COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Thursday, June 17, 2021

MOTION NO.

MOTION: Councillor Shane Moynihan

To amend the Development Plan - Chapter 8, COS 5 Objective 16 to include 'reducing use of gravel or similar materials in provision of open space and considering deployment of CCTV systems where patterns of anti-social behaviour have been identified'

REPORT:

COS 5 Objective 16 states:

‘To ensure that parks and public open spaces are carefully designed as safe spaces, by implementing the following measures:

• Providing active frontages and maximising passive surveillance from adjacent housing and/or public thoroughfares;
• Eliminating buildings which back-on or gable-front public open spaces;
• Designing corner units with active frontage; and
• Encouraging increased use through improved access and quality of facilities’.

The motion seeks to include the wording 'reducing use of gravel or similar materials in provision of open space and considering deployment of CCTV systems where patterns of anti-social behaviour have been identified'.

COS 5 Objective 16 relates to creating safe spaces by design. The choice of surface materials is usually made in response to site conditions, proposed uses and other factors. In some case permeable surfaces will be preferred and sometimes gravel is appropriate, and various types of gravel are available. It is not appropriate to fully explore options in a strategic document such as the Development Plan.

The incorporation of CCTV as standard is not recommended. Where CCTV is implemented, decisions are made on a case-by-case basis in response to a specific need and assessment of the local situation, including impacts on privacy.

It is considered that the objective should be amended to incorporate a further bullet point as follows:

− ‘Careful location, design and choice of surface materials and site furniture’, so that the revised COS 5 Objective 16 reads as follows:

‘To ensure that parks and public open spaces are carefully designed as safe spaces, by implementing the following measures:

• Providing active frontages and maximising passive surveillance from adjacent housing and/or public thoroughfares;
• Eliminating buildings which back-on or gable-front public open spaces;
• Designing corner units with active frontage; and
• Encouraging increased use through improved access and quality of facilities’;
• Careful location, design and choice of surface materials and site furniture’.

Recommendation

It is recommended that the motion is adopted with amendment to read:

COS 5 Objective 16

‘To ensure that parks and public open spaces are carefully designed as safe spaces, by implementing the following measures:

• Providing active frontages and maximising passive surveillance from adjacent housing and/or public thoroughfares;
• Eliminating buildings which back-on or gable-front public open spaces;
• Designing corner units with active frontage; and
• Encouraging increased use through improved access and quality of facilities’;
• Careful location, design and choice of surface materials and site furniture’.