Rail journey

Uimhir Thagarta Uathúil:

KCC-C55-358

Stádas:

Submitted

Údar:

Deirdre Lane

Comhairliúchán:

Draft Kildare County Development Plan 2023 - 2029

Líon na ndoiciméad faoi cheangal:

Teorainneacha Gafa ar an léarscáil:

Níl

Údar:

Deirdre Lane

Litir Chumhdaigh

Kildare Environmental Network County Development Plan Submission

Kildare, like any other counties, has a climate and biodiversity crisis to deal with and improve upon, though also social and economic matters. As such, the KEEN submission relates to biodiversity, and over arching climate change. KEEN has been active in this space and now has almost one thousand followers and seats in KCC on the Kildare PPN

See Kildare Environmental Network On Facebook

Biodiversity:

Biodiversity can only be protected, increased and safeguarded by protecting and managing our landscape efficiently to ensure a healthy ecosystem and environment for the benefit of all; humans, flora and fauna alike. Ireland has signed up to the Landscape Convention (2000) The European Landscape Convention (coe.int) as signed by Ireland in 2002 and ratified in 2008 and Kildare should/could be the leading county in implementing the measurements as outlined in the Landscape Convention

Tuairimí

Transport improvements for all users

Caibidil:

Volume 1 - chapters » 5. Sustainable Mobility & Transport

Ábhair:

mobility

transport

Rail Transition

That KCC map, monitor and action a transition plan for the rail infrastructure currently in place on Bord na Móna bogs and ESB and CIE rail real estate

The existing turf trains and tracks in place can be greenways to witness the biodiversity growth going forward and as tourist draws bringing revenues to local rural economies.

The Tracks are currently in situ and can be saved for green ways, at a minimum the railway embankments should be left in situ. With the wide open spaces they provide this is healthy for COVID19 outdoor activites for humans and other species dwelling on the rail infrastructure tracks

To avail of existing rail infrastructure used by Bord Na Mona, and indeed ESB, to transport peat and turf might a map of all the rail tracks be provided for consideration of future usage and collaborations from 50 years ago today and a consultation for 50 years time with the public and all stakeholders to have their vision mapped for these corridors of life

The tracks real estate to be linked up green ways and deserve to be preserved as the Rail heritage for future journeys and green jobs in line with the growth in demand for experiential tourism

The EU are funding rail heritage work see European Year of Rail 2021 will highlight rail's role in European heritage - European Heritage Tribune that KCC avail of funding and aid partnership in the planning and fund application process.

That the peatland park and nature conservancy investment at Ummeras which would follow a 3-year rewetting engineering project be supported as a Pilot and other Kildare bogs be supported and the rail infrastructure where feasible preserved

Social bog and industrial heritage History harvesting for experiential transport and tourism

That KCC harvest the archives of staff in Bord na Móna and capture the social history of colleagues, the past colleagues who generated great wealth, bringing with them sporting, linguistic and music skills to our areas. That KCC collate and record the workers social history be salvaged as part of a Just Transition to celebrate those who worked on this inefficient yet necessary energy source as part of the power use of the day to power the national and local economy in previous decades.

that a full, and credible, environmental impact study accompanies the request for planning permission,
that it shows that the development is sited sensitively with minimal impact on the local environment, and
that there will be ongoing, transparent and reported, efforts to minimise the impact on wildlife – birds, bats, etc.) in transport planning

Newbridge Silver is a great example of honouring the staff in their company in their museum and visitor centre. It was the number 1 free tourist attraction in Ireland pre Covid 19.It is a superb attraction situated within walking distance of the Head Quarter of Bord na Móna. The Bord na Móna heritagedeserves similar or better. It is important to archive the staff records and not lose them. We encourage the funding of plans for the Bord na Móna protection of the Social history including transport industrial heritage

List the rail infrastructure in the county including that in place on spaces owned by Bord Na Mona and ESB, CIE to be included as nature corridors and salvage the Rail Heritage of the county
That KCC address road pollution and noise pollution by building a sky train. Can Newbridge cultural Quarter include a Sky Train SkyTrain Schedules | TransLink instead of compulsory purchases of land that KCC develop modern safe quiet methods of transport. The international firms in the area could use the Newbridge centric Skytrain for their logistics and good and staff transport
That KCC build inclusive transport
Sustainable access routes to have a bike wheeling route to glide your bike and pram/wheelchairs in to transport areas with the steps access. In other countries the bike wheel section is on the side or middle of the ramp to transport methods to help wheel transport users access the transport platforms and eleminate carrying their bikes etc.
Green festivals and grants to community to stipulate eco products to be used and sustainable transport routes prioritised

Inclusive transport

skytrain

industrial heritage

noise pollution

Tiny House champions

Caibidil:

Volume 1 - chapters » 3. Housing

Ábhair:

housing

That KCC should legislate for the inclusion of Tiny Homes in their various designs in their planning development. These tiny homes are very sustainable, energy efficient, non-intrusive, and indeed very much affordable to anyone who cannot afford an affordable house, as great examples can be seen all across the world from Australia to Japan USA, Canada, Europe (www.tinyhomes.ie, Living in a Tiny House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ7ZihueEe0)

Made in Kildare

Caibidil:

Volume 1 - chapters » 8 - Urban Centres & Retail

Ireland up to the mid-nineties had an ecological footprint less than its own land area. Despite the low population increase, within less than 10 years Ireland’s ecological footprint is now greater than 7 times its own land area. This is totally unsustainable, environmentally degrading and causes an unsustainable increase in rubbish and waste accumulation

There is a need to reduce the numbers of supermarkets in the county, or at least not allow anymore to be build. Local businesses suffer as some of their products can be sold cheaper in large-scale supermarkets.

