National Planning Framework
Project Ireland 2040: National Planning Framework
The original framework, replaced by the 2025 revision. Development plans adopted before 2025 were made under it.
Government of Ireland · February 2018 · 182 pages
Superseded Replaced by National Planning Framework: First Revision. It is kept because plans made while it was in force refer to it.
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- National Strategic Outcome 1 Compact Growth From an urban development perspective, we will need to deliver a greater proportion of residential development within existing built-up areas of our cities, towns and villages and ensuring that, when it comes to choosing a home, there are viable attractive alternatives available to people. Combined with a focus on infill development, integrated transport and promoting regeneration and revitalisation of urban areas, pursuing a compact growth policy at national, regional and local level will secure a more sustainable future for our settlements and for our communities. To secure the delivery of this objective, two tailored funding mechanisms will be established; Urban Regeneration and Development Fund; and Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. The purpose of the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund will be to achieve sustainable growth in Ireland’s five cities and other urban centres. Departments and local authorities will be invited to make joint competitive bids for seed funding that will leverage other public and private investment, based on proposals that meet some or all of the following criteria: Enable urban infill development that would not otherwise occur; Improve ‘liveability’ and quality of life, enabling greater densities of development to be achieved; Encourage economic development and job creation, by creating conditions to attract internationally mobile investment and opportunities for indigenous enterprise growth; Building on existing assets and capacity to create critical mass and scale for regional growth; Improve accessibility to and between centres of mass and scale and better integration with their surrounding areas; Ensure transition to more sustainable modes of travel (walking, cycling, public transport) and energy consumption (efficiency, renewables) within an urban context; Encourage labour mobility to support employment-led growth, including affordable housing, education/skills development and improved community and family services including childcare. Through the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund, sustainable growth in Ireland’s rural areas, and subject to the nature of the proposal, smaller urban centres (<10,000 population in 2016), will also be eligible for investment through bid-based proposals by Departments and local authorities, meeting some or all of the criteria below: Enhance the attractiveness, viability and vibrancy of smaller towns and villages and rural areas as a means of achieving more sustainable patterns and forms of development; Ensure transition to more sustainable modes of travel (walking, cycling, public transport) and energy consumption (efficiency, renewables) within smaller towns and villages and rural areas; Encourage and attract entrepreneurship and innovation in the context of the rural economy and its continuing sustainable diversification, particularly where low carbon outputs can be achieved; Cater for a niche or specialised development that is intrinsically required to be located in a rural setting and has wider benefits for the local rural and regional economy; Cross-boundary collaboration at county and regional level to achieve more sustainable outcomes for rural communities, e.g. applicable to shared settlements, landscapes and amenities as well as lands in state ownership; Enhance co-ordination of various funding streams for rural development that support the place- making polices of the National Planning Framework. National Strategic Outcomes As outlined earlier in Chapter 1, implementing the National Planning Framework will be focused on policies, actions and investment to deliver the 10 National Strategic Outcomes set out in more detail below. 139Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- National Strategic Outcome 2 Enhanced Regional Accessibility Building on a more compact approach to urban development requirements, enhancing connectivity between centres of population of scale will support the objectives of National Planning Framework. This will focus initially between Cork and Limerick. Better accessibility between the four cities and to the Northern and Western region will enable unrealised potential to be activated as well as better preparing for potential impacts from Brexit. Inter-Urban Roads Maintaining the strategic capacity and safety of the national roads network including planning for future capacity enhancements; Improving average journey times targeting an average inter-urban speed of 90kph; Enabling more effective traffic management within and around cities and re-allocation of inner city road-space in favour of bus-based public transport services and walking/cycling facilities; Advancing orbital traffic management solutions, including the Galway Ring Road and M8/N25/N40 Dunkettle Junction upgrade (approved) in Cork; Accessibility to the North-West Upgrading access to the North-West border area, utilising existing routes (N2/N14/A5); Upgrading northern sections of the N4 and N5 routes and sections of the N3/M3 national primary route; Progressive development of the Atlantic Economic Corridor from Galway northwards by upgrading sections of the N17 northwards, where required and upgrading the N15/N13 link. Public Transport To strengthen public transport connectivity between cities and large growth towns in Ireland and Northern Ireland with improved services and reliable journey times.Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 140
