Skip to content

Development plans

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.
  1. Residential Development: Over the coming years focus will be on proactively encouraging housing delivery in a sustainable manner that acknowledges economic and market conditions, whilst ensuring housing need is met including the housing needs of younger people, families, private renters and the ageing population. The provision of a mixture of well-designed housing types at appropriate locations will facilitate and contribute to the ongoing regeneration, consolidation and renewal of the town. A number of opportunity sites offer potential to deliver consolidated residential development over the short, medium and long term, such as the Maltings Site on Mountmellick Road, Centrepoint Site on the Mountrath Road, and the former Schools sites within the town centre. Economic Development: Portlaoise has a strong economic base, significant talent and success spread across various sectors including the Global Business and ICT Service sectors, agri-business sector and the public services sector. This has attracted internationally renowned companies and provides a solid foundation for economic growth and employment into the future. The J17 National Enterprise Park (formerly Togher Inland Port) is a c. 121 hectare site located to the southwest of Portlaoise town centre. It is bounded by the M7 motorway and includes the existing IDA Park on the Mountrath Road. This area has significant potential for the development of the economic base of Portlaoise. A masterplan prepared in 2018 sets out to achieve objectives which will contribute to the future prosperity of Portlaoise and will facilitate industrial, commercial and enterprise developments having regard to the proper planning and sustainable development of the area, that includes environmental and transportation requirements. Services and Aamenities: Portlaoise has a rich architectural heritage with the town centre designated as an Architectural Conservation Area. Portlaoise was successful in obtaining funding through the Urban Regeneration and Development Fund for a new Cultural Quarter, focusing on landmark buildings such as the Fort Protector and Old St. Peter’s Church. In terms of natural heritage the development of the River Triogue Blueway will be a considerable amenity and tourism resource for the town, linking the People’s Park in the south to the Linear Park in the north. The accessibility of the Slieve Bloom Mountains from Portlaoise is also a key asset. The Midland Regional Hospital at Portlaoise is an acute hospital that serves the catchment areas of Laois, Offaly, Kildare, Carlow and Tipperary. Enabling Infrastructure: Given the strategic location of Portlaoise, the maintenance and upgrading, where appropriate, of transport links are required to enhance connectivity within and beyond the region, facilitate economic potential and enhance quality of life. This includes the motorway network, as Portlaoise benefits from direct access via two Junctions onto the M7 namely junctions 16 and 17, and the national road networks including the N77 and N80 routes. The service provided by the Dublin-Cork rail line is required within the settlement and provides regular daily services to Cork, Killarney and Limerick to the south and Dublin to the north. High frequency commuter trains to and from Dublin, during morning and evening peaks, offer an important sustainable transport option for people within the settlement. REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES: Portlaoise Key Town RPO 4.71: Support delivery of the Portlaoise Regeneration and Development Demonstration Project and assist the local authority in seeking funding opportunities for delivery of regeneration development. RPO 4.72: Support transition of Portlaoise to a low carbon town centre by reducing car use and promoting walking and cycling and improving the mix of uses within the town centre. RPO 4.73: Support the vision and objectives of the J17 National Enterprise Park Masterplan, where appropriate, which aims to deliver a viable economic zone within Portlaoise which will accommodate a range of potential businesses and industries whilst having regard to spatial planning, infrastructural, environmental and transportation requirements and compatibility with adjoining land uses. This is subject to compliance with the requirements of the SEA, Habitats and Floods Directive. RPO 4.74: Support the development and expansion of the Midlands Regional Hospital at Portlaoise. 91People & Place
