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Cllr Francis Timmons – Independent Voice

Newcastle Tidy Towns develop Wildlife, Habitats and Natural Amenities

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

QUESTION NO. 4

QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons

“To ask the Chief Executive how can Newcastle Tidy Towns develop Wildlife, Habitats and Natural Amenities as suggested by Tidy towns feedback? Please give as much information as possible.”

REPLY:

The inclusion of measures to protect, enhance, and promote the biodiversity of local towns and villages is one of the categories for the Tidy Towns competition and the Tidy Towns guidance documents provide some ideas on how this can be achieved.

A suggested first step for the Newcastle Tidy Towns committee would be to develop a staged Biodiversity Action Plan for the village which will identify required actions and targets to be completed over a period of time. Newcastle village offers good opportunities to protect and promote biodiversity and the village and its environs is known, in particular, to be an important area for a number of bat species. Projects structured around retaining and enhancing habitats such as trees and hedgerows, and the appropriate maintenance of old walls and other old built structures, can form part of an overall biodiversity enhancement plan for the village.

Assistance can be had from the Heritage Officer to draw up a structured plan and i;dentify targets for action.

Information and guidance leaflets on achieving TidyTowns biodiversity objectives can also be accessed at the following links:

Heritage Council’s Conserving and Enhancing Wildlife in Towns and Villages – A guide for local community groups:

http://www.heritagecouncil.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/Wildlife/wildlife.pdf

Notice Nature’s Guidelines for the Protection of Biodiversity:

http://www.noticenature.ie/files/tourism_guidelines.pdf

Bat Conservation Ireland’s Bats and Tidy Towns Projects – Guidance Notes for Tidy Towns Committees:

http://www.batconservationireland.org/wpcontent/uploads/2015/05/BCIrelandGuidelines_TidyTowns.pdf

 

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