COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING
Thursday, June 17, 2021
MOTION NO. 192
MOTION: Councillor F. Timmons
That this Council sets an objective that Omars Lough keeper House at the 11 Lough be preserved and restored,
REPORT:
Omer Lock House, Cappagh is listed on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and is given a regional rating and dates to c.1790. Omer’s Lock House is currently listed on the Record of Protected Structures under RPS Ref: 122 and this designation brings with it a high level of protection under the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended.
The Draft Plan provides policy and objectives to conserve, protect and support alternative uses, this includes:
NCBH Policy 19 - “Conserve and protect buildings, structures and sites contained in the RPS and carefully consider any proposals that would affect the setting, special character or appearance of a Protected Structure including its historic curtilage, both directly and indirectly”.
NCBH19 Objective 1 – “To ensure the protection of all structures (or parts of structures) and their immediate surroundings including the curtilage and attendant grounds of structures identified in the Record of Protected Structures”.
NCBH 19 Objective 2 – “To ensure that all development proposals that affect a Protected Structure and its setting including proposals to extend, alter or refurbish any Protected Structure are sympathetic to its special character and integrity and are appropriate in terms of architectural treatment, character, scale and form. All such proposals shall be consistent with the Architectural Heritage Protection Guidelines for Planning Authorities, DAHG (2011 or any superseding documents) including the principles of conservation”.
NCBH 19 Objective 3 – “To address dereliction and to welcome, encourage and support the rehabilitation, renovation, appropriate use and sensitive re-use of Protected Structures consistent with RPO 9.30 of the RSES”.
NCBH 19 Objective 4 – “To support alternative uses for Protected Structures including former institutional sites in order to provide continued security of the heritage value of these buildings, attendant grounds and associated landscape features”.
The objectives included in the Draft Plan compound this protection, prohibit demolition and inappropriate alterations, ensure that any development proposals are sympathetic to the buildings/structures special character and integrity, whilst also encouraging the rehabilitation, renovation and appropriate use /sensitive re-use of such a building/structure.
Notwithstanding the above policy and objectives in the Draft Plan, there are also objectives contained within the Clonburris SDZ Planning Scheme which provides for the following:
“To seek the refurbishment and re-use of Omer’s Lock House”.
and
“Where possible, in preserving the architectural integrity of the Omer Lock House that a heritage centre be located on or close to the site of the Lock House to act as a centre for the promotion of the heritage, architectural and archaeological history of the Lucan and Clondalkin areas, whilst recognising that other more viable uses for the structure may present themselves and will be considered should that be the case”.
It is considered that as Omer Lock House is already a protected structure and has a number of related objectives in Clonburris SDZ as well as policy supporting protected structures in the Draft Plan, there is no requirement for this motion.
Recommendation
It is recommended that this motion is not adopted.