Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 January 2010
852 Deputy Michael McGrath asked the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to review the residential density guidelines with a view to reduce density to provide for more family-friendly residential units in developments. [48367/09]
View answerFollowing an extensive statutory consultation process, I published new statutory Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (Cities, Towns and Villages) in December 2008 to replace and update the 1999 Residential Density Guidelines.
These Guidelines seek to improve the design of residential developments, from the broad neighbourhood to the site and the actual home, setting out, inter alia, that the type and variety of homes provided should allow for families of different sizes and needs, and also highlight the needs and safety issues for children as regards access to community facilities, road design, open space and play areas.
Densities are addressed within the 2008 Guidelines in the context of the location of the proposed development i.e. city and town centres, inner suburban, outer suburban, brown-field sites, institutional lands, access to public transport corridors, small towns and villages.
The Guidelines and the accompanying Urban Design Manual, which provides practical guidance and examples of best practice planning, are available on my Department's website at www.environ.ie.
