Billy Timmins
Ceist:753 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the infrastructural investment he proposes for County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22490/01]
Written Answers. - Regional Development.
Billy Timmins
Ceist:757 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the intention of the strategic planning guidelines regarding the term "local growth"; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22494/01]
Billy Timmins
Ceist:758 Mr. Timmins asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if it is intended that the strategic planning guidelines would prevent people from Dublin city and county purchasing new houses in County Wicklow outside the designated growth centres of Bray, Greystones, Wicklow town and Arklow town; if so, if a similar situation pertains in counties Kildare and Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22495/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 753, 757 and 758 together.
The strategic planning guidelines for the greater Dublin area, published in March 1999, set out an integrated land-use and transportation framework for the sustainable development of the area. They were prepared by the constituent local authorities in the Dublin and mid-east regional authorities and my Department also participated in the process. They set out a coherent strategic planning framework for local authority development plans and for the provisions of major transportation, sanitary services and other infrastructure. Statutory recognition for the guidelines is provided in the Planning and Development Act, 2000. The relevant provisions came into force on 1 January 2001 and require planning authorities in the area to have regard to the guidelines when making and adopting a development plan. Tables 9.4 to 9.7 of the guidelines document set out the principal infrastructural requirements, including those in relation to County Wicklow.
The National Roads Authority allocated grants totalling over £114 million between 1994 and 2001 to Wicklow County Council for improvement and maintenance works on the county's network of national roads. The N11 is the county's most important national route, forming part of a strategic road corridor which runs from Belfast via Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford to Cork. The route has seen major development in recent years, including the Bray bypass, the Killarney road interchange, the Arklow bypass and strengthening works at various locations along the route. Further developments are under construction or in planning, such as the Glen of the Downs project and the bypass of Rathnew and Ashford.
Details of proposed investment in water supply and waste water infrastructure in County Wicklow, totalling almost £60 million, are contained in my Department's water services investment programme, 2000 to 2002, which was published last year. A copy of this programme, which is the first phase of a rolling programme of investment, is available in the Oireachtas Library.
On the question of local growth, the strategic planning guidelines provide that development outside of the metropolitan area and the identified development centres in the hinterland, should primarily be to meet local, rather than regional needs. In addition, recommendation 29 in appendix 6 to the strategic planning guidelines document states that development in areas outside the metropolitan area and the development centres should be strictly for local needs, as identified in the development plans. Primary responsibility for identifying and addressing local needs rests with the planning authority concerned through the preparation and implementation of its development plan and relevant provisions are currently being drawn up within this framework.