Reply - Question No. 21

COMHAIRLE CHONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE 2

Monday, November 27, 2006

QUESTION NO 21

QUESTION: Councillor J. Hannon

"To ask the Manager to provide a detailed report on his proposals for the implementation of the Tallaght Masterplan with particular reference to the sequencing of necessary community infrastructure, the provision of family type accommodation, and communication/consultation with the wider community?"

REPLY

A) The Tallaght Local Area Plan detailed the requirement to provide a number of sites for community infrastructure. These are as follows;

Youth Centre Facility

Sites for Two Schools

New Primary Healthcare Facility

New Town Park at Cookstown

The site for the new Town Park has been identified and is substantially comprised of land in the Council’s ownership. The remainder of the land required will be sought through the development management process whereby developments will be compensated for the loss of land by means of allowing them transfer the foregone floor-space to the remainder of the sites. The timescale for the delivery of the park is 2007-2010. While the LAP does not specify any particular timescale for provision of sites for the remaining community infrastructure, this aspect has been broached with a number of consortia who are assembling land holdings.

B) There are a number of safeguards proposed in the Local Area Plan in terms of ensuring high quality residential units in the Plan, suitable for the provision of family accommodation. These requirements are a significant advancement on the current County Development Plan 2004 – 2010 in terms of

A requirement for an on site concierge/caretaker/security presence with dedicated accommodation for future apartment developments over 150 units in size
A requirement that 60% of all units shall be owner occupied,
A requirement for increased minimum floor areas for apartments and duplexes,
A requirement for a minimum average floorspace for apartments and duplexes,
the provision of a hierarchy of managed children’s play facilities in all new residential developments of 25 or more apartment or duplex units.
CCTV in addition to concierge/security unit as a requirement for developments over 150 units.
A requirement for a utility room of at least 2.9sq.m. approx. (31sq.ft.) to accommodate two appliances and a drying area in all dwelling units of 2 bedrooms or more. Drying area may be internal (must adjoin an external wall for ventilation) or external (must be screened by opaque glass or wintergarden).

C) The Council carried out an extensive public consultation exercise prior to and during the preparation of the Plan. Prior to the publication of the Tallaght Town Centre Proposed Local Area Plan, the Planning Department carried out two phases of public consultation which sought firstly to establish issues of relevance to Tallaght Town Centre and secondly to indicate proposed strategies as to how the relevant issues could be addressed. All of the stages of the consultation are on the Council’s website at the following address, www.sdublincoco.ie/index.aspx?pageid=123&deptid=11&dpageid=664

It is envisaged that any future developments within the implementation of the LAP will be available to the public on the above link.

Date	Stage
January and February 2005	The first phase comprise of a series of Public Information Evenings and Stakeholder meetings during February and March 2005. A total of 368 persons/organisations were invited to these meetings, broken down as follows: 175 Businesses and Enterprises 99 Community Groups 50 Residents Groups 18 Statutory Agencies 14 Landowners/Institutions 12 Transport Agencies/Interests Advertisements were also placed in the Tallaght Echo on the 3^rd and 10^th February 2005 in relation to the Information Evenings. These advertisements clearly stated that the Information Evenings were open to all. . Letters were set out between the 27^th January and 14^th February 2005 to ensure a minimum of 2 weeks notice for each respective Public Information Evening and Meeting A total of 116 persons attended these Information Meetings. Four public information evening meetings were held on the 14^th, 16^th, 21^stand 28^th February 2005and three day-time stakeholder information meetings were held on the 10^th and 21^stFebruary and the 4^th March 2005. Upon conclusion, a report of the issues raised in the Information Evenings was circulated to the Elected Members and Management of South Dublin County Council and all those who attended. A copy of the report was also available on the Council website.
September and October 2005	The second phase of public consultation took place in September and October 2005. This took the form of an exhibition of proposed strategies and possible solutions to those issues raised in the 1^st Phase Consultation. As in the 1^st phase of public consultation, a notice was published in the local newspaper, advertised on the Council website and invitations sent out to 368 persons and organisations previously invited. The display of the proposed strategies and possible solutions were exhibited in the Council Headquarters in Tallaght and in Clondalkin and in the Square Shopping Centre in Tallaght for the months of September and October 2005. Public workshops were held in the Council Headquarters and in the Tallaght Library Meeting Room which were open to all to attend. An A3 booklet of the display boards was available for public viewing in Tallaght Library and the booklet could be purchased for €10. This booklet was also available on the Council website.
27^th March 2006	An outline of the Tallaght Town Centre Proposed Local Area Plan was presented to the Tallaght Local Area Committee Meeting.
10^th April 2006	The Elected Members of the Council made the decision to put the Tallaght Town Centre Proposed Local Area Plan on display on the 10^th of April 2006.
13^th April-24^th May	The Tallaght Town Centre Proposed Local Area Plan was put on public display. The statutory phase of public consultation of the Proposed Local Area Plan and the Environmental Report commenced on the 13^th April and continued up to the 24^th May 2006. On four days during those 6 weeks, the display of the Proposed Local Area Plan in the Council buildings was supported by Planners between the hours of 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. to assist in answering queries. During the remainder of the display, a Planner was available to address those queries made by calling to the Planning Department or by phone. A CD Rom of the Plan was provided free of charge where people wished to consider it in their own time and the Plan was accessible on the Council website.
June 2006	All submissions and observations to the Tallaght Town Centre Proposed Local Area Plan were acknowledged. The Manager’s Report was prepared; the persons who made submissions or observations were listed, the issues raised by the persons in the submissions or observations were summarised and recommendations were made by the Manager in relation to the issues raised.
July 2006	Following consideration of the Tallaght Town Centre Proposed Local Area Plan at the Council meeting on the 17^th July 2006, the Elected Members made 40 amendments to the proposed Local Area Plan, one of which was considered to be a material alteration. The proposed material alteration (variation) applied only to the Whitestown Precinct.
August 2006	The Variation to the Proposed Tallaght Town Centre Local Area Plan was displayed in the Council Headquarters from the 4^th August 2006 to the 1^st September 2006 (inclusive). The Variation was also available on the Council website.
September 2006	All submissions and observations to the Tallaght Town Centre Proposed Variation to the Local Area Plan were acknowledged. The Manager’s Report was prepared; the persons who made submissions or observations were listed, the issues raised by the persons in the submissions or observations were summarised and recommendations were made by the Manager in relation to the issues raised.