COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM/TEMPLEOGUE-TERENURE AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

MOTION NO. 3

MOTION: Councillor A-M. Dermody

"That the Chief Executive inform whether or not there is any restricted limitation in the planning code that says that the revenue raised as a result of planning levies, that a certain percentage be assigned or ring-fenced for spending on specific projects within an area. This motion is borne out of the number of residents who are not pleased with the disruption caused by large planning developments but such frustration would be mitigated somewhat by improvements in parks or other areas resulting from planning levies."

REPORT:

Section 48 of the Planning & Development Act, 2000, as amended, enables a Planning Authority, when granting planning permission under Section 34 of the Act, to attach conditions requiring the payment of a contribution in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting development in the administrative area of the Planning Authority in accordance with an approved Development Contributions Scheme (DCS).

The funds collected as part of the DCS are used to improve infrastructure and facilities across the administrative area of the Council, that are specified in the DCS. The distribution and prioritisation of these funds has to date been determined by an assessment of the strategic development needs of the County.

‘Development Contributions: Guidelines for Planning Authorities', January 2013, state that "Development contributions are not cash-cows: there is an important balance to be struck between the funding of public infrastructure and the need to encourage economic activity and promote sustainable development patterns".

The Guidelines also state that planning authorities are required to ensure that their development contribution schemes appropriately promote the development of areas prioritised in the core strategy of the County Development Plan as required under the Planning and Development (Amendment), Act 2010.