Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
807. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what action his Department is taking in conjunction with local authorities in the research and development of a national policy framework to increase the number of allotments and community gardens, given that Ireland has one of the lowest number in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1228/24]
View answer808. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what action his Department is taking in conjunction with local authorities to ensure that land is secured in urban areas for the development of allotments and community gardens, given many community gardens nationally have temporary licences which can have implications for funding purposes for projects and garden infrastructure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1229/24]
View answer809. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what action his Department is taking in conjunction with local authorities to ensure the provision, support and protection of allotments and community gardens, given Ireland has the lowest numbers of allotments and community gardens in the European Union; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1230/24]
View answer810. Deputy Colm Burke asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage what action his Department is taking in conjunction with local authorities to promote the availability and use of allotments and community gardens for future environmental and biodiversity initiatives; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1231/24]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 807, 808, 809 and 810 together.
Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines, issued as Ministerial Guidance under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act (as amended) refer to Community Gardens and Allotments as ‘plots of land which are made available (usually by a local authority) to community groups or individuals for the cultivation of vegetables and plants.
Section 4.4 (iv) of the Guidelines - Public Open Space - states that all statutory development plans should include a strategy for the provision of an integrated hierarchy of multifunctional public open spaces and corridors across the plan area that meet the needs of the planned population, are accessible, provide for the recreational needs of the planned population and create space for nature and ecosystem services.
The Guidelines also state that public open spaces should be designed to cater for a range of active and passive recreational needs (including play, physical activity, active travel, cultural uses and community gardens and allotments, as appropriate to the context) and to conserve and restore nature and biodiversity.
Policy and Objective 5.1 - Public Open Space – of the Guidelines provides that statutory development include an objective(s) relating to the provision of public open space in new residential developments with a requirement in the development plan for public open space provision of not less than a minimum of 10% of net site area and not more than a minimum of 15% of net site area save in exceptional circumstances.
Local authorities must ‘have regard’ to the policies and objectives of the Guidelines when carrying out their strategic planning or development management functions under the Planning Acts.
In terms of planning, providing, enabling and supporting allotments, legislation is in place in the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and the Local Government Act 2000 (as amended) to identify locations in development plans for allotment development, and to establish allotments as a part of local government’s role in promoting the interests of local communities.
Identifying land for allotment development in a development plan is a reserved function of the elected members of a local authority when considering and making the plan, while the provision of allotments or similar facilities on local authority land is a matter for each individual local authority and is subject to availability of resources and community inputs and support for such proposals.
