COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

QUESTION NO. 15

QUESTION: Councillor S. O'Hara

To ask the Chief Executive for clarification regarding the LADP (local area development plan) policy H22, where it is stated that the building of a house in a rural area will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances and based on genuine economic and/or social need. Could he please define the term exceptional circumstances and provide some possible examples of what they would consist of, from both an economic and social standpoint?

REPLY:

All planning applications are assessed on their individual merits. Policy H22 is one of a number of Rural Housing Policies and other policies that are relevant to an application for planning permission for a house in a rural area.
Policy H22 states:
‘It is the policy of the Council that within areas designated with Zoning Objective ‘RU’ (to protect and improve rural amenity and to provide for the development of agriculture) new or replacement dwellings will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances.’
Policy H20 states
‘It is the policy of the Council to restrict the spread of dwellings in the rural “RU”, Dublin Mountain ‘HA-DM’, Liffey Valley ‘HA-LV’ and Dodder Valley ‘HA-DV’ zones and to focus such housing into existing settlements.’

The County Development Plan sets out to strike a balance between facilitating housing for people who have a genuine need to live in rural areas of the County and that will contribute to the rural community, while protecting such areas from urban generated housing and housing that would adversely impact on landscape character, environmental quality and visual amenity.
In the context of H22, the term exceptional circumstances is not defined. The assessment of the economic and social merits of a planning application is on a case by case basis based on the individual details and documentation submitted by applicants.