What Areas in South Dublin Are Proposed for Residential Rezoning in 2026?
At the meeting on 4 February, 2026, the Chief Executive of SDCC and Planning Department, presented the list of areas around the county to Councillors present. Councillors did not choose these locations for potential rezoning, but we will get a final vote on whether they are rezoned for residential use, in May 2026. Of the 15 areas presented for potential rezoning, 6 were in Lucan. Areas in Lucan are in BOLD: see below.
- Liffey Valley – currently zoned retail.
- Southern part of St. Edmundsbury – currently zoned High Amenity and adjacent to the lands that are under the SAAO of the Liffey Valley.
- Edmonstown Road – currently zoned rural.
- Kiltipper Road – currently zoned rural.
- Citywest – currently zoned Open Space. It comprises the lands in the complex that were not bought by Dept of Justice, currently a golf course.
- Ballynakelly, Newcastle – currently zoned rural. To include a public park and school site, as well as residential.
- Finnstown Castle, Lucan – currently zoned Open Space. Can only commence if Dart+ South West has commenced.
- Adamstown West, Lucan – currently zoned rural. Can only commence if Dart+ South West has commenced.
- Tubber Lane North, Lucan – currently zoned rural. To include tie into existing requirement for Tobermaclugg Park, under phase 9 of Adamstown SDZ.
- Stonewall, Lucan. A site West of Tobermaclugg currently used for emergency modular accomodation.
- Knockmeenagh – currently zoned Enterprise.
- Coldcut Road – currently zoned Open Space.
- Cherryfield Way – currently zoned High Amenity in Dodder Valley.
- Foxhunter, Lucan – currently zoned Retail/Warehousing.
- 9th Lock Road, Clondalkin; this is on the edge of Clonburris – currently zoned Open Space.
Where Can I Find Out More About This?
SDCC’s Public Consultation Portal https://consult.sdublincoco.ie/en/consultation/proposed-variation-no-2-south-dublin-county-development-plan-2022-2028 now has full plans for you to view.
You can read each rezoning proposal, with reasons why and maps using the link above. Look at the right side of the screen for the “Materials” section which lists all the documents and maps. Register for an account, as it will make it much easier for you to lodge submissions.
SDCC will be holding two drop-in open days to present the plans to the public and answer questions on the process. These dates are:
- 25 February, 2026 in County Hall, Tallaght
- 4 March, 2026 in Lucan Library, 2-8pm
What Happens Next?
On 4 February 2026, all SDCC Councillors received a briefing by SDCC Chief Executive and Senior Management to show the layout of proposed changes to the County Development Plan (areas for proposed rezoning for residential use), what legal steps have to be followed, and a short summary of what changes are being suggested — including details of exactly which pieces of land around the County might be rezoned, in order to meet the Government’s targets.
Currently, the proposal is live on SDCC’s Public Consultation Portal for six weeks of public consultation, where members of the public can send in their views. This is where YOU need to get involved! You need to lodge your submission on this proposed rezoning. You can object / support one area, or any amount of proposed areas. You can send in as detailed or as short a submission as you want, but you need to add your voice now so that SDCC can take your views into account!
When the consultation period is over, the proposal comes back to the Council. At that point, Councillors will discuss it and decide whether to accept it, amend it, or reject it. I will not be voting for rezoning in areas without sufficient infrastructure or services to support a reasonable quality of life, or in ecologically sensitive areas such as Edmundsbury.
What Can I Do About This Potential Rezoning?
You can object or support the plans on SDCC’s public Consultation Portal here – the proposal is open for submissions until 13 March 2026. Each rezoning proposal is explained in detail and you can decide if you wish to agree or disagree with it; you should make a submission to ensure your voice is heard!
You can read some of the existing submissions here if you want to get a sense of what others are writing. Your submission does not have to be a detailed report! Observations as short as an email are just as valuable as long submissions. You can send in observations as an individual, or as a group. If you register for an account, it will make it much easier to get alerts about consultations and easier for you to lodge submissions.
Myself and Paul Gogarty, TD, are happy to discuss the rezoning plans with you or with groups and resident’s associations; please contact us about this.
SDCC will also be holding two open days to present the plans to the public and answer questions on the process. These dates are:
- 25 February, 2026 in County Hall, Tallaght
- 4 March, 2026 in Lucan Library, 2-8pm – put this date in your diary!
I Want To Protest Against This Right NOW!!
I understand your stance, but right now, the most important thing to save land from being rezoned residential is to lodge your submission now (remember, it can be a basic paragraph or two, or a longer piece of writing, but just send it in!) using the SDCC Consultation Portal. Begin by registering as a new user.
