Development plan · Cork County Council
Cork County Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume One: Main Policy Material
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards. Variations adopted since are not in this text.
Cork County Council · 2022–2028 · 564 pages
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- 401 18.3.35 In some instances these open spaces are located within or adjacent to Natura 2000 sites (Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas) and/or NHA sites (Natural Heritage Areas) and sites of local biodiversity significance. Therefore it is important to ensure the protection of the integrity of biodiversity and to recognise the importance of wildlife corridors and sites of nature conservation importance. 18.3.36 The Green Infrastructure zoning may also include elements of blue infrastructure such as riparian zones and contiguous waterbodies such as rivers, streams and estuaries. Such waterbodies are also afforded protection through various other objectives in the plan. See Chapter 11 Water Management and Chapter 15 Biodiversity and Environment. Green Infrastructure zonings may also be included based on their requirement for current or future flood management such as conveyance or storage of flood water and to protect flood plains from inappropriate development. County Development Plan Objective ZU 18-13: Green Infrastructure Three subcategories of Green Infrastructure zonings have been identified to a) Retain and provide for open space and recreational amenities within Green Recreational (Open Spaces/ Park) areas; b) Retain and generally protect appropriate areas for their landscape, amenity or nature conservation value or their current or future flood management role, within Green Conservation (Landscape amenity/ nature conservation) area; and c) Retain and provide for active recreational facilities within Green Active (Active Open Space) areas. No development other than development which supports Green Infrastructure will be considered in these areas. Any proposals in Green Infrastructure areas will need to ensure the protection and enhancement of the integrity of biodiversity and to recognise the importance of wildlife corridors and sites of nature conservation and be in accordance with Article 10 of the Habitats Directive. Economy and Employment 18.3.37 The following objectives set out the appropriate uses in High Technology Campus Development, Business and General Employment and Industrial Areas. See Chapter 8 Economic Development. High Technology Campus Development (HT) 18.3.38 This zoning category replaces the previous category Enterprise zoning and while is similar it is considered that the new zoning High Technology Campus Development emphasises and focuses on the strategic nature of this zoning category. The purpose of the High Technology Campus Development zoning is to facilitate opportunities for major office, research and development and high technology/high technology manufacturing type employment in highly accessible and high quality built and landscaped campus style settings. This zoning relates to high value added businesses and corporate facilities that have extensive/specific land requirements. County Development Plan Objective ZU 18-14: High Technology Campus Development Promote and facilitate opportunities for the development of High Technology Campus Development Areas in appropriate locations, as the primary locations for the development of employment uses for major office, research and development and high technology/high technology manufacturing type employment in highly accessible campus style settings. These developments should be designed to the highest architectural and landscaping standards while promoting walking, cycling and public transport accessibility. The development of inappropriate uses, such as industry and retailing will not, normally, be encouraged. Non-retail general offices may be permitted in the County Metropolitan Cork Strategic Planning Area, Mallow and Clonakilty but will be discouraged in other Strategic Planning Areas unless, on a case-by-case basis, it can be demonstrated that suitable premises or sites are not available in town centres. Appropriate Uses in High Technology Campus Development Major office, research and development and high technology/high technology manufacturing type employment including software development, childcare facilities, information technology, telemarketing commercial research and development, data processing, and media associated activities. GO TO CONTENTS
- 402 Business and General Employment (B) 18.3.39 The purpose of the Business and General Employment zoning is to facilitate opportunities for a wide range of compatible business and general employment uses. Business and General Employment replaces the previous zoning Business. The compatibility of a particular use or operation will be dependent on the nature of the use/operations and surrounding uses in the area in which the development will be located. County Development Plan Objective ZU 18-15: Business and General Employment Areas Promote the development of New Business and General Employment Areas as the primary locations for the development of employment uses such as light industry, wholesale and non-retail trading uses, car showrooms and small/medium scale manufacturing/repairs/warehousing/distribution/logistics. Other uses that could be included in certain specific circumstances could include retail warehousing and office development not suited to town centre or edge of centre locations. Retail warehousing could be accommodated where the specific zoning objective allows. Uses specifically excluded from the business category would include waste management activities