National Planning Framework
National Planning Framework: First Revision
The national planning strategy to 2040, as revised in April 2025: where growth goes, and the national policy objectives regional and local plans must be consistent with.
Government of Ireland · April 2025 · 195 pages
Ask this document
Answers come only from the text of National Planning Framework: First Revision, each claim linked to its page. They are not advice; check the page itself.
Free, with a daily limit.
- gov.ie April 2025 National Planning Framework First Revision National Planning Framework
- The National Planning Framework (NPF) is the Government’s highlevel strategic plan for shaping the future growth and development of our country out to the year 2040.
- 1 The Vision 2 2 A New Way Forward 14 3 Effective Regional Development 24 4 Making Stronger Urban Places 48 5 Planning for Diverse Rural Places 62 6 People, Homes and Communities 78 7 Realising our Island and Marine Potential 96 8 Working with Our Neighbours 106 9 Climate Transition and Our Environment 122 10 Implementing the National Planning Framework 148 Appendix 1 174 Appendix 2 187 Contents
- The Vision 1 The National Planning Framework (NPF) is the Government’s high-level strategic plan for shaping the future growth and development of our country out to the year 2040. Page 2 | National Planning Framework First Revision
- 1.1 Setting out the Vision The National Planning Framework (NPF) is the Government’s high-level strategic plan for shaping the future growth and development of our country out to the year 2040. The National Planning Framework (NPF), published in 2018, replaced the National Spatial Strategy as the overall spatial planning and development strategy for Ireland. Planning legislation provides for the Government to revise or replace the NPF every six years. Following a decision of Government in June 2023, the preparation of a revised National Planning Framework commenced. This Framework is revised and updated to take account of changes that have occurred since it was published in 2018 and to build on the framework that is in place. It is a framework to guide public and private investment, to create and promote opportunities for our people, and to protect and enhance our environment - from our villages to our cities, and everything around and in between. In the period between 2022 and 2040 it is expected that there will be roughly an extra one million people living in our country. This population growth will require new jobs and new homes. If we fail to plan for this growth and for the demands it will place on our built and natural environment, as well as on our social and economic fabric, then we will certainly fail in our responsibility to future generations of Irish men and Irish women. That responsibility is to ensure their prosperity and happiness in an ever changing world. Given both the scale of the challenge and the time horizon involved, the National Planning Framework is by necessity a framework document; it cannot determine every detail now, as to do so would limit our flexibility to adapt as circumstances change, as well as our ambition in the face of such change. In that regard, references to specific projects including infrastructure in this document are cited as examples and should not be taken to be a definitive list of such projects, which are contained in the National Development Plan and other publications. As a framework document it sets in train a process by which more detailed planning documents must follow: spatial planning, infrastructure planning, social and economic planning. It also outlines certain principles that these plans will have to follow, for example around sustainability, creativity and community. Too often in the past our policies and actions have sought to elevate one idea over another; they have even in some instances pitted one area against the other. Our ambition is to create a single vision, a shared set of goals for every community across the country. These goals are expressed in this Framework as National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs). They are our shared successes which we believe this plan will deliver. 1.2 Making the Vision a Reality We set about achieving our vision by: developing a region-focused strategy for managing growth; linking this to the Project Ireland 2040 National Development Plan; using public and private lands for certain strategic purposes with a more active approach to the management of land; supporting this with strengthened, more environmentally focused planning at local level; and backing the framework up in law, with oversight by the Office of the Planning Regulator; in the overall context of Ireland’s existing international and EU obligations and commitments. A Strategy for Managing Growth From an administrative and planning point of view, Ireland is divided into three regions: the Northern and Western, Southern, and Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly areas. We need to continue to manage more balanced growth between these three regions because Dublin, and to a lesser extent the wider Eastern and Midland area, has witnessed the biggest concentration of population, homes and jobs growth. To allow Dublin to grow at a sustainable pace and to ensure that the potential of all areas is realised, we cannot let this continue unchecked and so our aim is to see a roughly 50:50 distribution of future growth between the Eastern and Midland region, and the Southern and Northern and Western regions combined. More balanced growth also means more concentrated growth. We have five cities in Ireland today in terms of population size (>50,000 people): Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. In our plan we are targeting these five cities for 50% of overall national growth between them, with Ireland’s large and smaller towns, villages and rural areas accommodating the other 50% of growth. Of course, our five cities are not evenly distributed across our three regions. The Northern and Western region, as well as part of the Midlands, are located beyond the hinterland of cities. As such, Sligo and Athlone fulfil regional roles to a greater extent than elsewhere. Furthermore, our close relationship with Northern Ireland must be taken into account by recognising the key links between Letterkenny and Derry, and Drogheda- Dundalk-Newry. National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 3
