COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SDZ, LAPS AND PLANNING PROJECTS

Friday, January 26, 2018

MOTION NO. 12

MOTION: Councillor F. Timmons

That all housing is a mixed development of Social and Private in the Clonburris SDZ. 

Cllrs G. O Connell, P. Gogarty and L. O'Toole 

REPORT:

Response

South Dublin County Council as the planning and housing authority for the area is both obligated and mandated to achieve the best possible outcomes in terms of planned, socially integrated housing provision for all of its citizens within the planning scheme. As a major landowner in control of approx. 22% of the land bank within the plan area it is committed to fully utilising this asset together with the statutory obligations imposed by Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) to maximise the distributed provision of social and affordable housing throughout the SDZ area. The distribution will be subject to appropriate master planning, will involve the integrated development off all lands collectively and where it necessitates commensurate land transfers will be subject to council approval. This integrated approach is aligned to the County Development Plan, the council Housing Strategy, national housing and planning policy and sufficiently agile to allow for the incorporation of any new or additional national strategies supportive of affordability.

The Draft Planning Scheme already accords with the principle of the subject motion in relation to the dispersal and integration of social housing with all housing. Any decrease or increase in the social housing requirement would, however, render the Draft Planning Scheme inconsistent with Housing Strategy for the County and this would not be consistent with the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).

Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) prescribes the mechanism for delivery of social and affordable housing including the percentage of lands that must be provided for such housing. Section 94(4) of the aforementioned legislation states that a housing strategy prepared as part of a County Development Plan shall provide a specified percentage, not being more than 10 per cent, of the land zoned for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, shall be reserved for social housing and/or affordable housing. Within this context and in the context that the Affordable Housing Schemes have been stood down under Government Housing Policy, the South Dublin County Council Interim Housing Strategy 2016 sets out a requirement to reserve 10% of lands for social housing.

Section 168(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) states that a draft planning scheme for residential development shall be consistent with the relevant Housing Strategy for the County.

Under section 2.1.6 of the Clonburris Strategic Development Zone Draft Planning Scheme, it is a stated objectives to:

• Apply a 10% social housing requirement, pursuant to Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 - 2016 (as amended) to all sites in the Planning Scheme that are solely for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses (save where the development qualifies for a modified or amended obligation or is otherwise exempted).
• To promote social integration and facilitate a diverse range of dwelling tenures within housing developments, including social housing; and
• To ensure an appropriate distribution of new social housing, and to avoid an excessive concentration of social

  The requirements of the Draft Planning Scheme with regard to its social housing requirement are therefore consistent with the South Dublin County Council Interim Housing Strategy 2016 and in turn Section 168(4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). It is accepted that Section 2.1.6 of the Draft Planning Scheme could be amended to clarify that its stated objectives on social housing have been inserted in accordance with the South Dublin County Council Interim Housing Strategy 2016.

  The Draft Planning Scheme seeks the dispersal and integration of social housing with other housing tenures akin to the tenets of the subject motion. The aspect of the subject motion that seeks all housing to be a mixture of social and private would introduce an element of confusion in relation to the social housing requirement of the Draft Planning Scheme and this could undermine compliance with the Housing Strategy for the County.

  The intent of the aspect of the proposed motion that seeks to ensure the dispersal of social housing has been fulfilled by the Draft Planning Scheme and no amendment to the Planning Scheme is required in this regard. Any decrease or increase in the social housing requirement would, however, not be consistent with the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).

  Recommendation

  It is recommended that this motion is adopted with amendment as follows.

  Include the following additional text under Section 2.1.6 (Social Housing):

  In accordance with Section 168 (4) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 - 2016 (as amended) and the South Dublin County Council Interim Housing Strategy 2016, the following are the stated objectives for

  the Planning Scheme:

  Strategic Environmental Assessment of Chief Executive’s Recommendation

  No interaction with Strategic Environmental Objectives.

  Appropriate Assessment Screening of Chief Executive’s Recommendation

  No likely significant effects on European sites within the SDZ’s zone of influence are predicted.housing.