Development plan · Roscommon County Council
Roscommon County Development Plan 2022–2028
The council's development plan written statement: its strategy, policies, objectives and development standards.
Roscommon County Council · 2022–2028 · 238 pages
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- 3.8 Specialised Housing The provision of appropriately located and equipped housing to cater for the specialist accommodation needs of specific user groups, such as disabled persons or the elderly, is crucial to helping individuals live safe and independent lives. The aim for all new housing and, wherever possible, housing conversions and refurbishments, should be to construct homes that are universally designed and easily adapted to meet the changing needs of occupants over time. This approach will provide everyone with greater choice in terms of where they live, and will enable people to continue to live in their own homes as their needs change. Access to public transport, local community services and facilities are significant factors in improving quality of life. In terms of housing design, compliance with Part M of the Building Regulations expands options available to people with a disability. AGE FRIENDLY HOUSING As life expectancy continues to increase and with the proportion of older people in the population projected to increase, suitable accommodation options are required to facilitate this demographic, in order to enable the elderly to live independently for longer and remain part of their community. Nationally, there is Government recognition of the evolving needs of older people, particularly the need to encourage and support preferred choices of independent living. The Government Policy Statement ‘Housing Options for Our Ageing Population’ published in 2020 identifies the need to plan ahead to meet the needs of an ageing population. At the local level, Roscommon County Council has been proactive in its support for older people and has published the County Roscommon Age Friendly Strategy, which seeks to strengthen the wellbeing of older people within their communities. The County Development Plan supports the implementation of the principles outlined in the foregoing. As part of the strategy of consolidation and compact growth, there will be opportunities for the redevelopment of infill and brownfield land in central areas of towns and villages. Due particularly to the central location, such lands are considered to be particularly appropriate locations at which to provide accommodation suitable for the needs of older people. PEOPLE, PLACES AND HOUSING POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: PPH 3.9 Support the provision of independent and / or assisted living accommodation for people with disabilities, including purpose built accommodation or the adaption of existing properties. PPH 3.10 Support the implementation of the Policy Statement ‘Housing Options for Our Ageing Population’. Encourage the provision of independent and/or assisted living for older people such as new purpose built accommodation or the adaptation of existing properties, in order to enable older people to avail of ‘rightsizing’ within their community, at locations that are proximate to existing services and amenities and public transport facilities. PPH 3.11 Support the provision of purpose built accommodation for older people that would allow for independent and semi-independent living in locations that are proximate to town and village centres, services and amenities. 4141Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
- TRAVELLER ACCOMMODATION R o s co m m o n Co u n ty Co u n c i l ’s Tra ve l l e r Acco m m o d a t i o n Pro g ra m m e 201 9 -2024 sets out the Council’s policy in relation to Traveller accommodation. There are a range of housing options available in the provision of accommodation for members of the travelling community, including standard social housing, halting site accommodation, private home ownership and private rented accommodation with the support of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). PEOPLE, PLACES AND HOUSING POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: PPH 3.12 Implement the Roscommon County Council Traveller Accommodation Programme 2019- 2024 and any subsequent programme adopted during the lifetime of the Development Plan. 3.9 Rural Housing It is recognised that there remains an on-going need for one-off housing in rural areas. It is the Council’s intention to support this tradition in a positive manner and in accordance with the provisions of the National Planning Framework and the Sustainable Rural Housing – Guidelines for Planning Authorities (DEHLG, 2005). This Plan recognises the importance to the county of rural life and the rural economy and will strive to support the continued growth and development of rural areas. The approach will achieve a balance the will facilitate the growth of the rural economy and rural communities whilst also ensuring that the countryside is appropriately maintained for future generations. 4242Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
- 3.10 Rural Area Types The NPF developed an evidence based approach to the identification of rural areas under pressure for development, by including a definition of the functional urban area or commuter catchment around a city or large town.13 13 As defined in footnote no. 28 of the NPF - The standardised EU/OECD definition of a city region is the commuter catchment from which at least 15% of the relevant city area workforce is drawn. Any rural areas located within the commuter catchment of a city or large town are considered to be areas under urban influence. As per National Policy Objective 19 of the NPF, single housing in such rural areas will be facilitated based on the core consideration of demonstrable economic or social need to live in a rural area and siting and design criteria and the viability of smaller towns and rural settlements. Single dwellings in areas other than those under urban influence will be facilitated based on siting and design criteria, and also having regard to the viability of smaller towns and rural settlements. In order to determine the areas under urban influence, CSO data relating to commuter patterns was analysed in relation to Metropolitan Areas, Regional Growth Centres and Key Towns identified in the RSES for both the Northern and Western Region and the Eastern and Midlands Region. This analysis is consistent with the approach taken in the NPF, where the commuter catchment of cities and large urban centres was identified. Based on the foregoing, two Rural Policy Zones have been identified in the county, as set out in Table 3.1 below. The extent of these policy zones are set out in Map 3.1. Table 3.1: Rural Area Types Policy Zone Description Notes Rural Policy Zone A Area under Urban Influence Excludes lands within the boundary of the Hodson Bay / Barrymore Area Plan (contained in Volume II). Rural Policy Zone B Remaining Rural Areas Excludes lands within the boundary of the Lough Key Area Plan (contained in Volume II). The Lough Key Area Plan sets out the rural housing policy and criteria applicable in each of the identified rural zones in the Area Plan. 4343Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
- Map 3.1: Commuter Catchment Areas © Ordnance Survey Ireland Planning Section, Roscommon County Council, Áras an Chontae, Roscommon. Telephone: (090) 6637175 www.roscommoncoco.ie Date: April 2022 Author: P.S. Scale: N.T.S © Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI). All rights reserved. Licence number 2021/18/CCMAI Roscommon County Council. NOTE: Unauthorised reproduction infringes OSI and government of Ireland copyright.±Legend County Boundary 15% or more of ED population commuting to Athlone 15% or more of ED population commuting to Ballinasloe 15% or more of ED population commuting to Carrick-on-Shannon 15% or more of ED population commuting to Longford Town 15% or more of ED population commuting to Roscommon Town Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 Commuter Catchment 44Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I44 Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
- RURAL HOUSING NEED This section sets out the policy for rural housing in the open countryside, which is defined as all areas outside the development boundary of settlements identified in the settlement hierarchy in Table 2.2. It recognises the importance of facilitating people with a strong economic or social link to a particular rural area, as a means of strengthening the rural community. Depending on the Rural Policy Zone in which a dwelling is proposed, applicants will be required to demonstrate to the Planning Authority how they qualify with the applicable criteria. AREAS UNDER URBAN INFLUENCE These areas encompass the open rural countryside where 15% of the workforce is employed in Metropolitan Areas, Regional Growth Centres and Key Towns identified in the RSES for both the NWRA and the EMRA. The areas are designated to support the sustainable growth of towns and villages and to provide for the rural community who have a genuine locally based housing requirement, while otherwise directing urban generated housing into designated settlements. Those seeking planning permission for single dwellings in these areas must have a demonstrable economic or social need to live there, as detailed in Table 3.2. Table 3.2: Rural Housing Need Criteria Criteria Description Economic Need g Persons engaged full-time in a rural-based activity, who can show a genuine need to live close to their workplace and have been engaged in this employment for over five years. This would include those working in agriculture, horticulture, farming, forestry, bloodstock, peat industry, inland waterway or marine- related occupations, as well as part-time occupations where the predominant occupation is farming or natural resource-related; g A person whose business requires them to reside in the rural area. The nature of the operations of the business shall be specific to the rural area. Any such application shall demonstrate the viability of the business and clearly set out the nature of activities associated with the business and why it requires the owner to reside in the vicinity. Social Need g Persons who were born within the local rural area, or who are living or have lived permanently in the local rural area for a substantial period of their life at any stage(s) prior to making the planning application. It therefore includes returning emigrants seeking a permanent home in their local rural area who meet this definition; g Persons with a significant link to the Roscommon rural community in which they wish to reside, by reason of having lived in this community for a minimum period of five years prior to applying for planning permission or by the existence in this community of long established ties with immediate family members. g Demonstration of an economic need or social need will not warrant the granting of permission for a dwelling in the rural area where an individual has already benefitted from a permission for a dwelling on another site, or owns an existing property within the rural area, unless exceptional circumstances can be demonstrated. g Successful applicants will be required to enter into a Section 47 legal agreement restricting the occupancy of the dwelling to the applicant and their immediate family, or to other persons who fulfil the economic or social need criteria set out above, for a period of 7 years. g Applicants relying on economic need criteria involving part-time occupations in farming or natural resources related activities will be required to submit sufficient evidence to demonstrate same, for example (but not limited to) a herd number or hours of activity as a farmer. 4545Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
- REMAINING RURAL AREAS These areas comprise of all other rural areas outside of the identified pressure areas under strong urban influence. In these areas, the Council recognises the importance of retaining population and supporting the rural economy, while seeking to consolidate the existing rural town and village network. It is recognised that sustaining smaller community areas is important and as such, it is considered appropriate to facilitate rural housing in these areas subject to siting and design criteria. REPLACEMENT DWELLINGS Replacement dwellings can help to re-establish rural communities by redeveloping long established buildings. Notwithstanding this, the importance of these vernacular buildings to the character of an area means that replacement should only be considered where it is clear that the building is not capable of being made structurally sound. Replacement opportunities are beneficial in that they are normally in close proximity to existing infrastructure and also typically benefit from established mature boundaries. Where it is proposed to replace an existing dwelling, the house being replaced should clearly be recognisable as a dwelling i.e. the external walls, roof and openings are substantially intact, and it must also have been last used as a dwelling. RURAL CLUSTERS The Plan supports the concept of rural clusters, or groups of buildings, in appropriate locations, as an alternative to ribbon development in the rural landscape. Appropriately configured rural clusters offer particular opportunities to accommodate multiple members of a rural dwelling family, wishing to build individual new homes, or reuse and adapt an existing structure, in proximity to their family home. The grouping of new housing in rural clusters will be required to be rural in character and configured to reflect traditional patterns of rural development. Figure 3.2: Example of Rural Cluster Type Development 46Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I46 Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
- PEOPLE, PLACES AND HOUSING POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: PPH 3.13 Facilitate single houses in rural areas subject to appropriate siting and design criteria, including demonstration of adherence to the principles set out in the County Roscommon Rural Design Guidelines. In addition, in the case of proposals for single houses in defined Areas under Urban Influence, applicants will be required to demonstrate a social or economic link (as per Table 3.2) to the rural area in which they proposed to build. PPH 3.14 Direct urban generated housing in rural areas to the towns and villages (serviced and unserviced) in the county as set out in the Settlement Hierarchy in Table 2.3. PPH 3.15 Promote cluster type layouts appropriate to the rural area, where more than one house is proposed on a landholding. Discourage proposals for single dwellings which give rise to or exacerbate patterns of ribbon development in the rural area. PPH 3.16 Consider proposals for rural housing along designated Scenic Routes where it can be demonstrated that there are no alternative sites available to the applicant (for example elsewhere on family lands) and that the development assimilates into the landscape. A Visual Impact Assessment will be required for proposals along designated Scenic Routes. PPH 3.17 Permit the demolition of substandard dwellings and their replacement with a new single dwelling, subject to normal site suitability and design considerations, includingdemonstration of adherence to the principles set out in the County Roscommon Rural Design Guidelines. PPH 3.18 Encourage the sensitive refurbishment of existing vernacular dwellings and buildings in order to protect the traditional building and housing stock and preserve the built heritage in the rural parts of the County. PPH 3.19 Support the ongoing monitoring of new rural housing to ensure that 20% of all new rural housing is located on brownfield sites. 4747Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
- ALTERNATIVES TO RURAL ONE-OFF HOUSING There is evidence of decline in rural towns and villages in the county which has resulted in a reduction of services and a loss of vitality in the community. This Plan recognises the importance of striking a balance between facilitating residential development in the open countryside and reinvigorating towns and villages. This will provide a platform for the development of sustainable rural communities, whereby an increase in population in towns and villages would create greater demand for services and establish a catchment population for local businesses. The Settlement Hierarchy outlined in Chapter 2, Table 2.3 identifies rural villages as settlements that provide important services and facilities to serve their own population and their rural hinterlands. Some of these villages are served by public mains water and/or waste water supply, whilst others are unserviced. There is capacity in these villages to accommodate a modest level of growth, with the growth capacity being dependent on the size of the village. The provision of serviced sites in these settlements will be encouraged in line with the capacity of public water and/or waste water infrastructure available. PEOPLE, PLACES AND HOUSING POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: PPH 3.20 Promote the provision of serviced sites, supported by Irish Water infrastructure, in order to provide opportunity for people to build their own home and live within the existing footprint of villages and Self-Sustaining Growth Towns < 2000 population. PPH 3.21 Encourage the provision of housing within designated Rural Villages, to act as a viable alternative to single housing in the open countryside. PPH 3.22 Undertake a capacity study of all lands within the designated Rural Villages to assess the potential of these lands to accommodate development. The study will be carried out within two years of the adoption of this Plan. Figure 3.3: Conceptual Village Development 48Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I48 Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
- SMART VILLAGES AND RURAL AREAS Smart Villages are rural communities that build on their strengths and assets, while also developing new opportunities. Underpinning this approach is enhancing both traditional and new networks and services through digital, telecommunication technologies, innovations and better use of knowledge. The implementation of the EU Action for Smart Villages Initiative which aims to develop the potential offered by improved rural connectivity and digitisation is key to this. This initiative will build on local enterprise and infrastructure assets to drive innovations around energy, transport, agri-food, tourism, e-services, and remote working. Smart Villages can enhance their existing strengths and assets through creative thinking and by embracing innovation to create desirable places for rural people to live and work. PEOPLE, PLACES AND HOUSING POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: PPH 3.23 Promote the development of Smart Villages in order to develop and diversify the rural economy and build on local enterprise and infrastructure assets to drive innovations. 4949Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
- 3.11 Unfinished Housing Developments The establishment of a multidisciplinary team in Roscommon County Council specifically to deal with Unfinished Housing Developments (UHD) in 2013 and the adoption of a revised Taking in Charge Policy in 2017 has provided tangible results, reducing the number of unfinished developments in the county from 211 in 2014 to 104 by the end of 2020. Notwithstanding progress to date unf inished housing developments still remain a problem in County Roscommon, particularly in areas where the property market has failed to recover. Considerable challenges must be overcome to further reduce the number of UHDs in the county. It is the responsibility of the County Council to ensure that housing estates are completed to a satisfactory standard before taking them in charge. The Council continues to engage with all stakeholder (including developers and bondholders) in UHDs in order to agree Site Resolution Plans for the completion of the developments. Internal communications will continue in Roscommon County Council between the UHD team, the Vacant Homes Off ice and the Housing Department in order to identify appropriate suitable initiatives to address vacancy levels in unfinished housing developments. PEOPLE, PLACES AND HOUSING POLICY OBJECTIVES It is a policy objective of Roscommon County Council to: PPH 3.24 Collaborate with all relevant stakeholders to secure the satisfactory completion of unfinished developments. PPH 3.25 Require the provision of a bond, prior to the commencement of development, in respect of multi-unit residential developments, in order to ensure the satisfactory completion of such developments. PPH 3.26 Ensure that residential developments are taken in charge in accordance with the requirements of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended) and the Council’s ‘Taking in Charge of Housing Developments’ (2017) or any updated version. 50Roscommon County Development Plan 2022-2028 – Volume I50 Chapter 3: People, Places and Housing
Source Roscommon County Council: Roscommon County Development Plan 2022–2028 (2022–2028) · 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.