COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

South Dublin County Council Crest

MEETING OF SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNTY COUNCIL

Friday, June 19, 2026

MOTION NO.

MOTION: Councillor H. Farrell

Amendment No. 4 Tubber Lane North, Lucan. That the Council reject the proposed residential zoning of Tubber Lane North and retain the existing zoning as Rural.

Reasons: - public submissions identified concerns regarding infrastructure provision, cumulative growth and environmental impacts; - the lands form part of the wider transition between established communities and strategic growth areas; - the rezoning is premature pending completion of infrastructure and development already planned within Adamstown and Clonburris.

CE Response 

This motion seeks to reject the proposal as part of the Variation to rezone lands at Tubber Lane North to RES-N and OS (open space) from their current RU (rural) zoning. The lands are located directly north of Adamstown SDZ, adjoining its northern boundary, and to the east of the Celbridge Link Road and south/southwest of Lucan Golf Course. 

Context and Process  

The NPF Implementation Guidelines requires Councils to identify the lands needed for delivery of the new targets within the Development Plan period. They also included the need for Councils to consider capacity for up to 50% above the baseline housing growth requirements to provide options for delivery.  

The Settlement Capacity Audit (SCA) presented to Councillors in October 2025, indicated that by the end of 2028 the current zoned land in the county could deliver 9,613 dwellings based on a business-as-usual model. The NPF Revised baseline housing target for the county to 2028 is 11,699 dwellings, resulting in an identified shortfall of lands to deliver 2,086 units. 

Following the full review process Variation No. 2 identifies lands which significantly increase the capacity of the county to deliver the baseline target of 11,699 units to 2028 through providing an additional 156.5 hectares with an equivalent potential for 7,324 dwellings. In total this provides capacity for 16,937 units which incorporates c. 45% additional provision over the baseline requirement. 

The approach taken by the Planning Authority is directly aligned with key policies underpinning the sustainable policy approach within the National Planning Framework (NPF). This approach places a strong emphasis on compact growth and Transport Orientated Development (TOD). In particular, National Policy Objectives 10, 97 and 99 support the delivery of residential development at appropriate locations within or adjacent to the existing urban footprint, focused on areas served by existing or planned high-capacity public transport.  

The process therefore aligns with national policy which requires that planning authorities plan proactively for future growth, including the identification of lands that may contribute to housing delivery within the lifetime of the Development Plan and beyond. 

Zoning - RES-N & Open Space 

The proposed rezoning encompasses the RES-N objective for new residential development and an Open Space (OS) zoning of c2.6ha to the east of the lands in recognition of this more sensitive part of the site and to allow for an expansion to Tubbermaclugg Park which lies to the south within Adamstown SDZ. As part of the CE report and Recommendation additions to the SLO for Tubber Lane North related to woodland protection and lighting requirements recommended by the environmental consultants were inadvertently placed into Adamstown West Amendment. The CE Amendments to this meeting have recommended their omission from Adamstown West and their originally intended placement into Tubber Lane North. 

A revised SLO for the site with the key amendments from the original SLO (in response to public consultation with additional environmental points) outlined in bold is recommended, providing for comprehensive phasing and assessment which will enable detailed plan-led consideration of the concerns raised in this motion. 

The SLO recommendation includes all required amendments pertaining to the delivery of DART+SW or equivalent service, environmental requirements and retention of woodland, lighting design, additional detail with respect to traffic and transport assessment, additional requirements for the Public Open Space Audit, and continued engagement with Department of Education and Youth on school delivery and capacity. In this way it provides for detailed consideration of phasing requirements that may be required to ensure that growth is plan-led. 

Infrastructure Provision and Cumulative Growth  

While the Adamstown and Clonburris SDZs continue to make a significant contribution to housing delivery, their phased build-out means they cannot alone satisfy the need to maintain an adequate pipeline of zoned land in line with updated national targets. Both SDZs operate under established planning schemes with defined and on-going phasing frameworks that ensure the coordinated delivery of housing and infrastructure. 

These structured phasing arrangements remain in place and continue to guide development in both locations. The inclusion of Tubber Lane North complements these schemes, and the proposed rezoning represents a plan-led, proactive approach to meeting future housing needs rather than a premature intervention. Cumulative growth has been carefully considered as part of the amendment, with requirements for phasing, having regard to growth in the area, embedded to ensure that planning decisions at application stage are informed by up-to-date, evidence-based assessments rather than fixed assumptions. 

The Planning Authority is satisfied that the proposed variation is necessary and appropriate, ensuring alignment with the revised NPF, supporting compact growth in well-serviced locations, and maintaining a sufficient supply of deliverable lands to meet current and future housing demand. 

Environmental Impact 

The basis for the growth is linked to the revised NPF and the principles of Compact Growth and Transport Orientated Development. The SLO ensures that development is aligned with the delivery of DART+ South West, and the lands are accessible to a high-frequency bus service under BusConnects, and the established cycling and walking network within Adamstown SDZ and beyond. This framework supports a modal shift away from private car use, which is central to national and local climate objectives.  

The SLO also requires a masterplan which deals specifically with the retention of existing hedgerows, the need for compliance with riparian corridor policy in the County Development Plan, a traffic and transport assessment and a public space audit to inform proposals for public open space and recreational facilities. 

