Agenda and minutes

Draft Urban Development and Building Height: Guidelines for Planning Authorities

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

The Purpose of this Special Planning and Property Development SPC is to discuss the Draft “Urban Development and Building Height: Guidelines for Planning Authorities”.

John O’Hara, City Planner, gave a brief introduction before he proceeded to the presentation.  He explained that these are draft guidelines the final draft to be published by the Minister under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).  Guidelines to assist in the consolidation and densification of urban area.  Public Consultation until 24^th September 2018.  The Department agreed to give an extra few days as they had been informed that there was an SPC Meeting today.  This would give time for the SPC Members to give their views.

The Guidelines contain 4 Specific Planning Policy Requirements

•       SPPR 1 states: 

 In accordance with Government policy to support increased building height in locations with good public transport accessibility, particularly town/ city cores, planning authorities shall explicitly identify, through their statutory plans, areas where increased building height will be actively pursued for both redevelopment and infill development to secure the objectives of the National Planning Framework and Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and shall not provide for blanket numerical limitations on building height.

•       SPPR 2 states: 

                In driving general increases in building heights, planning authorities shall also ensure appropriate mixtures of uses, such as housing and commercial or employment development, are provided for in statutory plan policy.  Mechanisms such as block delivery sequencing in statutory plans² could be utilised to link the provision of new office and residential accommodation, thereby enabling urban redevelopment to proceed in a way that  comprehensively meets contemporary economic and social needs, such as for housing, offices, social and community infrastructure, including leisure facilities.

•       SPPR 3 states: 

             It is a specific planning policy requirement that where;

1. an applicant for planning permission sets out how a development proposal complies with the criteria above; and

2. the assessment of the planning authority concurs, taking account of the wider strategic and national policy parameters set out in the National Planning Framework and these guidelines;

then the planning authority may approve such development, even where specific objectives of the relevant development plan, local area plan or planning scheme may indicate otherwise.

•       SPPR 4 states: 

                 It is a specific planning policy requirement that in planning the future development of greenfield or edge of city/town locations for housing purposes, planning authorities must secure:

1. the minimum densities for such locations set out in the Guidelines issued by the Minister under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), titled “Residential Development in Urban Areas (2007)” or any amending or replacement Guidelines;

2. a greater mix of building heights and typologies in planning for the future development of suburban locations; and

3. avoid mono-type building typologies (e.g. two storey  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.