Fingal Development Plan 2023–2029 – Written Statement (Consolidated)

1. Page 401

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   hERITAGE, CUlTURE AND ARTS 401FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 Objective HCAO63 – Naming of Residential Schemes Ensure that the naming of mixed residential and mixed-use schemes reflect local history, folklore and/or place names and are stated in the Irish language. Objective HCAO64 – Townland Names Encourage the use and promotion of historical and current townland names in the urban and rural environment in both the Irish and English languages, with a view to supporting the provision of townlands’ place names markers/signage. Objective HCAO65 – Shopfronts Actively support the use of the Irish language on shopfronts. Objective HCAO66 – Promotion of Irish Language Promote Irish language and traditional culture in Fingal and support events celebrating Irish as a living language and our cultural heritage. Objective HCAO67 – Irish Language Supports Continue to promote the established Coiste Gaeilge Comhairle Fhine Gall, a Fingal County Irish Language Committee, which encourages the use of the Irish language, the development of Seachtain na Gaeilge and promotes the use of Gaeilge on shop fronts. 10.11 Multi-Culturalism An increasingly diverse migrant population consisting of a range of nations, ethnicities, and religions has called Fingal home in recent decades. This adds a diversity and richness to our lived experience and worldview and is part of our evolving cultural heritage. The Migration and Diversity profile of Census 2016 indicates that 46,909 non-Irish people are resident in Fingal, comprising just over 16% of the population. Fingal County Council has appointed an Integration Officer to coordinate the goals of the Fingal Migrant Integration and Social Cohesion Strategy 2019–2024. Policy HCAP35 – Promotion of Multi-Culturalism Promote the County’s multi-cultural heritage. Policy HCAP36 – Language Heritage Promote and support the language heritage of new Irish/migrant communities within the County. Objective HCAO68 – Environment for Multi-Culturalism Establish an environment for promoting cross cultural awareness, racial harmony, mutual understanding and appreciation of all religious and ethnic traditions within the County, including development of public spaces with cross-cultural appeal and relevance.

2. Page 402

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   hERITAGE, CUlTURE AND ARTS 402FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 Objective HCAO69 – Migrant Integrations and Social Cohesion Strategy Implement the actions identified in Fingal’s Migrant Integration and Social Cohesion Strategy 2019–2024 or any subsequent strategies. 10.12 Arts Arts is defined by the Arts Act 2003 as, any creative or interpretive expression (whether traditional or contemporary) in whatever form, and including, in particular, visual arts, theatre, literature, music, dance, opera, film, circus and architecture and including any medium when used for those purposes. Allowing space for artists to work and live within Fingal is vital to maintaining a vibrant artistic community as part of the cultural life of the County. The Council through its Arts Office seeks to promote the cultural life of the County and increase accessibility to arts and culture facilities for all members of the community. Policy HCAP37 – Fingal Arts Plan 2019–2025 Support the implementation of the Fingal County Council Arts Plan 2019–2025 (and updates thereto) by facilitating and encouraging the provision of new or improved arts and cultural facilities within the County. Objective HCAO70 – Artist’s Spaces Develop and provide spaces for artist studios within Fingal and avail of opportunities for utilising underused buildings and local buildings with heritage value, to promote the expansion of cultural uses within existing spaces and communities, for artistic and cultural purposes. Objective HCAO71 – Inclusivity Support greater inclusivity as part of the cultural experience by supporting adaptation to existing facilities and support initiatives and investments in arts and cultural spaces that aim to promote increased cultural engagement for minority groups, people with disabilities, young people, socially excluded, members of the Travelling community and LGBTQ+ community members.

