COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM AREA COMMITTEE
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
HEADED ITEM NO. 11
Draft Ballycullen - Oldcourt Local Area Plan
Preliminary Report on Submissions Received During Draft Consultation Programme December 2013
Introduction
The purpose of this Report is to indicate the extent of the consultation that has taken place at this stage of the process and to present a preliminary report on the issues raised during the public consultation programme carried out for the Draft Ballycullen – Oldcourt Local Area Plan (LAP) 2013.
Outline of the Public Consultation Programme
The public consultation programme for the Draft Ballycullen-Oldcourt LAP took place over a six week period between 18th of October 2013 and the 28th of November 2013. This is the first statutory public consultation (although a pre- plan consultation was undertaken between April and May 2013). The Draft Local Area Plan and the environmental reports (SEA and Appropriate Assessment Screening) were put on display in a number of locations, invitations were issued to public information sessions and submissions were invited as follows:
· Notification of the preparation and display of the Draft Ballycullen - Oldcourt LAP and Environmental Reports for the purpose of public consultation was placed in the Irish Times on the 18th of October 2013 and in the Tallaght Echo on the 24th of October 2013 together with information on the public consultation programme and an invitation for submissions.
· Letters that provided further notification of the Draft LAP consultation programme and an invitation for submissions were posted together with information leaflets to, inter alia, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government and other public sector agencies as required; the Environmental Authorities; non governmental agencies; and a variety of stakeholders including local residents' groups, local community groups and commercial and business interests within the area. This included those that made submissions during the pre-draft consultation programme. The letters and leaflets were also sent to all South Dublin County Council Elected Members.
· Circa 700 information leaflets on the Draft Plan and consultation programme were disseminated to residential and commercial properties within the area of the Draft LAP by way of a leaflet drop.
· Four public information sessions providing one to one consultations were attended by Council staff in the Park Community Centre, Ballycragh Park, Parklands Road off Killininny Road on the following dates:
Tuesday 5th November 2013 5.00pm – 8.00pm
Thursday 7th November 2013 2.00pm – 5.00pm
Monday 18th November 2013 5.00pm – 8.00pm
Wednesday 20th November 2013 11.00am – 2.00pm
· Permanent information displays together with copies of the Draft LAP and Environmental Reports were placed in County Hall Tallaght, County Library Tallaght and in the Park Community Centre (Ballycragh Park). The display material included hard copies of the Draft LAP and Environmental Reports, CDs containing the Draft LAP, a copy of the Newspaper Notice, information posters and leaflets.
· Information on the Draft LAP consultation programme together with an invitation for submissions and a press release was placed on the South Dublin County Council website. The information displayed included the Draft LAP, the SEA Environmental Report, the Appropriate Assessment Screening Report, the Draft LAP consultation information leaflet and posters. Details were also placed on the Council's Facebook and Twitter pages together with regular reminders.
· Council staff was made available to answer queries on a one to one basis at County Hall Tallaght every Wednesday afternoon during the Draft LAP consultation period. Direct contact information for making additional queries during the consultation period was provided on public notices, letters and leaflets.
Response to the Draft LAP Consultation Programme
The total number of people that attended the one to one public information sessions in the Park Community Centre in Ballycragh and who spoke to Council Staff in County Hall on Wednesday afternoons came to 107. The number of submissions that were received came to 192. A submission from the Stocking Wood Estate Residents Committee included a petition signed by 207 residents. In addition to the 192 submissions, there were an additional 20 submissions in 'Petition' format with insufficient addresses or no addresses and 5 submissions that were late.
Summary of Issues Raised in Submissions
At this stage, all of the submissions received by the Council have been read and summarised. A total of 36 issues were identified during this process. Many of the issues raised related directly to a section or sections of the Draft Local Area Plan. The issues are therefore being collated and categorised under the relevant headings contained within the Draft Local Area Plan.
