A Special Planning Control Scheme (SPCS) is a statutory tool. It lets Dublin City Council set development objectives to preserve or enhance an architectural conservation area. The council has to publish a public notice, invite public submissions, and then approve or refuse the scheme by resolution. The Grafton Street scheme covers the Grafton Street & Environs Architectural Conservation Area, designated on 3 July 2006. Earlier schemes were made in 2007, 2013 and 2019. The 2019 scheme's stated vision was to reinvigorate Grafton Street as the South City's most dynamic retail experience. It also required planning permission for certain changes of use that would normally be exempt.
The 2026–2036 proposal was prepared under Section 85 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended. The council's own timeline shows the process:
- Observations were invited from 29 June to 25 August 2026.
- The scheme was presented to the South East Area Committee in May.
- Full Council consideration came on 2 November 2026.
- Members may approve the scheme with or without modifications, or refuse it.
The scheme depends partly on the new national planning law. It is tied to Part 10 of the 2024 Act commencing before the resolution to approve or modify the scheme. The commencement has since slipped. Several Parts were due to commence on 13 October 2026, but the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has confirmed the date has been deferred.
The scheme matters because Grafton Street is one of Dublin's main retail streets. Its land-use controls affect shops, upper-floor housing, and the mix of uses on the street. Changes of use there have also been contested. One example is the permission granted for apartments on the upper floors of 4 and 5 Grafton Street, which busking supporters opposed.
