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Superseded Replaced by National Planning Framework: First Revision.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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- Effective Waste Management Waste planning in Ireland is primarily informed by national waste management policies and regional waste management plans49. Planning for waste treatment requirements to 2040 will require: Additional sewage sludge treatment capacity and a standardised approach to managing waste water sludge and including options for the extraction of energy and other resources; Biological treatment and increased uptake in anaerobic digestion with safe outlets for bio stabilised residual waste; and Waste to energy facilities which treat the residual waste that cannot be recycled in a sustainable way delivering benefits such as electricity and heat production. Waste Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and the core strategies of MASPs and city and county development plans will support national and regional waste policy and efficient use of resources; District heating networks will be developed, where technically feasible and cost effective, to assist in meeting renewable heat targets and reduce Ireland’s GHG emissions; Development of necessary and appropriate hazardous waste management facilities to avoid the need for treatment elsewhere; Adequate capacity and systems to manage waste, including municipal and construction and demolition waste in an environmentally safe and sustainable manner and remediation of waste sites to mitigate appropriately the risk to environmental and human health. 149Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- National Strategic Outcome 10 Access to Quality Childcare, Education and Health Services Our childcare, education and health systems will need to plan ahead in order to meet the implications of an additional one million people by 2040. Education The provision of early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings, schools, colleges and universities will be critical in the spatial development of cities and regions. They will impact on individual and community development, quality of life, social cohesion, availability of amenities and will be important influencing factors in the areas of research and innovation, inward investment and access to labour markets. Given changes in future patterns of labour market participation, there will be a need for increased analysis of capital requirements to support investment in childcare in particular. Strategic planning of, and investment in, the provision of childcare, education and training remains central to reinforcing the delivery of sustainable communities, promoting inclusion and offering choice and accessibility to a high standard of education and employment. Planning for childcare, education and training infrastructure to meet increasing demand can be more effectively dealt with in the context of cross-government cooperation through a National Framework supported by strategic investment:- Education Provide additional investment in the schools sector to keep pace with demographic demand and to manage increasing building and site costs so that new and refurbished schools on welllocated sites within or close to existing built-up areas, can meet demographic growth and the diverse needs of local populations; Expand and consolidate third-level facilities at locations where this will further strengthen the capacity of those institutions to deliver the talent necessary to drive economic and social development in the regions. The consolidation of the DIT campus at Grangegorman is a critical flagship infrastructural project for the higher education sector; Investment in higher and further education and training will be a key driver of Ireland’s competitiveness. The development of programmes for life-long learning, especially in areas of education and training where skills gaps are identified by employers and the further and higher education and training system, working together through Regional Skills fora, in responding to the skills needs of their regions. Health The development of new healthcare facilities requires that consideration be given to the location, number, profile and needs of the population to ensure access to the most appropriate care, while also ensuring quality of care, particularly in relation to more complex acute hospital services. Nationally, the following are identified: Acute Hospital Services Delivering improved acute hospital services through the implementation of strategies and policies such as the National Maternity Strategy and the National Cancer Control Programme, and a wide range of programmes and projects including the following: The national paediatric model of care and, in particular, construction of the new National Children’s Hospital, associated satellite care units and the associated ICT infrastructure required to form Ireland’s first digital hospital; Implementation of the National Maternity strategy; this includes co-location of the National Maternity Hospital and other standalone maternity hospitals to acute hospital campuses and development, upgrading and remodelling of maternity services infrastructure; Building additional capacity designed for maximum effectiveness and targeted at enhancing ambulatory care and elective care, to reflect the scale of population growth and ageing, in line with identified service needs; Reconfiguration of acute services within hospital groups;Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 150
