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Tallaght
TALLAGHT - Our County Town
Introduction & Context
This neighbourhood includes the County Town and the administrative capital of South Dublin County. It is also designated as a Level 2 Retail Centre in the Retail Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2008-2016.
Situated 12 kilometres from Dublin City, Tallaght has a direct Luas connection and bus links to Dublin City and Fortunestown and is located on the N7 economic corridor, which is a key national transport corridor.
The neighbourhood is a significant settlement in regional terms and includes major shopping facilities, civic offices and associated commercial, financial, cultural and community facilities. It is also home to TU Dublin-Tallaght Campus, Tallaght University Hospital and significant employment areas. Outside the town centre are well established residential areas with a strong sense of community.
A Local Area Plan (LAP) for Tallaght was adopted in June 2020.
Built Environment & Placemaking
Key to providing great places in which to live will be striking a balance between the delivery of a compact pattern of growth which will involve increased density and greater levels of infilldevelopment with the need for high-quality design and a strong emphasis on place making.
The successful delivery of such measures within this neighbourhood will require a mix of uses, connections to sustainable transport and infrastructure, a joined-up approach to community planning and a strategic vision which includes a greater emphasis on place making. The Tallaght LAP 2020 deals with many of these issues in detail.
Climate Action & Energy
The integration of population growth with public transport is a significant measure in facilitating a reduction in carbon emissions. Sustainable travel, sustainable building methods, flood risk adaptation and renewable energy sources are all important in mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Green Infrastructure is part of the toolkit which can be used within this neighbourhood, and beyond,, to alleviate some of the negative impacts of climate change.
District Heating Systems can make use of low-carbon waste-heat. The development of a district heating scheme in Tallaght town centre, HeatNet, gives potential for energy savings for businesses and buildings in the area and for Tallaght to become a model for community energy and a decarbonised neighbourhood.
Population Growth & Housing
*number of people who are present in an area during normal business hours, including workers
Planned Development in Tallaght Neighbourhood
- Delivery of a new innovation Hub for Tallaght Town Centre, new Landmark Building for Innovative Technology Start-ups.
- Re-use of underutilised Industrial Lands.
- Delivery of a mix of new employment spaces.
Sustainable Movement
The existing street network has largely developed around the use of the car. The route structure hierarchy includes arterial (N81); primary (Belgard Road); secondary (Airton Road); tertiary or local (e.g. Belgard Square East) and pedestrian zones (e.g. ZIP or green walking routes).
Tallaght is well served by public transport. Bus services terminating at The Square connect Tallaght with many areas including Dublin City Centre, Dun Laoghaire, Chapelizod, Blancherstown, City West, Kiltipper and Blessington. The Luas Red Line connecting Tallaght and Fortunestown with Connolly Station/Docklands terminates at The Square (including Belgard, Cookstown, Hospital and Tallaght stops).
Community Services
This Neighbourhood is strengthened by its people and the communities they create therefore it is important that South Dublin County Council continues to work towards improving the quality oflife of communities and residents, to encompass social inclusion, integration and multiculturalism in all of its current and future plans.
A Community Infrastructure Audit (CIA) will be carried out for this Neighbourhood as part of the Development Plan process. The function of the CIA is to examine and analyse the availability and capacity of existing Community Infrastructure facilities in Tallaght, to determine future requirements and make recommendations based on anticipated settlement growth.
Education Facilities
Education facilities have an important role to play in developing sustainable and balanced communities in Tallaght. Working closely with the Council, the Department of Education and Skills (DES) is responsible for the delivery of educational facilities and services.
The Council recognises the importance of making provision for educational facilities in Tallaght and the role of higher education in providing for economic and social wellbeing. Council lands have been made available for a new school in Tallaght Town centre alongside a new innovation hub.
Economic Development
The Town Centre plays host to major institutions including Tallaght University Hospital, TU Dublin, South Dublin county Council civic offices and the head office of the Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Education and Training Board. This area also incorporates the business parks at Whitestown and the regeneration areas of Cookstown and Broomhill Industrial Estates.
Tallaght is identified as an important economic cluster for the County and for the overall Dublin region. It can facilitate major commercial and retail developments, particularly in areas zoned Town Centre and Regeneration.
Regeneration may cause displacement of some business. It is important that a strategic and balanced approach is taken to ensure that infrastructural investment provides for retention of employment alongside new mixed uses in Cookstown and Broomhill. the Development Plan will have to consider how to retain employment providers in the county.
Retail
Tallaght is a Major Town Centre and is identified as a Level 2 centre in the South Dublin County Retail Hierarchy.
The provision of a broad range of retail services contributes towards the creation of a vibrant living place. There are retail opportunity sites and vacant units in the core retail areas of this Neighbourhood. The projected population growth and increased consumer expenditure will support the long-term viability of these retail areas and assist in reducing vacancy and providing opportunities for extension and renovation.
Tourism
Tourism is a significant economic driver. It supports job creation across a diverse range of sectors and skill levels. The South Dublin Tourism Strategy 2015 identifies actions to develop and present these assets to the market.
The proximity of the Dublin Mountains, the historic value of the old village in Tallaght present significant opportunities for the future tourism potential of the area.
Development of Tallaght Stadium and Tallaght Arts Cluster are ongoing tourism initiatives led by South Dublin County Council.
Natural Heritage & Biodiversity
This Neighbourhood is designated as having an 'Urban ' Landscape Character
Policy for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity will be developed and implemented through a Green Infrastructure (GI) Strategy which will be prepared as part of the Plan process. Networks ofnatural and semi-natural green spaces, linking parks, gardens, rivers, woodlands, trees and hedgerows, will be identified increasing opportunity for biodiversity and contributing to our quality of life.
Built Heritage
The built heritage of an area makes it unique, giving it character and defining its “sense of place”. Tallaght Village is designated as an Architectural Conservation Area (ACA).
The boundary of Tallaght ACA extends from St. Maelruan’s church and graveyard on the Blessington Road to the old Greenhills Road, and includes the Priory and the properties along the southern side of Main Street between the junctions of the Blessington Road and Greenhills Road. The village provides a link to the past with the new Tallaght Town Centre District and provides architectural character and richness to the area as a whole.
Infrastructure & Utilities
To facilitate targeted population and economic growth in the town centre and regeneration areas the availability of high-quality infrastructure is essential. The provision of water, wastewater, waste management, energy and telecommunication infrastructure are fundamental to ensure the continued sustainable development of this area.
Tallaght Local Area Plan identifies key pieces of physical and social infrastructure required in order to facilitate development, alongside associated services and facilities essential for the health, well-being and social development of the neighbourhood.
Airton Road extension will connect into identified regeneration lands at Cookstown Industrial Estate to Tallaght University Hospital. Also, currently under construction, a road linking Belgard Square North to Cookstown, will provide access to the planned Innovation Hub and public plaza to the south of Cookstown.
Tallaght District Heating Scheme will be the first not-for-profit energy utility in Ireland and will have the capabilities of supplying customers with low-carbon, renewable heat resulting in significant reductions in CO2 emissions.