Agenda and minutes

Dr. Robbie Sinnott wanted some amendments made before agreeing.

Motion in the name of Cllr. Janet Horner

Cllr. McAdam apologised as he had not informed Cllr. Horner that her motions were not on the agenda for this meeting.

Agreed: That detailed report from Planning Enforcement will be done and circulated prior to next SPC meeting. Specifically with regard to Banners. Then any matters arising can be brought up and expedited as soon as possible.

Motion in the Name of Councillor Mannix Flynn, referred from the South East Area Committee.

Agreed: This needs to be referred to the Protocol Committee.

Childcare Subgroup Update

Carol Dillon is now the Supply Management Co-Ordinator which is one of the new positions advertised in the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth’s. Aoife Boland has taken over from Carol as the Manager of Dublin City Childcare Committee. Response from Minister O’Gorman in respect of plans to review the Childcare Facilities Guidelines 2001.  The Department have started the review process and hope to have draft updated guidelines which will be available for consultation in 2024.

Agreed: Another update will be given at the November SPC meeting. And hope to have this on the agenda for the future SPC meetings.

On the 3^rd October Government announced approval by Cabinet of the new Planning and Development Bill 2023.

Agreed: Working group to be set up consisting of Cllr Dermot Lacey as Chair, Cllr. Sophie Nicoullaud, Cllr Ray McAdam and Mr. Odran Reid. 

The working group will examine the Bill and report back to the November SPC with a submission prepared and ready to go to the Oireachtas Committee.

(Report and PowerPoint presentation circulated prior to meeting)

Catherine Heaney of Lorne Consultancy and Donncha Ó’Dúlaing, Senior Executive Officer, CRES gave presentation.

All the Members felt that this is a fantastic project with a lot of public engagement.

Main Points of the discussion that followed:

·         There should be consultation at the concept and design stage process with D.P.R.O’s, Donncha happy to talk to various groups and Pat Nestor.

·         Kilmainham Mill will have a lift to upper floor for more accessibility.

·         Consider child care facility, Donncha happy to talk to Dublin City Childcare Group.

·         Conservation Management Plan should be ready towards end of year.

·         Is it possible to make the building more sustainable, with solar panels/wind turbines

·         Modern approach to continuity of the site with baking, weaving and textile design.

·         Very important to get people used to being in the Mill and using it with community in mind.

Action: Donncha issued invitation to visit the Mill on Thursday 12^th October @ 3.30

(Report circulated prior to meeting with actions and progress)

Deirdre Scully, Dublin City Planning Officer gave a summary of the report.

The 2022 – 2028 Dublin City Development Plan came into effect on 14^th December 2022 before the publication of the updated guidelines. 

It is now proposed to vary the Development Plan to reflect national policy.  It is proposed to:

·         Make a technical update to the development plan in relation to ‘Build-To-Rent’ (BTR) accommodation on foot of the publication of Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments – Guidelines for Planning Authorities, DHLGH, 2022,

·         Insert a new Appendix 19 into Volume 2: Appendices of the Dublin City Development Plan 2022 – 2028 containing transitional arrangements for Build-To-Rent accommodation proposals in the planning system on or before 21st December 2022. 

It is anticipated that a variation proposal / report will go to full Council in November 2023.

Discussion followed and Deirdre answered questions raised by the Members.

Action Following meeting 2 reports circulated to Members.

Inactivated Planning Permissions

Unactuated Housing Permission Data

(Report circulated prior to meeting with actions and progress)

Deirdre Scully, Dublin City Planning Officer gave a brief summary of the report.

The Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT)was introduced in the Finance Act 2021. The objective of the tax is to activate land that is serviced and zoned for residential use or mixed use, including residential use, in order to increase housing supply and to ensure regeneration of vacant and idle lands in urban locations.

