COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Tuesday, March 01, 2022

MOTION NO. 31

MOTION: Councillor G. O'Connell, Councillor P. Gogarty, Councillor L. O'Toole

Motion in the names of Cllr Liona O'Toole, Guss O'Connell, Paul Gogarty RE: submission SD-C195-74 Page 272 (Kilsaran Lands, Lucan from RU to EE) This committee agrees with the submission made SD-C195-74 Page 272 to change the zone from RU to EE and does NOT agree with the CE recommendation as stated in the report.

REPORT:

This motion seeks to rezone c 2.55ha of land from ‘RU’ (to protect and improve rural amenity and to provide for agriculture), to Objective EE (to provide for enterprise and employment related uses) at Kilsaran lands, Lucan. 

It is noted from the outset that the 2.55ha of land outlined in the submission relate to Lucretia Tiles site and a small parcel of land to the south of Lucretia Tiles in the same ownership. While Lucretia Tiles is accessed off the shared entrance with Kilsaran the Kilsaran site is not included in the lands outlined in the submission. 

It is acknowledged that the northern parcel of lands subject to the submission have been in use as Lucretia Tiles since 1996 and that the lands are zoned RU. It is noted that various planning applications have been granted over the years for amendments and modifications to the buildings, part of Lucretia Tiles. Section 13.1.1, (vi) Non-Conforming Uses of the Draft Plan states there are instances throughout the County where land uses do not conform with the zoning objective of a site. Developments which were in existence on 1st October 1964 or have a valid permission, particularly those that would intensify non-conforming uses, will be permitted where the proposed development would not be detrimental to the amenities of the surrounding area and would accord with the principles of proper planning and sustainable development. This includes the integration of land use and transport planning.  

The Draft Plan under EDE1 Objective 3 seeks to ensure that there is sufficient supply of zoned and serviced lands at suitable locations in the County to accommodate a range of enterprise and employment development types and to promote growth by strengthening the integration between employment, housing and transportation. 

Under Section 2.6.8 Employment Lands, the Draft Plan carried out an analysis of available lands which have potential to generate jobs. The purpose of this analysis was to ascertain whether sufficient employment lands are zoned to provide for the projected additional workforce for the Plan period up to 2028. Based on the analysis, there is a total capacity, excluding REGEN lands, to develop 624 hectares to facilitate further employment. This would more than meet the projected employment growth for the County of 18,336 jobs over the Plan period set out in Section 2.6.8 of the Core Strategy in the Draft Plan. 

The employment evidence base prepared to support the Draft County Development Plan demonstrates that there is sufficient land available to support the future identified employment needs. However, it is recognised that trends in the wider economy can quickly impact on employment lands, and as such it will be important to monitor this situation. To provide for this, the CE Report has recommended an objective to undertake a further evidence-based analysis of employment lands in the County within two years of the Plan coming into effect. Should a need be identified for further employment zoning within the lifetime of the Plan a Variation to the Plan will be initiated informed by:  

In respect of this site the following is noted; 

-An evidence based analysis of the need or otherwise for further employment zoned land having regard to trends which may impact on the rate of uptake of existing zoned lands across the County will be carried out within the next 2 years. 

-The rapidly changing urban context of the area due to the proximity of Grangecastle, Adamstown and Clonburris where new development  will stretch from the R120 at its western edge, creating a new urban context to the road immediately opposite the site of the proposed EE zoning. 

- The site is located adjacent to the 12th Lock, forming part of the Grand Canal Greenway to Hazelhatch. EDE4 SLO1 of the Draft Plan provides for an investigation of the full potential of the 12th Lock lands given their location within growing employment and residential areas having regard also to ecological, tourism and sustainable travel opportunities given their location along the Grand Canal.  

These factors taken together indicate that it would be premature to rezone these lands EE until they can be considered alongside the emerging urban context and likely future uses of the surrounding lands. 

Given the history of the site as set out above it is noted that any intensification to the uses on site would continue to be considered on their merits having regard to the land use zoning provisions of the Plan set out in Section 13.1.1 (vi) in the Draft Plan. 

Therefore, it is recommended that the zoning of this site should remain RU at this time 

CE Recommendation: It is recommended that this motion is not adopted and that the RU zoning remain in place at this time.