Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 November 2023
113. Deputy Brian Leddin asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage if he will report on the progress of developing sustainable and compact settlements guidelines for planning authorities; whether these will support high density and high-quality transit-oriented development; the impact these guidelines will have on the current local authority development plans; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49057/23]
View answerI, together with Minister O’Donnell, Minister of State for Local Government and Planning, published Draft Sustainable and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities (SCSGs) and associated environmental reports (SEA and AA) for public consultation on the 30 August 2023. The draft guidelines are available to view on gov.ie - Public Consultation on the Draft Sustainable and Compact Settlement Guidelines for Planning Authorities (www.gov.ie). The consultation closed in early October.
The draft guidelines set out proposed national planning policy and guidance in relation to the planning and development of urban and rural settlements, with a focus on residential development. They build on and update previous guidance published in 2009, taking account of current Government policy and wider economic, social and environmental considerations.
The guidelines will be published as Ministerial Guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, when finalised. They will replace the current Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas Guidelines, which date from 2009.
The draft guidelines address a broader range of settlements and settlement contexts than current guidelines. They set out recommended density ranges for cities, metropolitan towns, large towns, small and medium sized towns and rural towns and villages. In addition, in each settlement the recommended density ranges for each settlement addresses central, urban, and suburban and edge locations.
The tiered approach to density seen under the 2009 guidelines is continued and expanded upon within the draft guidelines, with highest residential densities at the most central and accessible locations in all settlements. In this regard, the draft guidelines support the provision of higher densities in city and larger town centres and at public transport nodes, noting that density should respond to the capacity of the existing or planned public transport and to local character. The draft guidelines promote brownfield and infill development at scale within the built up areas of cities and large towns, and sustainable urban extension at greenfield locations served by high capacity public transport, in accordance with the principles of Transport Orientated Development (TOD).
The policy approach includes a general presumption against very high densities on an ad hoc basis, with such densities open for consideration on a plan-led basis only. In the case of larger strategic sites, including those served by high quality public transport, densities are to be plan-led.
Following a review of the submissions received in relation to the draft guidelines, and with any subsequent changes made (including changes arising from submissions made in respect of SEA and AA), I intend to issue the finalised Sustainable and Compact Settlements Guidelines under Section 28 of the Act in the coming weeks.
Section 28 of the Act provides that planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála (ABP) shall have regard to Ministerial Guidelines, and shall apply any specific planning policy requirements of the Guidelines, notwithstanding any provisions included in the adopted development plan which are not consistent with any such specific planning policy requirements, in the performance of their functions under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).
