COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, May 12, 2025

QUESTION NO. 18

QUESTION: Councillor J. Sinnott

To ask the Chief Executive what is the maximum number of housing units that could be built on existing lands in South County Dublin that is currently zoned for residential development?

REPLY:

The current capacity of housing on lands zoned for residential is set out in the Core Strategy of the adopted South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-2028.  This sets out the land capacity within each neighbourhood area to meet the targets set out in the previous NPF based on zoned lands. The Core Strategy included an assessment of deliverability to identify the residential development potential in the County over the 6-year term of the Development Plan.

The Core Strategy (chapter-2-core-strategy-and-settlement-strategy.pdf) identifies a total land capacity including long term development land within the County as 990 hectares with capacity to accommodate 42,570 residential units. Excluding capacity within the strategic long-term development areas which were unlikely to be delivered within the 6 year Plan period, the zoned lands were estimated to be capable of delivering 21,490 units. This is set out by neighbourhood area in Table 9 of the County Development Plan.  The Core Strategy recognised that the County had an excess of zoned lands to meet the 15,576-unit target set by the NPF.  This was considered necessary to facilitate a choice in sites to come forward, recognising that not all sites identified as having capacity were likely to be delivered within the Plan period.  The Housing Supply Monitor (Housing Supply Monitor), developed by the Planning Department as part of the monitoring of the County Development Plan, updates the status of delivery of residential development in the County on a quarterly basis. Since the 2022-2028 County Development Plan was adopted in June 2022, the monitor shows that between Q2 2022 and Q1 2025, 7,149 residential units have been completed.  This indicates that housing delivery within South Dublin is set to meet current targets with 46% of the core strategy target reached in advance of the half way point of the Plan in June 2025.

Based on the current Core Strategy and Housing Supply Monitor data, there is capacity for a further 35,421 residential units on zoned land in the long-term and 8,427 residential units to 2028. These figures are based on the core strategy and may fluctuate as developments come forward on a site-by-site basis having regard to appropriate densities and site-specific characteristics, noting too that new guidelines have the potential to increase densities. Furthermore, it is important to note that the estimated remaining 35,421 unit development potential of lands currently zoned includes the build out of long-term development areas (such as Clonburris, Tallaght Town Centre LAP and part of City Edge), but has not included the full build out of City Edge which has more complex requirements, including existing uses and infrastructure provision, and which may develop over a longer-term timeframe.