- Expansion of the Ambulance fleet and expanded ambulance bases to support prehospital care and timely access to critical services. As part of this, consideration will need to be given to how access to air support can be improved into the future; Implementation of the National Cancer Control Programme, including development of capital infrastructure for the delivery of cancer services, in particular medical oncology day units, aseptic compounding units, radiation oncology and equipment replacement; The National Plan for Radiation Oncology (Dublin, Cork and Galway) is essential to delivering on required radiation oncology capacity, with some current facilities nearing the end of their useful life; Investment in the designated cancer centres, including facilities, would include a goal of developing at least one comprehensive cancer centre as set out in the National Cancer Strategy launched in 2017. Healthcare Services in the Community Facilitating the transformation of healthcare delivery by investing in ICT infrastructure, to facilitate the flow of information across and within various care settings, and increasing the capacity of primary care, including: • Provision of primary care centres on a national basis to match population changes including new builds and refurbishments of existing buildings; and • Expansion of community diagnostics and minor surgery. Integrated Health and Social Care Services Facilitate the transition of people across services, providing multi-disciplinary care at the lowest level of complexity close to where people live. Focus on improving access to primary and community care services, including mental health, disability services, palliative care, services for older people, social inclusion and addiction support. Mental Health – A Vision for Change Development of the National Forensic Mental Health Services Hospital and a network of Intensive Care Rehabilitation Units. Replacement and provision of additional acute mental health units, residential accommodation and modern facilities for adults and children on a national basis. Enhanced infrastructure for community mental health teams. Disability Services Redevelopment of the National Rehabilitation Hospital and establishment of Disability Rehabilitation Centres across the country. Provision of Day Hospitals/Day care centres as part of Neuro strategy. Reconfiguration of existing residential care facilities and support people with disabilities to live more independently away from congregated settings. Building additional bed capacity for unmet need and demographic pressures for services. Provision of day services for young people leaving school and rehabilitative training, supporting the fit out and refurbishment of existing buildings. Services for Older People Replacement and upgrade of 90 Community Nursing Units and provision of additional step-down and long-stay accommodation. Development of community based housing with supports. Palliative Care programme. Additional capacity through long-term residential care beds to meet demographic needs and additional short-term beds to deliver an improved model of care for older persons. 151Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- 11.1 Environmental Assessment As part of the preparation of the National Planning Framework, a number of environmental assessments have been carried out. These include a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), an Appropriate Assessment (AA) and also a Strategic Flood Risk Appraisal (SFRA). These assessments have been undertaken so that the high-level impact of the proposed National Policy Objectives and National Strategic Outcomes on the environment can be evaluated and used to inform the direction of the NPF. This is to ensure that the growth strategy and national objectives and outcomes respond to the sensitivities and requirements of the wider natural environment i.e. the likely environmental consequences of decisions regarding the future accommodation of growth and development and how negative effects can be reduced, offset or avoided. Assessing Environmental Impact This is to ensure that the growth strategy and national objectives and outcomes respond to the sensitivities and requirements of the wider natural environmentProject Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 152
- 153 Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) The purpose of the SEA is to evaluate, at an early stage, the range of environmental consequences that may occur as a result of implementing the NPF and to give interested parties an opportunity to comment upon the perceived or actual environmental impacts of the proposal. The European Directive (2001/42/EC) on the Assessment of the Effects of Certain Plans and Programmes on the Environment (the SEA Directive), was transposed into national legislation in Ireland by the European Communities (Environmental Assessment of Certain Plans and Programmes) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 435/2004) and the Planning and Development (Strategic Environmental Assessment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 436/2004), as amended. As documented in the Directive, the purpose of SEA is “to provide for a high level of protection of the environment and to contribute to the integration of environmental considerations in the preparation and adoption of plans and programmes with a view to promoting sustainable development”. Through the SEA, environmental considerations have been integrated into the Framework by: Development and evaluation of alternatives; Assessment and refinement of National Policy Objectives (NPOs) and National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs); Recommendation of mitigation measures to address the potential impacts arising from the alternatives, NPOs and NSOs considered; and Additional supporting text to strengthen the commitments in the NPF to protection of the environment. 153Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- Appropriate Assessment (AA) Appropriate Assessment (AA) is a process for undertaking a comprehensive ecological impact assessment of a plan or project, examining its implications, on its own or in-combination with other plans and projects, on one or more European Sites in view of the site’s Conservation Objectives, as referred to in Article 6(3) of the EU Habitats Directive. Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, known as the Habitats Directive, obliges member states to designate Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) to protect and conserve habitats and species of importance in a European Union context. Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are designated under the Conservation of Wild Birds Directive (79/409/EC) as codified by Directive 2009/147/EC. Article 6 is one of the most important articles of the Habitats Directive in determining the relationship between conservation and site use. Article 6(3) requires that “Any plan or project not directly connected with or necessary to the conservation of a site but likely to have a significant effect thereon, either individually or in combination with other plans or projects, shall be subject to Appropriate Assessment (AA) of its implications for the site in view of the site’s conservation objectives.” The Habitats Directive has been transposed into Irish law by the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended) and the European Communities (Birds and Natural Habitats) Regulations 2011 (as amended). In the context of the draft NPF, the governing legislation is principally Regulation 27 of the Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations 2011, which sets out the duties of public authorities relating to nature conservation. Public authorities are obliged, when exercising their functions, to take appropriate steps to avoid the deterioration of natural habitats and the habitats of species in European Sites, as well as disturbance of species for which a site has been designated insofar as this disturbance could be significant in relation to the objectives of the Habitats Directive. A Natura Impact Statement (NIS) has been prepared in support of the AA process having regard for the legislative requirements of EU and national law. Public authorities are obliged, when exercising their functions, to take appropriate steps to avoid the deterioration of natural habitatsProject Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 154
- Strategic Flood Risk Assessment (SFRA) Increased flood risk as a result of land use planning has, above all else, been one of the most costly (environmental, social and economic) legacy issues of previous national, regional and local land use decisions. The policy objectives and outcomes identified in the NPF will both assist the legacy issue and future proof future plans such as the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies and County Development Plans developed under the NPF. The objective of SFRA is to ensure planning policy takes account of flood risk in catering for future growth and can address planning and infrastructural needs required to facilitate projected growth. The National Flood Policy of 2004 and the EU Floods Directive have been key drivers in how Ireland manages flood risk. The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) programme was developed in response to the requirements of these drivers and has both provided a comprehensive assessment of high flood risk areas and proposed plans to mitigate and reduce flood risk in Ireland. In parallel to the CFRAM programme, and to mitigate further inappropriate development in areas of high flood risk, the Planning System and Flood Risk Management Guidelines were published in 2009. The Flood Risk Guidelines are core to the development of the SFRA. This key guidance document introduces comprehensive mechanisms for the integration of land use and infrastructure planning with flood risk management best practice. The Guidelines introduce the concept of the ‘sequential approach’ whereby, at all levels of the planning process, the principle of avoiding areas of high flood risk is the first consideration, and should this not be practical, then the consideration of an alternative, less vulnerable land use should be proposed. Where avoidance or substitution is not possible, then a robust justification must be made, accompanied by sustainable mitigation measures, to ensure proposed development will not increase in flood risk both for the present day scenario or in the future, considering fully the predicted effects of climate change. Overlap of the SEA, AA and SFRA with the Ireland 2040 Framework The Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the National Planning Framework has been undertaken concurrently with the preparation of the Appropriate Assessment (AA) Natura Impact Statement (NIS). There is a degree of overlap between the requirements of the SEA and AA and in accordance with best practice, there was an integrated process of data sharing, including sharing of baseline data and mapping of European Sites, sharing of potential ecological effects of the NPF on European Sites and clarification on more technical aspects of the NPF. These processes have