COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF DEVELOPMENT PLAN MEETING

Tuesday, March 01, 2022

MOTION NO. 15

MOTION: Councillor C. O'Connor

Rezone lands at Green Lane, Rathcoole, ( C. 2.6 ha ) from Objective 'RU'-'To protect and improve rural amenity and to provide for the development of agricultural' to Objective 'RES-N' -, 'To provide for new residential communities in accordance with approved area plans' and include an SLO to read ‘Development of this land will  be progressed in tandem with the transfer of 3.2 hectare ( 8 acres ) to Rathcoole Community Council for community facilities and an additional SLO to read :-“Development of this land will  be progressed in tandem with the delivery of a new relief road infrastructure as a replacement road to Whitehouse Lane from the N7 junction to a proposed roundabout at Johnstown Road together with extended bus route and bus lane along Kilteel Road” 

REPORT:

The motion puts forward a proposal to rezone the subject land at Green Lane, Rathcoole measuring 2.6ha from Objective RU – Rural to Objective RES-N – New Residential with two Specific Local Objectives (SLO) to read: 

‘Development of this land will be progressed in tandem with the transfer of 3.2 hectare ( 8 acres ) to Rathcoole Community Council for community facilities.’ 

‘Development of this land will be progressed in tandem with the delivery of a new relief road infrastructure as a replacement road to Whitehouse Lane from the N7 junction to a proposed roundabout at Johnstown Road together with extended bus route and bus lane along Kilteel Road.’ 

This issue was submitted to the Draft Plan through the public consultation period under submission SD-C195-247 and the Chief Executive (CE) responded under Chapter 2 Core Strategy and Settlement Strategy – Residential and Zoning Submission - Rathcoole , pg243-248 and recommended no change to the plan. In addition and arising from the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) submission (SD-C195-227) on the Draft Plan and recommendation 3 which related to the development of Rathcoole and Newcastle , the CE has recommended a planned and phased approach to the development of these areas in line with the OPR’s recommendations and Regional and National Policy (See Appendix 1 to the CE Report for full details). Such measures specifically relate to the intention of this motion.  

Having examined and considered the content of the motion, recommendations, and response to the OPR, the view of the CE remains unchanged for the following reasons: 

The Core Strategy and Settlement Strategy in Chapter 2 sets out population and housing figures which must be consistent with the National Planning Framework (NPF) and the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) as required under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (As Amended). South Dublin County is anticipated to grow by 46,518 persons with the housing target for the County, as set by Ministerial Guidelines and the NPF Road Map, being 17,817 homes between 2021 - 2028. Chapter 2 of the Draft Plan also confirms that the County has enough land for a further 10,470 units (79%) above the net household need and therefore there is no need to re-zone additional lands or zone new additional lands over and above those currently set out under the current 2016 County Development Plan. Having regard to above figures set out in the Core Strategy and the current excess of zoned land, it is considered that there is sufficient flexibility to meet the household requirements for 2031 and potentially up to 2040 without the need to zone further lands such as those currently proposed under this motion.

It should be noted that the revised target figures of 15,576 for the 6 Year Plan period in response to the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) recommendations, set out separately under the response to the OPR in the CE Report, do not impact on the excess land capacity available to meet the revised targets. Therefore, to re-zone or zone new additional lands over and above those currently set out in the Draft Plan would be contrary to National and Regional planning policy. 

With a particular focus on the settlement of Rathcoole the CE report provides for a housing unit growth of 487 units over the 6-year life of the plan. Such unit growth has been allocated applying a sequential approach to development whereby lands closest to the centre of Rathcoole with the ability to delivery key infrastructure or where permission has already been granted have been identified as suitable to meet this target.  

In regard to the first proposed SLO and the transfer of lands to Rathcoole Community Council, this is an issue which falls outside the remit of a County Development Plan. It is also worth noting that the proposed lands are currently zoned ‘Rural’ and situated on the periphery of the settlement of Rathcoole c. 1.4km from the centre and distant from future potential users. In this regard the provisions of COS2 Objective 6 of the Draft Plan should be noted where it is an objective of the plan to ensure that social, community, cultural and recreational facilities are provided in a manner which reduces climate impact by supporting and promoting a number of measures including ‘the provision of facilities within walking distance of communities and on public transport routes, the promotion of walking and cycling and the co-location and clustering of such facilities’. 

With respect to the proposed second SLO, the construction of such road infrastructure is considered premature at this time. Arising from Recommendation 3 of the OPR submission and the CE Recommendation of the same, lands to the west of Rathcoole are recommended to be subject to a specific Transport SLO regarding the Western Dublin Orbital Route (WDOR). SM5 SLO 2: ‘To ensure that development of Phase 1 lands at Tootenhill (Rathcoole) accommodates the required road reservation for a Western Orbital Route’. Therefore, the proposed road infrastructure at this location would be premature and may impact on the future viability and detailed route of the proposed Western Dublin Orbital Route (WDOR) the scope of which will be determined through the review of Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy review to 2042. Therefore, to base any new zoning on road proposals would be premature and misplaced pending the outcome of this study and detailed route options.  

It is inappropriate to attach SLOs such as those proposed to land zoning which should be assessed on its own merits. 

Having regard to the context set out above, where there are sufficient zoned lands in the County to provide for the housing targets, and where the OPR has recommended a reduction in the quantum of land zoned in Rathcoole, it is considered that the rezoning of the subject lands is contrary to the core strategy of the Draft Plan and is neither appropriate nor necessary and would be contrary to national and regional policy.  

CE Recommendation:  It is recommended that the motion is not adopted, and that the subject lands are retained as RU as per the Draft Plan.