Regional strategy (RSES) · Eastern and Midland Region
Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2019–2031
The regional strategy for the Eastern and Midland Region, including the Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan.
Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly · June 2019 · 244 pages
Ask this document
Answers come only from the text of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2019–2031, each claim linked to its page. They are not advice; check the page itself.
Free, with a daily limit.
- 5 https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/ Figure 2.2 UN Sustainable Development Goals5 21Strategic Vision
- National Planning Framework and its National Strategic Outcomes and Priorities of the National Development Plan ational "|ra|e]i1 |1oles 6. i]_Ŋ ali| In|ernational Conne1tii| 8. $ransition |o a o Car0on and Clila|e !esilien| "o1ie| 10. 11ess |o ali| C_ild1areķ d1ation and eal|_ "eri1es 9. "s|aina0le ana]elen| o= )a|erķ )as|e and o|_er nironlen|al !esor1es 5. "|ron] 1onol srror|ed 0 n|errriseķ Innoation and "hills 4. "s|aina0le o0ili| 1. Colra1| ro|_ 2. n_an1ed !e]ional 11essi0ili| 3. Strengthened !ral 1onolies and Collnities 7. n_an1ed leni| and Heritage Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Rural Development Environmentally Sustainable Public Transport Airports and Ports Water 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 "|ra|e]i1 Ines|len| riorities Project Ireland 2040 | Building Ireland’s Future | National Planning Framework 13 Figure 2.3 National Strategic Outcomes. Source: Ireland 2040 - National Planning Framework (NPF)6 6 https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/09022006-project-ireland-2040/ 22 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
- 2.2 Vision and Key Principles In developing the vision for the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) a number of key national policy documents were considered including Ireland 2040 – National Planning Framework (NPF) and the National Development Plan 2018-2027 (NDP) along with Ireland’s National Enterprise Policy 2015-2025 namely Enterprise 2025: Innovative, Agile, Connected. In addition to the above the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly (EMRA) also considered submissions received during the initial public consultation period and carried out extensive engagement with our elected members through Strategic Planning Area (SPA) Committees and with other relevant stakeholders through Technical Working Groups (TWGs) and on an on-going and iterative basis. Our ambition is for the RSES to provide a platform for coordination and collaboration between local authorities, state and semi-state bodies to develop a shared responsibility and understanding about how we plan, to achieve a better future for all up to 2031 and beyond. Vision Statement “To create a sustainable and competitive Region that supports the health and wellbeing of our people and places, from urban to rural, with access to quality housing, travel and employment opportunities for all” The place or environment in which we live or work has a profound impact on our health. The Region contains some of the fastest growing communities in the country and the long-term trend is for residential development moving further outwards from Dublin, with significant growth in many of the small towns and villages in the peri-urban area surrounding the city leading to an increase in car-based long-distance commuting. At the same time an overall lack of adequate housing supply to meet a growing population has resulted in affordability issues and increasing homelessness, with a resulting negative impact on quality of life and regional competitiveness. One of the key challenges facing the Region is the need for better alignment between population growth, location of residential development and employment to create healthy and attractive places, and this is reflected in the Vision Statement. A key challenge facing the Region, along with all other regions, is the transition to a low carbon society. For the RSES this means five primary areas of transition which are at the core of the Strategy: • sustainable development patterns which promote compact growth, reduce transport demand and encourage low carbon transport modes; • sustainable transport systems (people and freight); • carbon storing and sequestering land uses; • energy efficient buildings and industry; and • renewable energy. KEY PRINCIPLES The Strategy is underpinned by key cross-cutting principles that reflect the three pillars of sustainability; Social, Environmental and Economic, and expressed in a manner which best reflects the challenges and opportunities of the Region. The central need is for the RSES to be people focussed, as ‘quality of life’ encapsulates strong economic output and stability, good environmental performance and a good standard of living for all. The 3 Key Principles are: • Healthy Placemaking To promote people’s quality of life through the creation of healthy and attractive places to live, work, visit, invest and study in. • Climate Action The need to enhance climate resilience and to accelerate a transition to a low carbon society recognising the role of natural capital and ecosystem services in achieving this. • Economic Opportunity To create the right conditions and opportunities for the Region to realise sustainable economic growth and quality jobs that ensure a good living standard for all. 23Strategic Vision
- 2.3 Regional Strategic Outcomes The Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy (RSES) seeks to determine at a regional scale how best to achieve the shared goals set out in the National Strategic Outcomes (NSOs) of the NPF. To this end, the Strategy sets out 16 Regional Strategic Outcomes (RSOs), which are aligned with international, EU and national policy and which in turn set the framework for city and county development plans. Thus, the RSES can assist local authorities in aligning with EU priorities to leverage funding and partnership opportunities. Healthy Placemaking Climate Action Economic Opportunity To promote people’s quality of life through the creation of healthy and attractive places to live, work, visit and study in. To create the right conditions and opportunities for the region to realise sustained economic growth and employment that ensures good living standards for all. The need to enhance climate resilience and to accelerate a transition to a low carbon economy recognising the role of natural capital and ecosystem services in achieving this. KEY PRINCIPLES Healthy Communities Sustainable Settlement Patterns Regional Strategic Outcomes (RSOs) Compact Growth & Urban Regeneration Rural Communities Build Climate Resilience Creative Places Integrated Transport & Land Use Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and other Environmental Resources A Strong Economy supported by Enterprise & Innovation Support the Transition to Low Carbon and Clean Energy Enhanced Green Infrastructure Biodiversity & Natural Heritage Collaboration Platform Improve Education, Skills & Social Inclusion Global City Region Enhance Regional Connectivity E c o n o m i c O p p o r t u n i t y Health y P l a c e m a k i n g C l i m a t e A c t i o n Healthy Placemaking Climate Action Economic Opportunity To promote people’s quality of life through the creation of healthy and attractive places to live, work, visit and study in. To create the right conditions and opportunities for the region to realise sustained economic growth and employment that ensures good living standards for all. The need to enhance climate resilience and to accelerate a transition to a low carbon economy recognising the role of natural capital and ecosystem services in achieving this. KEY PRINCIPLES Healthy Communities Sustainable Settlement Patterns Regional Strategic Outcomes (RSOs) Compact Growth & Urban Regeneration Rural Communities Build Climate Resilience Creative Places Integrated Transport & Land Use Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and other Environmental Resources A Strong Economy supported by Enterprise & Innovation Support the Transition to Low Carbon and Clean Energy Enhanced Green Infrastructure Biodiversity & Natural Heritage Collaboration Platform Improve Education, Skills & Social Inclusion Global City Region Enhance Regional Connectivity E c o n o m i c O p p o r t u n i t y Healt h y P l a c e m a k i n g C l i m a t e A c t i o n Figure 2.4 Regional Strategic Outcomes 24 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
- 1. Sustainable Settlement Patterns Better manage the sustainable and compact growth of Dublin as a city of international scale and develop Athlone, Dundalk, Drogheda and a number of key complementary growth settlements of sufficient scale to be drivers of regional growth. (NSO 1, 7, 10) 2. Compact Growth and Urban Regeneration Promote the regeneration of our cities, towns and villages by making better use of under-used land and buildings within the existing built-up urban footprint and to drive the delivery of quality housing and employment choice for the Region’s citizens. (NSO 1) 3. Rural Communities Support sustainable rural development and strengthen rural networks, economies and communities. Manage urban generated growth in areas under strong urban influence and encourage sustainable growth in areas that have experienced decline or stagnation. (NSO 1, 3) 4. Healthy Communities Protect and enhance the quality of our built and natural environment to support active lifestyles including walking and cycling, ensure clean air and water for all and quality healthcare and services that support human health. (NSO 10) 5. Creative Places Enhance, integrate and protect our arts, culture and heritage assets to promote creative places and heritage led regeneration. (NSO 5, 7) 6. Integrated Transport and Land Use Promote best use of Transport Infrastructure, existing and planned, and promote sustainable and active modes of travel to ensure the proper integration of transportation and land use planning. (NSO 2, 6, 8,9) 7. Sustainable Management of Water, Waste and other Environmental Resources Conserve and enhance our water resources to ensure clean water supply, adequate waste water treatment and greater resource efficiency to realise the benefits of the circular economy. (NSO 8, 9) 8. Build Climate Resilience Ensure the long-term management of flood risk and build resilience to increased risks of extreme weather events, changes in sea level and patterns of coastal erosion to protect property, critical infrastructure and food security in the Region.(NSO 8, 9) 9. Support the Transition to Low Carbon and Clean Energy Pursue climate mitigation in line with global and national targets and harness the potential for a more distributed renewables-focussed energy system to support the transition to a low carbon economy by 2050. (NSO 8, 9) 10. Enhanced Green Infrastructure Identify, protect and enhance Green Infrastructure and ecosystem services in the Region and promote the sustainable management of strategic natural assets such as our coastlines, farmlands, peatlands, uplands woodlands and wetlands. (NSO 8, 9) 11. Biodiversity and Natural Heritage Promote co-ordinated spatial planning to conserve and enhance the biodiversity of our protected habitats and species including landscape and heritage protection. (NSO 7, 8) 12. A Strong Economy Supported by Enterprise and Innovation To build a resilient economic base and promote innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystems that support smart specialisation, cluster development and sustained economic growth. (NSO 5,10) 13. Improve Education Skills and Social Inclusion To improve education and develop the right skills to attract employers and retain talent and promote social inclusion to ensure opportunities for quality jobs across the Region. (NSO 5,10) 14. Global City Region Promote Dublin as a global city region and protect and enhance international connectivity, including ports and airports and promote the Region as a gateway to Ireland. (NSO 6) 15. Enhanced Strategic Connectivity Protect and enhance international connectivity and regional accessibility to support economic development, build economic resilience and support strengthened rural communities and economies including the blue-green economy and tourism. (NSO 2, 3, 6) 16. Collaboration Platform Provide a regional framework for collaboration and partnerships and to support local and regional bodies in leveraging funding and partnership opportunities. (NSO 2, 3, 5) The 16 RSOs set out in Figure 2.4 is also cross referenced and aligned with the 3 key principles of the RSES and have been developed in iteration with the Strategic Environmental Outcomes of the parallel Strategic Environmental Assessment process. 25Strategic Vision
- Growth Strategy 3 At the core of the RSES is the consideration of a settlement hierarchy for the Region, which sets out the key locations for population and employment growth, coupled with investment in infrastructure and services to meet those growth needs. This will set the framework for the development plans of each local authority and subsequently the quantum of residential and employment generating zoned land required. Therefore the approach taken in the RSES is robust, evidence based, and driven by clear sustainability and quality of life objectives. The Growth Strategy for the Eastern and Midland Region will; • Support the continued growth of Dublin as our national economic engine • Deliver sustainable growth of the Metropolitan Area through the Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) • Target growth of our Regional Growth Centres of Athlone, Drogheda and Dundalk as regional drivers • Support our vibrant rural areas with a network of towns and villages • Facilitate the collaboration and growth of the Dublin – Belfast Economic Corridor • Embed a network of Key Towns through the Region to deliver sustainable regional development. • Support the transition to a low carbon, climate resilient and environmentally sustainable Region. REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVE: Growth Strategy RPO 3.1: Key stakeholders including local authorities in the Region shall, through their policies and objectives including development plans, commit to the delivery of the Growth Strategy as detailed in the RSES. 26 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
- 3.1 Developing a Growth Strategy for the Region 7 www.emra.ie/maps The RSES is tasked with the development of planning and economic development policy for future needs in the Region based upon consideration of the availability of land, resources, environment and infrastructure capacity. A key part of developing the Growth Strategy is the examination of alternatives and approaches as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) including the ‘business as usual’ approach which sees a continuation of current trends. While all areas within the Region shall collectively contribute to its success and in turn draw strengths from the sustainable growth of the Region, there is a requirement to identify which places have the greatest assets and potential to become a focus for population and/ or employment growth and to act as regional economic drivers. Regional assets and resources need to be fully realised to enable all places to reach their full potential. Chapter 2 Strategic Vision of the RSES identifies a number of key Regional Strategic Outcomes (RSOs) that feed into the development of the Growth Strategy including the need to protect and enhance strategic connectivity, to support economic development, rural communities and to promote compact growth and integrated transport and landuse. Asset-Based Approach An asset-based approach to spatial development identifies and builds on a combination of the social, economic and natural assets that are available within a settlement, in order to determine an overall growth strategy and settlement hierarchy. This holistic approach, recognises the step change required to ensure that growth is sustainable in the long term, and to ensure that settlements identified for significant population and/or employment growth are supported by the requisite investment in infrastructure and provision of employment, amenities and services. Central to this is the development of an evidence-led ‘asset base’, which can be used to identify settlements which have the greatest capacity and potential for growth, while ensuring that the future growth is sustainably managed within the capacity of those settlements. The ‘asset base’ developed for the RSES was informed by the preparation of regional profiles and spatial analysis7 as part of the evidence baseline and supplemented by settlement profile information that was provided by the 12 local authorities in the Region, which set out current and planned capacity to deliver sustainable compact growth in a number of identified settlements. 27Growth Strategy
- The asset base compiles information across 25 different indicators which considers not just historic population growth, but a wider number of relevant factors to build a holistic profile of regional settlements, in terms of their scale and functions, human capital and placemaking assets, enterprise ecosystem, connectivity, environmental and infrastructure capacity. The asset-based criteria outlined in Table 3.1 was developed to identify a settlement hierarchy set out in Chapter 4 People and Place and the development of policy and objectives for Key Towns in the Region. See Appendix A for more information on the data and indicators which were collated to develop an asset/potential based settlement profile of Key Towns in the Region. As part of our commitment to evidence-based policy making and evaluation, EMRA will make the regional baseline data available as a shared evidence base for the region and encourages other public bodies and local authorities to use this data, particularly to inform the preparation and implementation of development plans (DPs), local area plans (LAPs) and local economic and community plans (LECPs). See also Section 9.3 ‘Asset Test for the strategic location of new residential development’. Table 3.1 ASSET/POTENTIAL BASED CRITERIA APPROACH TO GROWTH STRATEGY ASSET-BASED CRITERIA - aim is to enable places to fully realise their potential As expressed in; Settlement Strategy As expressed in; Economic Strategy SCALE Centres of scale which have the critical mass to drive growth. Settlement typology based on rate of growth, scale, development capacity and availability of strategic sites. Critical mass (and diversity) in population and enterprise base to attract and maintain employers and employees. FUNCTION Functional role and level of services including provision of employment. Mapping of Functional Urban Areas to determine commuting catchments, level of self-sufficiency and connections to other towns. Development of regional/ county level economic profiles and performance of settlements, including economic assets. HUMAN CAPITAL Talent attraction and skills development. Access to schools, third level education and health services are key to talent attraction. Availability of labour force demographics, skills matching, and talent attraction policies to develop employment opportunities. PLACEMAKING High quality vibrant public spaces and enhanced quality of life. An attractive public realm and access to amenities, facilities, arts, culture and heritage as a key determinant of placemaking policy. Developing attractive places to live work and invest in. Linked to ‘functionality’ to meet enterprises and labour force expectations. ENTERPRISE ECOSYSTEM Enterprise clusters and networks. Better alignment of housing and strategic employment locations and strengthened local economies. Spatial economic engines and areas of influence and ecosystems of innovation and entrepreneurship. CONNECTIVITY Transport capacity and accessibility and communications. Integration of land use and transportation planning, underpinned by analysis of travel patterns and potential for sustainable modes. Global / national / regional connectivity includes ICT, transport and infrastructure (Hard) and networks and collaborations (Soft). NATURAL CAPITAL Environmental sensitivities, resources and assets. Integration of recommendations and proposed mitigation measures, arising from SEA/AA/FRA underpinned by a regional Green Infrastructure and ecosystem services approach. Significant resource potential of renewable energy, circular economy and green/blue economy. INFRASTRUCTURE Enabling infrastructure to drive regional growth. Collaboration with providers to deliver key telecommunications, transport, utilities and social infrastructure. Strategic employment locations enabled by physical, technology infrastructure, and supporting services. Table 3.1 Asset/Potential based criteria approach to Growth Strategy 28 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
- Figure 3.1 Growth Strategy – Strategic Connections 29Growth Strategy
- Strategic Connections The growth strategy for the Region is underpinned by a settlement strategy (set out in Chapter 4 People and Place) and an integrated land use and transportation strategy (Chapter 8 Connectivity) which seeks to protect and enhance global connectivity and regional accessibility, including the Trans European TEN-T road, rail and port network. Investment in sustainable mobility will be delivered through local transport plans (LTPs), to be prepared by local authorities in collaboration with transport agencies, to include, but not limited to, Athlone, Dundalk, Drogheda, Portlaoise, Mullingar, Tullamore, Longford, Balbriggan, Navan, Naas, Newbridge, Wicklow-Rathnew, Ashbourne, Arklow and urban areas in the Dublin Metropolitan Area. The RSES seeks to protect and enhance strategic connections in the Region, including; Eastern Corridor; Dublin - Belfast Economic Corridor to Rosslare Europort Cross boundary coordination is a significant element of the Strategy and will be even more so with the onset of Brexit, playing a critical role in supporting economic growth and competitiveness. The Dublin-Belfast Economic Corridor is the largest economic agglomeration on the island of Ireland with the cities and towns along the Corridor home to a population of around 2 million. The Corridor connects the large towns of Drogheda, Dundalk and Newry by high-capacity national road and rail links, major airports of Dublin Airport, Belfast International Airport and Belfast City Airport and Belfast and Dublin ports. The Eastern Corridor extends south to Rosslare Europort, which is an important economic and transport link, particularly in the post Brexit scenario. The RSES supports a feasibility study for high speed rail between Dublin and Belfast and enhanced rail services on the south-eastern line to include the extension of DART services to Drogheda. Strategic Connections to the Northern and Western Region Athlone is strategically located in the centre of Ireland as a gateway to the west between Dublin and Galway. Cross border co-ordination of future development will be supported by investment in sustainable mobility including increased recreational use of the Grand Canal and completion of the Dublin to Galway Greenway which is designated as a trans-European Eurovelo Route. Longford is strategically located as a portal to the northwest on the Dublin to Sligo rail corridor, also serving the key towns of Mullingar and Maynooth. Planned upgrades to the M/N4 motorway, enhanced rail services on the Dublin-Sligo line including DART to Maynooth and increased recreational use of the Royal Canal as part of a Dublin to Westport Greenway, will improve northwest connectivity. Dublin to Cavan generally follows the N/M3, while development of the cross border A5 route connecting to the N/M2 will improve connectivity between Dublin and the border counties to Derry and Letterkenny. Strategic Connections to the Southern Region The Dublin to Cork rail corridor is strategically important linking the two largest cities in the State, and part of the EU TEN-T core network, which aims to protect and enhance strategical international connections between Belfast, Dublin and Cork. The Dublin to Cork rail corridor also provides commuter rail services to the Dublin hinterlands. The RSES supports a feasibility study for the provision of highspeed rail links between Dublin and Limerick/Junction Cork and enhanced rail services including the extension of the DART to Celbridge/Hazelhatch in north Kildare. There is potential to promote links between the Grand Canal, the Barrow Line and to further develop the Barrow Blueway connecting Carlow-Graiguecullen on the boundary with the Southern Region and extending south to Waterford. Integrating the Environment The Growth Strategy has been developed as part of an iterative process which provides an opportunity to integrate key aspects of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) into the development of scenarios which set out different options for the type of growth that might arise in the Region. A key part of the Growth Strategy is the examination of alternatives and approaches as part of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) including the ‘business as usual’ approach which sees a continuation of current trends. Business as Usual The NPF has highlighted the problems associated with a ‘Business as Usual’ approach where future growth is purely market driven without any policy interventions. Recent analysis in projecting the current trends scenario suggests an ongoing shift in population and jobs towards the counties around Dublin resulting in unsustainable pressures on Dublin and a greater distance between where people live and where people work, which would lead to missed opportunities for the utilisation of existing infrastructure and services. The SEA for the NPF also highlighted serious environmental issues that would arise from further sprawl outside our cities and larger towns including a degraded environment, loss of farmland and habitat to predominantly greenfield development and increased risk of groundwater pollution. Business as usual is not therefore considered to be a reasonable option. 30 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
Source Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly: Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy 2019–2031 (June 2019) · 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.