Agenda and minutes

The purpose of this Special Planning and Property Development SPC meeting is to discuss the draft National Planning Framework 2040* in order to inform the Planning Authority’s submission to the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, which must be made before Friday, 3November 2017.

A brief report will be circulated in advance of the meeting on the main issues for Dublin in order to frame the discussion.

Regards

John O’Hara

A/City Planner

*http://npf.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Ireland-2040-Our-Plan-Draft-NPF.pdf

The Chair welcomed the MSc students who are studying spatial planning in DIT to the meeting.

He outlined that this is the last chance to make submissions on the final draft of the National Planning Framework 2040.  This document will have quite an impact on Ireland but on Dublin in particular.

John O’Hara, A/City Planner, outlined the vision of the plan and then welcomed comments which will be incorporated into the Chief Executive’s response to the Department on the document.

Please find attached a copy of the Presentation for tomorrow’s Planning and Property Development Special SPC Meeting in the Council Chamber, City Hall, at 3.30pm.

The full draft NPF document is available at http://npf.ie/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Ireland-2040-Our-Plan-Draft-NPF.pdf

Regards

John O’Hara

A/City Planner

Infrastructure must be provided in tandem with development.  Cities grow because of industries locating in them.  Important to link up where people live, how they get around, where the services are, where the hospitals are and educational facilities that are available there, to have joined up thinking.  There is room to move some industry outside the M50 and bringing more appropriate high intensity employment in.  Commercial rates need to be looked at.  Employment hubs are generally located within cities.

Growing Dublin, whilst also growing other parts of the country, is going to be a challenge.  It’s absolutely critical that DCC has its 10-year National Investment Plan set out to tie in with the National Planning Framework which is a statutory document.  The 10-year National Investment Plan never envisaged that Dublin’s growth would drop from 50% to 25%.  People are regularly in-migrating to Dublin, about 40k to the 80k of people emigrating.  Our vision for Dublin needs to be on a global level.  We’re not competing with our own regions.  The NPF needs to identify the opportunities of the regions.  If growth in Dublin is restricted, we won’t be able to compete with other European cities.  Developing the inner and outer areas of the city is going to be as much political as anything else.  Tall buildings don’t suit everyone or every location.  Height for height sake isn’t the answer, and tall buildings per se do not increase density.

Dublin is competing internationally with other cities and city regions, not with the other national Regions and the NPF needs to recognise this.

The City Council is concerned in relation to the lack of clarity about the preparation and implementation of the proposed Metropolitan Area Strategic Plans referenced in the document.

What does the plan mean by a ‘whole Government approach’?  The outworking of the plan must be devolved to the Regional Authorities and City/County Councils.  Leadership is central to what is needed for a city.

Broadband infrastructure is an absolutely priority.  Dublin has one of the slowest speeds in Europe so it cannot compete globally.  Broadband infrastructure is something that could level the ‘playing fields’ within the regions.  That has to be costed and funded.  A task force should be set up to ensure that we get what is laid down.

Too often in these planning frameworks physical infrastructure is promoted over social infrastructure and disadvantage.  We should flag that there should to be a 10-year investment in social advantage, which has to tie into the 10-year plan for housing, the 10-year plan to eradicate homelessness, because what isn’t helpful to a city the calibre of Dublin is short term, stop-start arrangements with every Government and each new directive.  Certainty is needed, and a long term plan provides this.  The issue of social inclusion needs to be incorporated into the NPF.

Questions were raised regarding putting Metro North as an objective but what happens if it is not developed in 10 years time.  The A/City Planner advised that Metro North is  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1a