- National Strategic Outcome 3 Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities Through the 2017 Action Plan for Rural Development, resourced schemes and policies to drive the development and diversification of the rural economy, such as the national broadband scheme, are gathering pace. The Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will, combined with wider urban and village renewal, housing and community development initiatives, create a virtuous cycle of progressive planning for, investment in and economic diversification of our rural towns and villages, re-purposing them to meet the challenges of the future. Continued investment in the agri-food sector will underpin sustainable growth as set out in Food Wise 2025 and provide for the development of our Fisheries Harbour Centres and research infrastructure. There is scope for the enhancement of ongoing co-funded EU Programmes that support rural development, seafood development and afforestation. A strong start has also been made in the development of a national long-distance Greenway/ Blueway Network. Such a network, including rural walking, cycling and water-based recreation routes, as well as ‘peatways’, has demonstrated major potential to bring new life to regional and rural locations through the “win-win” scenario of increased tourism activity and healthier travel. Developing this network further will diversify our rural economy by embracing the potential for a major expansion in the demand for activity based tourism. Rural Development Implementation of the actions outlined in the Action Plan for Rural Development; Progressive development of rural broadband under the National Broadband Plan; Implementation of a targeted Rural Regeneration and Development Fund to enable opportunities to secure the rejuvenation and re-purposing of rural towns and villages weakened by the structural changes in rural economies and settlement patterns; Provide a quality nationwide communitybased public transport system in rural Ireland which responds to local needs under the Rural Transport Network and similar initiatives; Invest maintaining regional and local roads and strategic road improvement projects in rural areas to ensure access to critical services such as education, healthcare and employment; Invest in greenways, blueways and peatways as part of a nationally coordinated strategy; Ongoing investment in the agri-food sector to underpin the sustainable growth of the sector as set out in Food Wise 2025. 141Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- Sustainable Mobility The provision of a well-functioning, integrated public transport system, enhancing competitiveness, sustaining economic progress and enabling sustainable mobility choices for citizens, supports the overall Framework objectives. Dublin and other cities and major urban areas are too heavily dependent on road and private, mainly carbased, transport with the result that our roads are becoming more and more congested. The National Development Plan makes provision for investment in public transport and sustainable mobility solutions to progressively put in place a more sustainable alternative. For example, major electric rail public transport infrastructure identified in the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area to 2035, such as the Metro Link and DART Expansion projects as well as the BusConnects investment programme, will keep our capital and other key urban areas competitive. Our main intercity rail network also plays a key role in offering sustainable travel alternatives, offering the option of travel while working and broadening labour catchments, benefitting the international competitiveness of our major cities. There is further potential to develop the existing good quality rail links between Dublin and Belfast and Cork into an island rail spine through line speed and service enhancements. Public Transport Expand attractive public transport alternatives to car transport to reduce congestion and emissions and enable the transport sector to cater for the demands associated with longerterm population and employment growth in a sustainable manner through the following measures: Deliver the key public transport objectives of the Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area 2016-2035 by investing in projects such as New Metro Link, DART Expansion Programme, BusConnects in Dublin and key bus-based projects in the other cities and towns; Provide public transport infrastructure and services to meet the needs of smaller towns, villages and rural areas; and Develop a comprehensive network of safe cycling routes in metropolitan areas to address travel needs and to provide similar facilities in towns and villages where appropriate. National Strategic Outcome 4Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 142
- National Strategic Outcome 5 A Strong Economy Supported by Enterprise, Innovation and Skills A competitive, innovative and resilient regional enterprise base is essential to provide the jobs and employment opportunities for people to live and prosper in the regions. Achieving the ambitious projected target of an additional 660,000 people at work in the context of increased global uncertainty, Brexit and technological disruption underlines the importance of building competitive regional clusters and generating an uplift in enterprise export competitiveness to secure sustainable jobs and growth. Specifically, we want to achieve sustainable full employment and to bring unemployment rates down to within one percentage point48 of the national average in all regions and achieve regional productivity convergence so all regions are within ten percentage points of the average outside Dublin and international comparators. We will achieve this through: Supporting entrepreneurialism and building competitive clusters; Sustaining talent and boosting human capital in all regions; and Digital and data innovation. Supporting Entrepreneurialism