COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

MOTION NO. 54

MOTION: Councillor S. Crowe

That the Plan makes provision and includes for the Bohernabreena/ Glenasmol area  amendments to include people who comply with the requirments/criteria of the existing Plan that they may be considered for housing even if they currrently reside in another dwelling.

REPORT:

The Draft County Development Plan sets out a coherent spatial planning framework for the entire County within the context of national and regional policies. The core strategic aim of the Plan is to promote, at appropriate locations, a more consolidated and compact urban form for the County. It is generally accepted that rural housing should not be encouraged as by its nature it constitutes an unsustainable form of development and is contrary to the core strategy of consolidation.

However, it is also accepted that limited rural housing should be facilitated where justifiable. The criteria in which planning applications are assessed for rural one-off housing are set out in the Development Plan and associated Plans. Section 9.2.1 of the Glenasmole/Bohernabreena Housing and Planning Study (2002) sets out the criteria for persons to qualify for new housing in the Glenasmole/Bohernabreena Study Area.

An Bord Pleanala, in recent appeals, have indicated that the less stringent criteria set out in Section 9.2.1 of the Glenasmole/Bohernabreena Study are at variance with the Rural Housing Guidelines in terms of the policy to restrict new housing in rural areas under strong urban influence to rural generated housing and the requirement that applicants should outline how their proposal is consistent with the rural settlement approach set out in the Development Plan and the Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines. In the case of rural housing generally, a considerable amount of the demand stems from a desire to live in a rural location. Although it is generally accepted that rural housing should not be encouraged as by its nature it constitutes an unsustainable form of development and is contrary to the core strategy of consolidation, it is also accepted that limited rural housing should be facilitated on social grounds, where justifiable. To be justifiable, a person wishing to live in a rural area should be able to demonstrate a need for housing in the first instance, and also a need to live in the particular area – rather than just having a desire for a dwelling at a particular location. This does not mean that in all cases, if someone already has a house that he/she cannot relocate to a rural area if there are justifiable reasons for doing so. Nor does it mean that not having accommodation qualifies a person as eligible for rural housing. In essence an applicant for housing in the Study area would have to have a demonstrable need to live in the area in addition to fulfilling the other criteria regarding family ties etc.

With regard to the Strategic Environmental Assesment serious concerns are raised in relation to this motion. Continued rural housing development in Glenasmole as the potential to impact significantly on one of the most sensitive environments (SAC) in the County. The valley contains one of the most sensitive habitats in South Dublin, provides water for the city, and is visually fragile. Each development impacts on the valley, both individually and cumulatively in terms of reducing the ability of the land to absorb development and exposing the SAC to damage.

Manager’s Recommendation:

The proposed motion should not be adopted.