COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING
Thursday, June 17, 2021
MOTION NO. 154
MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell, Councillor P. Gogarty, Councillor L. O'Toole
It shall be an objective of the County Development Plan 2022 - 2028 to include a new ACA to cover all stone walls within the Mill Lane Palmerstown and to include Stewarts Hospital outer wall as it bounds the R148
REPORT:
ACA designation offers protection to the exterior of buildings and also protects and enhances the character of the designated area. Boundary walls form part of the character features of ACAs and therefore do not need to be specifically identified. The CE Draft Plan contains policies and objectives that reflect the intent of the motion including an objective referring to boundary treatment within ACAs, as follows:
Policy NCBH 20 states: ‘Preserve and enhance the historic character and visual setting of Architectural Conservation Areas and carefully consider any proposals for development that would affect the special value of such areas’.
NCBH 20 Objective 1 states: ‘To avoid the removal of distinctive features that positively contribute to the character of Architectural Conservation Areas including building features, shop fronts, boundary treatments, street furniture, landscaping and paving’.
NCBH 20 Objective 2 states: ‘To prohibit demolition of a structure that positively contributes to the architectural character of the ACA’.
It is noted that the Stewart’s Hospital outer wall, as it bounds the R148, is outside the ACA. Notwithstanding this, Stewart’s Hospital is a protected structure (RPS Ref. 086), therefore the boundary wall is protected as part of this designation. The CE Draft Plan also contains policies to conserve and protect features such as this, in cases where they are not protected structures or within ACAs, as follows:
Policy NCBH 25 states: ‘Encourage the conservation and protection of older features, buildings, and groups of structures that are of historic character including 19th Century and early to mid-20th Century houses, housing estates and streetscapes.’
Policy NCBH 26 states: ‘Secure the identification, protection and conservation of historic items and features of interest throughout the County including street furniture, surface finishes, roadside installations, items of industrial heritage and other stand-alone features of interest.’
As indicated above, NCBH 20 Objective 1 already protects the stone walls within the ACA. There is no requirement for a new ACA to address the stone wall outside the existing ACA having regard to the fact that Stewarts is a protected structure and the objectives outlined which protect such features in any event.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in order to reflect the intention of the motion regarding the protection of a boundary wall outside of an ACA, it is considered that Policy NCBH 26 should be amended to include reference to boundary walls. The revised objective would read as follows:
‘Secure the identification, protection and conservation of historic items and features of interest throughout the County including street furniture, boundary walls, surface finishes, roadside installations, items of industrial heritage and other stand-alone features of interest.’
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the motion is adopted with amendment such that policy NCBH 26 reads:
‘Secure the identification, protection and conservation of historic items and features of interest throughout the County including street furniture, boundary walls, surface finishes, roadside installations, items of industrial heritage and other stand-alone features of interest.’