and Building Competitive Clusters Supporting entrepreneurialism and building competitive clusterings in key sectors and activities through collaborative actions at regional and local level, by realising a significant uplift in the performance of indigenous enterprises in terms of innovation, export potential and productivity, supporting technology-led start-ups and by attracting further investment to the regions. Supporting entrepreneurship and technology-led start-ups and increasing their survival and growth rates, through expanded activities of the Local Enterprise Offices, EI and competitive calls for regional enterprise collaboration initiatives to provide competitive places for enterprise to grow at local level. Transforming firms in the regions for longterm success through a focus on productivity, innovation and internationalisation and building competitive regional clusters in manufacturing and services, with an enhanced role for Institutes of Technology in developing ‘Technology and Innovation Poles’ Promoting innovation and its diffusion, through support for firm-level innovation, developing research centres and gateways in key areas of relevance to the regions through SFI and EI, and ensuring our research system in the regions is internationally connected. Increasing the competitiveness of the business environment in the regions, through the Regional Action Plans for Jobs, Brexit specific responses for exposed sectors in the regions and regional enterprise competitive funding initiatives through EI and advance property solutions for new investment by IDA Ireland for inward investment and indigenous enterprise. Developing challenge-based Disruptive Technologies Initiatives to ensure that we stay at the forefront of technological innovation, market application and commercialisation and can spur the next generation of technology-led enterprises, drawing on R&D activities in the higher education sector and enterprise in the regions. Sustaining Talent and Boosting Human Capital in all Regions The development of human capital is central to Ireland’s success and our economic and social development. The availability of well-educated, skilled talent is a fundamental driver of national competitiveness at both national and regional level. The role which the further and higher education systems can play in catalysing and supporting economic and social development in local communities, in regions and nationally is recognised. Developing talent and skills takes place throughout the life cycle and through a variety of interventions. By providing initial education, skills training and lifelong learning, the skills base is created to attract and sustain employment and improve the attractiveness of places. In order to future proof our competitiveness, we must develop a skills base that will move Ireland to the forefront of digital and innovative activity. Access to new technologies, knowledge and skills is crucial if Ireland is to develop its value-added segments and knowledge-intensive products and services. Innovation policy, such as Innovation 2020, can also help boost human capital in all regions, provide direct and indirect support for private and public R&D and support collaboration between businesses and higher education to drive applied innovations and their commercialisation and diffusion at regional level. 143Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- The development of skills, talent and innovation capacity is a key strategic pillar for the NPF. Investment in building and sustaining skills, talent and innovation capacity will be prioritised to promote greater competitiveness and increase productivity at both national and regional levels through developing the skills base necessary to fully exploit digital technologies and sustain innovation and through greater alignment of research endeavour and human capital development between the education and enterprise sectors. Investment in student accommodation within our universities. Competitive research and innovation through the expansion, upgrade and refurbishment of HEI’s, support for multi campus technical universities with a strong regional focus and consolidation and modernisation of Further Education and Training (FET) provisions. Support regional development through continued investment in Education and Training to increase skills labour and supply on a regional basis. Digital and Data Innovation Data innovation is recognised as important for future growth. Harnessing the potential of the data economy can bring considerable benefits in terms of productivity, new services and knowledge creation. It is also recognised that emerging disruptive technology and innovation has the potential to accelerate the delivery of NPF National Strategic Outcomes. In the short term, opportunities provided by access to high quality broadband services will be fully exploited through the roll-out of the State intervention segment of the National Broadband Plan, delivering a step‐change in digital connectivity and ensuring that coverage extends to remoter areas including villages, rural areas and islands. In addition, Ireland is very attractive in terms of international digital connectivity, climatic factors and current and future renewable energy sources for the development of international digital infrastructures, such as data centres. This sector underpins Ireland’s international position as a location for ICT and creates added benefits in relation to establishing a threshold of demand for sustained development of renewable energy sources. There is also greater scope to recycle waste heat from data centres for productive use, which may be off-site. Developing the potential offered by connectivity and digitisation of rural areas and the better use of knowledge, for the benefit of inhabitants and businesses, is important. This can include e-literacy skills, access to e-health and other basic services, innovative solutions for environmental concerns, circular economy application to agricultural waste, promotion of local products supported by technology and ICT, implementing and taking full benefit of smart specialisation agri-food projects, tourism and cultural activities. Implementation of the National Broadband Plan. Enhancing international fibre communications links, including full interconnection between the fibre networks in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Promotion of Ireland as a sustainable international destination for ICT infrastructures such as data centres and associated economic activities. Promoting our cities as demonstrators of 5G information and communications technology.Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 144
