Ministerial guidelines
Childcare Facilities: Guidelines for Planning Authorities
Childcare in new housing areas (generally one facility for every 75 homes), and the siting and size of childcare facilities.
Department of the Environment and Local Government · June 2001 · 20 pages
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- Childcare Facilities Guidelines for Planning Authorities June, 2001
- © Government of Ireland BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH ARNA FHOILSIÚ AG OIFIG AN tSOLÁTHAIR Le ceannach díreach ón OIFIG DHÍOLTA FOILSEACHÁN RIALTAIS TEACH SUN ALLIANCE, SRÁID THEACH LAIGHEAN, BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH 2, nó tríd an bpost ó FOILSEACHÁIN RIALTAIS, AN RANNÓG POST-TRÁCHTA, 4-5 BÓTHAR FHEARCHAIR, BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH 2, (Teil: 01 - 6476834/35/36/37; Fax: 01 - 4752760) nó trí aon díoltóir leabhar. ___________ DUBLIN PUBLISHED BY THE STATIONERY OFFICE To be purchased directly from the GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS SALE OFFICE SUN ALLIANCE HOUSE, MOLESWORTH STREET, DUBLIN 2, or by mail order from GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS, POSTAL TRADE SECTION, 4-5 HARCOURT ROAD, DUBLIN 2, (Tel: 01 - 6476834/35/36/37; Fax: 01 - 4752760) or through any bookseller. ____________ Price: £1.00 g1.27 (Pn.10038)
- Definitions 1 1.0 Context 3 1.1 Background 3 1.2 Government Policy 3 1.3 Aim 3 1.4 Ministerial Guidelines 3 2.0 Development Plans, Local and Action Area Plans 4 2.1 Planning and Development Act, 2000 4 2.2 Policies 4 2.3 Objectives 5 2.4 Appropriate Locations for Childcare Facilities 5 2.5 Local or Action Area Plans 6 3.0 Development Control and related standards for Childcare Facilities 8 3.1 Land Use Zoning 8 3.2 Development Control 8 3.3 Specific Locations 9 3.3.1 New and Existing Residential Areas 9 3.3.2 Industrial Estates/Employment Areas 9 3.3.3 City/Town Centres, District Centres and Neighbourhood Centres 10 3.3.4 Educational Establishments 10 3.3.5 Public Transport Nodes 11 3.4 Possible Conditions to Planning Permission 11 3.4.1 Residential Content 11 3.4.2 Temporary Permission 11 3.5 Drop-In Childcare Facilities in Shopping Centres 12 3.6 Access 12 Contents
- Appendix 1 General Standards 13 Appendix 2 Application of the Standard of One Childcare Facility per 75 Dwellings in New Housing Areas 14 Appendix 3 Information which should be Supplied by an Applicant for Planning Permission for a Childcare Facility 15 Appendix 4 List of Relevant Publications 16
- Definitions Childcare: In these Guidelines, "childcare" is taken to mean full day-care and sessional facilities and services for pre-school children and school-going children out of school hours. It includes services involving care, education and socialisation opportunities for children. Thus services such as pre-schools, naíonraí (Irish language playgroups), day-care services, crèches, playgroups, and after-school groups are encompassed by these Guidelines. Conversely childminding, schools, (primary, secondary and special) and residential centres for children are not covered by these Guidelines. Childminding: The provision of childcare for no more than 6 children (including the child-minder’s own children) in the child-minder’s own home. The provision of child-minding services is not covered by these Guidelines. Sessional service: The provision of a service which offers a planned programme to pre-school children of up to 3.5 hours per session by trained personnel. Sessional services include playgroups and Montessori groups and similar services. Full day-care: The provision of a structured day-care service for children for more than 3.5 hours per day, supervised by competent personnel. Full day-care includes crèches and nurseries. After school care: Extended day-care for school-going children, usually Monday to Friday. Sessional and full day-care are governed by the provisions of the Child Care (Pre- School Services) Regulations, 1996. After-school care does not come under the provisions of the Child Care (Pre-School Services) Regulations, 1996 and is regulated by fire safety and environmental health regulations and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989. 1
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- 1.1 Background With the growing demand for childcare provision, there is a recognition that such provision must be of a suitably high quality. Quality childcare can benefit children, their parents, employers and communities in general. The change, which has taken place in the traditional roles and structures of Irish society, coupled with the rapid rate of growth in the economy, has led to an unprecedented demand for childcare services in particular within the local community. Access to quality childcare services contributes to the social, emotional and educational development of children. There are clear economic benefits from the provision of childcare. The lack of accessible, affordable and appropriate childcare facilities makes it difficult for many parents/guardians to access employment and employment related opportunities. Childcare is also a potential area of employment in its own right and needs to be recognised and supported to ensure that it can achieve its potential in this regard. 1.2 Government Policy Government policy on childcare is to increase the number of childcare places and facilities available and to improve the quality of childcare services for the community. 1.3 Aim These Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Childcare Facilities provide a framework to guide both local authorities in preparing development plans and assessing applications for planning permission, and developers and childcare providers in formulating development proposals. Planning permission for premises for childcare had been identified as an area of concern for childcare service development. These Guidelines are intended to ensure a consistency of approach throughout the country to the treatment of applications for planning permission for childcare facilities. 1.4 Ministerial Guidelines These Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Childcare Facilities are being issued as Ministerial guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000. Section 28 provides that planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála shall have regard to Ministerial guidelines in the performance of their functions. It should, however, be noted that these Guidelines relate solely to the land use planning aspects of childcare provision. 3 1.0 Context
