Development plan · Offaly County Council
Offaly County Development Plan 2021–2027 (as varied) — Chapter 7: Retail Town Centre Strategy and Regeneration
One part of the council's development plan written statement, which the council publishes in parts.
Offaly County Council · 2021–2027 · 33 pages
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- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 242 - A retail unit which is ancillary to activities arising from farm diversification. - A retail unit designed to serve tourist or recreational facilities, and secondary to the main tourist use. - A small scale retail unit attached to an existing or approved craft workshop retailing the product direct to the public. - A small scale retail unit attached to an existing or approved rural resource based industry / activity retailing the product direct to the public. - A small scale retail unit designed to serve a dispersed rural community. - Consolidation, extension and/or improvement of an existing retail development that is operational. Casual Trading • Casual trading i.e. craft, Christmas and farmer’s markets and car boot sales, will be promoted in the retail centres of towns where it can create an ambiance which can contribute to the vitality and viability of such centres. Retailing and Motor Fuel Stations • Convenience shops are part of the normal ancillary services provided within motor fuel stations and should remain on a scale appropriate to the location. • The floorspace of the shop should not exceed 100 sq.m net. • Where permission is sought for a floorspace in excess of 100 sq.m., the sequential approach to retail development shall apply. Design and Layout Retailing plays a vital role in attracting people to towns and villages and is a major component in the provision of high quality services and amenities to local populations and visitors. One of the key messages of the Retail Planning Guidelines is that a high level of design quality in retail development can make an important contribution to the visual aesthetic of an area and to the vitality and viability of town / village centres, whilst designs which are inappropriate for their contexts, or which fail to realise opportunities for improving the character and quality of their locations should not be accepted. Offaly County Council encourages the regeneration of land / structures, such as vacant sites, derelict sites, brownfield sites, backland sites, and Opportunity Sites, located particularly in town and village centres. Quality urban design and place making shall be promoted and encouraged at all times by Offaly County Council for retail developments. Public realm constitutes all areas of the urban fabric to which the public have access and includes, for example, streetscapes, public space around buildings, parks, green
- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 243 spaces, canal /river banks, public buildings, and pedestrian and cycling facilities. The enhancement and development of these areas are the responsibility of both the public and private sectors. In this regard a Design Brief is generally required to be submitted as part of planning applications for large scale retail development or on sensitive sites or visually prominent sites, in order to assess the urban design aspects of the development. The design brief should demonstrate how the design is guided and informed by good urban design practices as set out in the Retail Design Manual – A Good Practice Guide (companion document to the Retail Planning Guidelines 2012) and must describe and justify the rationale for the submitted design. The scope and level of detail expected in the design brief will typically depend on the location, scale, site, nature and complexity of the development proposal. In any event the design brief should include and address the following as set out below. • Description of the site and its context. • Summary of Development Plan objectives and policies relevant to the site and the general area. • Identification of planning constraints or considerations. • Contribution to place making and quality of life. • Regard to relevant Section 28 Ministerial Guidelines for example, Retail Planning Guidelines and Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets. • Design considerations including: • Massing, scale, and density; • Building and architectural design; • Protection of existing architectural and heritage; • Character and form; • Vitality and viability; • Public realm enhancements; • Environmental responsibility and sustainability; • Efficient and effective use / site layout; • Climate adaptation and mitigation; and • Regeneration / reuse of vacant, derelict or brownfield sites.
- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 244 Figure 7.2 Public Realm Improvements, Millennium Square and Bridge, Tullamore Diversity of Uses Maintaining the health of town and village centres requires diversity in the services on offer to the catchment population. A wide variety of different functions in town and village centres is a key element in ensuring the on-going vitality of an area. This vitality is threatened by an overconcentration of one particular type of outlet, for example, amusement centres / arcades, fast food outlets, off licences and betting offices.
- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 245 7.2 Regeneration Aim To encourage and assist in the regeneration of areas and structures throughout the county in order to improve both quality of place and urban resilience, considering that attractive places have a role in enhancing quality of life. Healthy Place-Making High quality and well-designed buildings, structures, public spaces and streets, contribute to attractive and healthy place-making and quality of life, drawing more inward investment, skills and talent, and increasing the liveability factor of a place. We need a high quality, low carbon and more resilient built environment for existing and future generations. The adaptation of existing as well as the design of new buildings will be critical to meet the targets set by the Climate Action Plan 2019 which is addressed in Chapter 3 Climate Action and Energy. Healthy place-making is underpinned by good urban design, which seeks to create public spaces that are attractive, vibrant, distinctive, safe and accessible and which promote and facilitate social interaction. Making a place more resilient is about a place surviving and absorbing changes and adversity both man-made and natural and recovering and revitalising to a more sustainable path. Public realm constitutes all areas of the urban fabric to which the public have access and includes for example streetscapes, public space around buildings, parks, green spaces, canal /river banks, public buildings, and cycling and pedestrian facilities. These areas and settings, which can be on public or private lands, support or facilitate public life and social interaction.
- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 246 High quality places share some common characteristics: - A strong character and sense of place, where cultural, built and natural heritage is understood, valued and enhanced; - A rich diversity of functions and activities which underpin viability and vitality; - A highly adaptable urban structure and buildings to provide for future longer-term changes in society and economy; - A well-connected network of streets and spaces of high quality for all users which promotes urban life, community coherence and a sense of shared ownership; - Priority for walking, cycling and public transport to reduce reliance on the car, and by so doing improve health and wellbeing; - Coherent, legible and attractive streetscapes which provide continuity and enclosure, variety of frontages, vibrancy and interest; and - Integration of various characteristics of quality places. In accordance with Regional Policy Objective (RPO) 9.10 of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES), in planning for the creation of healthy and attractive places, there is a need to provide alternatives to the car and to prioritise and promote walking and cycling in the design of streets and public spaces. Place-making and quality of life is identified as a key differentiator in Enterprise 2025, Ireland’s National Enterprise Policy 2015-2025 in attracting enterprise and employment to an area. RPO 6.12 of the RSES states that local authorities shall include objectives in Development Plans and Local Area Plans supporting emphasis on a Place-making Strategy for towns and implementation of Town Centre Renewal Plans. RPO 6.13 of the RSES states that local authorities shall support the preparation of Design Guidelines to provide for improvements in the appearance of streetscapes and for revitalising vacant spaces for example with cost effective, temporary uses that build on the longer-term vision for space. Figure 7.3 O’Connor Square, Tullamore
- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 247 Compact Growth Offaly County Council recognises that there needs to be a focus on the regeneration of towns and villages in order to make them more attractive. This can be greatly achieved through the sustainable growth of our settlements in the form of legibility, inclusivity, safety, resilience and also compact growth rather than sprawl which is uneconomic. ‘Compact Growth’ is a National Strategic Outcome of the National Planning Framework. Creating more compact development requires a focus on: (i) the ‘liveability’ / quality of life of urban places; This includes the quality of the built environment, including the public realm, traffic and parking issues, access to amenities and public transport and a sense of personal safety and wellbeing. (ii) Regeneration and development of the existing built up areas, for example, infill sites and brownfield sites; This includes making built up areas attractive and viable. It requires a steady supply of sites, land and investment in infrastructure and amenities through more active land management. (iii) Tackling legacies such as disadvantage in central urban areas, through social and physical regeneration and by encouraging more mixed tenure and integrated communities; and (iv) Linking regeneration and redevelopment initiatives to climate action. An increase in the proportion of more compact forms of growth in the development of settlements of all sizes has the potential to make a transformational difference. It can bring new life and footfall, contribute to the viability of services, shops and public transport, increase housing supply and enable more people to be closer to employment and recreational opportunities, as well as to walk and cycle more and use the car less. Opportunity Sites Opportunity Sites are identified below for Tullamore (Key Town), Birr (Self-Sustaining Growth Town), Edenderry and Portarlington (Self-Sustaining Towns), and those within other settlements are identified in Volume 2 and Local Area Plans. These sites were chosen because of their prominence and underutilisation. In addition to promoting local economic growth, it is considered that their redevelopment would contribute greatly to the renewal, enhancement and regeneration of the towns and villages in which they are located. These sites also provide the greatest potential for development and consolidation. Regeneration lands as defined in the Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015 (as amended) include these Opportunity sites. Opportunity site boundaries have not been identified definitively and can be added to, to provide for logical site boundaries or the inclusion of other potential Opportunity Sites. Some of the sites may be owned by different parties and would require an element of site assembly for a coherent development strategy to progress. This approach to re-development is encouraged over a piecemeal approach. To help realise the full potential for the development of these sites, any application put forward should
- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 248 consider the Development Plan policies, objectives and standards and shall include an Urban Design Statement and Masterplan taking cognisance of the following development principles: Site Assembly A detailed masterplan shall be prepared for each individual area that includes a phasing progamme which demonstrates how the proposed development complies with the principles of sustainable compact development, good urban design and healthy place-making. This can be undertaken in consultation with the Planning Authority prior to the submission of a planning application. Developers, landowners and the Council shall be required to coordinate and work together in order to achieve an integrated coherent approach to development as opposed to a piecemeal approach. Land Use Re-development proposals shall accord with the zoning provisions of the plan, and any Place-Making Strategies / Town Centre Renewal Plans in effect. Design and Layout • Promote mixed use and diversity, with a substantial amount of residential use; • Comply with the Core Strategy and Housing Strategy; • Be of high quality design in terms of buildings form, layout, materials and public realm; • Provide a sense of place by developing attractive, liveable, safe and vibrant places; • Be of compact form and of high density; • Be consistent with Section 28 Ministerial Guidelines for example Sustainable Development in Urban Area Guidelines, Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets, Sustainable Urban Housing Design Standards for New Apartments, Urban Development and Building Heights – Guidelines for Planning Authorities, Spatial Planning and National Roads Guidelines, Traffic and Transport Guidelines and any other future relevant Guidelines, and in particular specific planning policy requirements; • Utilise where possible, energy efficient and eco-friendly design and building methods; • Provide for green, pollinator friendly infrastructure, for example, green open space, trees, green roofs, green walls; • Plant drought-resistant plants / trees in public amenity areas to provide shade; • Provide for low carbon output, for example, sustainable integrated transportation and land use, green roofs, green walls, and use of renewable energy, where appropriate;
- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 249 • Incorporate Taller Buildings (6 storeys) if the site is designated for consideration of such in this County Development Plan / future Local Area Plans2; • Provide for adaptability and flexibility in design so that places can respond easily to changing property needs; • Comprise a mix of residential unit sizes and types which accommodate a range of living requirements for all age groups, for example, older people and families, and for people with disabilities; • Take cognisance of the existing urban grain and scale of adjoining structures; • Ensure efficient and attractive design of street block and plot; • Use maximum natural light in orientation and acknowledge prevailing wind direction; • A focus on design-led and performance-based outcomes rather than specifying absolute requirements; • Protect views and vistas; • Protect adjoining amenities to an appropriate level; • Reinforce local distinctiveness, for example, by inclusion of features in design and materials; • Respect the integrity and setting of protected structures, recorded sites and monuments, and key scenic views and prospects; • Provide legibility within the public realm, create a hierarchy of routes and use landmark elements; • Incorporate hard and soft landscaping; • Provide for natural surveillance of public areas; • Support creative ways to adapt, retrofit and reuse existing buildings and structures to optimise the use of renewable energy and resources and incentivise adoption of low-carbon technologies, processes and techniques; Movement and Access • Design for an alternative to the car (for example, walking, cycling, public transport) and enhance accessibility and connectivity, by prioritising cycling and walking as active sustainable transport modes; 2 A taller building is defined as 6 stories or higher in the Urban Development and Building Heights – Guidelines for Planning Authorities (2018)
- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 250 • Provide an integrated, safe, convenient, direct and comfortable network of routes for walking and cycling; • Encourage ‘access for all’, specifically for people with disabilities; • Provide bicycle parking and charging point infrastructure for electric vehicles; • Provide place-based streets; • Movement and access should also be informed by future strategies / plans relating to transportation; Built and Cultural Heritage • All new development proximate to protected structures shall be sensitively designed to respect the form of the protected structures; • Promote the retention, reuse, refurbishment and maintenance of existing built heritage with vibrant adaptable uses; Biodiversity • Identify biodiversity within the site and explore opportunities for biodiversity enhancement to improve ecological connectivity; Other • Identify flood risk and adhere to Flood Risk Management Guidelines for best practice; and • Be accompanied by a site specific risk assessment and waste management plan for the disposal of any wastes arising including hazardous or contaminated material.
- Offaly County Development Plan 2021-2027 Chapter 7 Retail and Town Centre Strategy, and Regeneration Page 251 Figure 7.4 Tullamore Opportunity Sites
Source Offaly County Council: Offaly County Development Plan 2021–2027 (as varied) — Chapter 7: Retail Town Centre Strategy and Regeneration (2021–2027) · 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.