[article] City to get Wall of Forest?

mike65

From Waterford-Today

Waterford City Community Forum are seeking what they have termed as a ‘Green Wall’ to be included as an element of the Waterford City Development Plan, which is currently being formulated by Waterford City Council. Explaining the proposal Jody Power spokesperson for the Forum stated “at the beginning of this millennium, with Waterford once again under threat, we propose the Waterford City surround itself again with a Green Wall. Stretching from the city/county boundary at the river in Bawndaw, to follow the boundary line until it meets the river again at Knockboy.”

Instead of tower forts, the proposed Green Wall would consist of an indigenous forest, at least 200m wide, the centre of which will contain a walkway/cycle path for all to enjoy the nature, a safe and stress free exercise area and a refuge for wildlife.

Making reference to other large cities such as Dublin, London, New York and Paris who all have their open spaces in the form of parks, the City Forum believe that this Green Belt is a must for Waterford as it only begins it’s development in some respects. They also believe that with a little foresight this project can become less of a dream and more of a reality for the people of Waterford.

The submission in relation to the Green Wall is only one of many made in relation to the upcoming City Council Development Plan in terms of representing the needs and wishes of the people and groups the forum represent throughout the city.

In an effort to ensure their views are taken on board a number of representatives from the Forum met with the majority of the Waterford City Council members last week. The members are currently revising the draft version of the Development Plan and will return to council officials with their submissions in the coming weeks. The members of the City Community Forum are hopeful that they will engage with the idea of a Green Wall and push for it to be included in the plan before more development takes places on the outskirts of the city.

Although the City Forum have no costings for the proposed project, they feel that now is the time to go ahead with it as the majority of land needed is zoned agricultural and wouldn’t cost as much.

Explaining the proposal Jody Power spokesperson for the Forum stated “at the beginning of this millennium, with Waterford once again under threat, we propose the Waterford City surround itself again with a Green Wall.

WTF does that section mean?

Mike.

fricatus

mike65 wrote:

WTF does that section mean?
Mike.

Mike, I am as perplexed as you...

To be honest, this is the greatest load of tree-huggin' hippy crap I've heard in quite a while. What are these people smoking?

Waterford city badly needs more green spaces, I totally agree. I'm just about to move out of Dublin, where I've been close to the magnificent Phoenix Park for the past seven years.

Why don't they push for a proper sized country park in Waterford? We badly need one. In fact two would make sense - one near the Municipal Golf Course and another one near the new Roanmore playing fields in Gracedieu (I think the latter one is actually in the plans).

Some sort of walkway along a man-made boundary, which ignores the natural features and doesn't connect anywhere in particular to anywhere else, just makes no sense.

Roen

The idea is a little like Terryland Park in Galway. It's basically an undeveloped route into the city from the outlying countryside that follows the Terryland. I was listening to a program on radio 1 about it on the way into work last night. Link here programme dated 30th June (I think).
Terryland is more of a corridor than a 'greenwall', whatever that is.

I think doing something like this here would be fantastic.
However, who's going to support them when their spokesperson uses wording such as the above? Terms such as "at the beginning of this millennium, with Waterford once again under threat, we propose the Waterford City surround itself again with a Green Wall" are a bit barmy to say the least.

Are the perfidious British attacking once more? Is Cromwell on the rampage? Better dig up the pikes lads.

These people seem to consistently strip themselves of public support by using language such as this. The cause is laudable; we simply do need more green space, how it's done is another thing altogether.

A green belt makes more sense than isolated parks in that it links the city to the countryside and encourages wildlife to take up residence. Parks are islands and any wildlife it attracts is pretty much by chance, a green way or ahem 'wall' is a more natural way of going about attaining green space for the city.
The again it's Waterford so some knacker will probably torch whatever comes out of this in a few years time.

So in short...more green space...Yaaaaay! more nutjobs.......Naaaaaaay!

merlante

Agree with 100% of what Roen said.