- 4 2.0 Development Plans, Local and Action Area Plans 2.1 Planning and Development Act, 2000 Section 10 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, which deals with the content of development plans, came into effect on 1 January 2001. Section 10(1) sets out the content of development plans. Section 10(2) sets out a number of objectives which are consistent with proper planning and sustainable development and which a planning authority is obliged to include in a development plan. A particular objective of relevance to these guidelines is at Section 10(2), paragraph (l) - "the provision, or the facilitation of the provision, of services for the community including, in particular, schools, crèches and other education and childcare facilities". 2.2 Policies Planning authorities should, in their Development Plans, encourage the development of a broad range of childcare facilities, i.e. part-time, full daycare, after-school care, etc., including those based in residential areas, in employment areas and in areas close to where users of such facilities live. Planning authorities should ensure that Development Plans and Local Area Plans include policies in relation to the provision of childcare facilities. Such policies should focus on the following: • Promoting awareness of the necessity to provide quality childcare in a variety of locations. • The role of childcare provision in addressing disadvantage/social exclusion and promoting equality. • The identification of appropriate locations for the provision of childcare facilities including city centres, district centres, neighbourhood centres, residential areas, places of employment, and educational institutions and convenience to public transport nodes as a key element in the development of sustainable communities. • The role childcare can play in fostering economic development, particularly at the local level. • The active promotion of consultation and participation with local development partnerships/groups, Health Boards, the County Childcare Committees and the County Development Boards in the provision and monitoring of a County Childcare Strategy.
- 2.3 Objectives The Planning and Development Act, 2000, makes it a mandatory requirement on planning authorities to include in their Development Plan objectives on the provision of services for the community, including crèches and other childcare facilities. Planning authorities should include in their Development Plan specific objectives for the provision of childcare facilities, having regard to existing childcare provision in the area. Objectives to be included in Development Plans and Local Area Plans should focus on the following: • To update and develop baseline data on the quality of existing and prospective childcare needs in association with the County Childcare Committees. • To promote childcare facilities in the following locations as a key element in the provision of sustainable communities: ÿ Residential areas ÿ Places of employment ÿ Educational establishments ÿ City and town centres, neighbourhood and district centres ÿ Convenient to public transport nodes • To establish a system of monitoring the achievement of the above objectives. The Objectives Section of the Development Plan should include childcare facilities within appropriate zones as a specific use. It is not sufficient to include objectives for childcare in a general category for buildings for health/education/community. Development control criteria including appropriate locations in developing and built up areas should be detailed (see Chapter 3 below). 2.4 Appropriate Locations for Childcare Facilities Appropriate locations for childcare facilities would include: • New communities/Larger new housing developments. Planning authorities should require the provision of at least one childcare facility for new housing areas unless there are significant reasons to the contrary for example, development consisting of single bed apartments or where there are adequate childcare facilities in adjoining developments. For new housing areas, an average of one childcare facility for each 75 dwellings would be appropriate. (See also paragraph 3.3.1 and Appendix 2 below). The threshold for provision should be established having regard to the existing geographical 5
- distribution of childcare facilities and the emerging demographic profile of areas. Authorities could consider requiring the provision of larger units catering for up to 30/40 children in areas of major residential development on the basis that such a large facility might be able to offer a variety of services – sessional/drop in/after-school, etc. • The vicinity of concentrations of work places, such as industrial estates, business parks and any other locations where there are significant numbers working. The site location and layout of facilities should optimise the opportunities for safe and efficient journeys to/from the workplace of parents/guardians. This may be achieved by locating the facility close to the entrance to the business park/industrial estate so that all parents/guardians would automatically pass it on their way to work and would not have to detour past their workplace in order to drop off children. Regard would need to be had to the traffic conditions in the vicinity of the proposed childcare facility. Care should be taken to ensure that any proposed childcare facility is located as far away as possible from premises where the process carried on or the machinery/equipment in use or emissions involved could be injurious to the health and safety of the children. • In the vicinity of schools. This would facilitate parents to make one trip in dropping off school-going children and children attending childcare facilities. This could also facilitate the provision of afterschool childcare services, thereby taking a sustainable approach to use of built facilities and transportation. • Neighbourhood, District and Town Centres. In existing built-up areas, many of the smaller neighbourhood centres are under competitive pressure from larger commercial centres. Those which contain vacant units are under pressure to convert to residential use. The Development Plan should have as an objective to safeguard the retention of this resource as appropriate locations for small-scale mixed-use development, in particular childcare facilities. • Adjacent to public transport corridors, park-and-ride facilities, pedestrian routes and dedicated cycle ways. 2.5 Local or Action Area Plans Local or Action Area Plans have an important role in setting a framework for the provision of the full range of desirable community facilities including childcare facilities. Planning authorities should avail of the opportunity in the making of their Area Plans to include the identification of locations appropriate for the provision of the full range of childcare facilities. Particular 6
Source Department of the Environment and Local Government: Childcare Facilities: Guidelines for Planning Authorities (June 2001) · Licence the publisher's termsText read from the publisher’s PDF; tables, maps and drawings do not survive as text, and page numbers are the PDF’s (its first page is 1). Check the original before relying on a passage.