COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, February 04, 2016

MOTION NO. 79

MOTION: Councillor M. Murphy

Allowing for expansion at Tallaght Hospital: The proposal to locate the National Children’s Hospital near Tallaght Hospital was hamstrung due to the size and shape of the site on offer i.e. the old St Malruan’s Halting Site and Staff car park. Considering that it is still a very real possibility that this project will not go ahead at the current location being pursued at St James’s Hospital due to planning restrictions, this Council should agree an objective which would facilitate the growth of the Hospital if necessary into what is now the Cookstown Industrial Estate. It is also now clear to all that the Acute Hospital System is simply not big enough and so there needs to be space for expansion allowed for at the Tallaght Hospital site.

The objective would therefore need to state that no new Industrial Development will be considered on the lands South of the second avenue and West of the Cookstown Road within the Cookstown Industrial Estate as that land may need to be re- zone for Institutional use during the term of this Development Plan. The objective also need to state that a variation to the County Development Plan will be put in train immediately if the question of the location of the National Children’s Hospital changes again.

Co-signed by Cllr. B. Leech and Cllr. K. Mahon

REPORT:

Policy C11a of the Draft Plan states that it is the policy of the Council to support the Health Service Executive (HSE) and other statutory and voluntary agencies in the provision of appropriate healthcare facilities, including the system of hospital care and the provision of community based primary care facilities. The lands surrounding the existing Tallaght Hospital property is subject to proposed REGEN zoning objective, under which ‘Hospital’ use is open for consideration. The effect of the proposal would effectively sterilise the subject lands and restrict the potential to the generation of employment; this would be contrary to the provisions of the policies and objectives of the Draft Plan with regard to supporting the economic development of the County, and to the principle of the REGEN zoning objectives which seeks to facilitate enterprise and/or residential led generation. It is also noted that the application of a zoning objective of a site/s does not preclude the existing use of a particular site or property continuing permitted/established operations and that any proposals relating to hospital or healthcare uses will be assessed on its merits having regard to compliance with relevant policies and objectives of the Draft Plan.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.