Rights of Way Objectives

CPO 18.XX       The Council recognises the recreational and heritage conservation importance of the preservation protection, enhancement, maintenance and improvement, for the common good, of public rights of way providing access to seashores, mountains, lakeshores, riverbanks or other places of natural beauty or recreational utility by ensuring that new developments do not materially restrict or block the routes [pathways/trackways/laneways] of those PROWs.  Developments will not be permitted where the established recreational utility or otherwise of a PROW would be compromised or lost altogether, unless specific proposals are made by the developer as part of a planning application to:

  1. Develop a new route-way to replace the route-way of the existing PROW in full or to realign a section of such a route-way, in manner that ensures that new route-way/realigned section of route-way is of similar character, capacity and function of the route/part of a route of the PROW that it is to replace;
  2. Appropriate legal procedures have been undertaken to extinguish the existing PROW [or part thereof] and to establish an entirely new route way or a realigned section of the existing route of a PROW.

 

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We wish to support these amendments. Please see PDF document titled 'Submission in relation to Proposed Amendments to the Draft Wicklow County Development Plan 2022' attached in relation to...
As part of the Mountains to Sea Greenway we would like to see in particular the link between Newtownmountkennedy and Kilcoole being recognised as a strategic objective. There are shared primary and...
On the Map No.1 for Baltinglass in the draft county plan there is a dotted line showing a “Route of old Railway line – possible new greenway route”. Greenways are brilliant and a great use of disused...