Development plan · Dublin City Council
Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume 1: Written Statement (as varied by Variations Nos. 1–11)
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards.
Dublin City Council · 2022–2028 · 696 pages
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- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 271 It is an Objective of Dublin City Council: SIO2 Wastewater Waste Treatment To have regard to the policies and objectives contained in Irish Water’s National Wastewater Sludge Management Plan (2016) and subsequent plans, and to support appropriate options for the extraction of energy and other resources from sewerage sludge. SIO3 Irish Water Conservation Measures To work with Irish Water to reduce leakage in accordance with any forthcoming Regional Water Conservation Strategy. 9.5.2 Urban Watercourses and Water Quality The Water Framework Directive (WFD) is environmental legislation which aims to protect and improve water quality in support of ecology and the attainment of good status in our rivers, lakes, groundwater and transitional coastal waters by 2027. The WFD’s good ecological status objective applies to Dublin’s estuaries, coastal areas and rivers Liffey, Tolka, Dodder, Camac, Santry and Mayne together with their sub-catchments. The City’s rivers are currently not achieving a ‘good ecological status’ as per the WFD. Data from the 2013-2018 monitoring period indicates that their WFD status ranges from ‘moderate’ to ‘poor’, while the status of the City’s transitional waterbodies ranges from ‘good’ to ‘moderate’ with its coastal waterbody being classed as ‘good’. Ireland is required to produce River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) under the WFD across three river basin planning cycles. The RBMP seeks to ensure WFD compliance through a catchment-based approach to the protection and enhancement of water quality, the shape and flow of water courses and their water-dependent ecosystems, improving their status and preventing their further deterioration. The 2018-2021 RBMP identifies activities and pressures on waterbodies nationally and sets out a programme of measures to address these at a more localised level. In Dublin City, pressures include contamination from surface water run-off; misconnections and urban waste water; culverting and other physical changes to historic river channels; and, increases in impervious surface cover due to urbanisation. The key risks to water quality arising from climate change are identified as the movement of pollutants following increased rainfall and flooding, together with reduced dilution of contaminants in water bodies at low flow. The Council has a role to play in co-ordinating and tracking the implementation of current, Draft and future 3rd cycle RBMP measures at regional and local level, and in making sure they are fully considered throughout the physical planning process to ensure alignment between the development plan, WFD and RBMP. It is anticipated that forthcoming Section 28 Guidance on WFD Assessment and Sustainable Urban Drainage will assist planning
- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 272 authorities in addressing these water quality considerations as part of the planning and development decision-making process. In the interim, regard will be had to the government’s best practice guidance document, Nature-based Solutions to the Management of Rainwater and Surface Water Runoff in Urban Areas (December 2021). The Council is currently examining the potential for strategic management, restoration, and enhancement of the City’s watercourses as a policy response to the WFD, the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act 1977 (as amended), the RBMP, and national urban renewal policies. The Council is exploring the potential of using green infrastructure and land-use management to mitigate pollution and address water quality and flood risk issues. For example, initiatives such as the Santry River Restoration and Greenway project use green infrastructure to manage and treat surface water run-off in order to protect water quality and improve the status of the river. Work is also underway on a Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS) to review and improve flood protection on the Camac River catchment, with opportunities for river corridor restoration being explored as part of this initiative. River Corridor Restoration River Corridor Restoration seeks to support the restoration of natural processes and historical functioning of a river as far as possible, thereby improving its water quality and ecology in line with the requirements of the WFD, RBMP and climate change adaptation. Providing more ‘room for the river’ is central to the concept. It is the objective of the Council to prepare river corridor restoration strategies for the City’s watercourses and to develop a long term, integrated and interdisciplinary approach to linking the restoration of the City’s rivers and tributaries to land use planning, urban regeneration, climate adaptation and the provision of ecosystem services such as flood management, habitat provision and pollution control. This will be done in co-operation with stakeholders including local communities, neighbouring local authorities, and government agencies (EPA, OPW, IFI, etc.). Forthcoming national guidance on nature-based sustainable urban drainage and WFD assessment of plans and projects will provide a strong policy basis for nature-based water management and will support the advancement of the Council’s River Restoration Strategies. In the interim, progressive restoration within river corridors is to be achieved by managing the nature and extent of development adjoining the City’s rivers by applying a recommended minimum setback distance from all rivers in line with Planning for Watercourses in the Urban Environment Guidance (2020) produced by Inland Fisheries Ireland and the River Hydromorphology Assessment Technique (RHAT) under the Water Framework Directive.
- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 273 A more extensive set-back distance based on a hydromorphological assessment may be required for larger scale sites along the River Camac, to safeguard the restoration integrity of specific river reaches. Development principles in relation to river restoration corridors are summarised in Figure 9-1. Figure 9-1: Development Principles within River Restoration Corridors In the longer term, the Council is seeking to prepare restoration strategies/ masterplans for the City’s rivers and to deliver river restoration projects on flagship sites and within designated Strategic Development and Regeneration Areas.
- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 274 It is the Policy of Dublin City Council: SI7 Water Quality Status To promote and maintain the achievement of at least good status in all water bodies in the City. SI8 Physical Condition of Waterbodies To promote the protection and improvement of the aquatic environment and water-dependent ecosystems through proactive discharge and emissions management, and through the enhancement of the physical condition of waterbodies. SI9 Groundwater Pollution To promote the progressive reduction of pollution of groundwater. SI10 Managing Development Within and Adjacent to River Corridors To require development proposals that are within or adjacent to river corridors in the City (excluding the Camac River) to provide for a minimum setback distance of 10-15m from the top of the river bank in order to create an appropriate riparian zone. The Council will support riparian zones greater than 10 metres depending on site-specific characteristics and where such zones can integrate with public/communal open space. SI11 Managing Development Within and Adjacent to Camac River Corridor To manage all development within and adjacent to the Camac River Corridor in a way that enhances the ecological functioning and water quality of the river and aligns with the principles for river restoration. All development shall provide for a minimum set-back distance of 10-25m from the top of the river bank depending on site characteristics. Large development sites in excess of 0.5ha should provide a minimum set-back of 25m from the top of the river bank where informed by a hydromorphological study.
- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 275 It is the Policy of Dublin City Council: SI12 River Restoration in Strategic Development and Regeneration Areas To provide opportunities for enhanced river corridors in the following Strategic Development and Regeneration Areas (SDRAs) in order to harness significant opportunities for river restoration where feasible: ▪ SDRA 1 Clongriffin/ Belmayne and Environs ▪ SDRA 3 Finglas Village Environs and Jamestown Lands ▪ SDRA 4 Park West/Cherry Orchard ▪ SDRA 5 Naas Road ▪ SDRA 6 Docklands ▪ SDRA 7 Heuston and Environs ▪ SDRA 9 Emmet Road ▪ SDRA 10 North East Inner City ▪ SDRA 16 Oscar Traynor Road It is an Objective of Dublin City Council: SIO4 River Basin Management Plan To implement the EU Water Framework Directive through the implementation of the appropriate River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures and individual river restoration strategies where available. SIO5 River Basin Management Plan To take into consideration the River Basin Management Plan and Programme of Measures when considering new development proposals. SIO6 Groundwater Protection To protect ground water resources in Dublin City and to implement the recommendations contained in any Groundwater Protection Scheme prepared under EU Ground Water Directives. SIO7 River Restoration Flagship Projects To support the delivery of flagship river restoration projects where restoration measures can be comprehensively implemented, including the Camac River Corridor. This will include opportunities arising from the regeneration/ development of strategic land banks.
- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 276 It is an Objective of Dublin City Council: SIO8 River Restoration Strategies/ Masterplans To prepare river-specific restoration strategies/ masterplans for the City’s rivers and their tributaries in order to create a comprehensive, collaborative and integrated catchment management planning approach to improving the river corridor which addresses water quality, flooding, hydromorphology, ecology, biodiversity, heritage, amenity and tourism. SIO9 Planning for Surface Water Management To undertake Surface Water Management Plans for each river catchment and as part of this, include a study of relevant zoned lands within the City in order to ensure that sufficient land is provided for nature-based surface water management, SuDS and green infrastructure. 9.5.3 Flood Management Flooding in Dublin City has been addressed to date through a variety of structural and nonstructural measures, including a range of investment programmes and a number of flood defence/ alleviation projects. Spatial planning and land use management have also had a key role to play with respect to flood risk management, in particular, in ensuring that future development avoids or minimises increases in flood risk. In line with current flood risk management practice, the City Council has increased co-ordination and capacity building and adopted a flood risk prevention (SFRA/ Flood Risk Management Guidelines as framework for forward planning and development management), protection (Flood Relief Schemes), preparedness (Flood Warning / Emergency Response) and resilience approach. The Council is currently examining ways to more effectively manage the potential impacts of climate change on flooding and flood risk in line with the Flood Risk Management Climate Change Sectoral Adaption Plan (2019). In response, the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) for the development plan has considered climate change and resultant increases in rainfall intensity, changed rainfall patterns, and increased risk from fluvial and coastal flooding. The Council is actively working to ensure the long term management of flood risk by implementing projects and programmes that align with the EU Floods Directive and WFD. The Council is also working in close partnership with the Office of Public Works (OPW), the lead organisation for flood risk management in Ireland, to deliver the objectives of the Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme for the major rivers and coastal areas of Dublin City. The CFRAM Studies generated several outputs including:
- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 277 ▪ Flood maps indicating modelled flood extents and flood zones for a range of flood events of annual exceedance probability (AEP) (fluvial and coastal). ▪ Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) to manage flood risk within the relevant river catchment. These comprehensive flood maps and FRMPs inform decision making for flood management and flood risk reduction and in turn, inform the approach taken to the City’s spatial planning, land use and development management. The resulting CFRAM flood maps, which identify areas at risk of flooding under current and future scenarios, and FRMPs, which identify specific flood relief schemes and projects designed to take account of potential future climate change impacts, have been incorporated into the SFRA that informed the preparation of the development plan. The SFRA has been prepared in accordance with the Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines (2009) to provide a broad (wide area) assessment of all types of flood risk to inform strategic land-use planning decisions. Natural flood risk mitigation or Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) such as integrated wetlands, enhanced green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, offer an alternative to traditional hard-engineered solutions such as flood defence walls. These systems play a role in climate adaptation and mitigation responses to achieve flood resilience by reducing and managing run-off from new developments to surface water drainage systems, minimising flood risk downstream, improving water quality and contributing to local amenities. In 2013, the OPW published the Irish Coastal Protection Strategy Study (ICPSS) which provided strategic coastal flood and erosion hazard maps for the national coastline. This was updated by the Irish Coastal Wave and Water Level Modelling Study (ICWWS) 2018, and the National Coastal Flood Hazard Mapping, 2021. These studies have informed local authority assessment of potential hazards associated with future development, have guided decision making on local coastal planning and development, and have facilitated the development of appropriate plans and strategies for the sustainable management of coastlines. Regard will also be had to the forthcoming recommendations of the government’s Inter-Departmental Group on Coastal Change Management. Whilst the ICPSS did not identify coastal erosion as a critical threat to Dublin City, the Council will continue to work with the OPW and other agencies on an integrated and precautionary approach to managing the projected impacts of coastal change (caused by increasing development pressures and erosion, sea level rise and increased storm frequency linked to climate change) on the City’s coastal communities, infrastructure, heritage and environment.
- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 278 It is the Policy of Dublin City Council: SI13 Minimising Flood Risk To minimise the flood risk in Dublin City from all other sources of flooding as far as is practicable, including fluvial, coastal, reservoirs and dams, the piped water system, and potential climate change impacts. SI14 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment To implement and comply fully with the recommendations of the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment prepared as part of the Dublin City Development Plan 2022-2028, including all measures to mitigate identified climate change and flood risks, including those recommended under Part 3 (Specific Flood Risk Assessment) of the Justification Tests, and to have regard to the Flood Risk Management Guidelines (2009), as revised by Circular PL 2/2014, when assessing planning applications and in the preparation of statutory and nonstatutory plans.
- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 279 It is the Policy of Dublin City Council: SI15 Site-Specific Flood Risk Assessment All development proposals shall carry out, to an appropriate level of detail, a Site-Specific Flood Risk Assessment (SSFRA) that shall demonstrate compliance with: ▪ The Planning System and Flood Risk Management, Guidelines for Planning Authorities, Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (2009), as revised by Circular PL 2/2014 and any future amendments, and the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) as prepared by this development plan. ▪ The application of the sequential approach, with avoidance of highly and less vulnerable development in areas at risk of flooding as a priority and/ or the provision of water compatible development only. Where the Justification Test for Plan Making and Development Management have been passed, the SSFRA will address all potential sources of flood risk and will consider residual risks including climate change and those associated with existing flood defences. The SSFRA will include sitespecific mitigation measures, flood-resilient design and construction, and any necessary management measures (the SFRA and Appendix B of the above mentioned national guidelines refer). Attention shall be given in the site-specific flood risk assessment to building design and creating a successful interface with the public realm through good design that addresses flood concerns but also maintains appealing functional streetscapes. Allowances for climate change shall be included in the SSFRA. ▪ On lands where the Justification Test for Plan Making has been passed and where a small proportion of the land is at significant risk of flooding, the sequential approach to development will be applied, and development will be limited to Minor Development (Section 5.28 of the Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines 2009) on the portion at significant risk of flooding. There will be a presumption against the granting of permission for highly or less vulnerable development which encroaches onto or results in the loss of the flood plain. Water compatible development only will be considered in such areas at risk of flooding which do not have existing development on them.
- Sustainable Environmental Infrastructure and Flood Risk | Chapter 9 280 It is the Policy of Dublin City Council: SI16 Site-Specific Flood Risk Assessment Proposals which may be classed as ‘minor development’, for example smallscale infill, extensions to houses and small-scale extensions to existing commercial and industrial enterprises in Flood Zone A or B, should be assessed in accordance with the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on the Planning System and Flood Risk Management and Technical Appendices (2009), as revised by Circular PL 2/2014 and any future amendments, with specific reference to Section 5.28 and in relation to the specific requirements of the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment. This will include an assessment of the impact of climate change and appropriate mitigation. The policy shall be not to increase the risk of flooding to the development or to third party lands, and to ensure risk to the development is managed. SI17 Catchment-Based Flood Risk Management Plans To assist the OPW in implementing catchment-based Flood Risk Management Plans for rivers, coastlines and estuaries in the Dublin City area, including planned investment measures for managing and reducing flood risk, and have regard to their provisions/ recommendations. SI18 Protection of Flood Alleviation Infrastructure To put in place adequate measures to protect the integrity of flood alleviation infrastructure in Dublin City and to ensure new developments or temporary removal of any flood alleviation asset does not increase flood risk, while ensuring that new flood alleviation infrastructure has due regard to nature conservation, natural assets, open space and amenity values, as well as potential climate change impacts. SI19 Provision and Upgrading of Flood Alleviation Assets To facilitate the provision of new, or the upgrading of existing, flood alleviation assets where necessary and in particular, the implementation of proposed flood alleviation schemes, on the Santry, Camac, Dodder, Wad, Naniken, Mayne, Tolka and Poddle rivers as well as Clontarf Promenade, Sandymount/ Promenade (northwards towards Irishtown Nature Park subject to the outcome of a flood/ environmental study), Liffey estuary and any other significant flood risk areas being progressed through the planning process to completion during the lifetime of the 2022-2028 Dublin City Development Plan, with due regard to the protection of natural heritage, built heritage and visual amenities, as well as potential climate change impacts.
Source Dublin City Council: Dublin City Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume 1: Written Statement (as varied by Variations Nos. 1–11) (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.