Cavan County Development Plan 2022–2028 — Chapter 3

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   3.11 Climate Change In accordance with the format set out in Chapter 5: Climate Change of this Plan the following is an assessment of the content of this chapter in a climate context and associated actions. Careful planning, quality construction, good design and appropriate density remain constant for the successful delivery of our current and future housing needs. Ensuring existing homes are more energy efficient and that new homes produce less emissions (during construction and over their lifetime) will prove equally critical in reducing our carbon footprint. Irish homes use 7% more energy and emit 58% more CO2 than EU averages, with 70% continuing to rely on fossil fuels alone. From 31st December 2020 the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) Recast 2010, requires all new buildings to achieve the ‘Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB)’ standard, which closely translates to an ‘A2’ Building Energy Rating (BER), and a ‘B2’ BER for extensions and/ or refurbishments greater than 25% of the total surface area, or cost optimal equivalent. Ireland is meeting this requirement through its revised Building Regulations. Improving the fabric of buildings first (i.e. ‘Fabric First’), including increased insulation and upgrading to triple glazed, airtight windows, has been identified as the most successful and cost-efficient means of reducing the carbon emission of Ireland’s housing sector.Housing 199 The National Planning Framework (NPF) has outlined the construction of an additional 500,000 homes by 2040, to include 132,000 by 2027, under the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018 – 2027 public housing programme, while simultaneously upgrading 500,000 existing homes to a B2 rating or better by 2030 under the Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2019. The NPF ‘National Policy Objective (NPO) 33’ seeks to ‘prioritise the provision of new homes at locations that can support sustainable development and at an appropriate scale of provision relative to location’; NPO 3c aims to ‘deliver 30% of all new homes that are targeted in settlements other than the five Cities and their suburbs, within their existing built-up footprints’. Notwithstanding self-sustainable one-off housing, the concept of ‘compact growth’ as set out in the NPF is seen as the most considered means of achieving NPO33 and NPO3c. Compact growth aims to “make better use of under-utilised land and buildings, including ‘infill’, ‘brownfield’ and publicly owned sites and vacant and under-occupied buildings, with higher housing and jobs densities”. The successful delivery of same minimises car usage and its associated costs (e.g. pollution, congestion, wellbeing, etc) while simultaneously allowing for the provision of more public infrastructure and transport and facilitating more people to walk and cycle.

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   HSCC 01 HSCC 02 HSCC 04 HSCC 03 HSCC 05 HSCC 06 HSCC 07 HSCC 08 HSCC 09 HSCC 10 HSCC 11 Climate Change Development Objectives It is a policy of Cavan County Council to: Require all housing applications to be accompanied by a Sustainability Statement, and in accordance with the principles set out in the ‘Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines’ (2005), to include an outlined assessment of the proposed against: - Design and layout; - Construction and materials; - Energy strategy; - Waste and water reduction; - Services (incl. high speed broadband and transport links); - Landscape and ecology. Require all housing scheme applications to meet the principles of the ‘Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets’ DMURS (2019) and in accordance with the National Transport Authority ‘Permeability Best Practice Guide’ (2015), submitting a ‘Permeability Audit’ where considered necessary by Cavan County Council. Support the preparation of a programme of works to endeavour to have all existing, social housing in the ownership of the Local Authority to be upgraded to a B2 BER rating, where achievable Encourage an element of new-build housing, procured by Cavan County Council for the purposes of social housing, to be zero-carbon, Passivhaus, or equivalent standard. Prioritise the principle of Passivhaus or equivalent standard in accordance with current Design Guidelines of the County Development Plan, or those deemed acceptable by the Planning Department. Require all residential schemes outside of ‘Town Core’ zoned lands, to responsibly plant and maintain 1 no., native tree (e.g. Willow, Alder, Birch, Scots Pine, Holly, Sessile Oak) of a girth greater than 20cm, within the confines of the proposed site, per dwelling. Require all future, multi-residential, industrial or warehousing applications to specify the type and location of permeable surfacing throughout, to include access roads. Facilitate the delivery of sustainable, compact, sequential growth and regeneration of town and village centres by consolidating the build footprint through a focus on regeneration and development. Focus on sustainable settlement patterns along public transport corridors, this minimising the need to travel. Review the Cavan County Council’s Development Contribution Scheme and incentivise for incorporation and delivery of climate change measures Ensure that 20% of new rural housing is developed on brownfield sites in rural areas.Cavan County Development Plan 2022-2028 200

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