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.
- Measuring Delivery through Active Land Management The population projections targeted in the NPF Roadmap are the current benchmark against which delivery may be measured. Planning authorities at regional and city/ county level are expected to set out both the distribution and prioritisation of planning measures, including land zoning, required to deliver population growth. It is expected that distribution will be at the scale of the regional or local authority area, having regard to the NPF and RSES, and priority will be related to timescales, initially to 2021 and then to 2026, 2031 or beyond. Performance may be measured by the extent to which growth is delivered in accordance with targets and identified priorities. Good performance will enable optimal delivery of services and infrastructure to support development and critically, will also inform future review. It is likely that achieving good performance will require a range of more active land management measures, beyond just zoning land. This will include analysis of service capacity, needs and overall cost, infill/brownfield potential and patterns of housing delivery and output, including the takeup and completion of planning permissions. It will be necessary for planning authorities, in both their forward planning and development management functions, to act to encourage greater competition in the delivery of output, particularly at priority locations. All of this will require a suitable ‘pipeline’ of development opportunities, prioritised on the basis of likelihood of meeting targets and kept under review through monitoring and reporting. REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES: Settlement Strategy RPO 4.1: In preparing core strategies for development plans, local authorities shall determine the hierarchy of settlements in accordance with the hierarchy, guiding principles and typology of settlements in the RSES, within the population projections set out in the National Planning Framework to ensure that towns grow at a sustainable and appropriate level, by setting out a rationale for land proposed to be zoned for residential, employment and mixed-use development across the Region. Core strategies shall also be developed having regard to the infill/brownfield targets set out in the National Planning Framework, National Policy Objectives 3a-3c. RPO 4.2: Infrastructure investment and priorities shall be aligned with the spatial planning strategy of the RSES. All residential and employment developments should be planned on a phased basis in collaboration with infrastructure providers so as to ensure adequate capacity for services (e.g. water supply, wastewater, transport, broadband) is available to match projected demand for services and that the assimilative capacity of the receiving environment is not exceeded. 51People & Place
- 4.4 Dublin City and Suburbs The RSES supports continued population and economic growth in Dublin City and suburbs, with high quality new housing promoted and a focus on the role of good urban design, brownfield redevelopment and urban renewal and regeneration. There is an opportunity to promote and improve the provision of public transport and active travel and the development of strategic amenities to provide for sustainable communities. Dublin City and suburbs is considered in the context of the MASP and is dealt with in greater detail in Chapter 5 Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP). The NPF sets out ambitious targets to achieve compact growth with 50% of housing to be provided within or contiguous to the built-up area of Dublin City and suburbs. To achieve this, the MASP identifies strategic residential and employment corridors along key public transport corridors existing and planned, that contain development opportunities. These include; Dublin Docklands and Poolbeg West, former industrial lands including Naas Road, the regeneration of older social housing projects, Parkwest-Cherry Orchard and Ballymun, large scale urban expansion on the North Fringe of the city, the western suburbs including Adamstown and Clonburris SDZs, Fortunestown near the emerging town of Saggart/Citywest, brownfield lands in Tallaght along with the development of the Hansfield SDZ lands in Blanchardstown. There is also potential for significant re-intensification of employment lands within the M50 ring, at Sandyford Business District and Cherrywood, to complement the Docklands and city centre business district. Outside the M50, the Dublin Enterprise Zone in Blanchardstown and Grangecastle in south Dublin have significant capacity for high tech manufacturing, research and development in campus style settings. The Naas Road lands are a significant landbank straddling the Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council boundary, with long-term potential to become a major district centre but which require significant investment and site assembly efforts to enable their activation. Other long-term opportunities include the development of Dunsink, a major greenfield landbank inside the M50 ring, that requires requisite investment in infrastructure and public transport links. REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES: Consolidation and Re-Intensification RPO 4.3: Support the consolidation and re-intensification of infill/brownfield sites to provide high density and people intensive uses within the existing built up area of Dublin City and suburbs and ensure that the development of future development areas is co-ordinated with the delivery of key water infrastructure and public transport projects. 52 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
- 4.5 Regional Growth Centres Regional Growth Centres are large towns with a high level of selfsustaining employment and services that act as regional economic drivers and play a significant role for a wide catchment area. The RSES supports the direction of significant population and economic growth towards the key Regional Growth Centres of Athlone, Drogheda and Dundalk. These towns, located outside the Dublin Metropolitan Area are, in addition to Dublin, critical to the implementation of effective regional development as set out in the NPF. They will accommodate significant new investment in housing, transport and employment generating activity. They are important selfsustaining centres that act as economic drivers for the Region, capitalising on their strategic location and high-quality connections to Dublin, while also servicing and supporting a wider local economy, which extends beyond the Region in the case of Athlone and cross border in the case of Dundalk. There is an opportunity to improve sustainable transport links and to provide for the requisite infrastructure required to enable these towns grow to their full potential. The growth of these towns will realise a more consolidated urban form that will optimise the use of existing and planned services by increasing population and employment density in a sustainable fashion. The Strategy sets out a strategic development framework for their future growth to allow them to reach sufficient scale to be drivers of regional growth. DLRDLRSDCCSDCC DCCDCC FCC Wicklow Kildare Meath Louth Laois Offaly Westmeath Longford Drogheda Dundalk Athlone Figure 4.3 Regional Growth Centres 53People & Place
- Athlone Strategically located in the centre of Ireland at a key node between Dublin and Galway on the River Shannon, Athlone has direct national connectivity to towns such as Longford, Mullingar, Tullamore, Maynooth, Portlaoise, Ballinasloe and Roscommon. Due to its scale of population, employment and services, Athlone acts as a key regional centre for an extensive catchment that extends into the Northern and Western Region. Athlone’s employment and housing potential, historic centre and cultural assets, along with its attractive natural environment along the banks of the River Shannon, provide for significant tourism opportunities and an enhanced quality of life for both residents and visitors to the town. 54 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
- Key priorities are to promote the continued sustainable and compact growth of Athlone as a regional driver, with a target population of 30,000 up to 2031, providing for an enhanced public realm and regeneration in the town centre along with significant employment growth linked to the further development of Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) and building on the town’s existing strong economic base and enterprise clusters. In order to enhance co-ordination of development in Athlone, where the town and its environs lie within the combined functional area of two local authorities and two regional assemblies, the preparation and adoption of a Joint Urban Area Plan (UAP) will be vital for Westmeath County Council and Roscommon County Council. Residential Development: Key to the success of Athlone is the availability of zoned and serviced lands within the existing built up area to facilitate significant population growth. The development of lands at Curragh Lissywollen, Lisseywollen South, Cornamagh, Cornamaddy and Monksland / Bellanamullia, have the potential to deliver the population targets identified in the RSES. In particular, the development of the strategic landbank at Lissywollen South, also offers the opportunity to develop a new urban quarter extending from the town centre, while the development of Monksland / Bellanamullia lands supports the continued development of the Athlone West area. Vital to the growth of Athlone as a Regional Centre is the provision of high quality, well designed housing development that ensures a mixture of housing types and meets the needs of a variety of households. This is essential to support all of the residents of Athlone, including the current and future employment base thus strengthening the economic potential of the settlement. Regeneration: Future development required to achieve the vision for Athlone includes the regeneration of underused, vacant or derelict lands in the town centre, to facilitate population growth and to strengthen the retail and commercial functions of the Regional Centre. The renewal of lands at Loughanaskin provide opportunity to consolidate the commercial core of Athlone, reinforce neighbourhood identity and enhance the physical character of the area. The delivery of enhanced public realm in the town centre and along the River Shannon’s waterfront will support further amenity, recreation and tourist related development within the settlement along with the development of the Western Bank as a Cultural Quarter. Additional opportunity exists for rejuvenation at sites including Station Road, the Texas, Irishtown and Dunnes Stores sites. Improving connectivity within the Regional Centre, including between Athlone Town Centre and Golden Island Shopping Centre, provides opportunity to enhance the public realm and to contribute to overall placemaking within the Regional Centre impacting positively on the convenience, image and function of Athlone as a Regional Centre. Regeneration opportunities are to be identified as part of the Joint Urban Area Plan, through an integrated master planning approach, which can further support associated funding proposals under the Project Ireland 2040 Urban Regeneration and Development Fund and associated funding mechanisms. 55People & Place
- Economic Development: Athlone has an established economic base with significant administrative, retail, industrial, tourism and services employment, which serves an extensive catchment area that extends beyond the region. The development of Athlone as a Regional Growth Centre offers an opportunity to maximise its central accessible location and to build on the resilience of its local employment base that includes existing economic clusters of indigenous and international companies in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, research and development, medical devices, ICT and software development sectors. Athlone’s success in attracting Foreign Direct Investment makes it an optimal location for future investment as the key regional economic driver for the centre of the Country. The Midlands Innovation and Research Centre (MIRC) together with Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) and Athlone Business and Technology Park are important focal points for the development and strengthening of industry and higher education links in research and development (R&D). AIT is a leading third level institute with research capability in materials, bioscience and software, which are complementary to the industries in the Athlone area. The RSES supports AIT in its ambition, in partnership, to become a Technological University. In line with the smart specialisation approach, there is further potential to build links with industry to develop a pipeline of employment focussed skills to enter the workforce of specialised, high-tech industries, to boost Athlone’s reputation as a university town and to increase its attractiveness as a location for talent and investment. The provision of increased employment densities to support envisaged population growth will require enhanced co-ordination between the local authorities, enterprise agencies and regional stakeholders to ensure the sequential delivery of serviced sites in central accessible locations, including; • Garrycastle IDA as a centre of excellence for education, research, enterprise and innovation with potential for clustering with Athlone Institute of Technology. • Blyry – expansion of indigenous and existing industry. • Creggan – new innovative business park, potentially supported by fast track planning mechanisms such as a SDZ. • Monksland – development and expansion of the existing industrial sectors at this location. It is important to acknowledge the strong economic and employment role that the retail sector within Athlone provides. It is considered that the Joint Retail Strategy by Westmeath and Roscommon County Councils will augment the development of Athlone as a regional shopping destination. Tourism: As a major tourist destination in the Midlands, Athlone capitalises on the rich natural and cultural heritage amenities that exist in the surrounding hinterlands, making it an ideal base to begin exploration of Ireland’s ‘Hidden Heartlands’, which is being promoted as part of Fáilte Ireland’s new tourism experience brand. Its central location coupled with its excellent levels of connectivity ensure that Athlone is easily accessible for tourists and recreational visitors. There is potential to capitalise on Athlone’s urban heritage and culture, and attractive natural setting on Lough Ree which opens into the River Shannon, one of the Country’s most scenic waterways with links to the surrounding landscape and attractions such as the ancient monastic heritage site of Clonmacnoise and the medieval town of Rindoon. Waterways Ireland is developing a Masterplan for the Shannon Blueway which will build on the potential of Lough Ree and the Shannon as a key recreation and amenity attraction. Potential exists to develop a cross sectoral approach to maximise the tourism potential of the River Shannon and Lough Ree, involving Westmeath, Roscommon and Longford County Councils with other relevant stakeholders. A key element of the tourism offer in Athlone is the Dublin to Galway National Cycleway route that spans over 200 kilometres, running through Athlone and connecting the cities of Dublin and Galway. This will form part of the European wide EuroVelo network and bring a cycle route of international significance to the Midlands. 56 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
- Enabling Infrastructure The joint UAP should provide for a coordinated planning framework amongst local authorities and other agencies to identify and deliver strategic development and regeneration areas to achieve compact growth targets. The goal of achieving compact urban growth will increase the need to improve sustainable transport and to provide for the requisite infrastructure to enable Athlone to develop as a Regional Growth Centre. This will include the upgrading of the water supply and the sewage treatment system in order to meet the growth targets set in this strategy. Flooding associated with the River Shannon is a significant consideration for Athlone’s future development and the joint Urban Area Plan should include tailored policy in this regard, including building upon existing measures under the Athlone Flood Alleviation Scheme and the Shannon Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Study. Athlone is well serviced by the national road and rail networks and its position makes the Regional Centre easily accessible. The Strategy supports the improvement of strategic inter-regional connections to Dublin, Galway, Limerick and Sligo, along with the improvement of public transport links within the Regional Centre and its hinterland. Transport infrastructural upgrades between Athlone and the Key Towns of the area namely Longford, Mullingar, Tullamore, Portlaoise and Roscommon will serve to create a more cohesive region and allow for the Key Towns to capitalise on Athlone’s role as a Regional Growth Centre. The promotion of walking and cycling within and through the Regional Centre through the development of greenways along the canal, as part of a wider Dublin to Galway cycle route and the provision of a new east-west pedestrian/ cycle bridge over the River Shannon is also supported. A Local Transport Plan, prepared jointly by Westmeath and Roscommon County Councils and which includes strategic road links within and surrounding Athlone shall be prepared in collaboration with the relevant transport agencies. 57People & Place
- Athlone Joint Urban Area Plan (UAP) The RSES envisages a population target of 30,000 for the entire settlement of Athlone up to 2031. This includes lands within the combined functional area of the two local authorities of Westmeath and Roscommon. The preparation and adoption of a statutory Joint Urban Area Plan (UAP) by Westmeath and Roscommon County Councils is to be a priority. The joint UAP under agreement of both local authorities, is the appropriate mechanism to determine the functional urban area and plan boundary along with the distribution of population which should be generally in proportion to existing population levels in each local authority area. In tandem with the requirements outlined in the Implementation Roadmap for the National Planning Framework, the joint UAP for the Regional Growth Centre of Athlone should endeavour to support and provide for the following: • A strategic vision for the future development of Athlone as a Regional Growth Centre, including the development of critical mass and reflective of its role as a regional driver. • A boundary for the plan area to support the achievement of compact growth targets with a minimum of 30% of new homes to be built within the existing built up area, supported by the large scale delivery of lands at Curragh Lissywollen, Lissywollen South, Cornamagh, Cornamaddy and Monksland / Bellanamullia. • Preparation of a wider collaborative Economic Development Strategy to promote increased employment and enterprise opportunities in Athlone, and to facilitate enhanced co-ordination between local authorities, enterprise agencies and regional stakeholders to support the phased delivery of serviced employment lands at Garrycastle IDA, Blyry, Creggan and Monksland. In promoting the economic development of Athlone, this may include support for the consideration/investigation of fast track planning mechanisms such as, the designation of an SDZ. • The regeneration of underused, vacant or derelict town centre lands and the consolidation of retail and commercial functions in line with a joint Retail Strategy prepared by the local authorities. • The identification of infrastructural investment priorities and promotion of a joined-up approach to the delivery of key enabling infrastructure to facilitate the sequential delivery of strategic residential, employment and regeneration development areas. • Support the upgrading of the water supply and treatment system to meet the growth targets set in this strategy. • Promote Athlone as a sustainable transport hub, of national and regional importance and support the preparation of a joint Local Transport Plan between Westmeath and Roscommon County Councils in collaboration with transport agencies and key stakeholders to improve sustainable mobility in the town. • Support the proposal to make AIT a Technological University and for the development of a ‘smart cities’ approach to drive research, innovation and EU funding opportunities in Athlone. • Support the development of a cross sectoral approach to maximise the tourism potential of the River Shannon and Lough Ree, involving Westmeath, Roscommon and Longford County Council and relevant stakeholders. • Support the implementation of the Athlone Waterfront Strategy to provide for public realm and amenity enhancements and tourist related developments along the waterfront. • Support ongoing implementation of flood risk management and flood alleviation measures to facilitate the growth of Athlone. • Support the development of an Open Space Strategy with provision for a public park in Monksland and the provision of sustainable transport, recreation and amenity spaces to support existing and future populations. 58 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
- REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES: Athlone Regional Growth Centre RPO 4.4: A cross boundary statutory Joint Urban Area Plan (UAP) for the Regional Growth Centre of Athlone shall be jointly prepared by Westmeath and Roscommon County Councils in collaboration with EMRA and NWRA. The UAP will support, the development of Athlone as an attractive, vibrant and highly accessible Regional Centre and economic driver for the centre of the Country. The Joint UAP will identify Athlone’s functional urban area and outline a boundary for the plan area, in addition to the identification of strategic housing and employment development areas and the infrastructure investment requirements to promote greater coordination and sequential delivery of serviced lands for development. RPO 4.5: Promote Athlone as a key location for regional economic development supporting the provision of increased employment through the expansion of the existing enterprise ecosystem in Athlone and smart specialisation, that have developed through collaboration with the relevant enterprise agencies including the IDA, Athlone Institute of Technology and the Midlands Innovation and Research Centre and support the provision of physical infrastructure and zoned lands to realise the phased delivery of strategic employment lands in central accessible locations. RPO 4.6: Support the role of Athlone Institute of Technology as a centre of excellence for education and in achieving its status as a Technological University. RPO 4.7: Support the development of a cross sectoral approach to promote Athlone as a key tourism destination in the Midlands, building on Fáilte Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands brand and the forthcoming Shannon Tourism Masterplan to develop the recreation and amenity potential of waterways including the River Shannon and Lough Ree and the development of a greenway network including the Galway to Dublin Cycleway. RPO 4.8: Support the regeneration of underused town centre and brownfield / infill lands along with the delivery of existing zoned and serviced lands to facilitate significant population growth and achieve sustainable compact growth targets of 30% of all new homes to be built within the existing built up urban area. RPO 4.9: Support ongoing implementation of flood risk management and flood alleviation measures to facilitate the growth of Athlone. RPO 4.10: Support the development of joint economic, transport and retail plans by Westmeath and Roscommon County Councils in collaboration with, and where appropriate, relevant local authorities and relevant agencies, to facilitate the growth of Athlone as a regional economic driver. 59People & Place
- Drogheda Drogheda is an established centre of agglomeration strategically located on the Dublin-Belfast rail corridor and M1 Motorway in proximity to both the metropolitan centres of Dublin and Belfast. Drogheda, and Dundalk have the potential to form part of a sustainable network of centres of scale, including Newry, connected by public transport within the Region and within the Dublin- Belfast Economic Corridor. However, the realisation of a sustainable linear sequence of urban centres of scale at Drogheda, Dundalk and Newry will require further promotion and investment in public transport infrastructure. 60 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.