COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

south dublin county council crest

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE (2)

Monday, April 26, 2010

HEADED ITEM NO. 4

HEADED ITEM: P. Department

N7 Naas Road Development Framework

The South Dublin County Development Plan 2004-2010 contains several Local Zoning Objectives (LZO’s).  These LZO’s relate to particular sites/areas located within a broad zoning category where, notwithstanding the overall zoning of the area, the Council is seeking to achieve a specific objective.  LZO No. 5 of the 2004 South Dublin County Development Plan ‘N7 Gateway Corridor – Upgrading’ set the parameters for the N7 Naas Road Framework:-

 Facilitate appropriate high quality mixed use development (including offices and residential development) on lands adjoining the Naas Road/N7 between Citywest and the Dublin City boundary, for the purpose of upgrading this major gateway into the city.  This area will be the subject of a detailed urban design masterplan’.

 For the purposes of the Development Framework, a decision was taken to concentrate on the area between Newlands Cross and the boundary with Dublin city Council at Kylemore, as this is the area subject to the greatest development pressure that might otherwise result in uncoordinated development.

Work on the Framework commenced at the end of 2006 and by early 2007, a draft brief was prepared for the Consultants to prepare a non-statutory planning guidance document.

 The procurement process was subject to a series of delays as a result of, inter alia, implementation of the new public contract procedure and clarification of a conflict of interest on the part of one of the tenderers at the initial ‘expressions of interest’ stage.

 Notwithstanding this, public consultation took place during August and September 2007 and was reported to the local elected members immediately thereafter.

 The Project tender documentation was finalised in early 2008 and following an advertised public tender process, KCAP Consultants together with McGarry Ni Eanaigh Architects and JMP Transport Consultants were appointed in Summer 2008, to commence work in September 2008.

The draft Framework was completed in late Spring 2009 and was subject to public consultation over Summer 2009. 

Further to a briefing for elected members held at SDCC headquarters on 6 July 2009, the consultation period ran from 13 July to 1September 2009.  A total of 24 submissions were received in response to consultation.

Many of the issues raised during the earlier consultation phase were repeated.  Landowners made 16 submissions, with statutory bodies and local community groups (South Dublin Conservation Society and Round Towers GAA) making up the remainder.

Landowners presented their view of how the Naas Road area should change, which involved development densities in excess of that proposed in the draft Development Framework.  West of the Red Cow interchange development potential is restricted as a result of traffic considerations and development committed in accordance with the previously approved Design Brief for the SIAC lands.  Landowners viewed this area suitable for greater levels of development than that envisaged and modelled by the Development Framework.

This gave rise to further work in respect of traffic assessment in order to re-test the assumptions made in the preparation of the Framework.  After engaging in this process, it was concluded that the traffic impacts associated with the scale of development envisaged by third parties could not be sustained on the improved road network.  Therefore, no change to the planned levels of density and scope for development at this location was recommended.

More significantly, the conclusion of the consultation process in September 2009 coincided with publication of a Health and Safety Authority (HSA) guidance document Policy & Approach of the Health & Safety Authority to COMAH Risk-based Land-use Planning i.e. the implications for land use planning of area based risk, associated with ‘SEVESO’ sites, three of which are located in the study area: BOC Gases Ireland, Bluebell Industrial Estate, Irish Distillers Ltd, Robinhood Road and Tibbett and Britten Group Ireland, Robinhood Road.

The designation as a ‘Seveso’ site means that some restrictions apply to proposed land uses in the surrounding area, as identified by the HSA.  While each site will incur differing restrictions, generally, the closer a proposed development is located to a Seveso site, the more land use occupation and density restrictions apply.

Specific further assessment and clarification was received from the HSA in Spring 2010 and is now incorporated into the Framework.  Whilst the general Framework strategy is to encourage the relocation of these facilities to suitable alternative sites, as long as they remain where existing, they are a constraint on the full development potential of the Naas Road Area.

Whilst it had been intended to vary the current County Development Plan based on the outcome of the Naas Road Development Framework, this has not been possible due to the issues that arose during the preparation of the Framework.  The current County Development Plan will be superseded by a new County Development Plan within months and it would neither be possible nor appropriate to initiate a variation procedure within the timescale.

However, the availability of the emerging draft Naas Road Framwork and the extensive work undertaken during its preparation has informed the Draft County Development Plan process to date.  In particular:-

 The reorganisation of the industrially zoned lands east of the Red Cow interchange and introduction of a new mixed use zoning in this area – EP1;

Recommendation

It is recommended that in order to conclude the process, that the Naas Road Development Framework Study be noted by the elected members of both the Lucan-Clondalkin and Tallaght Area Committees of South Dublin County Council.

It is proposed that should further, more detailed assessment of the areas subject to the Naas Road Framework be required in response to future significant development, that these areas would be subject to approved plans.

Note Re. Dublin City Council Area

It is noted for information with regard to the lands immediately east of the SDCC Naas Road Study Area located in the Dublin City Council area, the City Council commissioned Murray O’Laoire Architects to carry out a strategic study of lands located around the junction of the Naas Road, Longmile Road, Walkinstown Avenue and Kylemore Road.  This was in response to and in anticipation of a series of large-scale planning applications on and around the site of the Royal Liver Retail Park in early 2008.  The elected members of Dublin City Council adopted the Naas Road Lands Strategic Plan in May 2009, which included the designation of a ‘Prime Urban Centre’ or PUC’, at Kylemore.