COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, February 04, 2016

MOTION NO. 38

MOTION: Councillor W. Lavelle

Residential Density

For clarity, to include a new objective under H8: “To require that the provisions contained in the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (DECLG 2009) relating to Outer Suburban locations should apply to green field sites outside the M50 which are not subject to an LAP or SDZ, therefore requiring residential densities of 35-50 units per hectare.”

Co-sponsored by Cllr. Brophy, Casserly, Dermody, Donovan, Egan, Higgins

REPORT:

Policy and standards on housing densities are set out and prescribed under the ‘Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas’ (2009). The Planning Authority must have regard to these Ministerial Guidelines in the performance of its functions, as required under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). Guidelines that contain specific planning policy requirements must also be applied by planning authorities and the Board in the performance of their functions.

The Ministerial Guidelines recognise that land is a scarce resource that needs to be used efficiently and sets out a range of appropriate residential densities for different contexts based on site factors and the level of access to existing and planned infrastructure and services, including public transport, physical and social infrastructure.

The proposed motion could result in a blanket application of a density range of 35 – 50 dwellings per hectare to all greenfield lands to the west of the M50 that are not subject to an SDZ or LAP. As set out under the ‘Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas’ (2009), the residential density standard of 35 – 50 dwellings per hectare is only applicable to ‘Outer Suburban/Greenfield Sites', which are defined as “…open lands on the periphery of cities or larger towns whose development will require to new infrastructure, roads, sewers and ancillary social and commercial facilities, schools, shops, employment and community facilities.”

The density standard of 35 – 50 dwellings per hectare is therefore not applicable or appropriate to Town Centre site (in Lucan, Clondalkin, Tallaght) and public transport corridors (rail and Luas) located within the County including those located to the west of the M50 and are not subject to an SDZ or LAP, where densities above 50 dwellings per hectare are recommended under the said guidelines in order to support sustainable patterns of development. This is reflected under H8 Objective 1 and supported under Housing Policy 8 of the Draft Plan 2016-2022, which promotes higher residential densities at appropriate locations and sets out to ensure that the density of new residential development is appropriate to its location and surrounding context.

In accordance with the Regional Planning Guidelines, the moderate sustainable growth towns of Tallaght, Lucan and Clondalkin are identified as areas population and housing growth should be directed, particularly to areas where there is access to high quality public transport. This is reflected in the Core Strategy contained in the Draft County Development Plan. The range of densities prescribed under the Ministerial Guidelines including higher residential densities have therefore been applied at a broad level under the Draft Plan’s Core Strategy in the calculation of the capacity of all zoned lands within the County.

The proposed motion also suggests a density range that exceeds that permissible for edge of centre sites in Small Towns/villages within the County as prescribed under the Sustainable Residential Development Guidelines and would suggest the overdevelopment of inappropriate sites.

It is recommended that Section 11.3.1 (ii) be amended to state that densities of 35 – 50 dwellings per hectare should be applied to appropriate Outer Suburban / Greenfield sites.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is adopted with amendment:

Amend Section 11.3.1 (ii) of the Draft Plan to state that densities of 35 – 50 dwellings per hectare should be applied to appropriate Outer Suburban / Greenfield Sites in accordance with the recommendations of the ‘Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas’ (2009) or any superseding guidelines.