COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF CLONDALKIN, NEWCASTLE, RATHCOOLE, SAGGART AND BRITTAS AREA COMMITTEE
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
MOTION NO. 7
MOTION: Councillor L. de Courcy
That this Area Committee while acknowledges the desire of SDCC 'To maintain and enhance the vitality of [Brittas]…' we are concerned that the delays to the promised Unique Planning Study are causing undue stress on families which have lived there for generations; and in some cases people are being forced to relocate due to the current planning policies which are not seen as being supportive of local families and their needs.
REPORT:
The attachments to the motion on planning application outcomes and population change between 2016 and 2022 are noted. The areas included in the provided population figures, derived from small area statistics, indicate that the total population of the various included small areas in 2022 is 1,689, a decrease of 103 persons from 2016.
Reviewing CSO Census 2022, Brittas has a defined settlement area with a population of 166 for the area defined (Table: Usually resident population by birthplace or citizenship). This is a reduction from the 2016 Census where it was recorded as 179 persons. Any study will have to examine the appropriate boundary for Brittas and any related policy which emerges as part of the study.
It is acknowledged that the zoning which applies to the Brittas settlement and wider area is restrictive. This reflects that this is an area under strong urban influence for housing as described in criteria in the government’s Rural Housing Guidelines and in the National Planning Framework. The applicable HA-DM (High Amenity – Dublin Mountain) zoning is more restrictive than the RU(Rural) zoning in recognition of the sensitivity of the area at the foothills of the mountains in what is still a rural area.
However, the inclusion in the current County Development Plan of QDP12 SLO 1: To support Brittas as a sustainable community and village of outstanding natural beauty and to prepare a planning study and study boundary for Brittas Village etc. is acknowledged.
The Planning Department has continued to undertake background work to inform a study on Brittas. This includes liaison with Uisce Éireann who have indicated that they do not have any current plans to expand the existing well-water water supply. Nor are there any foul water treatment works for Brittas on their programme. A greater understanding of how this will limit the capacity for growth is required as part of the study.
Should there be some capacity, the extent to which potential growth may be accommodated and the area within which this may be appropriate will be examined.
While background work will continue, priority has to be given to the required wider review of land capacity in the county in preparation for the housing targets for each county due to be released by the Minister in Q2 2025. The background work being carried out for QDP12 SLO1 needs to be considered within this context.