COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, July 14, 2025
QUESTION NO. 29
QUESTION: Councillor J. Sinnott
To ask the Chief Executive for a report on planning approval for large scale residential developments. The report to include how the need for community infrastructure such as schools, recreation and transport is considered and does planning for this happen in tandem with approval for residential developments
REPLY:
The County Development Plan process requires the identification and monitoring of existing infrastructure (such as community infrastructure including school provision, healthcare facilities, recreation facilities, and transport) available across the County, based on the planned population growth for the area moving forward. This is done in consultation with relevant stakeholders i.e., SDCC, DoE, TII, NTA, and HSE on an ongoing basis as required, including by way of pre-planning.
An example of same includes the quarterly meeting with the Department of Education (in line with the nationally agreed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), to proactively identify and acquire sites for new primary and post-primary schools and to support the Department’s Schools Building Programme), to identify needs based on population growth and housing delivery, in addition to age-based demographics. Another example, with regard to transport provision, includes regularly liaising with the NTA and TII to identify the capacity of the existing networks and infrastructure provision to support planned population growth and identify priority improvement works. SDCC has proactively engaged in upcoming transport projects such as DART+ and Bus Connects to date, in addition to various NTA-funded Active Travel programmes in the County.
As part of the preparation of the current (2022-2028) South Dublin County Development Plan, a Social/Community Infrastructure Audit (SIA) was prepared to identify the current and projected needs of the County regarding such infrastructure based on population growth and demographics. Policies and objectives responding to the needs, as identified in the SIA were included within the Plan to ensure that the delivery of new housing in tandem with the delivery of required infrastructure. Some such policy relating to community infrastructure specifically includes the following, which relate to new provision, enhancement of existing facilities, phased delivery, and explicit metrics where applicable :
Policy COS2: Social/ Community Infrastructure
COS2 Objective 1
To support the provision of a wide range of community facilities and to ensure that such facilities are provided in new and existing communities in tandem with housing development, with special consideration for a period of review to adapt to the needs of an increasingly multi-cultural and diverse community, in accordance with the phasing requirements of Local Area Plans and Planning Schemes.
COS2 Objective 3
To protect and enhance existing community facilities, and to support the development and expansion of new and existing facilities and services, in proximity to the populations they serve, where their need is identified.
Policy COS3: Community Centres
COS3 Objective 1
To investigate, where new provision is required to meet the needs of the population, the feasibility of extending existing community centres on suitable sites, where siting, layout, design, access and other planning considerations allow.
COS3 Objective 2
To ensure the provision of new community centres in new and existing development areas or where provision is the responsibility of the developer, the Council will ensure the developer provides, in proximity to the population they serve and in accordance with the standard of one centre per 8,000 population with a size of approximately 1,200-1,800 sq m, or dependent on specific local demographic or other needs, smaller centres at a more local level, generally between 350-650 sq m in size at the discretion of the Council, or as may be updated by any future community centre strategy carried out by the Council.
Policy CS3: Monitoring Population and Housing Growth
CS3 Objective 6: To ensure the phased development of new housing areas in tandem with the delivery of physical and social infrastructure provision as identified within Local Area Plans or as informed by assessments carried out by the Planning Authority.
In terms of SDCC delivery and/or consent, the SDCC Capital Programme (informed by Development Plan policies and objectives ) outlines project delivery, drawing on a variety of funding mechanisms to delivery infrastructure across the County. This may include projects such as libraries, community facilities, parks, and active travel projects, as well as other various upgrades. Further to this, the Council has a number of SDZ and LAPs which outline required social and community infrastructure to coincide with housing delivery and population growth for these Plan-led areas. In this regard, a landowner/applicant must demonstrate the delivery of such infrastructure in tandem with residential unit delivery in line with the identified phasing schedule of the relevant planning scheme. An example of same would be the delivery of educational facilities in advance of and in tandem with housing delivery within the Adamstown SDZ following proactive engagement with the DoE. Separately, SDCC played a key role liaising with the HSE and landowner in the delivery of a primary health care centre at The Crossings in Adamstown District Centre, all of which were tied to phasing requirements. Additionally, SDCC successfully leveraged strategic funding for abnormal infrastructure in Adamstown under the Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fun (LIHAF) and Urban Regeneration Development Fund (URDF) totalling €30 million to deliver the Celbridge Link Road, Airlie Park and Tandy’s Lane Park (all completed), as well as Adamstown District Centre Plaza and the forthcoming Central Boulevard Park.
At an individual application level, proposals relating to infrastructure delivery are assessed with regard to existing provision in the area of the application site. For larger applications (including LRDs), an audit is requested to ensure sufficient facilities of adequate capacity are located within the catchment area of the site, and/or provided for as part of the development to serve existing and future requirements. A condition of a grant of permission may also include for the provision of such facilities or financial contribution towards same as provided for the in SDCC Development Contributions Scheme, currently under review.