- The major policy emphasis on renewing and developing existing settlements established under the NPF 2018 will be continued, rather than allowing the continual expansion and sprawl of cities and towns out into the countryside, at the expense of town centres and smaller villages. The target is for at least 40% of all new housing to be delivered within the existing built-up areas of cities, towns and villages on infill and/or brownfield sites. The rest of our homes will continue to be delivered at the edge of settlements and in rural areas. National Development Plan The National Planning Framework and the National Development Plan published together in 2018 will continue to align and form a single vision for Ireland under Project Ireland 2040. The implementation of the National Planning Framework will continue to be fully supported by the Government’s investment strategy for public capital investment and investment by the State sector in general, with the National Development Plan (NDP) detailing key projects that will make our plans a reality. As part of this investment, the Urban and Rural Regeneration and Development Funds have been established to drive and support the aims of the National Planning Framework, for both urban and rural areas. These Funds support the key principles of strategic growth and renewal across our communities. The separate rural and urban strands mean that places like Newcastle West do not compete for funding with Limerick City, to give one example. Using State Lands for Strategic Purposes The State, through local authorities, Government Departments and agencies and State companies, owns key parts of our cities and towns. The development of these lands will play a vital role in re- imagining and reshaping those urban areas, providing the homes, places of work, recreation and biodiversity that we need. In the context of the overall management of the development potential of State lands to support implementation of the National Planning Framework, the Land Development Agency has been established to work with local authorities, public bodies and the business community, to harness public lands as catalysts to stimulate regeneration and wider investment. 1 Emissions per capita decreased from 12.4 tonnes CO2eq/person in 2021 to 11.9 tonnes CO2eq/person in 2022. Ireland’s average tonnes of GHG/capita over the last ten years were 12.7 tonnes. Source: EPA In addition, the ongoing reform of planning and development legislation includes targeted land activation and land management provisions aimed at ensuring that the potential for urban development and regeneration in the built-up area of cities and towns can be harnessed. Strengthened and more Environmentally Focused Planning at Local Level The future planning and development of our communities at local level is being refocused to tackle Ireland’s higher than average carbon-intensity per capita1 and enable a national transition to a competitive low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050, through harnessing our country’s prodigious renewable energy potential. The NPF provides for more strategic and coordinated planning of cities and large towns across local authority boundaries, including statutorily backed Metropolitan Area Strategic Plans in the five cities of Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Waterford. A new streamlined and integrated planning process has been introduced to more effectively manage our marine areas and land-sea interface to double the economic value we gain from our ocean wealth by 2030, and by more beyond that. Backed by Legislation and an Independent Office of the Planning Regulator The National Planning Framework has full legislative support within the planning system, including provisions for regular review and update, to reflect changing circumstances and make adjustments where necessary. For each of the three regions, the National Planning Framework has been incorporated into Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies (RSESs) in 2019 and 2020. The RSESs will be reviewed to be consistent with the revised National Planning Framework. County and City Development Plan review cycles will then fall in to line with their respective regional strategies, ensuring that the shared vision is carried through to the local planning level. The planning legislation underpinning the National Planning Framework also led to the creation of an independent Office of the Planning Regulator (OPR) in 2019, which is responsible for monitoring implementation of the NPF. Page 4 | National Planning Framework First Revision
- National Planning Framework and its National Strategic Outcomes and Priorities of the National Development Plan National Strategic Outcomes 4. High-Quality International Connectivity 8. Transition to a Carbon Neutral and Climate Resilient Society 10. Access to Quality Childcare, Education and Health Services 9. Sustainable Management of Environmental Resources 6. A Strong Economy supported by Enterprise, Innovation and Skills 5. Sustainable Mobility 1. Compact Growth 2. Enhanced Regional Accessibility 3. Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities 7. Enhanced Amenity and Heritage Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Rural Development Environmentally Sustainable Public Transport Airports and Ports Water Services Infrastructure National Road Network Enterprise, Skills and Innovation Capacity Culture, Heritage and Sport Climate Action Education, Health and Childcare 2 1 3 8 5 7 10 9 4 6 Strategic Investment Priorities National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 5
