COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNTY COUNCIL

Friday, June 19, 2026

MOTION NO.

MOTION: Councillor L. O'Toole with Councillor F. Timmons

MOTION 5 Amendment No. 4, Pg 164 - Tubber Lane North (Strategic Bus Services) That this Council amends the Chief Executive's proposed amendment to CS7 SLO5 contained within Amendment No. 4 Tubber Lane North by inserting the following additional requirement:

"No development, other than infrastructure necessary to facilitate strategic transport infrastructure, shall commence until enhanced and dedicated bus services serving Adamstown and Clonburris, independent of existing Lucan public transport service capacity, have been established and are operational."

REASONS: The lands proposed under Amendment No. 4 form part of a wider growth corridor that is already experiencing significant population growth through the ongoing development of Adamstown and Clonburris. Future transport provision should include dedicated bus services designed to serve the needs of these communities and should not be reliant on existing Lucan public transport capacity. The attached timeline visual demonstrates the historic mismatch between housing delivery and transport infrastructure delivery within the wider Lucan, Adamstown and Clonburris corridor. This amendment seeks to strengthen the planning framework to ensure future growth is accompanied by the public transport infrastructure necessary to support sustainable communities and proper planning and sustainable development.

CE Response: 

The motion seeks to include an additional point into CS7 SLO5 attached to the Tubber Lane North Amendment in the proposed Variation as follows: 

"No development, other than infrastructure necessary to facilitate strategic transport infrastructure, shall commence until enhanced and dedicated bus services serving Adamstown and Clonburris, independent of existing Lucan public transport service capacity, have been established and are operational."   

It is indicated in the reason for the motion that the lands at Tubber Lane North are part of a wider growth corridor within what is described as Lucan, Adamstown and Clonburris. It is indicated that future transport provision should include dedicated bus services designed to serve the needs of these communities and should not be reliant on existing Lucan public transport capacity. The motion contains an infrastructure timeline infographic. 

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. 

Wider Growth 

The growth referred to in Adamstown and Clonburris is part of phased development aligning housing with specified social and physical infrastructure. In this regard, both SDZ schemes were planned along the rail line with associated delivery of train stations.  The NTA has recently advised that consultation for new bus routes for Clonburris will take place this summer.  NTA have also advised of a review of the C routes in Adamstown, in operation since 2021, with a view to improving them. It has been acknowledged by NTA that additional capacity will be required to meet demand from the growing population. 

Tubber Lane North – Bus Services 

In terms of public transport, Tubber Lane North will be primarily served by bus and active travel infrastructure. The lands are within walking distance to services on Shackleton Drive within Adamstown (C2 and X30), with the potential for linkages to be enhanced through future development and the delivery of Tobermaclugg Park, as required by the SLO.  The lands are also located approximately 900m from high capacity bus services along the Celbridge Road (C4 and X27).  

The SLO as part of the proposed Variation requires a traffic and transport assessment informing the masterplan for the lands as follows:  

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,

   d. 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;  

The SLO sets out a clear and structured requirement for a masterplan-led approach to the development of the lands, supported by a Transport and Traffic Assessment. This ensures that all transport-related matters, including cumulative impacts arising from surrounding development, are carefully examined and addressed in a coordinated manner, while also taking account of environmental considerations and the need for sustainable mobility.  

In parallel, the Council continues to actively engage with the National Transport Authority (NTA) and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) to influence the delivery of bus services to support existing and planned growth. It is therefore considered that the SLO caters for the impact of growth and the traffic and transport planning for the lands. 

The Planning Authority will continue to support and facilitate the delivery of strategic public transport infrastructure—including BusConnects, DART+ South West and Lucan Luas—and to ensure that development is aligned in an appropriate way with this infrastructure through plan-led development. It is considered that the proposed SLO for the Tubber Lane lands is appropriate and ensures that a masterplan for the lands is informed by a traffic and transport assessment which will include the public transport provision in the area.  

Linking the timing of development to the delivery of strategic bus services, some of which would operate outside the lands e.g. Clonburris, would create uncertainty for the delivery of housing and is not consistent with the statutory planning function. 

The proposed requirement to link development commencement to the prior operation of dedicated bus services is therefore not supported. Service routing, frequency and efficiency must respond to overall demand and network performance. To link restrictions for lands where the delivery of housing is served by an existing Bus Connect route would not be appropriate. While the Council will continue to engage proactively with the NTA to ensure that service provision reflects growth in Adamstown, Clonburris and Tubber Lane North, this is most effectively achieved through ongoing coordination and the delivery of enabling infrastructure, rather than through a SLO on lands. 

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.  

Tubber Lane North is well located to deliver on the requirement to meet the new housing targets and provide for national policy on compact growth.  

Imposing a requirement preventing residential development until ‘enhanced and dedicated bus services serving Adamstown and Clonburris, independent of existing Lucan public transport service capacity, have been established and are operational’  risks undermining the timely delivery of housing in an area where high capacity public transport exists and further is planned.  

It is considered that this motion, providing a SLO restricting development of housing on the lands until 'enhanced and dedicated bus services serving Adamstown and Clonburris, independent of existing Lucan public transport service capacity, have been established and are operational' will undermine the timely delivery of housing on this site. Furthermore, the motion SLO as worded is difficult to assess compliance with.

The Chief Executive would not recommend a phasing style SLO linked to a variable such as a bus service frequency or route which are open to change. The assessment of compliance with 'enhanced' and 'dedicated bus services serving Adamstown and Clonburris' will provide uncertainty and impact on the timely delivery of housing at this appropriate location. 

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

CE Recommendation 

To reject the motion amending the SLO