Welcome
Welcome to the new format of our ezine. Following some comments regarding the format
of the pdf version of our e-zine and problems with Spam we are experimenting with
this new screen friendly format. The full pdf version will be available on
our website by clicking the following link: An
Taisce Newsletters
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At a recent “This Place Matters” project meeting held in Kildare the fabulous work
of community groups working to protect a historic demesne near Celbridge was showcased. Ian
Lumley, our heritage officer had also done an enormous amount of work on the case,
and this support together with the networks formed at This Place Matters, including
appealing to the friends of An Taisce on Facebook and skilful and positive use of
social media such as YouTube and Boards.ie led to an unprecedented number of submissions
in this case.
So we were really pleased earlier this month to learn that the appeals had been successful and An Bord Pleanála had scuppered plans for the development of this historic landscape which would have seen developers Devondale Ltd build 108 detached houses at the Donaghcumper demesne which An Bord said “would seriously injure the amenities of the area and of property in the vicinity” and would compromise the setting of the OPW-maintained Castletown House.
Once again a council had given planning permission that directly contravened their own development plans which form a legal environmental contract with the people. In this case the objective of the plan was to prohibit development in gardens or landscapes associated with protected structures such as Donaghcumper House and Castletown.
An Bord also considered the development would excessively encroach on the River Liffey valley lands which are “significant in terms of landscape character and of high amenity value.” It also thought that the ecology of Donacumper (particularly the protected species of bats and otters) would be adversely impacted.
This decision is to be welcomed as it sets a clear precedent for protection of the wider setting of the historic landscapes. Permission was refused on the best possible grounds – the principle of prohibiting development in landscapes deemed to be an important part of the setting of a protected structure.
But although the battle may be won the war is not yet finished with Devondale still applying for an urban expansion of Celbridge including 648 residential units and Kildare County Council itself planning a new road network to facilitate these projects.
So we were really pleased earlier this month to learn that the appeals had been successful and An Bord Pleanála had scuppered plans for the development of this historic landscape which would have seen developers Devondale Ltd build 108 detached houses at the Donaghcumper demesne which An Bord said “would seriously injure the amenities of the area and of property in the vicinity” and would compromise the setting of the OPW-maintained Castletown House.
Once again a council had given planning permission that directly contravened their own development plans which form a legal environmental contract with the people. In this case the objective of the plan was to prohibit development in gardens or landscapes associated with protected structures such as Donaghcumper House and Castletown.
An Bord also considered the development would excessively encroach on the River Liffey valley lands which are “significant in terms of landscape character and of high amenity value.” It also thought that the ecology of Donacumper (particularly the protected species of bats and otters) would be adversely impacted.
This decision is to be welcomed as it sets a clear precedent for protection of the wider setting of the historic landscapes. Permission was refused on the best possible grounds – the principle of prohibiting development in landscapes deemed to be an important part of the setting of a protected structure.
But although the battle may be won the war is not yet finished with Devondale still applying for an urban expansion of Celbridge including 648 residential units and Kildare County Council itself planning a new road network to facilitate these projects.
To see some of the details of the case visit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYIFyRvlqM8
Photos show images of Donacumper demesne, Castletown house and proposed development
A wonderful new book has been published by David Rowe of the South Dublin Local
Association. The beautifully illustrated “Sketches in South Dublin” brings together
almost a lifetime’s work of detailed and charming sketches. David’s journey takes
the reader to some of South Dublin’s most beautiful heritage buildings and natural
areas, showing changes and developments, modern and ancient architecture, all pictured
over the years and gives a real feel for the area. The book is available from
most newsagents in the area or can be ordered by emailing David on
dnr.iol.ie. All profits will go to the South Dublin Local Association
to help fund their valuable work. This book would make a lovely gift
for anyone with roots in the area or for anyone who is interested in the changing
face of Dublin over the decades.
Every month the European Environment Agency EAA is issuing a “message
for 2010”, which will highlight one theme per month until the tenth meeting of the
conference of the parties (COP) to the United Nations convention on Biological diversity
(CBD). Each message provides a short assessment focusing on a specific ecosystem
or issue related to biodiversity in Europe. A summary of July’s message is
below; follow the link to see the full message.
