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 C. Brady

Amendment No. 2 Adamstown SDZ West . To add SLO To support the provision of community parking on lands identified under Variation No. 2 within the Adamstown area, to serve existing and future residents, visitors and community uses, and to be delivered in a co-ordinated manner as part of the overall development of these lands, and to ensure that such facilities are designed and laid out to allow for future adaptation or redevelopment, having regard to changes in transport provision and demand over time.

Reason: To support existing and future parking demand in Adamstown in a planned and co-ordinated manner, while ensuring flexibility for such lands and facilities to be repurposed over time in line with changes in public transport provision, travel patterns and wider infrastructure delivery, similar to approaches under consideration in Clonburris.

CE Response

This motion seeks to add an SLO to Amendment 2  of the proposed Variation to read: 

‘To support the provision of community parking on lands identified under Variation No. 2 within the Adamstown area, to serve existing and future residents, visitors and community uses, and to be delivered in a co-ordinated manner as part of the overall development of these lands, and to ensure that such facilities are designed and laid out to allow for future adaptation or redevelopment, having regard to changes in transport provision and demand over time.' 

The reasons put forward for the motion include the need tosupport existing and future parking demand in Adamstown in a planned and co-ordinated manner while allow for repurposing ofthe community parking areas over time as public transport provisionand travel patterns change.It isindicatedthat this would besimilar toapproaches under consideration forClonburris. 

National Policy Context 

TheNational Planning Framework (NPF) and Climate Action policy require a shift towards sustainable mobility and reduced car dependency,for proposed developmentwhicharegenerally highly accessibleand will benefit from existing and planned public transport, including for South Dublin Bus Connects, Luas Red Line and rail including DART+South West. 

Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlement Guidelines 

TheseGuidelines (2024)were published after the adoption of theSouth DublinCounty Development Plan2022-2028andincludeSPPR 3whichrequires: 

Planning authorities are required to have regard to the policies and objectives of the Guidelines and to apply the specific planning policy requirements (SPPRs).This is set out in legislation. 

In this regard SPPR 3 – Car Parking states: 

It is a specific planning policy requirement of these Guidelines that: 

(i) In city centres and urban neighbourhoods of the five cities, definedin Chapter 3 (Table 3.1 and Table 3.2) car-parking provision should beminimised,substantially reducedorwholly eliminated. The maximumrate of car parking provision for residential development at theselocations, where such provision is justified to the satisfaction of theplanning authority, shall be 1 no. space per dwelling. 

(ii) In accessible locations, defined in Chapter 3 (Table 3.8) car- parkingprovision should besubstantially reduced. The maximum rate of carparking provision for residential development, where such provision isjustified to the satisfaction of the planning authority, shall be 1.5 no.spaces per dwelling. 

(iii) In intermediate and peripheral locations, defined in Chapter 3(Table 3.8) the maximum rate of car parking provision for residentialdevelopment, where such provision is justified to the satisfaction ofthe planning authority, shall be 2 no. spaces per dwelling. 

Applicants shouldbe requiredto provide a rationale and justification forthe number of car parking spaces proposed and to satisfy the planningauthority that the parking levels are necessary andappropriate, particularlywhen they are close to the maximum provision. Themaximumcar parkingstandards do not include bays assigned for use by a car club,designatedshort stay on–street Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations or accessibleparking spaces. Themaximumcar parking standards do include provisionfor visitor parking. 

This SPPR will not apply to applications made in a Strategic DevelopmentZone until the Planning Scheme is amended to integrate changes arisingfrom the SPPR. Refer to Section 2.1.2 for further detail. 

As such,a maximum car parking standard, based on the accessibility of the location is set at National level.The assessment of accessibility to inform the maximum is on a case-by-case basis. 

 

Existing Development Plan Standards 

The current County Development Plan contains policy and objectives on car parking in section 7.10, in this regard Policy SM7 states: 

Implement a balanced approach to the provision of car parking with the aim of using parking as a demand management measure to promote a transition towards more sustainable forms of transportation, while meeting the needs of businesses and communities.

Objectives SM7 1-4 and 6-11 of the CDP then indicate how this will be implemented, alongside more detailed implementation requirements set out under Section 12.7.4 of the County Development Plan. 

Community Parking 

The Council is engaged in a study in relation to Sustainable Transport Hubs as funded in the Capital Programme 2026-2028. This study is ongoing and is to examine the provision of sustainable transport hubs to promote behavioural change to sustainable modes and reduce car ownership and dependency, where compact residential development is accompanied by neighbourhood parking facilities that prioritise shared and sustainable transport modes as well as providing some space for other vehicles. 

In addition,the Chief Executive has made a recommendationon foot of Item 91933, relating to these and other Variation lands that the Planning Authority will‘carry out a review, including public consultation, of theimplementation of car parking policy, including provision, management and ancillary infrastructure within the context of the Sustainable Residential and Compact Settlement Guidelines (or as may be superseded). The review to considernecessary and appropriateparking levels for dwellings includingone car parking space per dwelling.’ 

The addition of a specific requirement to provide “community parking” at this stage may risk pre-empting the outcomes of the implementation review recommended by the Chief Executive and the sustainable transport hub study. 

There is a concern that the term 'community parking' is undefined and it is unclear how that relates to the overall car parking standards in the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlement Guidelines. In this context, the provision of a SLO for these lands in the absence of clarity is not recommended at this time. An objective in the written text is recommended.  

Conclusion 

It is recognised that car parking is an issue in certain areas including in Adamstown.While a community parking approach may be appropriate, the solutions to car parking within the lands will come forward through the requirement in the masterplan for a traffic and transport assessment. It is also noted that the Chief Executive has made a commitment, on foot of a recommendation to another motion, that the Planning Authority will carry out a car parking review to inform the future approach to car parking and realisable solutions to the current issues arising, within the scope of the relevant national policy.

CE Recommendation 

To amend the motion to add an objective to the County Development Plan that states

'To investigate and research the potential of shared car storage and sustainable transport hubs to promote behavioural change to sustainable modes and reduce car ownership and dependency and promote their provision as part of compact residential developments.'