Town and village centres are being abandoned by commercial businesses, leading to an increase in travel to shops in banal shopping centres for what should actually be locally available, such as book, music, jewellery, bakery, shoe and clothing shops, etc.

➢ Thus, town/_village centres should be given priority for local businesses over supermarket/shopping centre developments

➢ Town centres need to be rejuvenated

➢ Any historical street scape to be upheld to create a sense of community and belonging, of pride and interaction

➢ Emphasis should be place on making space available for local produce, local enterprises

➢ Weekly and monthly markets should be allowed in every town and village

➢ Special markets/events to be held, such food festivals, book markets, etc.

➢ Local crafts people, community gardens& farms and local food producers should be encouraged to participate with appropriate incentives into retail sales

➢ Local restaurants & cafes, and any hospitality enterprise should be rewarded for buying as much as possible from their locality, or at least within Kildare county as part of the social and green procurement remits

➢ Plastic and drinking cans return schemes should be in every town and village to reduce rubbish being thrown away carelessly into the country side and water courses

➢ Recycling centres need to be established in every major town/village to encourage recycling and at the same time reduce horrendous fly-tipping

➢ That Sustainable use of textiles in the region be researched and the toxins in microplastic of households and council use of fabrics be researched

That KCC pioneer a House Of Brigid retail solution to support Kildare talent with authentic , locally made goods , consider a pop up store for national and also international showcasing of Authentic artisanal Kildare made goods

Funding

Caibidil:

Volume 1 - chapters » 10 - Community Infrastructure & Creative Places

Will KCC stipulate funding for events be green and procurement of products to be eco

Can the CDP roll out eco obligations linked to funding of Kildare sponsored events ad part of your sponsorship?
The litter and pollution post some events can be avoided with your guidance

This would eliminate plastic food container use at events sponsored by KCC

Will KCC pay for a mentor in each MD to be a support for creative people and assist with their events and planning applications for longer term sustainable community events and ecosystems to scale up

6. Infrastructure & Environmental Services

Caibidil:

Volume 1 - chapters » 6. Infrastructure & Environmental Services

Ábhair:

infrastructure

environment

Training and education

Each Party undertakes to promote:

a training for specialists in landscape appraisal and operations;

b multidisciplinary training programmes in landscape policy, protection, management and

planning, for professionals in the private and public sectors and for associations

concerned;

c school and university courses be mapped, measured and monitored in order to identify gaps in knowledge and knowledge partner providers which, in the relevant subject areas, address the values attached to landscapes and the issues raised by their protection, management and planning of future job creation

d that Permaculture be thought to staff and communities and education schools to advance recognition of nature

That KCC will implement a program that education on social and green procurement systems thinking and life cycle analysis be brought to procurement decisions for the county

Identification and assessment

1 With the active participation of the interested parties with a view to improving knowledge of its landscapes, each Party undertakes:

a i to identify its own landscapes throughout its territory;

ii to analyse their characteristics and the forces and pressures transforming them;

iii to take note of changes;

b to assess the landscapes thus identified, taking into account the particular values

assigned to them by the interested parties and the population concerned.

2 These identification and assessment procedures shall be guided by the exchanges of

experience and methodology, organised between the Parties at European level pursuant to

Article 8.

Hedgerows:

Hedgerows are a part of the Irish historical landscape due to complex reason, but are a rich source for biodiversity: for fauna an important, diverse habitat, green corridor connections, foraging areas, nesting sites, shelter, hibernation, and so on; for flora a sheltered habitat that can contain up to a hundred different native plant species.

➢ All existing hedgerows in Kildare need to be mapped, monitored and protected under the Landscape Convention 2000, and to the recommendations of the Kildare Hedgerow survey (2006)

• Existing hedgerows need to be included in any development site in the planning application – if for any reason the existing hedgerow or parts of it, need to be removed, another new hedgerow equivalent in size to the one taken out, should be planted within the development site. If hedgerows are not taken into consideration in the planning application, the application should be refused.

• Any new hedgerow being planted should include a rich mix of hawthorn and where possible include native trees, some, if feasible, of edible varieties, such as apples, cherries, and should not be of monoculture, such as lengthy stretches of beech being of poor biodiversity source.

• No hedge trimming or removal should be carried out by private people, contractors or KCC staff during the breeding season as stipulated in legislation

• Hedge conservation should be encouraged and rewarded instead in line with best practice by Hedge Laying Association of Ireland - A good hedge for the farm is a good hedge for wildlife

• Any non-native bush/shrub or hedge plant, such as laurels and laurel species, e.g., the Red Robin, should be prohibited in any public spaces, and the ones already in existence be removed. Laurels are non-native, very invasive and toxic.

Rail journey

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