and general retail development. Appropriate Uses in Business and General Employment Areas Light industry wholesale and non-retail trading uses, car showrooms and small/medium scale manufacturing/ repairs/warehousing/distribution uses, logistics, incubator units, childcare facilities, fitting and business to business activity. Retail warehousing and office development where not suited to town centre or edge of centre locations (see objective above). Industrial Areas (I) 18.3.40 The purpose of this zoning is to facilitate opportunities for industrial and warehousing uses, activities and processes which would in general give rise to land use conflict if located within other zonings. County Development Plan Objective ZU 18-16: Industrial Areas Promote the development of industrial areas as the primary location for uses that include heavy industry, manufacturing, repairs, medium to large scale warehousing and distribution, biomedical, pharmaceutical, bioenergy plants, open storage, waste materials treatment, port related facilities and port related activities and recovery and transport operating centres. The development of inappropriate uses, such as office based industry and retailing will not normally be encouraged. Subject to local considerations, civic amenity sites and waste transfer stations may be suitable on industrial sites with warehousing and/or distribution uses. The provision of strategic large scale waste treatment facilities including waste to energy recovery facilities will be considered in ‘Industrial Areas’ designated as Strategic Employment Locations in this Plan subject to the requirements of National Policy, future Regional Waste Management Plans and the objectives set out in this Plan. Appropriate Uses in Industrial Areas Medium to large scale warehousing and distribution, bioenergy plants, open storage, recovery and transport operating centres, strategic large scale waste treatment facilities including waste to energy recovery facilities*(as per objective above), port facilities and port related activities, logistics, heavy industry, offices ancillary to permitted use, laboratories, food related industry, marine related development, general industry, civic amenity site, plant storage, sustainable energy installation, heavy vehicle park, fuel depot/fuel storage, telecommunication structures, biomedical, pharmaceutical, data centres, childcare facilities, commercial film studio facilities. Town Centres/Neighbourhood Centres (TC) 18.3.41 The need to maintain and build on the accessibility, vitality and viability of our existing town centres has shown to be even more important as part of the resilience of our settlement network to respond to changing circumstances. The focus of our town centres is to develop and consolidate with an appropriate mix of commercial, recreational, cultural, leisure and residential uses, and to enhance and develop the urban fabric of these centres in accordance with the principles of urban design, conservation and sustainable development. Retail provision will be in accordance with the Retail Strategy. See Chapter 9 Town Centres and Retail and Chapter 3 Settlements and Placemaking. GO TO CONTENTS
- 403 18.3.42 Another important element of our town centres is their role to deliver compact growth and contribute to the delivery of residential development. This will help to ensure activity levels in town centres stretch beyond normal business hours, to provide safer streets through passive surveillance and to focus on optimising the existing building stock. The recognition of our town centres to accommodate increased residential development has been highlighted in the Urban Capacity Studies carried out on a number of towns in the County, which has identified due to the vertical mix of uses still prevalent in our town centres that there are significant opportunities to introduce further compatible uses (residential or other uses) into the upper floors of the existing building stock. County Development Plan Objective ZU 18-17: Town Centres/ Neighbourhood Centres a) Promote the development of town centres and neighbourhood centres as the primary locations for retail and other uses that provide goods or services principally to visiting members of the public. The primary retail areas will form the main focus and preferred location for new retail development, appropriate to the scale and function of each centre and in accordance with the Retail Strategy. Residential development will also be encouraged particularly in mixed use developments while the use of upper floors of retail and commercial premises in town centres for residential use will in particular be encouraged. b) Recognise that where it is not possible to provide the form and scale of development that is required on a site within the core area, consideration can be given to sites on the edge of the core area based on sequential approach. Appropriate Uses in Town Centre/Neighbourhood Centres Retail, cultural uses, recreation uses, hotel, bed and breakfast, public houses, financial services, professional services, medical and healthcare services, leisure facilities, places of worship, residential, mixed residential, childcare facilities, education facilities, community facilities, civic uses, offices, public transport facilities, car parks, funeral homes. Utilities and Infrastructure (U) 18.3.43 In this Plan lands zoned for utilities and infrastructure uses are largely for operational requirements such as drainage, sanitation, emergency services, electricity, gas, telecommunications, and traffic management and maintenance purposes. New roads, walkways and cycleways are also included on zoning maps under this heading and it should be noted that such lines are indicative only and are subject to agreement with landowners and other considerations as appropriate. 