How ‘green’ are greenways?

Sir, – Does nature benefit from such pathways for human activity? Greenway experiences vary from unpoliced highways of poaching and antisocial activity to enjoyable outdoor courses for exercising.

However, enhancing routes along our rivers also creates extra traffic, disrupting nesting birds and shy mammals such as otters and badgers; enhanced access can destroy riverbank habitats; swimming dogs and leached insecticide from their treated coats are also a threat to river ecosystems.

It’s disappointing that “green” Ministers and councillors promote more tarmac paths and nocturnal lighting along one of our last urban wild corridors in Dublin, the river Dodder, as “green”.

I often feel it is a shame we are not generous enough to leave some greenways for nature, for wing and claw, not bike and paw. – Yours, etc,