Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements: Guidelines for Planning Authorities

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   Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities Prepared by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage gov.ie

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   The guidelines set out policy and guidance in relation to the planning and development of urban and rural settlements, with a focus on sustainable residential development and the creation of compact settlements. (Image source: Proctor and Matthews Architects, Tim Crocker)

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   Page iiiSustainable and Compact Settlements | Guidelines for Planning Authorities Contents 1.0 Introduction and Context 1 1.1 Guidelines under the Planning and Development Act 2000 2 1.2 Overview of the Guidelines 2 1.3 Sustainable and Compact Growth 3 1.3.1 National Planning Framework 1.3.2 Compact Growth 1.4 Related Government Policy 6 1.4.1 Housing for All (2021) 1.4.2 Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23) 1.4.3 National Sustainable Mobility Policy (2022) 1.4.4 Places for People – the National Policy on Architecture (2022) 1.5 Conclusion 7 2.0 Implementation 9 2.1 Implementation of the Guidelines 10 2.1.1 Statutory Development Plans 2.1.2 Development Management 2.1.3 Environmental Considerations 2.2 Section 28 Ministerial Guidelines 12 2.3 Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets 13 3.0 Settlement, Place and Density 15 3.1 Introduction 16 3.2 Tailoring Policy to Local Circumstances 18 3.2.1 Methodology 3.3 Settlements, Area Types and Density Ranges 21 3.3.1 Cities and Metropolitan (MASP) Areas 3.3.2 Regional Growth Centres 3.3.3 Key Towns and Large Towns (5,000+ population) 3.3.4 Small and Medium Sized Towns (1,500 – 5,000 population) 3.3.5 Rural Towns and Villages (<1,500) 3.3.6 Exemptions

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   Sustainable and Compact Settlements | Guidelines for Planning AuthoritiesPage iv 3.4 Refining Density 30 3.4.1 Step 1: Consideration of Proximity and Accessibility to Services and Public Transport 3.4.2 Step 2: Considerations of Character, Amenity and the Natural Environment 4.0 Quality Urban Design and Placemaking 35 4.1 Introduction 36 4.2 Role of Statutory Development Plans 36 4.3 Urban Design and Quality Placemaking Processes 38 4.4 Key Indicators of Quality Design and Placemaking 40 5.0 Development Standards for Housing 51 5.1 Introduction 52 5.2 Need for Change 52 5.3 Standards for Housing 54 5.3.1 Separation Distances 5.3.2 Private Open Space for Houses 5.3.3 Public Open Space 5.3.4 Car Parking – Quantum, Form and Location 5.3.6 Bicycle Parking and Storage 5.3.5 Operation and Management of the Development 5.3.6 Daylight Appendix A: Glossary of Terms 64 Appendix B: Measuring Residential Density 68 Appendix C: Supplemental Information for Planning Applications 70 Appendix D: Design Checklist - Key Indicators of Quality Design and Placemaking 74 Appendix E: Sample Housing Images, Plans and Layouts 76

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   Page vSustainable and Compact Settlements | Guidelines for Planning Authorities Minister’s Foreword I very much welcome the publication of the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities, which set national planning policy and guidance in relation to the planning and development of settlements and housing. These guidelines build on and update previous guidance, taking account of current Government policy and economic, social and environmental considerations. They are timely particularly in light of the Government’s overall objective to increase housing supply as set out under Housing for All. The guidelines expand on the higher-level policies of the National Planning Framework (NPF) in relation to the creation of settlements that are compact, attractive, liveable and well designed. There is a focus on the renewal of settlements and on the interaction between residential density, housing standards and placemaking to support the sustainable and compact growth of settlements. While progress continues to be made on housing delivery, the greater flexibility offered by these guidelines will help in achieving our aim of providing a broader range of housing options to meet the needs of a growing and more diverse population. I see this as critically important, as we respond to population growth and facilitate a more sustainable way of building high-quality places for existing and future communities. The guidelines support the application of densities that respond to settlement size and to different place contexts within each settlement, recognising in particular the differences between cities, large and medium-sized towns and smaller towns and villages. They will also allow greater flexibility in residential design standards, setting national standards for the first time that support innovation in housing design and a greater range of house types. The standards will support the delivery of more compact ‘own-door’ housing, as an alternative to apartment developments at the right locations. This approach will not preclude traditional forms of housing, as the standards set out are minimum rather than maximum standards. These guidelines will assist planning authorities in the preparation and adoption of city and county development plans and support a more consistent policy approach across local authority areas. They provide a sustainable basis to manage growth in all settlements and I am confident that the guidelines strike an appropriate balance in that regard. The greater level of flexibility provided for within the guidelines will also assist in addressing viability constraints within the construction sector. Le gach dea-ghuí, Mr. Darragh O’Brien T.D. Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage

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   Sustainable and Compact Settlements | Guidelines for Planning AuthoritiesPage vi Minister of State’s Foreword I warmly welcome the publication of the Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities. The guidelines set national planning policy and guidance in relation to the delivery of sustainable housing in settlements of all sizes. The approach in relation to residential density enables appropriate standards to be applied across a greater range of settlements, from cities to smaller towns and villages, and reflects the different places within each settlement, from central and urban areas to edge locations. Furthermore, greater flexibility in residential design standards will support the delivery of compact ‘own door’ housing and a greater range of affordable housing options. These guidelines will support a more consistent approach across local authority areas. The guidelines also respond to our national obligations under European Directives and international agreements relating to the management and protection of the environment and biodiversity and the transition towards net zero by 2050. These considerations have become more central to the operation of the planning system since the Sustainable Residential Development Guidelines were published in 2009. For that reason, it is important to ensure that communities can continue to develop in a sustainable way, while safeguarding and protecting key environmental resources. Le gach dea-ghuí, Mr. Kieran O’Donnell T.D. Minister of State for Local Government and Planning

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   Sustainable and Compact Settlements | Guidelines for Planning Authorities | Chapter 1Page 2 1.0 Introduction and Context 1.1 Guidelines under the Planning and Development Act 2000 The Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities “the Guidelines” will constitute Ministerial Guidelines under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). Section 28 provides that planning authorities and An Bord Pleanála shall have regard to Ministerial Guidelines and shall apply any specific planning policy requirements (SPPRs) of the Guidelines, within the meaning of Section 28 (1C) of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended), in the performance of their functions. 1.2 Overview of the Guidelines The Guidelines set out policy and guidance in relation to the planning and development of urban and rural settlements, with a focus on sustainable residential development and the creation of compact settlements. They are accompanied by a companion non-statutory Design Manual that illustrates best practice examples of how the policies and objectives of the Guidelines can be applied. These Guidelines replace the Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas Guidelines for Planning Authorities issued as Ministerial guidelines under Section 28 of the Act in 2009, which in turn replaced the Residential Density Guidelines issued in 1999. They build on and update previous guidance to take account of current Government policy and economic, social and environmental considerations. There is a renewed focus in the Guidelines on the renewal of existing settlements and on the interaction between residential density, housing standards and quality urban design and placemaking to support sustainable and compact growth. The Guidelines are set out in five chapters as follows: Chapter 1 ‘Introduction and Context’ describes the key characteristics of sustainable and compact growth and sets out a summary of Government policy in the areas of spatial planning and housing, climate, sustainable mobility and architecture that inform the policy approach. Chapter 2 ‘Implementation’ addresses the interaction of these Guidelines with the plan making and development management processes and with other relevant Section 28 Guidelines. Chapter 3 ‘Settlement, Place and Density’ sets out policy and guidance in relation to the key growth priorities for settlements at each tier in the national settlement hierarchy and in relation to residential density. Chapter 4 ‘Quality Urban Design and Placemaking’ sets out policy and guidance in relation to quality urban design and placemaking to be applied in the plan making process and in the assessment of individual planning applications. Chapter 5 ‘Development Standards for Housing’ sets out policy and guidance in relation to the design of housing and standards to be applied in support of greater innovation within the housing sector and to facilitate more compact forms of residential development.