  2. Graiguecullen – Carlow Whilst Carlow is largely located within the Southern Regional Assembly’s functional area, part of the town around Graiguecullen is located within County Laois and so within the functional area of the EMRA. In order to enhance co-ordination of development in Carlow where the town and its environs lie within the combined functional area of two local authorities, the preparation and adoption of a joint local area plan shall be a priority for Carlow County Council and Laois County Council to provide a coordinated planning framework to identify and deliver strategic sites and regeneration areas so that a minimum of 30% compact growth can be achieved. This requires a focused approach and coordinated action amongst local authorities and other agencies. The distribution of population between the two local authorities should be decided by both local authorities in the joint local area plan and this distribution should be commensurate with existing population levels. Carlow is home to two well established institutions, the Institute of Technology Carlow (ITC) and Carlow College (St. Patrick’s), both of which have substantial links with the surrounding regions. Population targets apply for settlements in the first instance and then are to be prescribed for each county within the context of the revised Joint Spatial Plan for the Greater Carlow- Graiguecullen Urban Area 2012 -2018. REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES: Graiguecullen – Carlow Key Town RPO 4.75: A cross-boundary Joint Local Area Plan (LAP) shall be prepared for Carlow by Carlow County Council and Laois County Council having regard to its location within the combined functional area of both local authorities. The Joint LAP shall provide a coordinated planning framework to identify and deliver strategic sites and regeneration areas for the future physical, economic and social development of Carlow/Graiguecullen to ensure it achieves targeted compact growth of a minimum of 30% and ensure a co-ordinated approach is taken to the future growth and development of the combined urban area, ensuring that it has the capacity to grow sustainably and secure investment as a Key Town. The Joint LAP shall identify a boundary for the plan area and strategic housing and employment development areas and infrastructure investment requirements to promote greater co-ordination and sequential delivery of serviced lands for development. Regard shall be had to the respective housing, retail and other local authority strategies that may be in place. RPO 4.76: Support the sustainable development of environmentally sensitive, low intensity amenity development associated with the Barrow Blueway subject to compliance with the Habitats and Birds Directive and Floods Directive. 92 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
  3. 4.7 Self-Sustaining Growth Towns and Self-Sustaining Towns Supporting the regional driver role of Key Towns, Self-Sustaining Growth Towns and Self- Sustaining Towns, are settlements that act as regionally important local drivers providing a range of functions for their resident population and their surrounding catchments including housing, local employment, services, retail and leisure opportunities. It is important to acknowledge the variation of function that exists at this settlement level, with some towns operating as commuter towns whilst others function more sustainably. Table 4.2 sets out a settlement typology for towns in our region, based not just on scale but also considering the role and function of those settlements. Development plans should identify an appropriate settlement hierarchy and growth rates within their core strategies, based on their unique assets and growth potential within the city or county context and having regard to Table 4.2 and the Asset Based Approach outlined in Chapter 3 Growth Strategy. It will be crucial to promote activity in towns that support local and surrounding urban and rural populations through good connectivity, support for economic development and regeneration opportunities, strengthening communities (including rural communities) across our region, in line with Regional Strategic Outcomes 2 and 3 of the RSES. Self-Sustaining Growth Towns Self-Sustaining Growth Towns are towns that contain a reasonable level of jobs and services which adequately caters for the people of its service catchment. This may include sub-county market towns and commuter towns with good transport links, which have capacity for continued commensurate growth. Towns in the Dublin Metropolitan Area and Core Region tend to have experienced strong commuter focussed growth but some of these towns offer potential for increased residential densities at high quality public transport hubs and can accommodate average or above average growth to provide for natural increase, service and/or employment growth where appropriate, to be set out in the core strategies of county development plans. Within the Gateway Region, towns, such as some of those located in the Midlands, tend to have more significant employment and service functions relative to their regional and local catchment. Some also have a high ratio of jobs to resident workforce, which means that they are attracting workers from a wide catchment area. These towns offer potential for regional economic growth and can accommodate average or above average growth to provide for natural increase, service and/or employment growth where appropriate, to be set out in the core strategies of county development plans. Self-Sustaining Towns Self-Sustaining Towns are towns that require contained growth, focusing on driving investment in services, employment growth and infrastructure whilst balancing housing delivery. A number of settlements within the Metropolitan Area, Core and at the eastern fringes of the Gateway Regions have undergone rapid commuter-focused residential expansion over the recent decade, without equivalent increases in jobs (i.e. settlements characterised by a low ratio of jobs to resident workforce) and services. Population growth in these towns