Agricultural Ecosystems
Within the framework of the CAP, the last 50 years have seen increasing attention
to biodiversity, but without clear benefits so far. With agriculture covering about
half of EU land area, Europe's biodiversity is linked inextricably to agricultural
practices, creating valuable agro-ecosystems across the whole of Europe.
To read more go to:
http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/10-messages-for-2010-agricultural-ecosystems
The message was written by Katarzyna Biala and Karina Makarewicz at EEA.
To find out about wonderful research
on high nature value farming in Ireland go to
http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/news-press/ And download the report.
Maintaining and restoring biodiversity provides the basis for all agro ecosystem
– related services.
The This Place Matters team are going to have a busy couple of months. The
predraft stage of the county development plans for both Sligo and Donegal are open
for public consultation until September. The new Local Association covering
Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon will be involved in bring a This Place Matters
meeting to Sligo town on either the 17-18th August (date tbc) and the
Donegal Local Association has asked that as well as a This Place Matters
meeting we hold an afternoon’s training on area planning and submissions. This will
take place in early September. In addition we have had requested through our
Facebook page that we hold community planning training in Co Mayo which we will
bring together at the end of September/beginning of October. We are also hoping
to undertake some joint projects with the community planning department at Tipperary
Institute and will be meeting with the fabulous team there shortly to see how we
can make the programme more effective. Emails will be sent to all members to confirm
dates and we will issue press releases, so if you live in Sligo, Donegal or Mayo
keep an eye out.
Community led planning represents an unparalleled opportunity for people to take
responsibility for making things happen locally rather than waiting on others to
do it for them
For a few years now Anja Murray, who heads our natural environment unit, has been
raising alarm bells about the impact of the growing of biofuels on biodiversity,
especially where tropical forests are cleared in order to grow crops for biofuels.
Another major concern is where the demand for biofuels competes with food production. Now
thanks to a group of activist lawyers called ClientEarth and the Reuters news agency,
a rift that exists in EU biofuel policy has been exposed.
When citizens are filling up their cars with biofuels, they have the right to know
whether they are encouraging deforestation on the other side of the planet. The
basic assumption with biofuels is that plants absorb as much CO2 while
growing as they release when burned in an engine and that when you use them as a
fuel, their net impact on the climate is close to zero. But this doesn’t take
into account a relatively new concept called “indirect land-use change”. Put simply,
if you take a field planted with foodstuffs and switch that crop to something that
can be used to make a biofuel, then someone will go hungry unless the food crop
is grown elsewhere or farming yield are massively improved. And this growing
will probably involve poorer land or forests which are our most biodiverse lands. To
see the full article about this latest “inconvenient truth” go to
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6641FD20100705
A recent renovation of the grave of Robert Lloyd Praeger, carried out by the Dun
Laoghaire Local Association has born fruit (or at least flowers). The grave,
at Deansgrange cemetary had fallen into disrepair and needed a considerable amount
of work to bring it back to a fitting memorial to the founder of An Taisce. The
grave is now looking wonderful with the grass seed heads set and the heathers showing
deep and pale pink flowers. We asked Matthew Jebb of the National Botanic Gardens
to explain the planting choices that he made for the grave, so if you do pay a visit
to this fascinating site you will be able to understand a little more about what
you see. Carex buxbaumii, a sedge, lines the edge. This plant was discovered
on the shores of Lough Neagh, this was taken to the National Botanic Gardens and
it was here that Praeger spied in a bed and took some back to his Ranelagh home. In
due course, after being passed to Arthur Stelfox and then Donal Synott, the plant
was returned to Glasnevin from where it had been lost. Praeger can therefor be credited
with saving this plant from extinction in Ireland.
Along the centre of the grave are planted four heathers: at the foot is Erica erigena.