together informed and shaped the development of the Framework. The findings of the SFRA have also directly fed into the SEA Environmental Report and all three documents accompany the NPF. It is also noted that there are issues relevant to the Habitats Directive that are not strictly related to AA. In these cases, the issues have been brought forward to the biodiversity, flora and fauna sections of the SEA and have been addressed in that context as part of the wider environmental assessments informing the Framework. The NPF also provides an assessment of all types of flood risk within a national context and the assessment undertaken as part of the SEA process has had regard to the impacts identified in the SFRA. In preparing the NPF, an Environmental Sensitivity Mapping (ESM) tool was used in the SEA and environmental assessments. ESM is a method for identifying at a strategic level, environmentally sensitive areas and to help inform cumulative and in-combination effects on the environment. It also provides a visual overview of the relative sensitivity of areas, particularly where they overlap, in order to provide a more strategic and informed approach to planning. 155Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- 11.2 | Integrating Environmental Considerations into the Planning System The National Planning Framework is a strategic framework document which will be supported by a robust tiering of regional and local level plans within an overall hierarchy. As detail is developed down through the hierarchy, further opportunity for focused assessment will be required to inform decision making at a level of granularity which cannot be undertaken at the national scale. It is therefore important that where other strategies and plans undergo review or changes to reflect the national policy objectives and outcomes of the National Planning Framework, they should also consider any relevant environmental requirements. All investigative and feasibility studies to be carried out to support decision making in relation to this Framework should also include an environmental appraisal which considers the potential effects on the wider environment, including specifically, the Natura 2000 Network. At the project level, all applications for development consents for projects emanating from any policies that may give rise to likely significant effects on the environment will need to be accompanied by one or more of the following, as relevant: An Ecological Impact Assessment Report; Environmental Report; An Environmental Impact Assessment Report if deemed necessary under the relevant legislation(statutory document); Natura Impact Statement if deemed necessary under the relevant legislation (statutory document). National Policy Objective 75 Ensure that all plans, projects and activities requiring consent arising from the National Planning Framework are subject to the relevant environmental assessment requirements including SEA, EIA and AA as appropriate. SEA/AA SEA/AA SEA/AA NATIONAL PLANNING FRAMEWORK LOCAL AREA PLANS AREA BASED LOCAL DEVELOPMENT INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS DETAIL STRATEGIC REGIONAL SPATIAL & ECONOMIC STRATEGIES METRO AREA STRATEGIC PLANS LOCAL ECONOMIC & COMMUNITY PLANS COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLANS EIA/AA SEA/AA Figure 11.1 | SEA and AA within the Planning Hierarchy of the NPFProject Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 156
- Relationships between the National Planning Framework and other plans/ programmes Key policy areas such as maritime and land use spatial planning, climate change, renewable energy, flooding, agriculture, water and wastewater services, waste and conservation have been explored in terms of relationships and interactions with the NPF. For example, the SFRA for the Framework reinforces the key concepts of the precautionary principle and the sequential approach, and the connection with the National Climate Change Adaption Strategy and the EU Water Framework Directive. In recognition of the potential for transboundary effects with Northern Ireland, through coordinated spatial planning, the Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), which has responsibility for SEA in Northern Ireland, has also been consulted, together with the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure, as part of the Framework preparation. 11.3 Alternatives to Business as Usual- A New Way Forward A key challenge for the National Planning Framework has been to explore alternatives that can accommodate projected growth in the most optimal and sustainable manner that would achieve Ireland’s economic, social and environmental requirements. Given that the NPF is a high level framework, it has been important that options are strategic in nature and reside with the legal competence of the planmaking authority, in this instance the DHPLG, but also assisted and supported across Government. In addition, a key consideration has been to determine if the options or combination of options would be realistic (i.e. able to achieve the Framework’s objectives), reasonable (i.e. based on socio-economic evidence), viable (technically and financially feasible) and implementable (realisable within the NPF’s timeframe and resources). Six ‘macro-spatial’ options were considered as potential directions for the development of the NPF and each option has been assessed in relation to the environmental receptors. In summary, under the Business as Usual (BAU) scenario, development would be uncoordinated, perpetuate urban sprawl and would be negative in relation to Material