shall be at a rate that seeks to achieve a balancing effect and shall be focused on consolidation and inclusion of policies in relation to improvements in services and employment provision, to be set out in the core strategies of county development plans. Towns recording the highest growth rates in the country over the last ten years (>32%), and which have lower levels of employment provision include; Ashbourne, Balbriggan, Blessington, Clane, Kinsealy-Drinan, Lusk, Laytown-Bettystown, Ratoath, and Sallins. Nevertheless, it should also be noted that such towns are important employment and service centres. In addition some of these settlements, such as Ashbourne and Ratoath have the potential to strengthen their employment base and develop as important centres of employment due to their strategic location, connectivity with surrounding settlements, and the availability of a skilled workforce. 93People & Place
  4. 4.8 Rural Places: Towns, Villages and the Countryside The RSES recognises the major contribution that rural places make towards regional and national development in economic, social and environmental terms. Rural areas in the Region, including the Gaeltacht area, contribute to Ireland’s unique culture and identity, and provide significant natural resources, biodiversity, environmental qualities and landscape features. Physically, the rural parts of the region are characterised by a diverse range of natural amenities and landscapes, including rich agricultural lands, bog lands, mountains and uplands, lakes, rivers and streams and coastal areas. The Region is home to many vibrant rural communities, in towns, villages and the countryside. There are visible differences between the many types of rural areas and rural communities, including scale, accessibility, the influence of neighbouring urban centres, natural resource assets and access to infrastructure and services. These differences ought to be recognised in planning for rural places. Challenges Facing Rural Places Rural areas are facing many challenges, ranging from urban generated pressures in some areas to a declining and ageing population in other areas, changes to economic structure, and lack of access to infrastructure and new technologies. The Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development, Realising Our Rural Potential, provides the framework for a co-ordinated approach across Government to the economic and social development of rural communities. The Plan focuses on both the economic and social development of rural Ireland and the regions. It sets out measures which will directly benefit rural places, as well as the enterprises which operate within them, with over 270 specific actions to be delivered over a three-year period to 2020. A key challenge is to ensure that in planning for rural places, responses are uniquely tailored to recognise the balance required between managing urban generated demand in the most accessible rural areas, typically in proximity to Dublin and other towns, whilst supporting the sustainable growth of rural communities and economies, including those facing decline. In general, those rural places in proximity to large urban centres have experienced significant growth and urban generated pressures and require levels of growth to be managed in order to ensure that there is a requisite service level for the existing population. Those in more peripheral locations have experienced decline in population and marked vacancy, requiring support for the existing population and regeneration of existing cores. The development strategy for these rural places is to be set out in the core strategies of county development plans. 94 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
  5. Planning for Future Growth in Rural Places 10 https://drcd.gov.ie/about/rural/rural-regeneration-development-fund/ Housing Facilitating housing is paramount to ensuring the sustainability, vitality and viability of the rural places of the Region. Support for housing and population growth within rural towns and villages will help to act as a viable alternative to rural one-off housing, contributing to the principle of compact growth. The availability of serviced sites, in tandem with schemes such as the Irish Water Scheme for Small Towns and Villages, will help to enable this. In terms of population distribution within the Region, 94% of the EMRA’s total population lives within areas under urban influence. Within the Eastern SPA, 91% of the population lives in areas under urban influence whilst in the Midlands SPA this figure is 72.9%. Local authorities’ rural housing planning policy should be evidence based and accommodate rural generated housing consistent with the settlement framework contained in this Strategy and the DEHLG Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines, 2005, or any successor thereof, and should be accommodated within the Housing Needs Demand Assessment, reflecting the housing needs of the county as a whole. The NPF and RSES make a distinction between areas under urban influence, i.e. within the commuter catchment of cities and large towns and centres of employment, and rural areas outside these catchments. In such areas a more flexible approach based primarily on siting and design will apply. Core strategies for county development plans