- National Strategic Outcome 6 High-Quality International Connectivity As an island, the effectiveness of our airport and port connections to our nearest neighbours in the UK, the EU and the wider global context is vital to our survival, our competitiveness and our future prospects. Co-operation and joint development of cross-border areas such as the Dublin-Belfast corridor, North West, and central border areas are key to open up the potential of the island economy, post Brexit. The key ports and airports are State owned commercial entities with the capacity to raise their own finance. Hence, the need for Exchequer resourcing of the key strategic projects does not arise. Alignment of their plans with Government objectives including the National Development Plan, is achieved by their compliance with the Code of Practice for the Governance of State Bodies. The main airports including Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Ireland West - Knock, together with smaller regional airports, are a key infrastructure for national and regional development. Airports The development of additional runway and terminal facilities such as the second runway for Dublin Airport for which planning permission has been approved; Enhancing land-side access, particularly in public transport terms, such as through the Metro Link project in Dublin; and Careful land-use management of land-side areas to focus on the current and future needs of the airports. In terms of our port facilities, National Ports Policy and the national hierarchy or tiering of ports recognises the long-term international trend in ports and shipping towards increased consolidation of resources in order to achieve optimum efficiencies of scale. This has knock-on effects in terms of vessel size, the depths of water required at ports and the type and scale of port hinterland transport connections. Tier 1 ports account for 80% of national port freight traffic, are located within close proximity to Dublin, Cork and Limerick respectively and their role will be considered in tandem with long-term infrastructural requirements as part of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy and Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan processes detailed above. For example, the long-term sustainable development of our ports also requires strategic transport connections. Nationally, the following infrastructure objectives have been identified: Ports Improve land transport connections to the major ports including: Facilitating the growth of Dublin Port through greater efficiency, limited expansion into Dublin Harbour and improved road access, particularly to/from the southern port area; Enhancing road connectivity to Shannon-Foynes Port, including local by-passes; and Improving access to Ringaskiddy Port. 145Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- National Strategic Outcome 7 Attractive places include a combination of factors, including vitality and diversity of uses, ease of access to amenities and services supported by integrated transport systems and green modes of movement such as pedestrian and cycling facilities. Appealing places are also defined by their character, heritage and sense of community. This includes attractive buildings and street layouts, civic spaces and parks and regeneration of older areas and making places feel safe through active use and design. Amenities and Heritage Implementation of planning and transport strategies for the five cities and other urban areas will be progressed with a major focus on improving walking and cycling routes, including continuous greenway networks and targeted measures to enhance permeability and connectivity. The Rural and Urban Regeneration and Development Funds will support transformational public realm initiatives to give city and town centre areas back to citizens, encouraging greater city and town centre living, enhanced recreational spaces and attractiveness from a cultural, tourism and promotional perspective. We will conserve, manage and present our heritage for its intrinsic value and as a support to economic renewal and sustainable employment. Open up our heritage estates to public access, where possible. Invest in and enable access to recreational facilities, including trails networks, designed and delivered with a strong emphasis on conservation, allowing the protection and preservation of our most fragile environments and providing a wellbeing benefit for all. Enhanced Amenities and HeritageProject Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 146