- 1.3 Shared Goals – Our National Strategic Outcomes Our ambition is to create a single vision, a shared set of goals for every community across the country. These goals are expressed in this Framework as National Strategic Outcomes. They are the shared benefits which we believe this plan will deliver if implemented according to the objectives above. Compact Growth Carefully managing the sustainable growth of compact cities, towns and villages will add value and create more attractive places in which people can live and work. All our urban settlements contain many potential development areas, centrally located and frequently publicly owned, that are suitable and capable of re-use to provide housing, jobs, amenities and services, but which need a streamlined and co-ordinated approach to their development, with investment in enabling infrastructure and supporting amenities, to realise their potential. Activating these strategic areas and achieving effective density and consolidation, rather than more sprawl of urban development, is a top priority. Enhanced Regional Accessibility A co-priority is to enhance accessibility between key urban centres of population and their regions. This means ensuring that all regions and urban areas in the country have a high degree of accessibility to Dublin, as well as to each other. Not every route has to look east and so accessibility and connectivity between places like Cork and Limerick, to give one example, and through the Atlantic Economic Corridor to Galway as well as access to the North-West is essential. Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities Rural areas play a key role in defining our identity, in driving our economy and our highquality environment and must be a major part of our country’s strategic development to 2040. In addition to the natural resource and food sector potential as traditional pillars of the rural economy, improved connectivity, broadband and rural economic development opportunities are emerging which offer the potential to ensure our countryside remains and strengthens as a living and working community. High-Quality International Connectivity Crucial for overall international competitiveness, this will be achieved through key investments in our ports and airports in line with sectoral priorities already defined through National Ports Policy and National Aviation Policy and signature projects such as the Port of Cork - Ringaskiddy Redevelopment and planned investments at Dublin Airport, Dublin Port and Shannon Foynes. Sustainable Mobility In line with Ireland’s Climate Action Plan 2024 and National Sustainable Mobility Policy, we need to progressively change the way we travel, by reducing our car usage to the extent possible, and increasing the number of journeys taken by sustainable modes of transport, namely walking, cycling and public shared transport. As well as significantly increasing the modal share of sustainable transport, we need to ensure that where car transport is required, this travel is increasingly taken by electric vehicle. Therefore, there is a need to complement these measures by increasing the proportion of electric vehicles (EVs) in our car fleet to 30% by 2030 which will improve the efficiency of the national car fleet, and to electrify our mobility systems for public transport fleets. By doing this, our cities and towns will enjoy a cleaner, quieter environment free of engine driven transport systems by 2040. Zero Emission Vehicles Ireland, an office of the Department of Transport, has developed an EV infrastructure strategy and associated infrastructure plans. ZEVI is working with TII and Local Authorities to facilitate and coordinate the roll out of a national EV charging infrastructure to support the transition to electric vehicles. Similarly, for freight transport, the transition to zero emission vehicle technologies is a key policy priority but for heavier vehicles the full transition of the fleet is expected to take somewhat longer to achieve than for other vehicle types. As a result, other measures which may reduce the environmental impact of freight movements should be progressed e.g. digital and operational efficiencies, load consolidation, last mile green delivery etc. The growth in population, housing and other development planned for in this framework mean that strategic planning for freight and for freight intensive developments will also be required. ZEVI is working with TII and Local Authorities to facilitate and coordinate the roll out of a national EV charging infrastructure to support the transition to electric vehicles. Page 6 | National Planning Framework First Revision
