COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 18, 2015

MOTION NO. 201

MOTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

To amend Map No. 2 to rezone lands at the former Foxhunter pub (including carpark) in Lucan as ‘RW’ (similar to the ‘Avoca site in Rathcoole).

REPORT:

The Foxhunters pub site is zoned ‘RES’ in the CE Draft Plan, consistent with most public houses outside a designated centre in the County.

Permission was granted for a residential development under SD05A/0409 and an Exempt Development Declaration was issued in 2014 to Avoca Handweavers Ltd for the change of use of the premises to a local amenity ‘Artisan Food and Craft Shop’ and maintenance of the existing restaurant and ancillary facilities in their existing use. Avoca Handweavers Ltd has not implemented this exempted change of use to date.

It is considered that the RES zoning is less restrictive than the RW zoning and allows greater flexibility for the re-development of the site and protects the residential amenity of the adjoining dwellings.

For example, a ‘RW” zoning ‘permits in principle’ the following land uses:

Refuse Transfer Station

Industry – Light

Motor Sales Outlet

Petrol Station

And the following are ‘not permitted’:

Community Centre

Education

Hotel/Hostel

Public House

The zoning objective for the site will not impact on the status of the Exempt Declaration issued to Avoca Handweavers Ltd.

The zoning objective ‘RW’ is ‘to provide for and consolidate retail warehousing’. The Retail Planning Guidelines (2012) defines a Retail Warehouse as

‘a large single-level store specialising in the sale of bulky household goods such as carpets, furniture and electrical goods, and bulky DIY items, catering mainly for carborne customers.’

Furthermore, the Retail Planning Guidelines 2012 outline that, in general, there should be a presumption against further development of out-of-town retail warehousing. It is considered that the subject site is not an appropriate location for the provision of retail warehousing by virtue of traffic impact and the impact of an intensification of the site on the residential amenity of the adjoining dwellings.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion not be adopted