Plans to rezone industrial lands to provide up to 3,500 homes in Dublin city have been put back to a special meeting after Councillors raised objections.
The council wants to rezone a total of 55 hectares for housing on 19 different warehousing sites.
A proposal to develop on a site in East Wall was withdrawn after the Office of the Planning Regulator pointed out the land could be needed for a future eastern bypass.
The remaining sites are in Finglas, Santry, Artane, Harmonstown, Ballyfermot, Inchicore, Fairview, Kilmainham, the Liberties, Drimnagh, Dolphin's Barn, Crumlin and Harold's Cross as well as lands near Connolly and Heuston train stations.
Plans to rezone two separate sites near the Omni Shopping Centre in Santry provoked a total of 367 submissions with residents concerned about traffic congestion, loss of local employment opportunities as well as issues such as overlooking.
The Department of Education also said the school capacity in the area would have to be assessed if the 15 hectares was developed for additional housing.
A number of councillors from different parties also complained that once rezoned there was no further control over the quality of development as planning applications go straight to An Bord Pleanála as strategic housing developments.
Independents4Change Councillor Pat Dunne said councillors were being "sold a pig in a poke" while Fianna Fáil Councillor Deirdre Heney said she was "scared" to pass the rezoning after what happened at the Chivers site in Coolock when a plan was agreed with local residents and representatives only for the height and density to be increased later.
Labour Councillor Alison Gilliland said it was unacceptable that applications under strategic housing could be recommended for refusal by an inspector from An Bord Pleanála but then be over ruled by the board.
A special meeting to vote on each of the 19 rezonings will take place next Tuesday after Assistant Chief Executive Richard Shakespeare warned that March 14th is a legal deadline for decisions.
Councillors also passed a motion calling on the city council to make a High Court challenge against An Bord Pleanála's decision to grant permission for 650 apartments on playing pitches beside St Anne's Park, Raheny.