3. Page 403

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   hERITAGE, CUlTURE AND ARTS 403FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 Assemble – A Film Trilogy a public art commission by artist Anthony Haughey & the Global Migration Collective

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   hERITAGE, CUlTURE AND ARTS 404FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 11. INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTILITIES FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023–2029

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   INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTIlITIES 405FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 11.1 Introduction land-use planning, transportation and the provision of essential infrastructure are interdependent key components for the delivery of development and they require an integrated approach by all stakeholders. Fingal is committed to providing and delivering infrastructural services within its statutory remit, which will enhance the quality of the County’s environment and facilitate sustainable economic development and housing. The NPF acknowledges this inter-dependency and it is now a requirement that lands be serviced with adequate infrastructure or indeed be serviceable within the lifetime of the Development Plan, to be deemed appropriate to be zoned for development purposes. The policies and objectives in this chapter are intended to address a wide range of supporting infrastructure and services, including improvements in water services, water quality, the promotion of sustainable waste management in our transition to a circular economy, diversity in our energy supply and improved energy efficiency, enhanced digital connectivity and SMART technologies and a holistic approach to flood risk and surface water management, while safeguarding environmental quality and providing for climatic resilience. These policies and objectives will support the availability of quality infrastructure which is critical to productivity and competitiveness. The location and delivery of both regional and local infrastructure is necessary to ensure that Fingal’s Settlement Strategy is successful and that its economy can thrive as part of a wider city region. 11.2 Context The availability of infrastructure such as water, wastewater, surface water drainage, energy and telecommunication networks will play a key role in securing economic investment. Such infrastructure must be provided in a manner which ensures compliance with all relevant European, National and Regional legislation and frameworks and is considered critical by the Government for Ireland’s environmental and economic wellbeing. The provision of an adequate supply of water and wastewater facilities is crucial to facilitate and sustain the growth of Fingal and the greater Dublin area. Uisce Éireann (UÉ) has responsibility for the provision of water/ wastewater infrastructure and Fingal will continue to work with UÉ and the Regional Assembly to ensure that UÉ's Investment Plan fully aligns with Fingal's Settlement Strategy. Water supply for the wider Dublin area is at critical levels of demand at present and to facilitate further growth in line with NPF population growth projections, prioritisation of water supply investment should occur. Uisce Éireann has identified key projects for the Region which are included in Project Ireland 2040. It is essential that we have a resilient water supply to serve the existing population and for the additional 1 million people projected by 2040. Surface water management and flood prevention remain the responsibility of the Local Authorities and the OPW and Fingal County Council will continue to protect and enhance the County’s floodplains, wetlands and coastal areas supporting approaches to manage surface water that take account of water quantity (flooding), water quality (pollution), biodiversity (wildlife and plants) and amenity (Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS)). The amount of wastewater generated in greater Dublin is projected to increase

6. Page 406

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   INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTIlITIES 406FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 by over 50% in the period to 2050 and this needs to be addressed in the context of the upgrade of the Ringsend Wastewater Treatment plant and the need for additional national infrastructure such as the Greater Dublin Drainage Project. Successful waste management strategies and policies play an essential role in protecting public health, maintaining a high-quality environment and supporting sustainable development in Fingal and the wider eastern region. In managing our waste needs, we need to minimise waste going to landfill and maximise waste as a valuable resource, as we make the transition from a linear to a circular economy. A secure and resilient supply of energy is critical to a well-functioning region. Over-reliance on non-indigenous supplies of energy is still a major issue for Fingal and the Eastern Region. Energy generation and energy related activity in Fingal is likely to change significantly over the coming years as the move to a low carbon economy increases. In recent years, the Irish Government has prioritised the delivery and implementation of the EU Digital Agenda and Digital Single Market through development and implementation of the National Broadband Plan. Ireland ranks 5th out of 28 EU Member States (2022) in the European Commission Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) and Fingal’s Digital Strategy 2020–23 will continue to encourage and support communities and businesses to reap the full rewards of a digitally enabled society. Development Plan policy will continue to include measures to avoid, mitigate and minimise or promote the pro-active management of noise, engage with the EPA to monitor and improve air quality and have regard to data on artificial light and light pollution. 11.3 Opportunities While it is acknowledged that Fingal and the wider Greater Dublin Area faces a variety of infrastructural challenges, there are many opportunities for Fingal to meet the increased demand for high quality infrastructure and services in the area. The Ringsend Wastewater Treatment plant is currently being upgraded and when all the proposed works are complete in 2025, it can treat wastewater for up to 2.4 million population equivalent (PE). The GDDP is acknowledged as being another critical piece of national infrastructure and will secure the long term sustainable growth of Fingal and the Greater Dublin Area. The GDDP will assist Fingal County Council in delivering on its ambitious plans for the future development of the County, not just in terms of local spatial planning policy, but in also supporting the consolidation of the metropolitan area, sustainable population growth, economic prosperity and continued confidence for investors in the long term. Fingal County Council has recently prepared a SuDS Guidance Document – Green/Blue Infrastructure for Development (Appendix 11), which will guide applicants in the provision of SuDS for new development through the planning process and will promote and support the strategic planning of surface water management in Fingal. Increased flooding associated with climate change, rising sea levels and severe rainfall episodes require Fingal and the wider Dublin area to adapt our flood risk management response to address these events. The Council will continue to work with the OPW and Uisce Éireann and other statutory bodies to address the strategic planning and management of surface water to reduce run off, improve the drainage network and protect the water quality in our rivers, streams and coastal waters.

