COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF LUCAN AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

MOTION NO. 9

MOTION: Councillor V. Casserly

“That this Area Committee requests the Chief Executive to present a report, for discussion, on the future viability of the current Liffey Valley Town Centre LAP in light of Bord Pleanala’s decision this month to refuse permission for a major expansion to the Liffey Valley Centre noting the ruling of Bord Pleanala that the proposed development will “have a negative impact on the operation and safety of the strategic road network in the area, in particular the N4 and M50 and important junctions, and on the local road network accessing the site, thereby creating serious traffic congestion, and considers that the proposed development would be premature pending resolution of this matter.”

REPORT:

"The Liffey Valley Town Centre Local Area Plan (LAP) was adopted in 2008 and extended in 2013 until March 2018. The LAP is still the relevant statutory plan for the Liffey Valley Retail site. The County Development Plan 2016-2022 (Development Plan) was adopted in June 2016. Policy R2 of the Development Plan supports the level 2 retail function of the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre and includes R4 Objective 4 ’To prepare a Local Area Plan for the Liffey Valley Major Retail Centre with reference to the retail warehousing zone at the adjoining Fonthill Industrial Estate'. The LAP will be reviewed once the Liffey Valley Town Centre LAP expires.

In February 2017 An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for a mixed leisure, entertainment, commercial and retail extension to the existing Liffey Valley Centre. Planning permission was refused on the grounds that the Board was not satisfied on the basis of the information submitted by the applicant that there would be sufficient public transport infrastructure available to enable patrons to access the Liffey Valley Centre without recourse to the private car. As a result the applicant was not able to demonstrate that the proposed development would not result in serious traffic congestion and have a negative impact on the operation and safety of the strategic road network in the area, in particular the N4 and M50, and on the local road network.

Any future planning application for a similar type of development will have to address and overcome An Bord Pleanála reason for refusal."