18.3.44 Sometimes problems can arise in relation to adjoining uses that expect a high standard of amenity. To help prevent these situations arising, opportunities should be taken to help assimilate these uses into their surroundings through the treatment of boundaries and the landscaping of appropriate areas. County Development Plan Objective ZU 18-18: Utilities and Infrastructure Areas Promote the provision of development to meet the operational requirements of utilities and infrastructure operators. Appropriate Uses in Utilities and Infrastructure Areas Operational requirements of utilities and infrastructure operators such as drainage, sanitation, emergency services, electricity, gas, telecommunications and traffic management. New roads, walkways and cycleways. Agriculture (AG) 18.3.45 The purpose of this zoning is to provide for the development of agriculture by ensuring the retention of agricultural uses and protect the lands from undesirable development while providing a clear demarcation to the adjoining areas. These lands have been identified as having the potential to play a role in the delivery of future residential development in the period after 2028. County Development Plan Objective ZU 18-19: Agricultural Areas Conserve and protect agricultural land from undesirable development and non agricultural uses and to prevent premature development of agricultural land adjacent to development areas. Consideration may be given to Individual dwellings for permanent occupancy of established landowners and their immediate members subject to normal planning considerations. GO TO CONTENTS
- 404 Appropriate Uses in Agricultural Areas Agricultural development related to use of land for agricultural purposes, individual dwellings for permanent occupancy where appropriate. Special Policy Areas (X) 18.3.46 Special policy areas are those areas that do not conform to the primary land use categories and can be categorised as either opportunity sites for mixed land use development or areas which require specific policy to protect the unique characteristics of the particular area. These sites comprise of both greenfield and brownfield sites and are large scale, strategic or sometimes sensitive in nature (e.g. involving the conversion of historic buildings). Often these sites require the preparation of further guidance such as a master plan, design brief or action plan before any development proposals are made to the local authority and these should be subject to SEA and HDA screening where appropriate. County Development Plan Objective ZU 18-20: Special Policy Areas Recognise that there are a small number of sites within the urban areas of the County where the normal land use zoning requirements do not apply. These can be subdivided into 3 distinct categories namely: a) Areas suitable for mixed use development (both brownfield and greenfield sites) where the range of uses are outlined. b) Areas suitable for mixed use development where further study is required to guide the significant or strategic nature of the site. This will involve the preparation of a master plan, design brief or area action plan before any formal planning application is made for the development. These should be subject to SEA and HDA screening where appropriate. c) Areas which require specific policy guidance to protect the unique characteristics of that particular area. Community (C) 18.3.47 This section details the general land use categories and objectives for educational, civic land uses which apply to all settlements within the County. See Chapter 6 Social and Community. 18.3.48 Areas designated for educational, civic land uses generally include community related development including schools and colleges, residential healthcare facilities (e.g. hospitals), residential care and development for other community uses (e.g. club meeting facilities such as scout and guide halls). Often significant ancillary facilities such as staff accommodation and dedicated open space or sports facilities are included. 18.3.49 These uses can sometimes cause amenity problems for adjoining uses (e.g. the noise of 24 hour traffic going to and from a hospital might cause problems in an adjoining residential area). However, they are generally considered essential uses and require a reasonable degree of operational freedom to function properly. 18.3.50 The provision of cemeteries is included within the Community zoning category and Cork County Council also recognize that the requirements for new types of burial facilities including Green Burial Facilities/eco-cemeteries and other similar facilities may be required over the coming years and the Planning Authority will support the delivery of such facilities on their merits as and when the need arises subject to normal planning and development considerations. County Development Plan Objective ZU 18-21: Community Promote the provision of educational, community related and healthcare development including, where relevant, the provision of ancillary accommodation and facilities. Appropriate Uses in Community Areas Education facilities including schools and colleges, childcare facilities, healthcare facilities, residential healthcare facilities (e.g. hospitals), residential care, community related facilities e.g. club meeting facility such as a scout or guide halls, multiuse community facilities, ancillary facilities such as staff accommodation, cemeteries, sheltered housing. GO TO CONTENTS
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- 407 CHAPTER 19 IMPLEMENTATION AND DELIVERY Aim of Chapter To set out the Implementation and Delivery arrangements for the plan.