7. Page 407

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   INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTIlITIES 407FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029

8. Page 408

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   INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTIlITIES 408FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 The Council will continue to tackle issues that are contributing to Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions and will facilitate the delivery of numerous gas and electricity projects providing additional energy capacity across the County, in addition to upholding quality standards in respect of environmental safety, public lighting, air quality and noise management. In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, it will be necessary to diversify our energy production systems and increase measures for energy saving in the future, leading away from fossil fuels and towards green energy such as wind, wave, solar and biomass, together with smart energy systems and the electrification of transport fleets. Ireland’s energy sector will need to adapt to embrace a more diverse range of low, zero-carbon and renewable energy sources in order to provide for a more environmentally sustainable, stable and indigenous energy supply. Ireland’s direct linkages with other EU countries by both air and sea and subsea energy connections offers significant opportunities (particularly for transport and energy infrastructure), given their advantages in terms of resilience and ease of movement across internal borders, particularly given the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The provision of a good quality high speed broadband and telecommunications service is essential for supporting and attracting business and investment and we will continue to pursue opportunities to facilitate changes and advances in technology while also ensuring that the environment and visual amenities of the County are protected. The Council is committed to the continued development and improvement of the County’s digital infrastructure and services. The widespread availability of a high-quality ICT network within the County will be critical to the development of our economy while also supporting social development. The demand for super connectivity and the importance of secure and reliable communications networks will increase in the future and the transition to 5G use will require Local Authorities to play a greater role in supporting the rollout of digital connectivity infrastructure and telecoms networks. In June 2020, Balbriggan was chosen as Ireland’s first town to be named as a Smart District in a move that will put it at the cutting edge of smart projects to improve services, create jobs and build a better community. The Council will continue to investigate opportunities to enhance community life, support economic opportunities and drive innovation through a number of smart district projects. 11.4 Strategic Aims Fingal County Council will continue to identify and support the provision of key enabling infrastructure at strategic development sites in Fingal, as outlined in the MASP, to facilitate their release for development during the lifetime of the Development Plan and Fingal County Council will consult with all relevant public service providers to ensure that zoned lands are serviced in a timely fashion to facilitate opportunities for employment, enterprise creation and residential development. Fingal County Council will continue to support the principle of the circular economy on re-usables and water and waste reduction. Promoting and delivering more sustainable forms of water and waste management in Fingal in line with circular economy principles will be central to the overall approach of the Plan. Other key strategic aims include the following:

9. Page 409

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   INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTIlITIES 409FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 ¨ Fingal will continue to support Uisce Éireann's strategic water service projects and infrastructure improvements and engage to facilitate the timely delivery of the water services infrastructure necessary to support Fingal's settlement hierarchy, sustainable growth and mitigation and adaptation to climate change, in line with national and regional policy. Fingal will continue to support the implementation of the UÉ Water Services Strategic Plan, 2015 (and any subsequent plan) and key projects in order to maintain and improve existing services and service further growth. ¨ Ensure the implementation of water conservation and SuDS measures to reduce the level of surface water run-off, improve water quality and contribute to adaptation to climate change through natural solutions and continue to support initiatives to improve water quality and to achieve ‘good ecological’ status in compliance with the Water Framework Directive and associated River Basin Management Plans, particularly those which employ nature-based management measures. ¨ Our transition towards a circular economy is already underway, with many businesses, consumers and public authorities in Europe embracing this sustainable model through the adoption of a new Circular Economy Action Plan – one of the main building blocks of the European Green Deal, Europe’s new agenda for sustainable growth. The Council will continue to support and promote Government policy on eliminating landfill, reducing the amount of waste produced and maximising waste as a source of products and renewable energy and will prioritise waste prevention, re-use, recycling and recovery over the disposal of waste. In accordance with the Eastern and Midlands Region Waste Management Plan 2015–2021 (EMRWMP) (and any future National Waste Management Plan), the waste management policies and objectives included in this chapter will support a move towards achieving a ‘circular economy’ which is essential if Fingal and the wider Eastern Region is to make better use of resources and become more resource efficient. ¨ Facilitate and promote the development of energy networks to facilitate sustainable growth and economic development and support the transition to alternative, renewable, decarbonised and decentralised energy sources, technologies and infrastructure. The Council will continue to support the development of a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity and encourage the development of enhanced electricity networks, facilitating new transmission infrastructure projects under EirGrid’s Grid Development Strategy. Projects to reduce energy use must also be prioritised, which could encompass both individual and community changes in energy habits and leverage new technologies via Smart Grids and Smart Cities. This can significantly improve the efficiency and quality of complex systems such as electricity, water, waste, energy and transport services, thereby reducing their costs while contributing to the ‘green economy’.

10. Page 410

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    INFRASTRUCTURE AND UTIlITIES 410FINGAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2023-2029 ¨ The RSES supports actions to strengthen communications links to develop a stable, innovative and secure digital communications and services infrastructure on an all-island basis. This is a fast-moving and evolving infrastructure and we need to be able to respond and adapt to future communications networks and technology along with changing work practices (such as more people working from home) and emerging economic models. Fingal is committed to the continued development and improvement of the County’s digital infrastructure and services. The widespread availability of a high-quality ICT network within the County will be critical to the development of Fingal’s economy whilst also supporting social development. ¨ Continue to work proactively with the EPA to monitor and improve air quality in Fingal and support the proactive management, monitoring and mitigation of noise pollution and support the Noise Action Plan for the County of Fingal 2019–2023 and the Environmental Noise Action Plan for the Dublin Agglomeration 2018–23 and any subsequent plans. 11.5 Water Services Policies and Objectives 11.5.1 Water Supply and Wastewater Water services are key considerations when Fingal is determining the Core Strategy, population growth and settlement hierarchy. It also has a key role in the economic development of the County as both inward investment and employment opportunities are attracted to high quality water service systems, which increases Fingal’s attractiveness as a place to do business. Investment in water and wastewater infrastructure must be coordinated as part of the overall planning process to ensure the efficient provision of services and to support future development. The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive and the Drinking Water Directive set out the required standards for wastewater and water supply respectively and have been transposed into Irish legislation through Regulations. National policy for the delivery and development of water and wastewater services is set out in the Water Services Policy Statement 2018 – 2025 (WSPS, 2018), which highlights key objectives for the delivery of water and wastewater services up to 2025. Uisce Éireann in its role as a prescribed body guides Planning Authorities in relation to water services through its recommendations on planning applications and on statutory development plans. UÉ is responsible for the provision of public water services and the management of water supply and wastewater investment. The sustainable management of water is provided for through capital investment in water services provision under the UÉ Water Services Strategic Plan (WSSP) 2015 and related Capital Investment Plans and Programmes. The provision of an adequate supply of water and wastewater facilities is crucial to facilitate and sustain the growth of Fingal and the greater Dublin area and we will continue to work with UÉ and the Regional Assembly to ensure that UÉ’s Investment Plan fully aligns with Fingal’s Settlement Strategy.

Source Fingal County Council: Fingal Development Plan 2023–2029 – Written Statement (Consolidated) (2023–2029) · 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.