Assets (MA). There would be no focused plan for development, which would not be co-ordinated with infrastructural service provision and, as such, there is potential for negative impacts across the environmental receptors through emissions and pollution to the natural environment. Uncoordinated urban sprawl would lead to increased over-reliance on the private motor vehicle and reduce justification for the provision of public transport services which would potentially have indirect negative impacts on Air Quality (AQ). In addition to BAU, options one to five all note the need for sequential provision of infrastructure and a level of infill development, some of which will be brownfield, of between 30-50% within the existing settlement area. The principal differences identified between Options 1 to 5 relate to the regional and settlement strategy approach. The preferred option is considered to be Option 2 – Regional Effectiveness & Settlement Diversity. This alternative is likely to achieve the maximum overall gain in relation to the Strategic Environmental Objectives (SEOs) in terms of maximising use of public transport thereby reducing transport related emissions, in tandem with facilitating higher densities in city areas, and focused, managed growth in supporting settlements, thereby improving regional connectivity and services outside of the cities. The preferred option acknowledges the economic importance of Dublin, while ensuring growth across the regions and in other urban centres. It will help ensure that there are no constraints on the growth of the cities, allowing regional centres to develop and prosper. It will also contribute to preserving a sense of place and improving regional connectivity and services outside of the cities. 157Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework
- 11.4 | Summary of Key Findings The National Planning Framework has highlighted the shortcomings of Business As Usual compared to the benefits of a new way forward. From an environmental perspective, the range of alternatives, including the preferred growth strategy set out in this Framework, are broadly positive, as they set out a strategy for the sustainable development of places in Ireland and how that can be achieved. In considering the broad direction for the framework, the ‘macro-spatial’ growth approach has been considered and the preferred approach is characterised as one displaying: regional parity for the EMRA in relation to the NWRA and SRA combined; regional concentration towards cities and potential for some regionally important larger settlements; a focus on contained growth and reduced sprawl by targeting infill lands, some of which will be brownfield sites, in existing built-up areas; and sequential provision of infrastructure with some strategic investment outcomes identified. The NPF growth strategy is supported by a series of National Policy Objectives and National Strategic Outcomes. These objectives and outcomes promote coordinated spatial planning, sustainable use of resources, protection of the environment and the Natura 2000 network, ensuring that environmental considerations have been integrated into the draft NPF. As the Framework is focused at a national and strategic level, the potential is generally not for direct or location impacts, but rather indirect impacts arising from the potential for development arising out of the various national policy objectives and outcomes. As part of an assessment of the Framework, the SEA Environmental Report, AA Natura Impact Statement and Strategic Flood Risk Assessment have proposed mitigation measures and text alterations to the draft Framework and those NPOs/NSOs which have been identified as having potential impacts on the receiving environment. These include appropriate siting of key development areas; contamination issues relating to brownfield development; carrying capacity of development lands in the wider environment; and increased disturbance in sensitive habitats as a result of redevelopment and/or intensification. In recognising these issues the Framework has responded with new and revised policies, outcomes and commitments to protect the environment. Much of the potential for impact to the environment can be avoided by the careful siting of development and infrastructure. In other cases a robust site selection process will be important to avoid impacts on European Sites in particular, and on the wider receiving environment. For example, a number of locations, in particular former dockland and port areas, have been identified as having potential for infill and brownfield development in order to prevent urban sprawl and the loss of greenfield lands. It is therefore important for Regional Assemblies, Local Authorities and other agencies to identify these lands and to establish the scale and nature of the challenge, particularly with regard to environmental impact, to ensure appropriate outcomes to facilitate delivery of the Framework infill targets as part of a wider contained growth strategy. Avoidance of unnecessary impacts is the preferred mitigation strategy for the National Planning Framework. As part of its wider implementation, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government will develop updated statutory planning guidelines to assist planning authorities in making sustainable planning decisions which fully integrate the relevant environmental requirements and support the delivery of National Policy Objectives of the Framework.Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 158
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.