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- 409 CONTENTS Contents 19.1 Purpose of this Chapter 410 19.2 Plan Evaluation and Reporting 411 19.3 Environmental Monitoring 411 19.4 Changing Delivery Context 411 19.5 Deliverability Actors 411 19.6 Critical Infrastructure 411 19.7 Infrastructure Funding 413 19.8 Activation Mechanism 416 19.9 Monitoring the Implementation of this Plan 417
- 410 19.1 Purpose of this Chapter 19.1.1 Under the Planning and Development Acts 2000-2020, Cork County Council has a statutory obligation to secure the implementation of the Policy Objectives of the County Development Plan. Cork County Council is fully committed to implementing this Development Plan and the Council will actively undertake a leadership role to progress and secure the Development Plan Policy Objectives. 19.1.2 In providing this leadership role, the Council will foster a collaborative approach with citizens, stakeholders, sectoral interests, and adjoining authorities to achieve collective support and successful implementation of the Plan. The successful implementation of a significant number of the Policy Objectives of the Plan will necessitate on-going collaboration and a sense of common purpose across a range of agencies and stakeholders. 19.1.3 One of the critical aspects of this County Development Plan is to secure the timely delivery of both physical and social infrastructure when and where it is needed to support the growth and development proposed. Unless the provision of supporting infrastructure is properly planned at the outset, then much, if not all, of the development proposed is unsustainable. 19.1.4 In the past, failure to achieve a high degree of inter-agency coordination in the provision of infrastructure resulted in a variety of sub-optimal solutions. 19.1.5 Since the adoption of the 2017 Municipal District Local Area Plans, Cork County Council has established its Active Land Management Team. One of the main purposes of Active Land Management (ALM) is to understand the barriers that exist to the activation of the Council’s adopted statutory development land objectives, as well as to identify interventions that can assist all actors in the achievement of those objectives. 19.1.6 As part of its ALM activities, during 2019 Cork County Council undertook a significant analysis of its development land banks and the associated infrastructural needs. This work is on-going. 19.1.7 Furthermore, Cork County Council continues to engage on an ongoing basis with all stakeholders and actors in the community, business and development sectors. These interactions involve all Council Directorates and Municipal District Offices. 19.1.8 One of the formal engagements that is central to delivering the housing related objectives of the County Development Plan is the implementation of the Government’s vacant sites legislation, enacted in 2015. Cork County Council established its Vacant Sites Register in 2016 and continues to engage with all landowners to assist in the activation of the residential lands in their ownership. 19.1.9 The learnings arising from the above ALM activities, as well as arising from ongoing engagements with stakeholders by all Council Directorates, has provided Cork County Council with valuable insights into how best to achieve its County Development Plan Policy Objectives. Those insights have informed this chapter of the County Development Plan. 19.1.10 It is acknowledged that Policy Objectives often take a number of Plan cycles to be fully realised and as such this implementation chapter provides a first step towards assessing the value and quality of planning outcomes which will continue though successive County Development Plans. 19.1.11 The implementation and monitoring framework for the Plan is set out in Appendix H. The framework is aligned to the Vision for the County Development Plan and the five Development Plan Quality of Life Principles that underpin its delivery (see Chapter 1 Introduction). The five Development Plan Quality of Life Principles that underpin this Vision are themselves aligned with the Regional Strategic Outcomes of the RSES, the National Strategic Outcomes of the NPF, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 19.1.12 The implementation and monitoring framework categorise key Policy Objectives in terms of their contribution towards the achievement of the Development Plan Principles. Many of the Policy Objectives are multi-faceted and as such contribute to the achievement of multiple Development Plan Principles, which themselves are interrelated. Policy Objectives are assessed in terms of means of implementation and key performance indicators to monitor/evaluate the delivery of the Policy Objective. 19.1.13 It is noted that the intention of Policy Objectives is wide-ranging and as such the implementation and monitoring framework does not comprise a comprehensive list of all policies. While every effort has been made to formulate Policy Objectives in the Plan that are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Assignable, Realistic and Time-Related) it is acknowledged that not all Policy Objectives may be measured in easily identifiable quantitative values. Many Policy Objectives relate to development management processes which may be implemented through established internal processes and procedures. Other Policy Objectives may relate to criteria which are considered as part of multi-faceted decisionmaking processes which require the balancing of a range of Policy Objectives against site-specific circumstances. In addition, it is noted that many Policy Objectives are intended to facilitate and support an intended outcome, rather than act as a direct means of delivering the outcome. GO TO CONTENTS
Source Cork County Council: Cork County Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume One: Main Policy Material (2022–2028) · 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.