shall identify areas under strong urban influence in the hinterlands of settlements and set the appropriate rural housing policy response to avoid ribbon and over spill development from urban areas, support revitalised towns and villages, achieve sustainable compact growth targets, sustainably address rural decline and protect the rural resource for rural communities. Regeneration, Renewal and Funding Opportunities The NPF identifies the need to strengthen and diversify rural towns to be a focus for local housing and employment growth. Rural towns can act as a focus for development in their areas through the provision of services across economic, social and administrative areas. The countryside within the Region provides for rural economies and rural communities, based on agriculture, forestry, tourism and rural enterprise. This should be facilitated while avoiding over-spill development from urban areas and urban generated housing. For some rural areas, urban and commuter generated development has undesirably affected the character and cohesion of these locations. Simultaneously, in less accessible rural locations, population levels have declined and it has been difficult to sustain basic services and community facilities at these locations. As part of Project Ireland 2040, the Government has committed to providing an additional €1 billion for a new Rural Regeneration and Development Fund10 over the period 2019 to 2027. The Fund will provide investment to support rural renewal for suitable projects in towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000, and outlying areas. It will be administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development. This fund provides an opportunity to support the revitalisation of rural Ireland, to make a significant and sustainable impact on rural communities, and to address depopulation in small rural towns, villages and rural areas. It will be a key instrument to support the objectives of the NPF, and in particular to achieve Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities – one of the National Strategic Outcomes of the NPF. The RIAI’s Toolkit for Towns and Villages offers useful advice for local authorities in relation to rural regeneration. 95People & Place
  6. Enabling and Sustaining the Rural Economy This Section should be read in conjunction with the Rural Economy section at Chapter 6 Economy and Employment of this document. A key objective of the NPF is to enable all parts of the Country – both urban and rural – to achieve their full potential. The RSES reflects this core objective and aims to strengthen the fabric of rural Ireland, supporting rural towns and communities as well as the open countryside, improving connectivity, and supporting job creation, particularly in a more diverse range of sectors. The rejuvenation of rural towns and villages requires that appropriate job creation can be supported in rural areas. Traditional sectors such as agriculture, tourism, extractive industries and forestry are complemented by diversification in sectors such as food, renewable energy and opportunities provided from improved digital connectivity. The agri-food sector plays a significant role in Ireland’s rural economy and this sector is supported through the implementation of Food Wise 2025. The forestry sector is another significant contributor to the economy as is tourism and the development of greenways, blueways and peatways to provide an alternative visitor experience. Energy production, including renewable energy in the form of wind, solar and biomass have to date largely been provided in rural areas and the location of future renewable energy production is likely to be met in rural areas. (For further details in relation to rural economy refer to Chapter 6 Economy and Employment and in relation to digital connectivity Chapter 8 Connectivity). The RSES supports tourism development and promotional branding to ensure that areas associated with Ireland’s Hidden Heatlands and Ireland’s Ancient East are developed and promoted to tap into the economic potential of rural areas (see Chapter 6 Economy and Employment in relation to the development of tourism in the Region). 11 https://www.knightsandconquests.ie/ CASE STUDY: Rural Regeneration and Development Fund Under the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF) approximately €2.9m has been allocated to the Historic Granard Motte Project, to develop a major tourism and amenity attraction at the site of Granard Motte, a national monument at Granard, Co. Longford. The project will develop a heritage park on 15 acres of land and will recreate a living Norman Village and children’s amenities. It will complement previous successful funding applications on the site that saw the development of a ‘Knights and Conquests’ Heritage Centre and an onsite café as part of the REDZ scheme and Town and Village Renewal scheme. The Knights and Conquests Centre11 is an interpretative centre telling the story of the Norman Knights in Ireland, allowing visitors an opportunity to walk through time and learn about life in Norman Ireland. The RRDF funds will be used to bring additionality to the overall project, allowing for a tourism product of national and international scale to be opened on the site. This will be a living history village, which will