As outlined above, following public consultation, the issues raised by the submissions were further reviewed by the Strategic Environmental Assessment consultants who undertook further assessments to ensure a robust analysis of the site pending consideration of same as part of the variation process. The outcome of that was that the Chief Executive recommends the inclusion in CS7 SLO5 of additional points in the required masterplan to ensure adequate protection of environmental sensitivities as outlined below in the recommendation, noting part 4 of the SLO, points b and c, relating to retention of the woodland and lighting conditions. 

The Chief Executive considers that compact growth in accessible locations, rather than continued outward expansion into less connected areas, represents the most effective long-term environmental response. 

Environmental considerations are further embedded through the strong County Development Plan policies on: 

Transition between established communities and strategic growth areas   

The lands at Tubber Lane North are not isolated or peripheral, but form part of a defined and evolving urban edge. They are bounded by Lucan Golf Club to the north, the Celbridge Link Road to the south-west, and Adamstown SDZ beside establishing residential areas such as Hallwell and the identified  Tobermaclugg Park site. 

The Specific Local Objective (CS7 SLO 5) provides a clear framework to ensure that these lands are properly integrated with the adjoining SDZ, including requirements for connectivity, alignment with infrastructure delivery and access to existing and planned community facilities. This will support cohesive, consolidated development, avoiding fragmentation and reinforcing the transition from existing development to planned growth areas. 

Given their location adjacent to established residential areas in the SDZ and planned strategic infrastructure, the lands represent a logical and appropriate extension to the lands at Adamstown SDZ, contributing to a coherent urban structure rather than creating a disconnected or stand-alone development. 

Importantly, the safeguards set out in CS7 SLO 5 ensure that development is infrastructure-led and appropriately sequenced, with particular regard to transport and utilities and to environmental mitigation. This ensures that the transition between established communities and strategic growth areas is managed in a coordinated, sustainable and plan-led manner. 

Conclusion  

The NPF Implementation Guidelines requires Councils to identify the lands needed for delivery of the new targets within the Development Plan period. They also included the need for Councils to consider capacity for up to 50% above the baseline housing growth requirements to provide options for delivery. 

Given the approach taken to the Variation, it is considered that South Dublin has clearly identified sufficient and suitable zoned land, including the Tubber Lane lands, to meet the housing shortfall for 2028 with built-in additional capacity consistent with the achievement of the shared goals in the NPF, RSES and County Development Plan in relation to compact growth, accessibility, sustainable mobility and climate action. 

The zoning of Tubber Lane is a policy-aligned response to revised national housing requirements, representing a sequential extension of Adamstown that can be delivered in a planned and sustainable manner. The inclusion of robust safeguards in the SLO ensures that any development will proceed in tandem with transport capacity, services, and environmental protections. On this basis, the Chief Executive considers the zoning to residential and open space appropriate and recommends that it be progressed.

It is noted that the OPR has recommended progression of the Variation amendments 1-16.

CE Recommendation 

To adopt Amendment No. 5 Tubber Lane North with the following amendment to CS7 SLO5 (amendments in bold): 

CS7 SLO5: 

Development on RES-N zoned lands north of Tubber Lane shall comply with the following: 

  1. Development may not commence until Dart+ Southwest has commenced construction or an equivalent rail service to the Dart+SW is operational, as may be relevant. 
  2. Development may not commence until Tobermaclugg Park, a phasing requirement of the Adamstown SDZ Planning Scheme, has commenced construction. 
  3. An infrastructure masterplan shall be submitted to the planning authority as part of a planning application for residential development, addressing the water and wastewater network upgrades as necessary to serve the subject lands while demonstrating that the needs of zoned lands in the surrounding area, including Clonburris SDZ, are not compromised. To be agreed with Uisce Éireann in advance of submission of a planning application. 
  4. A masterplan for the lands, integrated with the existing parameters of the Adamstown SDZ Planning Scheme, shall be prepared by the planning authority or in consultation with, and approved by, the planning authority in advance of the submission of a planning application for residential development on the subject lands. Having regard to the cumulative development potential around and including the subject lands, the masterplan shall be informed by and address, inter alia: 

   a. Retention and enhancement of the north-south hedgerow as recorded on 1st Edition OS maps, unless required for wider movement needs, 

   b. Retain woodland as area of importance for wildlife and a key stepping stone in the wider ecological network; any interventions in or adjacent to the woodland should be informed by an EcIA and generally support the maintenance of such habitat as a refuge for wildlife.

   c. Lighting design and implementation should be informed by ecological surveys and seek to minimise impacts on wildlife via sensitive design in line with Institute of Lighting Practice Note 23/8 and any superseding guidance.

   d. Ensure compliance with G13 (Riparian Corridors) in relation to any watercourses on site, 

   e. A Social Infrastructure Audit and provision within development proposals to address any needs identified, 

   f. A Transport and Traffic Assessment detailing the impact of the proposed development and measures to alleviate its impact, informed by options which can be demonstrated as being capable of being delivered as part of development, phased or otherwise, to provide access to high-capacity public transport as defined in the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlement Guidelines;  

   g. A Public Open Space Audit to inform proposals for public open space and recreational facilities, having regard to environmental sensitivities and ensuring the provision of an appropriate balance of passive and active amenity in the public open space; and 

   h. Ensure adequate educational capacity for sites adjacent to Adamstown are catered for, in consultation with the Department of Education and Youth.