Councillors want developers to do more on habitat loss
Developers could be forced to plant native trees, shrubs, and plants on development sites in Cork to mitigate against habitat loss arising out of a review of the county development plan.
It comes after a Green Party county councillor won widespread support from colleagues for his criticism of the extensive use of foreign flora in many newly built housing estates.
Councillor Alan O’Connor proposed altering the County Development Plan to require that landscaping schemes on all large-scale developments “be comprised of locally native trees, shrubs, and herbs, this being done in order to enhance the benefit of the landscaping scheme for wildlife”.
He said it should apply to new-build schools, housing estates, industrial estates, and town centre upgrades.
Fine Gael councillor Anthony Barry agreed, saying: “A lot of [housing] estates we give planning to use elaborate ornamental plants, many of which are not native. The trouble with that is it later costs the residents a lot of money to maintain them. With native species don’t have these issues.”
Independent councillor Marcia D’Alton said such a policy must be enshrined in the new County Development Plan to deliver on Mr O’Connor’s call.
Work on a new plan is due to start at the end of this year and could take two years.
The mayor of Co Cork, Fianna Fáil councillor Christopher O’Sullivan, agreed that a culture change is needed and said it would be discussed as part of the drafting of the new plan.
A number of the county councillors pointed out that greater use of native trees, plants, and shrubs would aid native wildlife as well, especially pollinators.
In a report to councillors, Padraig Moore, director of the county council’s planning department, said consideration will be given to how best to encourage the planting of native species where appropriate,as part of landscaping schemes and that “guideline advice” on the use of appropriate native species is already contained in the council’s Cork Rural Design Guide.
Meanwhile, a major survey of invasive plant species in the Bride river valley, including giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam, and Japanese knotweed, is under way.
The data will help develop a strategy to eradicate the species from the valley over the coming years.
Surveyors who mapped the lower reaches, from Bridebridge to the Waterford border, found giant hogweed and Himalayan balsam.
Giant hogweed is a public health concern. Its toxic sap can cause severe skin burns. Both contribute to riverbank erosion, dying back in the winter leaving bare banks exposed.
Mr O’Sullivan said that, once the survey is complete, the council will engage with landowners to develop a catchment-wide eradication strategy.
Landowners in the area can contact the council’s Sharon Casey on 021 4285869 for details.
