COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SDZ, LAPS AND PLANNING PROJECTS

Friday, January 26, 2018

MOTION NO.42

MOTION: Councillor M. Ward

Page 21, under Social Housing insert a paragraph before paragraph one: “At least 50% of the overall planning scheme should provide for social and affordable housing as defined by Government policy and legislation. This should be decided equally with 25% of the planning scheme social housing and 25% affordable housing.”

Louise Dunne, Cathal King, Danny O’Brien, Mark Ward

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.

Any decrease or increase in the social housing requirement or requirement in relation to Affordable Housing would render the Draft Planning Scheme inconsistent with Housing Strategy for the County and 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 with no requirement for Affordable 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.

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). Any subsequent change to Government Housing Policy in relation to Affordable Housing will be applied to the Interim Housing Strategy and the SDZ Planning Scheme.

Until such time as Government Policy on Affordable Housing changes, an Affordable Housing requirement would be inconsistent with Housing Strategy for the County and the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as mended).

Recommendation

It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.

Strategic Environmental Assessment of Chief Executive’s Recommendation

No interaction with Strategic Environmental Objectives.

 Strategic Environmental Assessment of Proposed Motion

The motion is not consistent with statutory provisions and could give rise to adverse effects on population and human health SEOS; it is not recommended that this motion be adopted.

Appropriate Assessment Screening of Chief Executive’s Recommendation

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