Forward Planning Infrastructure: Sandyford Urban Framework Plan

dlr launched a non-statutory “Have Your Say” public consultation in June 2025 advising that it was embarking on a review of the Sandyford Urban Framework Plan (SUFP) Area. The “Have Your Say” non-statutory public consultation ran from 23 June to 25 August 2025.

Click here to read the booklet that accompanied the consultation process.

Submissions were invited from residents, businesses, landowners, community groups, other stakeholders, and indeed from the general public.

Three public information sessions, as well as several meetings with various stakeholders involved in the area, were facilitated by dlr during that consultation period.

Submissions were invited through online questionnaires and standard written submissions;

• Online submission questionnaires captured structured feedback from individuals and community members.
• Email/written submissions, often more detailed, typically submitted by landowners, local businesses, and professional stakeholders.

Over 190 submissions were received, reflecting a wide range of views and priorities and demonstrating broad support for the overall aims of the Review.  The following represents the general perspectives that emerged from the submissions received:

Residential

• Strong support for increased residential development on under-utilised and brownfield sites, with a focus on delivering a diverse mix of housing types and tenures, including affordable, cost-rental, and key worker housing.
• Emphasis on integrating housing with employment, services, and amenities to support sustainable, mixed-use 10-Minute Neighbourhoods.
• A number of submissions requested changes to land-use zoning to facilitate additional residential and / or greater intensification of the built environment through taller buildings,  higher densities and increased plot ratios.

Employment

• Strong recognition of Sandyford's role as a strategic employment hub, with support for growth in high-value sectors such as technology, medical, and creative industries.
• Support for innovation hubs, flexible workspaces, and complementary amenities such as cafés, leisure facilities, and event spaces to enhance attractiveness and competitiveness.

Retail and Services

• Broad support for expanding retail, food and beverage, and service offerings to meet the needs of residents and workers.
• Emphasis on ensuring retail and service provision is appropriately scaled and delivered in tandem with residential growth.
• Requests for small-scale local neighbourhood shopping facilities to serve residential areas and enhance local character.
• Support was expressed for a vibrant nighttime economy, including restaurants, cafés, bars, and cultural venues that would help activate the area during the evenings and weekends.

Community Facilities and Social Infrastructure

• Strong demand for additional schools, healthcare facilities, cultural venues, recreational amenities, and other community infrastructure.
• Support for co-located, multi-purpose facilities and the timely delivery of social infrastructure to serve growing communities.

Connectivity and Permeability

• Strong support for improved walking, cycling, and public transport connections, including new linkages and mobility hubs to overcome existing movement barriers.
• Concerns regarding surface car parking and car dominance, with support for smarter parking management and more efficient land use.

Public Realm and Placemaking

• Calls for more attractive, high-quality public spaces, including parks, plazas, and civic gathering places.
• Support for placemaking initiatives that enhance local identity, animate streets, and create inclusive, people-focused environments.

Climate Action and Sustainability

• Strong support for ambitious climate action measures across all aspects of development and planning.
• Emphasis on green infrastructure, biodiversity enhancement, energy-efficient buildings, and climate-resilient design.

A number of submissions, together with feedback received through stakeholder engagement, highlighted the potential benefits of extending the Review Area beyond the original SUFP Area. This would facilitate improved connectivity and permeability throughout the area and potentially provide supporting facilities and social infrastructure for the existing and emerging communities, as well as more homes.

The strongest policy message across the submissions is that Sandyford should accommodate substantial compact growth, but only through an integrated plan-led approach with appropriate enabling infrastructure.

dlr reviewed all the submissions received and also engaged further with various representative stakeholder groups in the SUFP Area. The Review Area has now been extended to include lands outside of the existing SUFP Area. The extended area comprises strategic lands in public ownership with the potential to further support economic development, tourism and recreational uses, delivery of homes, enhanced connectivity and permeability, and enabling infrastructure.

Click here to view a map showing the full extent of the extended Review Area, with the boundary outlined in Red.

Next Steps:

The Review allows for an evidence-based and plan-led approach that will ensure efficient use of finite urban lands with an appropriate balance and mix of the various land uses. It will allow for the co-ordination of necessary supporting infrastructure, both physical (transportation, water supply etc.) and social infrastructure (schools, parks, community facilities etc.).

The dlr Team are now proceeding on an evidence-based approach with analysis of Transport and Infrastructure, Retail, Community Facilities and Social Infrastructure, Employment trends, Economic Viability, and Urban Design and Planning to inform the preparation of the plan. This draft plan will then undergo a statutory plan-making process including public consultation and approval by the Elected Members. Thus, there will be an opportunity for all interested stakeholders, including members of the public, to input into the process and make further submissions at the draft plan stage.

There will be an opportunity to provide further input into the plan-making process during the statutory process when the draft plan is on public display. dlr will also provide regular updates to the Elected Members, which will be publicly available to all on the dlr website as part of the Council Meeting documentation.