This plant is a cutting from plants growing on Clare Island, where Praeger discovered
the species in 1909. Next is Erica ciliaris – this is another Lusitanian species
(it grows in the Iberian peninsula and on the west coast of Ireland). Shortly after
its discovery as a single specimen in the middle of Roundstone Bog its location
was lost and was not rediscovered until the 1960’s after Praeger’s death. It
is a species he would never have seen and it seemed appropriate to bring the plant
to him. Next are a pair of Erica mackyana plants. This species only covers
a few square kilometers of Roundstone Bog and a scattering of other sites. Praeger
spent some time studying this species, as like the E.ciliaris, they represented
an enigma in Irish Biogeography, which remains unanswered to this day. These plants
are a selection with pale pink flowers named ‘Maura’ after Maura Scannell, a botanist
who like Praeger has donated a lifetime to the study of Ireland’s plants. Lastly
nearest the headstone is a plant of Erica x praegeri, a natural hybrid that occurs
between E.mackyana and our more widespread E. tetralix. Unfortunately this plant
has been renamed E x stuartii, but this should not detract from the thoroughness
of Praeger’s investigation in spotting the hybrid in Ireland.
We would like to thank the Dun Laoghaire association very much for their hard work
in repairing and renovating this grave and would encourage you to visit to pay your
respects to a great man and enjoy the planting.
Matthew Jebb at Praeger’s graveside
There has recently been a huge amount of media coverage regarding our role in requesting
a review of the planning record of some councils to be carried out by DoE. Some
of this, such as that covered in the Connacht Tribune have been inaccurate and bordering
on a slur campaign with no input or responses allowed by us. We feel strongly
that in the case of the Galway papers this coverage is very much as a result of
vested issues led by developers in the area who are also involved in the media companies
concerned.
There has also been some concern over the recent piece in the Irish times entitled
“An Taisce accused of slur against council staff”. You may not have seen all
the coverage leading up to and relating to this, so Kevin Duff, a very active volunteer
in the Dublin Local Association, has offered to summarise the issues. Our response
to Dublin Council’s statement including the cases which are of concern can be seen
at www.antaisce.org click planning
then news.
The calling for an investigation into Dublin City Council's planning record by An
Taisce was initially reported by John Kilraine on RTE news on 13 August 2009, in
the wake of the An Bord Pleanala request for extensive changes to the City Council's
grant of permission for the Carlton Site planning application, Upper O'Connell Street
(Ian Lumley was briefly interviewed) - http://www.rte.ie/news/
On 5 July’10, Frank McDonald reported in the Irish Times the undertaking of such
a review by the DOE on foot of complaints by An Taisce and others -
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/
Then this was the Olivia Kelly piece from the 17 July Irish Times which it seems
has caused concern - http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010
The official who made the response on behalf of City Manager John Tierney, is known
to us and it is likely he was anxious to have his say, following An Taisce's highlighting
of their reckless decision making throughout the boom and the level of their decisions
overturned/significantly changed on appeal, and in particular after Ian's very effective
commentary in the 13 August RTE piece.
Needless to say, their response is outrageous and can only be attributed to the
bluster of one who is fought into a corner; the City Council's efforts to remove
decades-old height restrictions in the city have proven extremely unpopular (over
350 submissions on the height issue to the current Draft City Development Plan).
The information in our submission to the DOE is accurate and, as stated in the 20
July Irish Times piece, is backed up by links to planning decisions. It will be
found to be 100% accurate by the DOE.
The breaching by the City Council of its own development plan is fairly widely known
going back over the last half-decade (An Taisce's concerns about this are reported
here back in 2007 - http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/property)
An Taisce's actions in Dublin in this area have been and will be seen to have been
vindicated. (Also worth viewing isRTE news piece from 12 Octoberwhich details and
illustrates a number of the major schemes City Council decisions were on appeal
- http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/1012/ballsbridge_av.html?2627342,null,230)
In 1973 An Taisce celebrated its Silver Anniversary with a special AGM and gathering
in Galway at which Erskine Childers, President of Ireland was guest of honour and
Sir Jamie Stormonth Darling, Director of The National Trust for Scotland was the
guest speaker. J. C. Stormonth Darling presented two gifts to An Taisce to mark
the lasting friendship and high regard between the Scottish and Irish National Trusts;
a painting by James Barry (1741-1806) of St Patrick baptising the High King of Cashel
now in the National Gallery and a solid silver Quiach or toasting cup by the Edinburgh
firm of Hamilton and Inches inscribed with the arms of both the NTS and AnTaisce
Celtic T, with the date of the founding of NTS 1931 and 1948, the date of the
founding of An Taisce and an inscription recording its presentation in Galway in
1973.
