Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 3 March 2022
166. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his plans to ensure that city and county development plans meet the obligations of local authorities under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12117/22]
View answerThe Climate Action Plan, 2021 sets out an ambitious course for national decarbonisation to deliver a scale-up in emission performance across all sectors over the coming decade to meet 2030 targets and to set a trajectory to meet 2050 objectives. The plan recognises that climate change is a complex issue that requires transformative responses from every sector in society and that all measures, collectively, represent a coherent approach to dealing with the significant challenges ahead.
The National Planning Framework (NPF) confirms that the planning process provides an established means through which to implement and integrate climate change objectives, including adaptation, at local level and the transition to a low carbon and climate resilient society. The NPF further underpins this approach by stating that "in addition to legally binding targets agreed at EU level, it is a national objective for Ireland to transition to be a competitive low carbon, economy by the year 2050".
The three Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSES) also echo the importance of climate action and each contain a number of policy objectives in order to ensure emissions can be reduced and targets met.
Under the relevant provisions of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) (the Planning Act), local authorities prepare development plans and local area plans to set out the planning policies and objectives for their respective functional areas.
A programme of development plan review is currently underway in order to achieve consistency of approach with the NPF and the RSESs adopted by the three Regional Assemblies.
National renewable energy policy objectives, and those set out in the regional strategies, are required to be reflected in County Development Plans.
In addition, section 10(2) of the Planning Act sets out the development objectives that must be included in the development plan of each local authority and are therefore ‘mandatory’ requirements. Furthermore, section 10(2)(n) of the Planning Act was amended by the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 to require that the development plan shall include an objective for the promotion of sustainable settlement and transportation strategies in urban and rural areas including the promotion of measures to
1. reduce energy demand in response to the likelihood of increases in energy and other costs due to long-term decline in non-renewable resources,
2. reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and address the necessity of adaptation to climate change, taking account of the local authority climate action plan (within the meaning of section 14B of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015), where such a plan has been made for the area in question;
in particular, having regard to location, layout and design of new development.
These plans, which are adopted by the elected members of the local authority, are subject to review and evaluation by the Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) to ensure consistency with national planning policy and guidance. Where matters arise in relation to consistency with national policy, further to a recommendation by the OPR, the Minister may decide to issue a planning authority with a Ministerial Direction under Section 31 of the Planning Act, if a plan has failed to set out an overall strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of an area.
The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) published a Methodology for Local Authority Renewable Energy Strategies (LARES) in 2013 to assist local authorities in this regard. This methodology is currently being reviewed, with input from relevant bodies, to provide a best practice approach to identifying and assessing renewable energy resources in spatial planning at local authority level. Based on the indicative targets for onshore wind energy and grid-scale solar deployment, the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications proposes to set out a target for the total onshore capacity that should be planned for on a national and regional level. It is intended that the Regional Assemblies will be required to develop and implement regional renewable electricity strategies based on the overall national targets, renewable energy objectives contained in each of the RSESs, with the support of relevant guidance, including the SEAI LARES.
It should be further noted that planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála, under sections 34 and 143 of the Planning Act respectively, are required to have regard to the objectives of Development Plans and any policies of Government or Guidelines issued with respect to climate targets which are relevant at the time of making a decision on a proposed development.
