Mayo biodiversity plan can't give ivy a hold, councillors warn

Ivy can be a problem - especially on old buildings

IN presenting the Draft Local Biodiversity Action Plan for Ballina to local Mayo County Council members, Mayo heritage officer Deirdre Cunningham was told by a number of them that ivy won't be tolerated.

The plan identifies areas of importance for biodiversity in Ballina and recommends practical measures to enhance and conserve the town's natural heritage.

The aims of the plan include providing information on habitats in the town and on protected and important biodiversity sites, as well as giving recommendations on habitat management and proposals for suitable biodiversity-focused projects for local groups.

The plan outlines biodiversity-focused learning opportunities for locals and visitors, emphasises the importance of gardens and private land for local biodiversity, and provides guidance on how this land can be managed in a wildlife-friendly way.

Some areas of the town identified as being particularly important for biodiversity and which function as ecological stepping stones and biodiversity corridors within the urban area are the River Moy, River Brusna, Belleek Woods, Belleek Cross Woodland, Leigue Cemetery, Ardnaree Woods and the Hollister campus.

The next step in the plan is a public consultation, with submissions from individuals and groups invited. They must be submitted by May 21.

After that the plan will be finalised, with a view to publishing it in June and implementing it following on from that.

Councillor Seamus Weir, cathaoirleach of Ballina Municipal District, was the first to raise the issue of ivy, saying: "If you're talking about preserving it, I'm talking about getting rid of it. It's killing trees in woods and along the roads. It's deadly dangerous to have around."

Councillor John O'Hara said he was '100%' behind Councillor Weir on this issue. "Ivy is taking over the country and is going to be a huge problem in Mayo," he warned.

Both councillors welcomed the plan, however, as did the rest of their colleagues. Councillor Mark Duffy said it was great to see it going out for public consultation, giving the opportunity for groups and individuals to get involved in it. "It's good to have everyone involved in conservation," he stated.

Councillor Jarlath Munnelly described the draft plan as a fine piece of work and said one that had been developed for his native Killala a few years ago proved very useful.

Though she too raised a concern about ivy, Councillor Annie May Reape said it was good that this conversation was being had, while Councillor Michael Loftus said he was very impressed by the report but questioned if it had been costed and who would actually provide funding to implement it.

Ms. Cunningham acknowledged that in some cases ivy can be a problem, especially on old buildings, and in such instances they look at shaving it back and putting a programme of control in place.

"But in general it's not an issue and it can be very good for biodiversity," she stated, adding that nothing that they do through the plan will be in contravention of health and safety.

There are various funding sources for specific projects, the heritage officer added, and in any case many of the actions would not cost a lot of money.

It's a five-year plan, she further pointed out, and projects could be prioritised into short-, medium- and long-term timeframes.

The head of Ballina MD, Declan Turnbull, said the council will be implementing the plan because there was no point in having it if it was not going to be implemented.

He added that he was looking forward to the comments from the general public on it.