COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SPECIAL MEETING OF COUNTY COUNCIL
Friday, June 19, 2026
MOTION NO.
MOTION: Councillor M. Johansson
Motion: To add the following SLO to Amendment No. 16 Liffey Valley MRC (p537):
Any residential development must include community facilities, arts facilities, public recreational facilities, primary care provision and public green spaces.
Reason: In the interest of sustainable planning and to ensure that residents have access to public facilities rather than exclusively private facilities in the immediate area. Also, it should be acknowledged that the Liffey Valley LAP 2008 included civic amenities in this location which were never developed.
CE Response:
The lands are currently zoned as Major Retail Centre (MRC) ‘to protect, improve and provide for the future development of a Major Retail Centre’. The proposed Variation will provide for residential development within the current MRC zoning on the lands.
The motion seeks to add the following SLO to Amendment No.16 of the Variation:
Any residential development must include community facilities, arts facilities, public recreational facilities, primary care provision and public green spaces.
The motion identifies that the suggested SLO would be in the interest of sustainable planning and would ensure that residents have access to public facilities rather than all private facilities. It is noted in the motion that the Liffey Valley LAP 2008 included civic amenities which were never developed. The LAP was prior to the change in the land use context in the 2016 CDP from a Town Centre zoning to its current Major Retail Centre function/ zoning.
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.
Given the approach taken to the Variation, it is considered that South Dublin has clearly identified sufficient and suitable zoned land 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.
Social and Community Infrastructure
The need for social and community infrastructure to support new and existing residential development is recognised in delivering sustainable communities throughout the county. The CE Report included the CE Recommendation to include a new CS7 SLO10 to ensure that there is sufficient educational capacity within the wider area to serve new and existing communities.
It is noted that there is currently a wide mix of community and social infrastructure within the Liffey Valley area. In this regard, the following community centres are located within close proximity of the subject lands; Rowlagh Community Centre, Quarryvale Community Centre and Palmerstown Community and Youth Centre. North Clondalkin Library is also situated within close proximity to the lands.
Collinstown Park is within close proximity of the lands which incorporates play areas and dog runs as well as supporting active recreation use when considering the playing pitches. Collinstown Park Sports Complex and Collinstown Community College offers various sports facilities and activities. Waterstown Park is situated further west of the lands providing access to recreational space. Quarryvale Park also provides additional green space to residents in the area. Cherry Orchard Football Club has an astro pitch within close proximity off the R833.
However, the facilitation of residential development within the MRC zoning at Liffey Valley has the potential to increase the population in this area. On that basis, and having regard to the motion, it is considered that the opportunity for a multi-purpose community centre should be included as a new point in the SLO – CS7 SLO10. Such a SLO requires flexibility to enable an evidence based review of community centre provision in the area in the context of the existing County Development Plan policy.
Open Space and Health Care
The current County Development Plan contains clear policy and objectives on both the quantum and quality of public open space required by new development, with an overall standard of 2.4ha per 1000 population. As such, it is not considered necessary to include an additional site-specific objective as part of the Variation. The County Development Plan also includes objectives on the facilitation of Primary Care. However, as the delivery of Primary Care Centres is the responsibility of the HSE, it is not considered appropriate to include it as a requirement for development, noting that the CDP policy is to support and facilitate its delivery:
Policy COS6: Healthcare Facilities Support the Health Service Executive (HSE) in their aim to provide access to a range of quality health services, in line with Sláintecare and relative to the scale of each settlement and community, and facilitate other statutory and voluntary agencies, and the private sector in the provision of healthcare facilities and services, including the system of hospital care and the provision of community based primary care facilities appropriate to the size and scale of each settlement.
Conclusion
The Council will adapt the Capital programme to meet the demands for community infrastructure in the area based on population growth from the Proposed Variation.
It is considered that a new point to the CS7 SLO10 should be included to ensure that the new population will have the appropriate level of community infrastructure provision as part of development. However, the requirement to include within the SLO provisions for open space is not considered necessary as there are adequate objectives within the County Development Plan including clear standards for public open space in terms of both quantity and quality, applicable to all planning applications. Health facilities are supported in the County Development Plan but are not within the remit of SDCC to deliver. With the emergence of residential uses, the area will be a further opportunity site for the HSE to consider to meet primary health care demand in the catchment.
As set out in Section 2 of this CE Report, the OPR has made one recommendation which is that the Planning Authority continue to progress the zoning of additional residential zoned lands, identified as amendments 1 to no. 16 of the proposed Variation.
CE Recommendation:
To include a new point to the recommended Specific Local Objective (SLO) to CS7 SLO10, to Amendment No.16 – Liffey Valley MRC (shown in bold):
CS7 SLO10:
x. Residential development on these lands shall include the provision of a multi-purpose community centre unless otherwise agreed by the Planning Authority.