The tax is an annual tax calculated at a rate of 3% of the market value of land. The process to identify land to which the tax applies has been underway since 2022. Local Authorities identify land in scope for the tax through the publication of draft, supplemental and final maps.  Revenue will administer the tax measure.

Main Points of the discussion that followed:

·         This will replace the Vacant Site Levy and will be 3%.

·         Revenue will keep all money raised by the levy.

·         If there are sites that the Members feel should be reviewed send details to Máire /Deirdre and they will organised for them to be surveyed.

·         Maps need to CRPD compliant and accessible for screen readers. As these maps are created by Central Government we can speak to Pat Nestor and push for more accessibility and what tools can be used.

·         Deirdre to look into a way that it can be quantified what derelict sites are now works where development is taking place.

Agreed: Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage have established a Derelict Sites Act Working Group to look at the functioning of the Derelict Sites Act in combatting dereliction. Nial Dully will report back to February meeting regarding top 3 recommendations of the Working Group.

Motion in the Name of Councillor Mannix Flynn

That this meeting of Dublin City Council calls on the Planning Department and CEO to include all planning applications for street furniture licenses on the Planning List; this gives transparency and the opportunity for the public residents and other concerned citizens to make observations in relation to such planning.  There is no reason whatsoever that this planning process should not be included on the Planning List that I send out to customers on a weekly basis and they’re published on Dublin City Council’s planning website.

Motion in the Name of Councillor Alison Gilliland

The Planning and Urban Form SPC recognises that increasing the residential capacity of Dublin City Centre will positively enhance the dynamic in and attractiveness of the City Centre from the perspective of retail and hospitality footfall/spend and passive street security. In particular, the Planning and Urban Form SPC recognises that such an increase in residential capacity could come from  converting currently vacant building and over the shop vacant spaces and that such conversions not only provides homes and a renewed city dynamic but also a more attractive city and a climate dividend from re-using current buildings. However the Planning and Urban Form SPC also recognises the challenges associated with such conversion including, but not limited to, cost/financing, current planning and fire safety related regulations. 

Therefore, Planning and Urban Form SPC agrees to commission an expert to work with Dublin City Council and key stakeholders to i) analyse the key inhibitors to converting, in the main, over the shop vacant spaces in the core O'Connell St and Grafton St areas into residential use and to ii) propose solutions to these inhibitors, including changes in regulations/legislations and changes to the living city tax initiative that could allow for a special planning scheme for these areas and for a new model of financing conversion/reconfiguration to residential use.  

This work would be presented to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning and their support sought to implement any proposed changes the work would recommend. 

Motion in the name of Cllr Alison Gilliland

The Planning and Urban Form SPC recognises that increasing the residential capacity of Dublin City Centre will positively enhance the dynamic in and attractiveness of the City Centre from the perspective of retail and hospitality footfall/spend and passive street security. In particular, the Planning and Urban Form SPC recognises that such an increase in residential capacity could come from  converting currently vacant building and over the shop vacant spaces and that such conversions not only provides homes and a renewed city dynamic but also a more attractive city and a climate dividend from re-using current buildings. However the Planning and Urban Form SPC also recognises the challenges associated with such conversion including, but not limited to, cost/financing, current planning and fire safety related regulations. 

Therefore, Planning and Urban Form SPC agrees to commission an expert to work with Dublin City Council and key stakeholders to i) analyse the key inhibitors to converting, in the main, over the shop vacant spaces in the core O'Connell St and Grafton St areas into residential use and to ii) propose solutions to these inhibitors, including changes in regulations/legislations and changes to the living city tax initiative that could allow for a special planning scheme for these areas and for a new model of financing conversion/reconfiguration to residential use.  

This work would be presented to the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning and their support sought to implement any proposed changes the work would recommend. 

Agreed: Management Team will go and look at the various recommendation and have an update for the November SPC on how to progress.

None

Thursday 5th October 2023

Wednesday 22^nd November @ 2pm

Wednesday 22^nd November @ 2pm