J.C. Stormonth Darling (1918-2000) was in many ways the man who made the Scottish
Trust what it is today presiding as Secretary and later Director over the greatest
expansion of the trust and the enshrinement of “the holistic approach” at its heart,
a phrase coined by Sir Frank Fraser Darling the eminent human ecologist and originator
of the ecological survey “the analysis of the interdependent relationship between
man, his native landscape and the wildlife of his locality”. Frank Fraser Darling
was the guest speaker at the inaugural meeting in Dublin’s Mansion House in 1946
on behalf of The National Trust for Scotland at which Robert Lloyd Praeger was elected
president and the constitution of An Taisce was based on that of the NTS. The cup
has lain in a deposit box in the bank of Ireland since 1973 and was recently retrieved
for cleaning and photographing.
The Environmental Pillar was included in Social Partnership in 2009, and is made
up of 27 eNGOs including An Taisce. This year a major piece of work that we
have contributed to was a review of the EPA. In approaching this very important
consultative process, the Pillar began its analysis by focusing on the job
description implicit in the title of the Agency – i.e.'Environmental Protection
Agency'. There is a basic expectation set for the Agency’s focus and responsibility
consequent on that job title, namely to be a protector of the environment – and
it is on that job requirement that the focus of the submission was directed. This
central focus is essential and it would be the Pillar’s view that the Agency should
view the environment as its customer. The lack of such a perspective within the
current EPA is one of the first signals of disconnect evident in living up to the
demands of the agency’s title. The breadth of terms of reference of the review
panel were welcomed by the Pillar and are essential to any meaningful assessment
and reform necessary to the fundamental matter at stake which is as already stated:
‘the protection of the environment’ and how that has been served and how it needs
to be served in the future.
An Taisce along with other members made various comments and these were bought together
in the final submission which can be found at
http://www.environmentalpillar.ie/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/environmental-pillar-epa-submission-final.pdf.
We have been contacted by Waterford member Ollie Breslaw who is looking for input
into promoting ecotourism in the area. A committee is being set up to look
at new initiatives. Some examples include expanding and publicising the local cycle
paths, walkways nature trails and offering specific wildlife experiences. There
are many opportunities in the locale from river nature tours to whale watching
of Dunmore and from Bilberry goats to world class gardens like Mount Congreve. If
you have any ideas for projects that need promotion etc please contact Ollie at
ollie.bres@gmail.com or by post to 99
Barrack Street Waterford.
Heritage Week 2010 is fast approaching, with events at a vast selection of places
on a huge variety of themes. To see what is going on near you go to
www.heritageweek.ie. As always, many of our Local Associations will be running
events, one example is Will Warham of the Wexford Group who will be opening
his farm for a guided walk along the newly constructed boardwalk to a new bird hide. This
walk is on Saturday 28th august at 2.30pm—4.00pm. Ring 087 2052266 for more
details. Tailors’ Hall will also be opening for guided tours from 2.30pm on
Thursday 26th August.
Your views are important to An Taisce. Please don't hesitate to send us any feedback
on content, format, etc. of this newsletter, and if there are any topics in particular
that you'd like to see covered, we'll do our best to get them in.
Sincerely,
Jeff Young, Hon Secretary, An Taisce
and Abby McSherry, Local Associations Officer membership@antaisce.org
Jeff Young, Hon Secretary, An Taisce
and Abby McSherry, Local Associations Officer membership@antaisce.org
Tailors Hall,
Back Lane, Dublin 8
Dublin 8
Phone: 01 4541786
e-zine E-mail: jeff@rokeby.ie
general enquiries admin@antaisce.org
website www.antaisce.ie
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