COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 18, 2015

MOTION NO. 17

MOTION: Councillor M. Genockey

That the Development Plan acknowledges the importance of the remaining rural villages in the County and will develop Specific Local Objectives for all of these. 

In relation to Brittas, a Specific Local Objective will ensure the future sustainability of the village and its community by acknowledging and providing for the following:

• It will acknowledge the importance of Brittas and its surrounding areas of outstanding natural beauty and strengthen and protect these areas. 
• It will provide for the development of a sustainable community in the village by the provision of appropriate community, educational and employment related facilities.
• It will designate Brittas as a village in the Core Strategy.
• Support a plan led approach to the development of Brittas by defining a development boundary for the village.
• It will incorporate a written statement into the CDP that defines a development boundary, development objectives and land use zoning objectives for Brittas.
• It will provide for clusters of low density housing within the village area to arrest the current population decline and complement and support the educational and commercial life of that community. 
• It will provide for well-designed retail, commercial and tourist and community developments which have regard to the character of the existing settlement.
• It will maximise the assets of the natural environment and seek to provide a suite of tourist related passive and active recreational activities and facilities.

REPORT:

It is considered neither necessary nor appropriate to designate the proposed SLO for Brittas for the reasons outlined below. In particular, the content of the SLO amounts to a zoning for development purposes.

Acknowledgement of Character and Amenity

All the lands around and within Brittas are currently and proposed to continue to be zoned Objective HA (High Amenity – To protect and enhance the outstanding natural character and amenity of the Dublin Mountains). This zoning objective provides the highest level of recognition of the natural amenity and visual beauty of this area of the County.

The Landscape Character Assessment of South Dublin County (2015) highlights the high landscape value and sensitivity of Brittas and recognises its location within the area of strongest landscape character and integrity. The protection of this landscape and environment is a priority of the Draft Development Plan. Numerous significant views have been designated for protection around Brittas and these are identified on the Draft Development Plan Maps (Map 11)

The ecological importance of the Brittas Ponds is also reflected by their designation within the Slade of Saggart and Crooksling Glen proposed Natural Heritage Area. This is also identified on the Draft County Development Plan Maps (Map 11) and highlighted in the Draft written statement, which aims to protect the ecological, visual, recreational, environmental and amenity value of such areas.

Local and Community Facilities

The Draft County Development Plan recognises the local needs of the rural community and tourism potential of the Dublin Mountains including Brittas. This is reflected by the list of uses that are identified as being open for consideration under the zoning objective that applies to Brittas.  These uses include education, childcare, community, cultural, healthcare, hotel, public house, recreational, restaurant, rural industry and shop –local uses.

The provision and operation of such uses and facilities is beyond the strategic land use strategy remit for the County Development Plan. It is noted that Brittas accommodates a vacant public house, a small shop, community hall and pet shop.

In line with the response to Motion ID 45181 it is recommended that the motion be amended to support Brittas as a sustainable community and rural village of outstanding natural beauty and to prepare a planning study for Brittas Village, in consultation with local residents and local representatives, having regard to the implications of the proposed Natural Heritage Area designations, the future protection and enhancement of the village, the development of tourism potential in the area with a view to the long term viability of the local community.

Core Strategy

It is a requirement under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) for the County Development Plan including its Core Strategy to be consistent with the Regional Planning Guidelines for the Greater Dublin Area 2010 – 2022 and to be based on projected population and housing needs. This is further reieterated in the DECLG Planning Policy Statement 2015 key principles that planning is plan-led and evidence based.

The Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs) designates a settlement strategy for GDA and locates Brittas within the Rural Hinterland Area. The lowest level of designation for settlements within the GDA is reserved for villages with a population of up to 1,000 people. The RPG document states that "Such villages need levels of growth to be managed so that they cater for local need and do not expand rapidly, putting pressure on services and the environment and creating potential for higher levels of commuting".  The RPGs state in relation to villages close to Dublin and close to major routes to the City, which would include Brittas, that "the future growth of these villages should be curtailed or safeguarded so that they do not act as a catalyst to facilitate continuing expansion of unsustainable growth patterns" .

The population of the entire rural hinterland of South Dublin County as a whole including Brittas is approximately 1,800 people and the Core Strategy contained in the Draft Development Plan calculates very limited population growth in this entire area during the lifetime of the County Development Plan 2016 - 2022. The current population of the area within 500m of Brittas is approximately 100 people.  A  Village designation would identify the area for a significant increase in population (possibly up to 10 or 15 times more than that existing), despite the fact that there is no basic public infrastructure such as water mains, sewers, parks or public lighting and limited public transport.

There is no evidence based requirement or rationale for such a significant increase in population and housing capacity in Brittas during the lifetime of the Draft Development Plan. The proposed motion is therefore at variance with the Plan Core Strategy, Regional Planning Guidelines, the National Planning Policy Statement and Planning and Development Legislation.

Development Boundary

For illustrative purposes, the placement of a development boundary with a radius of 500 metres around Brittas (see attached map) indicates approximately 39 gross hectares of potentially developable land, which would be about 30 hectares or 75acres net i.e. allowing for roads, school expansion, green space. Such a development boundary also encompasses a number of flood zones, lakes (including pNHA), rivers, water courses and the preferred route of the N81 alignment, all of which are significant environmental and planning constraints to development.

Allowing for these constraints and assuming future capacity to deliver services and the N81 by-pass and a very low density of development, developing 30ha/c75 acres at half ‘normal’ outer suburban densities i.e. 20dph as opposed to 40 dph, which is likely be make it difficult to jusitfy the economic provision of services, there is potential for up to 600 residential units or 1,500+ people within the 500m radius.  This is somewhere between a 10 and 15 fold increase in the current population of the village. 

Reducing the 500m radius, limiting development to one side of the existing N81, and/or further reducing the density to rural levels would further reduce development potential and scale of increase of the village, but would also eliminate the case for the provision of public services.

Creating a development boundary, land use objectives and providing for development would give rise to development that would be significantly in excess of local need and would fly in the face of core strategy, RPGs and recent Ministerial Guidance.

It is also likely that the identification of a development boundary for Brittas would also be premature pending the determination of the final route of the N81 alignment and upgrade by the NRA.

Population

The latest CSO Census information for the Electoral Division of Ballinascorney in which Brittas is located indicates that the population of the area grew from 742 people to 804 people representing an increase in population of 8%.  This is ahead of the County average and compares favourably to population stagnation and decline in other established areas of the County during the same period including parts of Tallaght, Clondalkin, Palmerstown, Walkinstown, Templeogue and Rathfarnham.

Tourism Development

The Draft Development Plan includes a number of policies that would allow for the development of tourism infrastructure and facilities around Brittas and negates the need for this aspect of the proposed SLO. The Draft Development Plan sets out to achieve the following subject to the appropriate sensitive design and environmental safeguards:

- Support the development of tourism infrastructure, attractions and facilities at appropriate locations (ET5 Objective 1).

- Support the development of a visitor facility in or adjacent to the Dublin Mountains (ET5 Objective 3).

- Support the development of an outdoor pursuits centre in or adjacent to the Dublin Mountains (ET5 Objective 4).

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is adopted with amendment to support Brittas as a sustainable community and rural village of outstanding natural beauty and to prepare a planning study for Brittas Village, in consultation with local residents and local representatives, having regard to the implications of the proposed Natural Heritage Area designations, the future protection and enhancement of the village, the development of tourism potential in the area with a view to the long term viability of the local community.