Variation (No. 36)
of the
Dublin City Development Plan
2005-2011
VARIATION (NO 36) OF THE DUBLIN CITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2005 – 2011
Lands at Davitt Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12
This varys the Dublin City Development Plan 2005 – 2011 by changing the zoning of the lands at Davitt Road (Blindcraft/Lyons Tea/Unilever/St John Bosco), Drimnagh, Dublin12.
From Zoning Objective Z1 - To protect, provide and improve residential amenities. (St. John Bosco Youth Centre site)
and Zoning Objective Z6 – To provide for the creation and protection of enterprise and facilitate opportunities for employment creation. (former Lyons Tea/Unilever premises)
To Zoning Objective Z10 - To consolidate and facilitate the development of inner suburban sites for mixed use development of which office, retail and residential would be the predominant uses.
SITE LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION
The irregularly shaped site is located in Drimnagh, Dublin 12 and consists of the former Blindcraft, Lyons Tea/Unilever premises, and the adjacent St. John Bosco Youth Centre site, located at Davitt Road opposite the Grand Canal which is to the north and to the east of the Naas Road and Tyrconnell Road junction. On site there are various industrial buildings mixed with scrub areas and a pitch and putt course.
The site is bounded on three sides by two storey terrace type residential development, comprised by, to the east, Galtymore Road, to the west by Kilworth Road and to the south by Carrow Road. There is a vehicular access off Davitt Road, which also leads to an area of open space in the western area of the site. To the north of the site across Davitt Road and the canal there is the industrial estate off Tyrconnell Road. The ‘Drimnagh’ Luas stop is adjacent to the site on Davitt Road.
In the City Development Plan the Grand Canal, adjacent to the site (due north) is designated as a Conservation Area. A busy road and Luas line are situated between the Davitt Road lands and the canal.
PURPOSE OF VARIATION
The immediate Drimnagh locality despite its vicinity to the city centre and location on the Luas line has long been an underperforming part of the city and has been slow to realise its potential. The Planning Authority is of the opinion that the site, because of its size, character and location has a critical role to play in the future sustainability of the locality and Luas Corridor regeneration area and is ideally place to benefit from the major development schemes proposed and ongoing within the central and south central area ie. Digital Hub, Liberties Plan, Heuston Quarter. A mixed used scheme, with a substantial residential element with retail and commercial uses as well would help to reinvigorate the area.
The Draft Drimnagh IAP (issued May 2008) was initiated to develop a sense of place and identity for Drimnagh through physical works and also by enhancing community, educational, health, cultural and economic facilities. This is derived from the 2005 Development Plan where development should strive to ‘create attractive environments with a genuine sense of place’. Drimnagh has suffered from not having, in public perception, defined boundaries, that are easily identifiable to inhabitants and visitors to the area. In physical terms the area has regular low scale form, with extensive tracts of open spaces, declining industrial estates and Brownfield sites. It is in such sites that the opportunity exists for mixed use development to create new neighbourhoods and encourage a variation in the style of architecture commonly found in the area.
With regard to the Davitt Road lands the Draft IAP emphasised the potential of a canal corridor/village running along the Grand Canal and parallel to Davitt Road that would help create a definitive sense of place that is currently absent in the broader Drimnagh area. It is proposed that the opportunity exists on such sites to provide a mixed neighbourhood style of development, with a residential, commercial and cultural blend of uses. Given the proximity of the canal the opportunity exists to provide for high quality buildings fronting onto it. It was also noted that the canal is presently underutilised as a resource and amenity and could benefit from being more integrated with the surrounding area and be a used as a positive selling point for the area. It is also considered that the proposed rezoning of lands, which are already rezoned for development, would not have any adverse impact on the Grand Canal Conservation Area.
The existing zonings on the two sites would not facilitate the type and range of development that would be best suited for the site in the current circumstances.
STATUTORY ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
Strategic Environmental Assessment - The Planning Authority determined, using the relevant criteria set out in Schedule 2A, that an SEA was not required for the proposed Draft Variation to the Dublin City Development Plan 2005 – 2011. This was notified to the prescribed bodies, who did not indicate that they had any objection to the Draft Variation, proceeding at that stage.
Appropriate Assessment Screening - Article 6(3) of the EU Habitats Directive, requires an Appropriate Assessment screening to be undertaken when a site for a proposed variation is in the vicinity of a Natura 2000 site. It is considered, following assessment that the variation would have no direct impact upon any Natura 2000 site.
Written Submission or Observation
Written submissions or observations with respect to the proposed Draft Variation made to the Planning Department within the said period were taken into consideration before the making of the variation.
Adopted by the City Council on 6th April 2009
Adopted by the City Council on 6th April 2009