COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Monday, September 23, 2024

QUESTION NO.

QUESTION: Councillor D. Richardson

"Can the Manager report on Cookstown industrial estate redevelopment in Tallaght as a lot of the units are derelict along time now?"

REPLY:

The Tallaght Local Area Plan was adopted in 2020, and is valid till 2026. The aim of the LAP is to create ‘an inclusive and vibrant Town Centre, a connected and accessible place with an attractive built environment for families of all kinds, workers, visitors and tourists’. To achieve this the LAP sets a number of goals and objectives to ensure the delivery of ‘a new high quality, urban residential environment of varied tenure, which is cognisant of the existing community and provides an inclusive and self-supporting town centre for all demographics’. This includes but is not limited to:

Delivery of between 3,000 and 5,000 new homes.

Delivery of a mix of new employment spaces .

Development of Tallaght Stadium’s Fourth Stand.

Redevelopment, enhancement of the Square Shopping Centre.

Provision of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure links.

Provision of new schools.

Improvements to the street network including extensions to Airton Road and Cookstown Road.

Enhancement of existing green spaces.

Creation of a network of public open spaces.

Development of new transport interchange at the Square.

Enhanced bus services across the centre.

District heating system (HeatNet)

To aid this SDCC have sought funding from Central Government via Urban Regeneration Development Funding. This is targeted at the delivery of the above list of key items to transform Tallaght. These projects include, some of which are nearing completion. The following:

Belgard Road North Link Road

Innovation Hub

Mobility Hub

Belgard Plaza- New Civic Square for Tallaght Town Centre

Chamber Square- Ped Link

The total value of the URDF is circa €32m and will aid the transformation of Tallaght, as well as delivery on the objectives outlined above.

The delivery of these objectives also have a knock on influence on the Cookstown industrial estate, which forms part of the LAP. Cookstown and it’s development principles are set out in Chapter 3.3 of the LAP. Once completed, the area will become ‘an attractive mixed-use residential and employment led neighbourhood with distinctive urban qualities and high levels of access to public transport and the urban centre, which will support existing businesses and additionally support the expansion of further small to medium size businesses and will continue to provide support for higher intensity employment’. At present several of the URDF projects such as the Innovation Hub, Belgard Plaza and Belgard Road North Link Road/Airton Road Extension all directly impact and aid the delivery and development of the Cookstown sub development area of the LAP.

Additionally SDCC active travel have begun early design exercises with appointed consultants to review and implement new active travel measures within the Cookstown Industrial Estate, and the wider Tallaght LAP area. This, in addition to the success of the LUAS, which surrounds the development area of Cookstown will aid the development of the area in line with the LAP objectives. At present there are a number sites within the Cookstown Industrial Estate which have progressed through planned and are either due to commence, under construction or nearing completion. This will provide for additional residential uses in the area, which will further support the objectives of the LAP as the area changes in an incremental manner.

There is continued monitoring of the LAP in terms of planning permissions, delivery objectives related to infrastructure which are set out in the LAP and additional approaches to implementation in the coming years