COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SDZ, LAPS AND PLANNING PROJECTS

Friday, January 26, 2018

MOTION NO. 37

MOTION: Councillor P. Gogarty

To delete the following development areas and all references to same in the plan, simultaneously changing the zoning to amenity:

Canal Extension; and

Clonburris South East section CSE-S2;

amending Fig 2.1.2,  Fig 2.1.4 and all subsequent figures, graphs, tables and text that reference same and/or include these lands as residential development, the housing capacity being transferred to Clonburris Urban Centre;

as per amended Table 2.1.5 (covering several motions) should read "as per the listed amendments for Table 2.13.1 (referenced in and covering several motions), with a related adjustment for High and Low margins in each case and amendments made throughout the rest of the Plan document to reflect these changes should the motions containing this table be passed in whole or in part"

Cllrs G. O'Connell, L. O'Toole and F. Timmons

REPORT:

Further to the response to Motion 35 Item 56475 and Motion 36, the proposed motion would increase densities and buildings heights in the Clonburris Urban Centre in a manner that would reduce dwelling mix/choice and impact on the viability and affordability of housing. The motion would also result in the provision of public open space that is far in excess of the requirements of the Draft Planning Scheme.

Removal of reference to or development of the Canal Extension and Clonburris South East Development Areas Extension Area, which has little or no constraints, will benefit from existing access off the Fonthill Road North and Bawnogue Road and has been included in the County Development Plan Core Strategy to meet the housing needs of the County in the medium term (2016 – 2022), would not be consistent with the SDZ Order and the Housing Strategy for the County. This would not be consistent with 168(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), which requires SDZ Planning Schemes to be consistent with the relevant housing strategy.

The Guidelines on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009) advise that public open space should be provided at a rate of 2-2.5 hectares per 1,000 population or a minimum of 15% of the total site area for greenfield sites. The subject motion would result in the provision of approximately 11.3 hectares of open space per 1,000 population or 37% of the gross development area. This is considered to be far in excess of the open space amenity needs of the SDZ Lands and tips the balance of land uses further away from residential development as the primary land use in a manner that is not consistent with the SDZ Order for the subject lands.

As stated under Section 2.1.6 (Dwelling Mix) of the Draft Planning Scheme, densities and building heights will inform the dwelling mix in development areas and that higher density areas such the Clonburris Unban Centre will accommodate a mix of apartments, duplexes and maisonettes. The densities strategy of the Draft Planning Scheme has been carefully considered to promote a mix of dwelling types and choice across the SDZ lands. This accords with the Guidelines on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009), which seeks to provide for a diverse range of household types in residential areas.

The proposed motion would increase the average net densities (from approx. 65 dwellings per hectares to approx. 85 dwellings per hectare) and buildings heights in the Clonburris Urban Centre in a manner that will restrict the dwelling mix to apartments resulting in less choice and more mono dwelling types. This would not be consistent with density/dwelling mix strategy of the Draft Planning Scheme and the aforementioned Guidelines.

The building height strategy for the SDZ lands (Fig. 2.8.10 of Planning Scheme) provides for general building heights of 2 to 6 storeys, with building at the higher end of the scale in the Clonburris Urban Centre. The proposed motion would increase the general building heights in the Clonburris Urban Centre to beyond 6 storeys. Recent research by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (The Real Costs of New Apartment Delivery Report, October 2017) has demonstrated that the cost of apartment building, particularly in an urban context, increases significantly where it exceed 5 storeys in height and this adversely affects viability. It is therefore considered that the proposed motion could adversely affect the viability and affordability of housing within the SDZ Lands.

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.