COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 17, 2021

MOTION NO. 197

MOTION: Councillor F. Timmons

That SDCC adopt a policy in our County Development Plan that in future all new-builds in the Clondalkin ACA should be low-scale. New-builds to be designed sympathetically outside the proposed Clondalkin ACA.

REPORT:

The Urban Development and Building Height Guidelines 2018 specifically prohibit Development Plans from applying a blanket restriction on height. The proposed motion would be contrary to this requirement.

Building Heights in general will be governed by the South Dublin County ‘Building Height and Density Guide’ (informed by the ‘Urban Development and Building Heights: Guidelines for Planning Authorities’ (2018)).  Chapter 5 of the CE Draft Plan Quality Design and Healthy Placemaking contains policies and objectives in relation to Building Height including Policy QDP 8 which states:

‘Adhere to the requirements set out in the Urban Development and Building Height Guidelines (2018) issued by the DHLGH through the implementation of the Assessment Toolkit set out in the South Dublin County’s Building Heights and Density Guide 2021’.

The CE Draft Plan contains policies and objectives to ensure appropriate new-build within and adjacent to ACAs including:

NCBH 20 Objective 3: ‘To ensure that new development, including infill development, extensions and renovation works within or adjacent to an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA) preserves or enhances the special character and visual setting of the ACA including vistas, streetscapes and roofscapes’.

NCBH 20 Objective 8: ‘To ensure that all planning applications for new developments within or immediately contiguous to an ACA include an Architectural Impact Assessment and Design Rationale addressing design considerations such as urban structure and grain, density and mix, scale, height, materials, landscape, views and landmarks and historic development’.

The motion should not be adopted having regard to the specific requirement that there cannot be blanket ban on heights in development plans.  However, the draft Plan has adequate policy and objectives to protect the character of different areas and in particular in ACAs.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the motion is not adopted.