If you don’t send in your submission, your silence may result in rezoning that will be impossible to ever roll back on!
What Are the Crucial Dates Around These Rezoning Proposals?
- 4 March, 2026 in Lucan Library, 2-8pm – put this date in your diary!
- 13 March, 2026 Public Consultation Deadline
- May, 2026 proposals go before SDCC Councillors for a vote
Suggested Submission: Template For Your Use
It’s important you make your voice heard in this process. If you feel as I do, that the proposals for Lucan rezoning are either inappropriate locations (St. Edmundsbury / Finnstown) or excessive (Adamstown South & West extensions), then the template below might be a good starting point for you to customise:
When you have written / customised your submission, you follow the following steps. Written submissions or observations may be made between Friday 13th February 2026 to Friday 13th March 2026 (inclusive) in one of the following ways:
- Through the online consultation portal at Create Your Submission | South Dublin County Council’s Online Consultation Portal OR
- By post to: Variation No. 2, Senior Executive Officer, Forward Planning Section, Planning and Transport, South Dublin County Council, County Hall, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 A3XC
All valid written submissions or observations with respect to the Proposed Variation No. 2 and accompanying documents, made within the above stated period, shall be taken into consideration by the Council before the making of the Variation.
In respect of making a submission or observation please note the following:
Email submissions and late submissions will not be accepted.
Children, or groups or associations representing the interests of children, are entitled to make submissions or observations.
All submissions or observations should include your name and a contact address and, where relevant, details of any organisation, community group or company etc., which you represent.
Submissions and observations should be made in one medium only i.e. hard copy by post or via the consultation portal.
Need Help With Making a Submission On Rezoning Proposals?
Don’t know where to start with making a submission? Email me at hfarrell@cllrs.sdublincoco.ie or DM me on WhatsApp 087-2794936. I can help you with the submission, give you more info, give you some suggested wordings, or meet you in person at one of my drop-in cafe clinics in the Lucan area (weekend and evening times available). Alternatively you can read some of the existing submissions here to get some inspiration.
What was the NPF meeting on 4 Feb 2026 about and how might it affect rezoning in Lucan?
View my 3 February 2026: video update on potential rezoning in our County (3.25 mins)
A Stark Look at Housing Delivery Across Dublin’s SDZs
When you examine the figures, it becomes evident that South Dublin County Council carrying a disproportionately large share of new housing delivery compared with other Dublin Local Authorities, largely due to the scale of development within the Adamstown and Clonburris Strategic Development Zones (SDZ’s). As of February 2026, there are still approximately 12,000 homes left to be delivered before these SDZs are fully built.
This figure does not include the additional rezoning proposals now being considered. If approved, these could increase the total number of housing units across Adamstown and Clonburris to roughly 20,500 units. In Adamstown alone, this may add a further 4,000 residents on top of the already‑planned population of 25,000, but without additional infrastructure.
(Image: Bar chart showing data from the SDCC Housing Supply Monitor & other sources, for total planned housing units in SDZ’s within each Local Authority in the Dublin Region.)
Here are the facts:
🟦 South Dublin County – ADAMSTOWN SDZ
- Target: 9,395 homes
- Delivered to Date: c. 5,100
- Remaining (to hit target): c. 4,214
🟦 South Dublin County – CLONBURRIS SDZ
- Target: 9,416 homes
- Delivered to Date: c. 800
- Remaining (to hit target): c. 8,624
📌 Note: SDZ Planning Schemes provide a range for homes — these targets represent the mid‑point.
📌 Delivered to Date Source: SDCC Housing Supply Monitor.
🔍 How This Compares to Other Dublin Local Authorities
While SDCC’s two SDZs together total 18,811 planned homes, here is the scale of SDZs in neighbouring local authorities:
🟩 Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown – Cherrywood
- c. 10,500 homes
(maximum permissible within the SDZ)
🟥 Dublin City – North Lotts & Grand Canal Dock
- c. 2,600 homes
(target within the SDZ)
🟥 Dublin City – Poolbeg West
- c. 3,800 homes
(maximum permissible)
🟧 Fingal – Hansfield (Blanchardstown)
- c. 3,000 homes
(target within the SDZ)
⚖️ The Reality
When you put these side by side, the picture is very clear:
➡️ SDCC’s SDZs alone account for far more housing than any other council area in Dublin.
➡️ Clonburris and Adamstown together exceed the combined totals of multiple SDZs elsewhere.
SDCC Visuals of Lucan Areas for Proposed Rezoning
See the SDCC Book of Maps (PDF) for the proposals below, or alternatively, you can view “Materials” on the right side of this screen for all the official SDCC documents related to the rezoning proposals.
Cllr Helen Farrell 