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   Page 3Sustainable and Compact Settlements | Guidelines for Planning Authorities | Chapter 1 1.3 Sustainable and Compact Growth 1.3.1 National Planning Framework The National Planning Framework (NPF) 2018 sets out a high-level strategy for the planning and development of Ireland to 2040. The NPF forecasts that Ireland will continue to experience population growth above the EU average over the next 20 years, with an expected increase of around one million people above 2016 levels by 2040. The strategy to accommodate this growth in a sustainable way focuses on 10 national strategic outcomes that include Compact Growth, Sustainable Mobility, Enhanced Amenity and Heritage, a Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Society and the Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and Environmental Resources (Figure 1.1 refers). The overarching strategy to accommodate growth to 2040 can be summarised under three spatial headings:- (a) Regional Balance: Achieve more regionally balanced population growth, split roughly 50:50 between the Eastern and Midland Region and the rest of the country. (b) City and Regional Growth Drivers: To underpin regional balance, target 50% of projected population growth into the five cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford, with the balance of growth targeted throughout the country. The strategy supports the future growth of Dublin as Ireland’s leading global city of scale. It also sets ambitious growth targets for the four cities of Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. Figure 1.1 Illustration from the National Planning Framework - National Strategic Outcomes Source: Government of Ireland

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    Sustainable and Compact Settlements | Guidelines for Planning Authorities | Chapter 1Page 4 (c) Compact Urban Growth: Target 50% of new housing growth in the five cities within the existing built-up footprint, on infill or brownfield lands. Target 30% of new housing growth in all other settlements, within the existing built-up footprint, on infill and brownfield lands. The Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements Guidelines for Planning Authorities will expand on the high-level strategy of the NPF and set out detailed growth criteria to support the development of sustainable and compact settlements. 1.3.2 Compact Growth The NPF priorities for compact growth include an emphasis on the renewal of existing settlements, rather than continued sprawl. This priority recognises the impacts that our dispersed settlement pattern (including the dispersal of residential, commercial and employment uses within settlements) is having on people, the economy and the environment. In particular, there is a recognition that dispersed settlement patterns are contributing to the social, economic and physical decline of the central parts of many of our cities and towns, as population and activities move out. There is a recognition that dispersed settlement patterns create a demand for travel and embed a reliance on carbon intensive private car travel and long commutes that affect quality of life for many citizens. Dispersed growth is also accelerating environmental degradation through loss of farmland and habitat and impacts on water quality. It creates a higher demand for new infrastructure and services in new communities that places a heavy financial burden on the State and results in a constant cycle of infrastructure catch-up. By comparison, international experience shows that compact settlements with an integrated network of well-designed and mixed-use neighbourhoods have many benefits. These neighbourhoods tend to offer improved access to services and amenities, better integration with existing infrastructure and public transport, more efficient use of land, and facilitate and support a transition to lower carbon living. The term ‘15 minute city’ has been used in recent years to describe compact neighbourhoods with a range of local services and amenities and access to public transport all within a short walk or cycle of homes (Figure 1.2 refers). This should be the overarching objective when planning for sustainable residential development and compact settlements. Planning authorities at settlement level should plan for an integrated network of well-designed neighbourhoods that can meet day-to-day needs (such as food, healthcare, education, sports and professional services) within a short 10 to 15 minute (approx.) walk of all homes. In the case of larger settlements, the residents of less central neighbourhoods should have opportunities to travel by public transport and other sustainable modes (e.g. greenways) to access higher order services, employment and amenities at more central and accessible locations. This will reduce the need for travel and the need for travel by private car, supporting the transition to a lower carbon society and the creation of settlements that are more socially inclusive. In order to achieve compact growth, we will need to support more intensive use of existing buildings and properties, including the re-use of existing buildings that are vacant and more intensive use of previously developed land and infill sites, in addition to the development of sites in locations served by existing facilities and public transport.

Source Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Sustainable Residential Development and Compact Settlements: Guidelines for Planning Authorities (January 2024) · 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.