- A Strong Economy, supported by Enterprise, Innovation and Skills This will depend on creating places that can foster enterprise and innovation and attract investment and talent. It can be achieved by building regional economic drivers, by recognising and supporting enterprise specialisations and clusters which can drive economic activity in each region by strengthening linkages between companies of different sizes and stages of development, regionally, nationally and across the island and by supporting opportunities to diversify and strengthen the rural economy. Delivering this outcome will require the coordination of growth and place making with investment in world class infrastructure, including digital connectivity, and in skills and talent to support economic competitiveness and enterprise growth. Enhanced Amenities and Heritage This will ensure that our cities, towns and villages are attractive and can offer a good quality of life. It will require investment in well-designed public realm, which includes public spaces, parks and streets, as well as recreational infrastructure. It also includes amenities in rural areas, such as national and forest parks, activity-based tourism and trails such as greenways, blueways and peatways. This is linked to and must integrate with our built, cultural and natural heritage, which has intrinsic value in defining the character of urban and rural areas and adding to their attractiveness and sense of place. Transition to a Carbon Neutral and Climate Resilient Society The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act was enacted in 2021 with a commitment to a legally binding target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% and increase the share of electricity generated from renewable sources to 80% over the decade (2021 – 2030), and to achieve netzero emissions no later than 20502. This objective will shape investment choices over the coming decades in line with the National Climate Action Plan 2024 and the National Adaptation Framework. New energy systems and transmission grids will be necessary for a more distributed, 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 to the major sources of demand. 2 Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021 Sustainable Management of Environmental Resources Ireland has abundant natural and environmental resources such as our water sources that are critical to our environmental and economic well- being into the future. Conserving and enhancing the quality of these resources will also become more important in a crowded and competitive world as well as our capacity to create beneficial uses from products previously considered as waste, creating circular economic benefits. Access to Quality Childcare, Education and Health Services Good access to a range of quality education and health services, relative to the scale of a region, city, town, neighbourhood or community is a defining characteristic of attractive, successful and competitive places. Compact, smart growth in urban areas and strong and stable rural communities will enable the enhanced and effective provision of a range of accessible services. National Planning Framework First Revision | Page 7
- 1.4 What Happens If We Do Nothing? 3 The Government decided to review the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) in 2013 and asked an Expert Group to offer views on how the revised Strategy might be approached. Learning from the Past – the 2002 National Spatial Strategy The National Spatial Strategy (NSS) was published in 2002 as a 20-year spatial plan to guide and direct future development and investment. Much of the focus on the document was on which cities and towns were designated as ‘gateways’ or ‘hubs’ to drive growth and build scale in their surrounding regions and localities. This gave rise to a perception of ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ that undermined the objectives that the NSS was seeking to achieve. The NSS was not a statutory plan with legislative backing and while it did influence the 2007-2013 National Development Plan, the subsequent economic conditions from 2008 onwards substantially undermined Ireland’s economic capacity to implement the NSS. The report of an Expert Group that reviewed the NSS in 20143 advised that: “While Dublin is at the forefront of international competition for mobile, inward investment, the potential of other locations must be harnessed; As the expertise that is needed to compete successfully internationally, together with supporting services and the increasingly important cultural offering, tends to concentrate in major urban centres, each part of Ireland needs to provide the opportunity for focused development; Without this focus and concentration, the wider area may suffer potentially irreversible decline, and failure to optimise regional performance will result in unsustainable pressures on Dublin, with national performance suffering as a result; The need for greater locations focus is matched by major resource constraints, which means that priority must be given to investments which produce the greatest cultural, economic, environmental or social benefits. 2023 Expert Group Review of 2018 NPF Strategy and Implementation The Report of an Expert Group appointed to undertake a high-level review of the NPF and its implementation, published in 2023, provides valuable insight and has informed the preparation of the revised Framework. Through engagement with relevant stakeholders, the Group found that there is widespread support for the NPF strategy and the long-term and principles-based approach it takes. Overall, the Group recommended that the NPF revision could strengthen the Strategy in three broad respects: Compact growth targets should be more ambitious and more clearly defined; The roles of the bodies involved in its implementation should be clarified and strengthened (particularly in relation to the Metropolitan Area Strategic Plans) and mechanisms put in place for more detailed measurement and monitoring of its progress; and There should be greater coordination at whole of government level across all infrastructure projects (including the NDP) and new efforts made to generate broader support for national spatial planning across all of society. Page 8 | National Planning Framework First Revision
Source Government of Ireland: National Planning Framework: First Revision (April 2025) · 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.