The National Planning Framework (NPF), published together with the National Development Plan (NDP) as part of Project Ireland 2040 earlier this year, is intended to provide the strategic context for future planning, development and investment over the next two decades. In addition, the NPF represents a long-term strategy for Government Departments, State agencies, State-owned enterprises, regional and local authorities and others to support communities to achieve their potential for economic, social and infrastructural development through a shared set of strategic objectives and key principles.
As a strategic document, the NPF is currently being given further and more detailed expression at the regional level through preparation, by the Regional Assemblies, of statutory Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) for the three Regional Assembly areas.
The RSES process formally commenced earlier this year and the draft Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly RSES, which includes Counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, was approved by the Regional Assembly on 26 October. It sets out a strategy for the period to 2031. It was published for public consultation on 5 November and is on public display until 23 January 2019.
Both the National Planning Framework and the draft Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) for the Eastern and Midland area target significant population and housing growth in Counties Kildare, Meath and Wicklow. In all cases, growth is projected at above national average levels to 2031.
It is envisaged that there will be 100,000 additional people living in these three counties by 2031. The three local authorities are also required to plan for 127,000 people more during that time, to account for the fact that there will need to be permissions in place and housing under construction during the latter years of the period as there is now, in order to ensure that growth beyond 2031 can continue to be accommodated.
This means that County Development Plans in the three counties must make combined planning provision for an additional 127,000 people to 2031, which is considered to be a sustainable level of development, that will allow the provision of infrastructure and services to keep pace with housing development. Where this level of future population and housing growth is to be located and how it will be prioritised within counties, will be a matter for the local authorities to determine through their County Development Plans. In that context, they will be required to take into account where investment in jobs, services and infrastructure has taken place and can be provided in the future.
Good planning will include consideration of each county’s towns and smaller settlements, many of which grew rapidly in the recent past and for which a continuation of similar levels of growth would be unsustainable. More sustainable planning will include a significant focus on employment and access to employment, as well as the ‘catch-up’ provision of facilities, where most needed, rather than on housing development simply for the sake of development alone.
The two other draft RSESs (for the Northern and Western Regional Assembly and Southern Regional Assembly areas), subject to Regional Assembly approval, are expected to be put on public display in the coming weeks. The finalisation of all three regional strategies in the first half of 2019 will in turn prompt reviews and updates of individual county and city development plans to ensure strategic co-ordination and consistency between national, regional and local levels.
