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 2. Adamstown SDZ West - Page 48 Motion: This Council agrees to amend point 1 in CS7 SLO4 to read: Development may not commence until Dart+ Southwest or an equivalent rail service has completed construction and is operational'. Reason: To ensure adequate provision of public transport to meet the needs of the existing and future residents of the area. Proposed by Cllr's Carey, Dunne, Whelan and Mannion
CE Response
The motion seeks to amend the proposed Variation SLO, point 1 to state:
Development may not commence until Dart+ Southwest or an equivalent rail service has completed construction and is operational'.
The reason put forward by the motion is to ensure adequate provision of public transport to meet the needs of existing and future residents of the area.
Proposed Variation SLO
Proposed Specific Local Objective (SLO) for Adamstown SDZ West that went out on public display, in relation to Dart+SW stated:
CS7 SLO4: Development on RES-N zoned lands north of Adamstown SDZ West shall comply with the following:
- Development may not commence until Dart+ Southwest has commenced construction.
Additional wording was recommended by the Chief Executive in the CE Report to facilitate development should an equivalent rail service to Dart+SW become operational, as follows (bold text):
- Development may not commence until Dart+ Southwest or the commencement of an equivalent rail service to the Dart has commenced construction or operation, as may be relevant.
Public Transport
Bus Service
The Planning Authority has proposed these lands based on their ability to benefit from proximity to Adamstown Station and planned BusConnects services. It is noted that once the various roads are available for use by buses, this site is intended to be served by the C2, which the NTA indicates has 8 services in the peak hour. These lands are immediately adjacent to existing road infrastructure, being at the termination point of Adamstown Way on which the C2 travels from Adamstown Station to Sandymount by way of Shackleton Drive.
The route currently runs down Aderrig Park Avenue as a temporary route until such time as there is connection further to the west of the SDZ to the Celbridge Link Road. While the current bus route is generally within walking distance from the Adamstown West lands, that distance will shorten over time increasing the appeal of the service.
Active Travel
Adamstown SDZ West is located immediately west of the Adamstown SDZ and the established active travel network of pedestrian and cycle routes with strong connections to Adamstown and the wider area. The SDZ already incorporates robust and extensive active travel infrastructure, linking southwards to the Grand Canal Greenway, with further strategic routes planned under Cycle South Dublin. The SLO requires a masterplan-led approach that prioritises connectivity, and permeability, between the existing SDZ and the variation lands.
Enhanced active travel provision will also support modal shift and help optimise capacity on existing and planned public transport services, including bus routes and rail connections.
DART+SW
The SLO attached to Adamstown SDZ West links development to the commencement of DART+ South West. In their submission, the NTA suggested that development at Adamstown West need not be strictly tied to the commencement of DART+ Southwest construction. However, the Planning Authority considers that it is nonetheless important that the enhanced rail service is committed to in order to facilitate efficiencies in the wider public transport network and to encourage modal shift as a behavioural norm, and therefore the link is appropriate.
However, requiring that DART+ Southwest be not only commenced but completed construction prior to any commencement of construction of housing would introduce an undue level of uncertainty and dependency on construction timelines that are outside the control of the Planning Authority and risk stalling sustainable growth.
The approach taken by the Planning Authority, to link development to the commencement of Dart+SW is considered to strike an appropriate and proportionate balance between ensuring alignment with strategic transport investment and allowing for orderly, plan-led development.
It is noted that the Dart+ SW is a strategic project with planning approval and will serve the future residents of the subject lands.
Critically, the SLO also mandates a comprehensive masterplan, integrated with the Adamstown SDZ Planning Scheme, alongside a detailed Transport and Traffic Assessment that must address cumulative impacts and demonstrate deliverable measures to secure access to high-capacity public transport, including the existing Bus Connects service, in accordance with national guidelines.
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 Adamstown SDZ West, 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.
Adamstown SDZ West is well located to deliver on the requirement to meet the new housing targets and provide for national policy on compact growth.
Public transport to serve Adamstown SDZ West will be facilitated both by accessible high-frequency bus services and by its proximity to the train station. Active travel infrastructure is also adjacent for those who choose to walk or cycle to their destination. The absence of the Dart+SW does not in itself preclude the delivery of a high standard of residential amenity and sustainable transport access for future residents of these lands.
It is considered strategically important that the Chief Executive’s recommended SLO in relation to Dart+SW is retained in its current form, as it strikes an appropriate and proportionate balance between ensuring alignment with strategic transport investment and allowing for orderly, plan-led development. In contrast, the proposed change put forward by the motion would, notwithstanding that construction on Dart+ SW may have been commenced, create undue uncertainty and prejudice the delivery of housing to meet the NPF targets.
CE Recommendation
To reject the motion and to adopt Amendment No. 2 Adamstown SDZ West with the following amendment to CS7 SLO4 to reflect the recommendations in the CE Report (changes in bold):
CS7 SLO4
Development on RES-N zoned lands to the west of Adamstown SDZ shall comply with the following:
- 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.
- 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, includingClonburrisSDZ, are not compromised. To be agreed with Uisce Éireann in advance of submission of a planning application.
- 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 east-west hedgerow in the northern part of the site as recorded on 1stEdition OS maps, unlessrequired for wider movement needs,
b. A Social Infrastructure Audit and provision within development proposals to address any needsidentified,
c. A Transport and Traffic Assessment detailing the impact of the proposed development and measures to alleviate its impact,
d. A Public Open Space Audit to inform proposals for public open space and recreational facilities, and
e. Provision for future infrastructure and access connections to lands to the south and west, including reservation for a future vehicular bridge over the railway line, unless determined otherwise in writing by the planning authority; and
f. Ensure adequate educational capacity for sitesadjacent toAdamstown are catered for in consultation with the Department of Education and Youth.