- National Strategic Outcome 8 Transition to a Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Society New energy systems and transmission grids will be necessary for a more distributed, more renewables focused energy generation system, harnessing both the considerable on-shore and off-shore potential from energy sources such as wind, wave and solar and connecting the richest sources of that energy. State-owned commercial enterprises are significant players in the energy market, which is subject to an EU regulatory framework. Promotion of renewable energy is supported by policy in the form of a public service obligation levy. The diversification of our energy production systems away from fossil fuels and towards green energy such as wind, wave, solar and biomass, together with smart energy systems and the conversion of the built environment into both generator/consumer of energy and the electrification of transport fleets will require the progressive and strategic development of a different form of energy grid. The development of onshore and offshore renewable energy is critically dependent on the development of enabling infrastructure including grid facilities to bring the energy ashore and connect to major sources of energy demand. We also need to ensure more geographically focused renewables investment to minimise the amount of additional grid investment required, for example through co-location of renewables and grid connections. Ireland benefits from interconnection with the UK gas pipeline network and while there are two gas pipelines with two separate entry points into the island of Ireland, both pipelines are connected through a single facility in Moffat, Scotland. In addition, our gas storage capacity is limited, which poses a security of supply risk and constrains smoothing of seasonal fluctuation in gas prices. Green Energy Deliver 40% of our electricity needs from renewable sources by 2020 with a strategic aim to increase renewable deployment in line with EU targets and national policy objectives out to 2030 and beyond. It is expected that this increase in renewable deployment will lead to a greater diversity of renewable technologies in the mix. Reinforce the distribution and transmission network to facilitate planned growth and distribution of a more renewables focused source of energy across the major demand centres. Strengthen energy security and resilience to support an island population of 8 million people through effective north-south electricity grid interconnection as well as exploring other EU interconnection options in the longer term to 2040. Consideration of carbon neutral electricity generation that would be facilitated through harnessing carbon capture and storage (CCS). National Interconnector (Sub-sea Ring around Ireland) or other solutions offer the potential to connect Ireland to the EU electricity grid System. Roll-out of the National Smart Grid Plan enabling new connections, grid balancing, energy management and micro grid development. 147Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- National Strategic Outcome 9 Sustainable Management of Water and other Environmental Resources Investment in water services infrastructure is critical to the implementation of the National Development Plan. The current Water Services Strategic Plan by Irish Water will be updated in the light of the policies in the National Planning Framework addressing the requirements of future development, while also addressing environmental requirements such as obligations under EU Water Framework Directivemandated River Basin Management Plans. Many smaller towns and villages do not benefit from public water service networks, either in terms of water supply or wastewater treatment. While the Water Services Strategic Plan is beginning a new plan-led and collaborative investment approach, to support sustainable growth in rural towns and villages, the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund will bring together the combined potential of all relevant stakeholders in putting in place sustainable water services solutions to enable smaller towns and villages to progress and develop sustainably. Climate change will also have significant future effects on the availability of water sources and on the capacity of water bodies to assimilate wastewater discharges through lower water levels in rivers and lakes in longer and drier summer periods. The impact of climate change on the water cycle and the resultant impact on water services and flooding therefore need to be considered in settlement strategies. Water Coordinate EU Flood Directive and Water Framework Directive implementation and statutory plans across the planning hierarchy, including national guidance on the relationship between the planning system and river basin management. Local authorities, DHPLG, OPW and other relevant Departments and agencies working together to implement the recommendations of the CFRAM programme will ensure that flood risk management policies and infrastructure are progressively implemented; Eliminate untreated discharges from settlements in the short term, while planning strategically for long-term growth; Development of a new rural settlement investment approach, coordinating Irish Water, local authority, developer and communityled solutions to ensuring that sustainable water services solutions are progressively implemented; A new long-term water supply source for the Eastern and Midland Region, which includes the Dublin Water Supply Area (DWSA), is needed by the mid-2020s, to provide for projected growth up to 2050 and contribute to resilience and security of supply for the region. This requires infrastructure provision to be guided and prioritised in a manner that can benefit the greatest possible number of areas within the country; Implement the Greater Dublin Strategic Drainage Study, through enlarging capacity in existing wastewater treatment plants (Ringsend) and providing a new treatment plant in North County Dublin - known as the Greater Dublin Drainage (GDD) Project; Improve storm water infrastructure to improve sustainable drainage and reduce the risk of flooding in the urban environment; Increase compliance with the requirements of the Urban WW Directive from 39% today to 90% by the end of 2021, to 99% by 2027 and to 100% by 2040; Reduce leakage, minimising demand for capital investment.Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 148
Source Government of Ireland: Project Ireland 2040: National Planning Framework (February 2018) · 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.