Cllrs heron the side of caution on bird habitat zoning issue

A Meath councillor’s attempt to protect a wood thought to be a habitat for families of herons caused a flap at a meeting of Meath County Council.

Councillors were discussing a draft county development plan for the next six years and Fine Gael Cllr Sarah Reilly wanted councillors to agree to a change of land zoning at Rabbit Hill Wood on the Headfort Road, away from housing to a protected area. She asked them to agree to a tree preservation order, thus protecting the herons.

The cllr, supported by Cllr Eugene Cassidy, said that while it was believed that family of heron lived in the wood, their exact location was not known. It was a perfect location for them, she said.

The area is zoned residential under the current 2013-19 county development plan, with room for just three houses.

Council planner Padraig Maguire said he would have no issue if the zoning was changed to F1 (open space as was proposed but it would be up to the members to decide.

Fianna Fail Cllr Sean Drew said that he and other Kells councillors were in agreement with Cllr Reilly, that the entire site should not be zoned residential. They believed that the zoning should revert to allowing zoning on the front of the road which led into thre town.

He said they had submitted G1 zoning to protect people’s access to the cemetery in that area. Generally, they thought it better to have houses along the road than “unattractive” woodland.

Cllr Paul McCabe said he would not be supporting Cllr Reilly. He said that he and other councillors had a motion in for a spot objective for three houses on this site.

There was also the question that a local landowner there might be entering negotiations with the parish to extend the cemetery.

Cllr Reilly said that she disagreed with a lot of what Cllr McCabe had said. A lot of local residents had spoken to her about the heronry on Headfort Road. “A lot of residents who walk that road regularly would not agree that the area has no historical value”, she said.

Council officials recommended that they would have no problem with G1 (community infrastructure) PRF1 (open space) zoning.

Councillors voted by 18 votes to seven to change the zoning to either of these categories.