The main category headings and the number of times that issues were raised under each category heading are detailed in the table below.
| Breakdown of Issues for All Top-Level Categories | |||
| Topic | Issues Raised | % of Total | |
| 1 | Accessibility and Movement Strategy (General) | 9 | 2.36% |
| 2 | Appropriate Assessment | 1 | 0.26% |
| 3 | Artist's Impression | 2 | 0.52% |
| 4 | Building Design and Heights | 15 | 3.93% |
| 5 | Car Parking | 2 | 0.52% |
| 6 | Children's Play Facilities | 3 | 0.79% |
| 7 | Cul-de-sacs and Gated Estates | 2 | 0.52% |
| 8 | Development & Population Analysis | 1 | 0.26% |
| 9 | Development Plan Zoning of Plan Lands | 40 | 10.47% |
| 10 | Development Status of Plan Lands | 2 | 0.52% |
| 11 | Dwelling Mix | 9 | 2.36% |
| 12 | Energy Efficient Building Design and Layout | 1 | 0.26% |
| 13 | Flood Risk Management | 7 | 1.83% |
| 14 | Green Buffers to Mountains and M50 | 5 | 1.31% |
| 15 | Green Infrastructure Appraisal | 1 | 0.26% |
| 16 | Highly Constrained Areas | 2 | 0.52% |
| 17 | Integrated Street Network | 12 | 3.14% |
| 18 | Lands, structures or issues outside of remit of Plan | 35 | 9.16% |
| 19 | Local Shopping & Community Facilities | 18 | 4.71% |
| 20 | Miscellaneous | 4 | 1.05% |
| 21 | Oldcourt Replacement Playing Pitches | 1 | 0.26% |
| 22 | Open Space Hierarchy & Functions | 33 | 8.64% |
| 23 | Pedestrian Movement, Cyclist Movement & Universal Access | 12 | 3.14% |
| 24 | Phasing Strategy | 23 | 6.02% |
| 25 | Protection and Incorporation of Natural Heritage | 10 | 2.62% |
| 26 | Public Transport Accessibility | 12 | 3.14% |
| 27 | Quantum of Development | 3 | 0.79% |
| 28 | Rationale for LAP & Boundary | 2 | 0.52% |
| 29 | Residential Development Options & Density | 17 | 4.45% |
| 30 | School Provision | 24 | 6.28% |
| 31 | Standards and Design Criteria | 3 | 0.79% |
| 32 | Strategic Environmental Assessment | 6 | 1.57% |
| 33 | Street Design | 2 | 0.52% |
| 34 | Tracks and Trails | 3 | 0.79% |
| 35 | Utilities | 1 | 0.26% |
| 36 | Vehicular Movement | 42 | 10.99% |
| 37 | Water Management and Flood Risk | 11 | 2.88% |
| 38 | Watercourses and Water Management | 14 | 3.66% |
| 390 |
In terms of the issues that were raised most frequently, the highest number (42 times/11.0% of issues raised) related to Vehicular Movement, principally the proposed access between the Stocking Wood estate and the development land to the south.
The joint second highest proportion of issues raised (40 times/ 10.5%) related to the Development Plan Zoning of the Plan Lands and questioning the principle of the development of the lands.
The third highest proportion of issues raised (35 times/ 9.5%) related to Lands, structures or Issues outside of remit of Plan
The fourth highest proportion of issues raised (33 times/ 8.6%) related to Open Space Hierarchy & Functions, mainly suggesting that additional recreational space and facilities were required.
The combined submissions on Flood Risk Management, Water Management and Flood Risk and Watercourses and Water Management dealing with past and possible future flood events forms the fifth highest proportion of issues raised (32 times/ 8.2% of issues raised).
Other issues that featured prominently related to School Provision (24 times/ 6.3% of issues raised) and Phasing Strategy (23 times/ 6.0%).
Next Stage
The analysis of each of the issues raised has commenced. Following this analysis, the Manager's Report on the Draft Plan consultation will set out the responses to the submissions and the changes recommended by the Manager to the Elected Representatives on the Draft Local Area Plan and Environmental Report.