COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 17, 2021

MOTION NO.

MOTION: Councillor F. Timmons

That this county development plan sets an objective to look at current community centres and how SDCC provide community centres over the life time of the plan and how they are funded and to look at models from other Local Authorities and this plan recognises the huge contribution community centres play in the leisure and learning of our communities.

REPORT:

It is acknowledged that community centres provide a huge contribution to communities by providing a space to hold social, cultural, educational and recreational activities.  An examination of community centres in other jurisdictions has taken place to inform the Social Infrastructure Audit that has been carried out for the County.

There is an objective in the Draft Plan which is immediately applicable to this motion:

COS 3 Objective 5: ‘To support and facilitate the development of a Community Centre Strategy to include the assessment of existing community floorspace/facilities within the County, to identify gaps in provision and to ensure new community centres are provided in existing and new development areas having regard to the Social Infrastructure Audit carried out for the Development Plan’. 

This is supported by a number of motions relating to the provision of community centres:

COS 2 Objective 2: “To promote the timely provision of primary care centres, childcare facilities, schools, community centres and public open space accordingly to the standards set out in section 8.4.1 of this Plan”.

Policy COS 3: ‘Ensure that communities across the county have access to multifunctional and intergenerational community centres that provide a focal point for community activities’.

COS 3 Objective 1: ‘To investigate, where new provision is required to meet the needs of the population, the feasibility of extending existing community centres on suitable sites, where siting, layout, design, access and other planning considerations allow’. 

COS 3 Objective 2: ‘To support the provision of new community centres in new development areas, in proximity to the population they serve and in accordance with the standard of one centre per 9,000 population with a size of approximately 1,200-1,800 sqm,  or dependent on specific local demographic or other needs, smaller centres at a more local level, generally between 350-650sqm in size at the discretion of the Council, or as may be updated by any future community centre strategy carried out by the Council’.

COS 3 Objective 3: ‘To provide discretion to the Council to require residential or mixed used developments in new development areas to provide a pro rata contribution towards the provision of a community centre, in accordance with the standards   set out in Objective 2 and in line with the Development Contribution Scheme’.

Recommendation

It is considered that the content of the motion is reflected in COS 3 Objective 5 alongside supporting objectives COS Objective 2, Policy COS 3, COS 3 Objective 1, COS 3 Objective 2, COS 3 Objective 3

It is recommended that this motion is adopted with amendment to reflect that the motion is fully reflected in COS 3 Objective 5:

COS 3 Objective 5: ‘To support and facilitate the development of a Community Centre Strategy to include the assessment of existing community floorspace/facilities within the County, to identify gaps in provision and to ensure new community centres are provided in existing and new development areas having regard to the Social Infrastructure Audit carried out for the Development Plan’.