Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 June 2016
237. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the national policy with regard to one-off local housing and development in the high amenity area; if there are any inconsistencies between local authorities; his plans to amend guidelines with a view to ensuring support for rural development in the interest of long-term sustainability of communities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16790/16]
View answerMy Department published Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing in April 2005 as a broad national level policy framework for local planning authorities in drawing up their statutory development plans and addressing the issue of housing in rural areas, including high amenity areas, taking into account the particular circumstances of the relevant local authority. The Guidelines require planning authorities to frame their local planning policies in a balanced and measured way that ensures that the housing requirements arising from rural communities are met on the one hand , while avoiding excessive urban generated housing and ribbon development on the other hand. The Guidelines also aim at ensuring that sites developed for rural housing purposes are suitable with regard to access, wastewater disposal, landscape and design perspectives.
The Guidelines further elaborate on the physical development policies for rural areas as set out in the National Spatial Strategy (2002) which, inter alia, promotes sustainable rural settlement as a key component of delivering more balanced regional development.
It is therefore a matter for individual planning authorities to prepare their development plans and the policies contained within such plans , taking account of local and varying geographical and landscape circumstances as well as the approaches set out under the Guidelines. Furthermore, it is a matter for individual planning authorities as well as An Bord Pleanála to implement the Guidelines and local planning policies within the assessment of individual planning applications and appeals under the development management process.
Given the need for local authorities to respond to local circumstance s in the implementation of the Guidelines, I consider that the Guidelines strike a reasonable balance between setting out overall national policies and the application of those policies locally. Therefore, I have no plans to amend these Guidelines at present but will continue to keep them under review.
