COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE (2)

Monday, March 31, 2008

QUESTION NO. 3

QUESTION: Councillor M. Corr

To ask the Manager to indicate what efforts he has made in ensuring or assessing the need for the provision of additional places of worship in the Tallaght/Saggart/Rathcoole areas?

REPLY:

There is no specific policy in the County Development Plan 2004-2010 regarding the provision of places of worship.

A ‘Church’ is ‘Open for Consideration’ under all Zoning Objectives, except in areas zoned ‘B’ and ‘GB’ where ‘Church’ is ‘Permitted in Principle’.

In Schedule 3: Definition of Use Classes in the County Development Plan, ‘Church’ is defined as “any structure habitually used as a place of public worship or for religious instruction.”

The provision of facilities serving the common needs of the general community is recognized as an essential requirement of the proper planning and development of urban and rural areas. Places of worship are generally regarded as being part of the community facilities usually available in most town, village and suburban areas. However, unlike other facilities which serve the general community, they are normally provided by the members of particular religious faiths to serve their needs.

Policy SCR 6: Community Facilities in the County Development Plan 2004-2010, states as follows:

It is the policy of the Council to require as part of all new residential and commercial developments, and in existing developments where appropriate, provision to be made for facilities including local/neighbourhood shops, childcare facilities, schools and recreational facilities, and to seek their provision concurrent with development.

It is the policy of the Council to ensure that new communities are served by adequate community facilities which are accessible to everyone and which are within walking distance of housing, including shops, recreation facilities, schools and crèches.

Applicants for residential developments will be required to submit proposals for such facilities during the planning application process and conditions will be attached to permissions requiring the provision of facilities as required by the Council, in tandem with the development. Standards for the provision of community facilities are set out in Chapter 11 – Urban Design.

Policy SCR 8: School and College Sites makesspecific provision for educational facilites as follows:

It is the policy of the Council to ensure that school and college sites are made available in accordance with the requirements of the relevant education authorities.

The Council may require the phased provision of such facilities, in accordance with the provisions of a Local Area Plan or other area plan or planning scheme or study.

Standards for the provision of community facilities set out in Chapter 11 – Urban Design include the following requirements in relation to Community Facilities:

The designated local centre or neighbourhood-scale node is focused on a core hub of facilities that may typically include a group of shops, pub, post office, crèche, doctor’s surgery, health centre, community centre, civic space, park, playground and at least one primary school as well as some local service and/or employment uses.

Certain non-residential land uses are regarded as basic facilities required to serve residential development areas. These include:-

• Childcare facilities; • Local grocery/newsagents shops; • Community centres; • Children’s play areas; • Schools.

This Development Plan introduces a requirement for local shops, community centres and children’s play areas as ‘planning gain’ in accordance with the sustainable placemaking approach to new development. The Council will require smaller developments to pay a development contribution to enable appropriate provision to be made elsewhere.

It appears from the above that a distinction is made in the County Development Plan between the provision of facilities to meet the needs of the wider community, and the provision of facilities that serve the needs of a particular community, such as a religious faith. This is evident in the practice whereby the provision of facilities to meet the common needs of the wider community may be imposed on a development as a form of ‘planning gain’, whereas facilities such as places of worship are not required to be provided in this manner.

In relation to provision for places of worship in the specific areas of the County mentioned in the question the following is noted: