COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 18, 2015

MOTION NO. 202

MOTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

To amend Map No. 2, along with the settlement & retail hierarchies, so as to preserve the existing ‘LC’ zoning and ‘Local Centre’ designation of lands at Ballyowen Castle, but to further examine this proposal on foot of the public consultation on the draft plan.

Co-sponsored by Cllr. Casserly

REPORT:

The CE Draft Plan provides for a District Level ‘DC” zoning at Ballyowen Castle Shopping Centre ‘To protect, improve and provide for the future development of District Centres’  

The GDA Retail Strategy 2008-2016 outlines that district centres vary both in terms of the scale of provision and the size of catchment, due to proximity to a major town centre. Where the centre is close to existing major centres, the scale of retail and mixed provision is lower, with the centre range of shops meeting more basic day to day needs and only small scale range of comparison units trading. Such centres would generally cater for a population of 10,000- 40,000.

The Retail Planning Guidelines (2012) defines a District Centre as follows:

‘Provides a range of retail and non-retail service functions (e.g. banks, post office, local offices, restaurants, public houses, community and cultural facilities) for the community at a level consistent with the function of that centre in the core strategy. They can be purpose built as in new or expanding suburbs or traditional district centres in large cities or town’

Ballyowen centre is located in a suburban environment, geographically located between Tallaght, Liffey Valley, Lucan and Clondalkin. The Census 2011 population of the Lucan - Esker Electoral District, within which Ballyowen is centrally located was 29,820 people. The established centre at Ballyowen has a substantial catchment within walking distance and is the location for 2 supermarkets, a public house, leisure, childcare, medical and other services. It is considered that the level of activity, range of uses and population catchment aligns with that of a District Centre in a suburban context. The centre is also established as a district focal point for the community.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion not be adopted