Sir, – Every week your Business and Commercial Property section shows us maps where developers are being asked to buy land for housing as the urban sprawl spreads out into the countryside and engulfs any little green spaces left in the city.
I am surprised in these days of the climate emergency that a great number of housing units are usually squashed into every acre with little room for gardens, plenty of space for cars and usually a few rather barren grassy areas for dogs and ball-kicking.
I notice this week (October 30th) what looks like the last little wood in Dalkey is to be replaced with 36 units – and a large area of paving. Clearly, the country does need more housing and instead of this unplanned mayhem the Government should consider building some garden suburbs, or even a new garden city, providing gardens, allotments, mixed and affordable housing, local facilities, public transport connections as was advocated by the 19th century arts and crafts movement.
Replacing some of the heavily fertilised, green and hedgeless monoculture fields with housing built along these lines would actually increase biodiversity and create sustainable communities. – Yours, etc,
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IGOR CUSACK,
Greystones
Co Wicklow.