CHAPTER 17 Natural Heritage and Biodiversity
The 2021 Greystones Biodiversity Action Plan identifies several areas of important natural biodiversity which are examples of Local Biodiversity Areas in the Greystones area and should fall under a new biodiversity zoning category in the next Greystones-Delgany and Kilcoole Local Area Plan:
· The Three Trout Stream riparian corridor and other watercourses
· St. Crispins Graveyard, Kilruddery Deerpark Stream and D’Arcy’s Field
· Greystones Coastal Cliffs
· Greystones Rocky Shoreline
· Greystones South Beach
These areas should be ‘zoned for biodiversity’ in the new CDP.
In conjunction with Delgany Tidy Towns and several other local interest groups, we support the proposed creation of a Community Nature Reserve to protect the course of the Three Trout Stream, which was identified as “the most important area of natural habitat remaining in the Delgany -Greystones area” in the recent Greystones BAP. We are happy to support the call for a new designation in the zoning plans and request a new category providing for land management with biodiversity and habitat restoration, regeneration, or preservation as its core objective.
DCC welcome the objective to protect watercourses.
"CPO 17.26 Protect rivers, streams and other water courses by avoiding interference with river / stream beds, banks and channels and maintaining a core riparian buffer zone of generally 25m
along watercourses (or other width, as determined by the Planning Authority having particular regard to ‘Planning for Watercourses in the Urban Environment’ by Inland Fisheries Ireland for urban location) free from inappropriate development, with undeveloped riparian vegetation strips, wetlands and floodplains generally being retained in as natural a state as possible."
We ask that the following stipulations be added:
“- All applicants for planning permission will be required to prove how they have complied with this condition, both at Application stage and again at notification of Site Plan before construction commences.
- Wicklow County Council will urgently request EPA to ensure that the main watercourses in each Municipal District are monitored. One glaring current omission is that the main watercourse in our Greystones Municipal District, The Three Trout Stream, is currently completely unclassified and designated "Not at Risk", despite high levels of nutrient enrichment (High levels of N and P tested and reported by Delgany Tidy Towns in the 2019 and 2021 Earthwatch DCU Waterblitz) and unprecedented levels of construction along its catchment and heavy levels of construction silting detected, reported & stopped by Delgany Tidy Towns (with WCC enforcement and developer co-operation) in Nov & Dec 2020”
DCC support the request by both Greystones Tidy Towns and Delgany Tidy Towns to designate the Three Trouts Stream river systems from source(s) to sea as a key Local Biodiversity Area / Wicklow Community Nature Reserve & Wildlife Corridor. It should be recognised, protected and developed as the key biodiversity resource within the Municipal District in its own right and also as the buffer zone of the Glen of The Downs SAC.