COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNTY COUNCIL

Friday, June 19, 2026

MOTION NO.

MOTION: Councillor W. Carey

Proposed amendment to Variation No. 9 Knockmeenagh Framework Site - Page 421 Motion: This Council agrees to amend CS7 SLO7 by inserting the following:

'Road access shall be onto the N7 slip road. There shall be no vehicular permeability onto Knockmeenagh Lane or Monastery Road.'

Reason: To ensure adequate traffic management Proposed by, Cllr Carey, Dunne, Whelan & Mannion

CE Report 

This motion is seeking to limit access from the Knockmeenagh Framework lands to the N7 slip road to ensure adequate traffic management. 

Amendment no. 9 of Variation No. 2 to the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-2028 proposes rezoning from EE to REGEN of lands identified as Knockmeenagh Framework Site (8.69Hs), Clondalkin. The rezoning is supported by a proposed Specific Local Objective (CS7 SLO7) for the lands as follows: 

 ‘A phasing and delivery plan for the REGEN zoned lands between the N7 and Knockmeenagh Lane shall be prepared by the planning authority or in consultation with, and approved by, the planning authority in advance of a planning application for development on the subject lands. It shall be integrated with adjoining land uses, deliver on the parameters of the Knockmeenagh Framework site in the Clondalkin Local Planning Framework and include a transport and movement plan, in liaison with TII, NTA and landowners and agreement with TII and the NTA. (bold text shows recommendation by the Chief Executive in the CE Report on foot of a submission from TII)  

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.  

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. 

Given the approach taken to the Variation, it is considered that South Dublin has clearly identified sufficient and suitable land for rezoning, including these lands at Knockmeenagh, 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. 

Landuse and Zoning 

These lands are currently primarily zoned for employment uses with residential zoned land containing St. Brigid’s ACA in the centre. 

Typically, the demand for employment use along the N7 has been in the form of logistics and retail or car showrooms. Notwithstanding the different context with the presence of an ACA between the employment lands, the presence of the N7 to the south and the associated slip road between it and the framework lands has led to difficulties in developing the lands to their full potential. Discussion as part of the preparation of the Clondalkin Local Planning Framework (adopted in March 2026) and this variation with TII has indicated that no further access points can be accommodated along this stretch of road and ideally the number of current access points would be reduced. This is further reflected in reasons for refusal on planning applications on lands within the Framework area. 

Knockmeenagh Lane and Road enclose the lands on their northern boundary, this lane is recognised as part of an old pilgrim route, a Slí. As the road narrows at its eastern end its use is appropriate for walking and cycling only. At the same time, the link between Knockmeenagh Lane and Monastery Road is sub-optimal for the accommodation of active travel in terms of its width, surface materials, boundary treatment and safety. The Clondalkin Local Planning Framework indicates that there are opportunities to improve this active travel route as part of any future residential / mixed use development while protecting the Slí and historic walls. 

At its more western end, Knockmeenagh Road is residential in context. Having regard to that context it would not be appropriate for an intensification of industrial type vehicles to exit onto the road or lane towards New Road and onwards to the N7. This means that under the current zoning any new development would be limited to access / egress by way of the N7 slip. As indicated above, TII have indicated that they will not support any further access to this slip, their preference being to reduce the access points. 

As part of the preparation of the Clondalkin Local Planning Framework (LPF) an assessment of the development potential of these lands (Knockmeenagh Local Framework Site) was carried out to inform the adopted Urban Design Strategy. An analysis of the current ‘EE’ zoning of the site indicated that given the constraints in the current road infrastructure and the lack of alternative solutions to facilitate the economic zoning, the framework site could not be progressed as employment lands. However, the LPF considered whether a form of mixed-use development would facilitate a more efficient and appropriate use of the land. In this regard, design parameters for the lands were set out in the LPF to establish the urban grain and overall character of any future development based on a mixed use zoning.  

The future development of this site is heavily constrained by the factors set out above. The premise of the proposed rezoning to mixed use development (REGEN) is that traffic movements from residential development would be more suited to the existing local road network and via the N7 (where agreed by TII) to help release the potential of this site. This is also in the context of the proximity (within walking distance) of the site to the Red Cow Luas Stop, making it a highly accessible site in public transport terms. 

The adoption of this motion would severely constrain the opportunities for the future development of this site. The purpose of proposed CS7 SLO7, outlined again below, is to enable further consideration of the options for providing access to and from these lands by way of the N7 and the local road network for future residents and associated mixed uses, in agreement with TII and NTA.  

 ‘A phasing and delivery plan for the REGEN zoned lands between the N7 and Knockmeenagh Lane shall be prepared by the planning authority or in consultation with, and approved by, the planning authority in advance of a planning application for development on the subject lands. It shall be integrated with adjoining land uses, deliver on the parameters of the Knockmeenagh Framework site in the Clondalkin Local Planning Framework and include a transport and movement plan, in liaison with TII, NTA and landowners and agreement with TII and the NTA.’ 

It is notable also that the SLO requires the preparation of a transport and movement plan. 

Conclusion 

The Chief Executive considers that the progression of Amendment No. 9 should proceed as proposed and that the adoption of the proposed motion would pre-empt the outcome of the work required by CS7 SLO 7, would effectively mean that the lands would remain underdeveloped and would be contrary to the recently adopted Variation no. 1 to the County Development Plan – the Clondalkin Local Planning Framework.

CE  Recommendation 

No change to Amendment No. 9 of the proposed Variation no. 2 of the South Dublin County Development Plan 2022-2028