COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
QUESTION NO. 8
QUESTION: Councillor William Joseph Carey
"To ask the Chief Executive if the intensification of planning applications for nursing homes in the Clondalkin Village is in keeping with the County Development Plan, or is it a manipulation of gaps in the strictures of the plan?"
REPLY:
Having carried out a preliminary planning search of Clondalkin Village and its environs, two planning applications for nursing home developments in recent years have been identified.
- A nursing home development was granted on appeal by An Bord Pleanala in December 2017 at Monastery Road, Clondalkin.
- A nursing home development located at Presentation Covent, Covent Road, Clondalkin is currently on appeal with An Bord Pleanala and a decision is due on the 18th October 2019.
Section 2.1.2 of the South Dublin County Development Plan 2016-2022 discusses ‘Housing for Older People’. This section states that “the Plan will seek to address the housing needs of older people within their communities, with the aim of providing a range of attractive accommodation choices for people wishing to downsize and in turn to address the underutilisation of larger houses, particularly within more established areas”.
Housing for elderly people is an essential and an important provision within the County Development Plan. The policy for the provision of accommodation for older people within the Council area is set out under:
HOUSING (H) Policy 3 Housing for Older People
It is the policy of the Council to support the provision of accommodation for older people in established residential and mixed use areas that offer a choice and mix of accommodation types to older people (independent and semi-independent living) within their communities and at locations that are proximate to services and amenities.
H3 Objective 1: To support housing that is designed for older people (including independent, semi-independent or nursing home accommodation) in residential and mixed use areas, at locations that are proximate to existing services and amenities including pedestrian paths, local shops, parks and public transport.
H3 Objective 2: To provide for the subdivision of large houses or amalgamation of smaller houses within established areas for the purpose of providing independent, semi-independent or nursing home accommodation. Such development should be subject to the car parking standards and the standards on dwelling subdivision as set out under Chapter 11 Implementation. A Traffic Impact Statement will be required in the case of major traffic generating developments or where it is considered that there would be a significant impact on the County’s road network.
The County Development Plan also sets out the Zoning Objectives to all lands within the County. Zoning Objectives and corresponding Land Use Zoning tables are located in chapter 11 of the plan. For example, lands zoned ‘Residential’, ‘Town Centre’ or ‘Village Centre’ list nursing homes as a type of use class that is permitted in principle, subject to further assessment against other polices, objectives and standards.
With the above in mind, there are clear policies and objectives set out in the County DPvelopment plan which support the provision of nursing homes in established residential and mixed use areas in order to utilise the existing services and amenities such as shops, transport links and parks, subject to appropriate zoning and other assessments. Given that Clondalkin village is an estbalished and mixed use area, complete with supporting public amenities, the principle of locating nursing home facilities and elderly accomodation on appropriately zoned land in Clondalkin village is in line with County Development Plan policy, subject to detailed site assessment.