result in an immersive visitor experience on Norman life 800 years ago, where visitors will be transported back to Norman Ireland through a series of innovative living history displays and activities, supported by audiovisual presentations, augmented reality, VR and print. It will link into the Granard Motte, bringing it back into playing a pivotal role in the development of the town. This project is a collaboration between Longford County Council, the local community and Fáilte Ireland. The RRDF allowed this project to be significantly scaled up to that of a tourism product that would encourage people to visit, enhancing the visitor experience and therefore the long term sustainability of the project. This means that this project will have a significant economic impact on the town of Granard and the wider region. It is anticipated that in excess of 40 jobs will be created as a result of this project and 15,000 visitors projected to visit the site yearly, once fully operational. This will benefit existing and new businesses in Granard. 96 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
  7. REGIONAL POLICY OBJECTIVES: Rural Areas RPO 4.77: In development plan policy local authorities shall prioritise the regeneration of rural towns and villages through identification of significant regeneration projects for rural villages and rural areas which could harness untapped assets with community and wider private and public sector support and investment including the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund. RPO 4.78: Development plans should support the development of a ‘New Homes in Small Towns and Villages’ initiative which would augment the delivery of actions by local authorities, Irish Water, communities and other stakeholders in the provision of services and serviced sites to create ‘build your own home’ opportunities within the existing footprint of rural settlements to provide new homes to meet housing demand. RPO 4.79: Local authorities shall identify and provide policies that recognise the contribution that small towns, villages and rural areas contribute to social and economic wellbeing. As part of this policy provision that seeks to support and protect existing rural economies such as valuable agricultural lands to ensure sustainable food supply, to protect the value and character of open countryside and to support the diversification of rural economies to create additional jobs and maximise opportunities in emerging sectors, such as agri-business, renewable energy, tourism and forestry enterprise is supported. RPO 4.80: Local authorities shall manage urban generated growth in Rural Areas Under Strong Urban Influence (i.e. the commuter catchment of Dublin, large towns and centres of employment) and Stronger Rural Areas by ensuring that in these areas the provision of single houses in the open countryside is based on the core consideration of demonstrable economic or social need to live in a rural area, and compliance with statutory guidelines and plans, having regard to the viability of smaller towns and rural settlements. RPO 4.81: In rural areas outside the Rural Areas Under Strong Urban Influence local authorities shall encourage sustainable growth in areas that have experienced decline or stagnation, facilitate the provision of single houses in the countryside based on siting and design criteria for rural housing in statutory guidelines and plans, having regard to the viability of smaller towns and rural settlements. RPO 4.82: Local authorities shall ensure that economic development that is urban in nature should be in the first instance located in urban areas. RPO 4.83: Support the consolidation of the town and village network to ensure that development proceeds sustainably and at an appropriate scale, level and pace in line with the core strategies of the county development plans. RPO 4.84: Support the rural economy and initiatives in relation to diversification, agri business, rural tourism and renewable energy so as to sustain the employment opportunities in rural areas. In keeping with the NPF, the Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly will support the longer term strategic planning for industrial peatland areas. This may include support, where appropriate, for a Transition Team in place and preparation of a comprehensive afteruse framework plan for the peatlands and related infrastructure, which addresses environmental, economic and social issues, including employment and replacement enterprise reflecting the current transition from employment based around peat extraction. 97People & Place
  8. 5 Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) 5.1 Introduction and Context Increasingly city regions are the focal point for internationally mobile investment and high skilled jobs. While Dublin performs well on an international scale, it has significant challenges in areas such as transport, housing, amenities, sustainability and liveability. Therefore, it is imperative that Dublin should have a clear ambition and vision to build on its strengths as a global metropolitan region. The requirement for a Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP) to be prepared for Dublin as part of the Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy is set out in Project Ireland 2040 – National Planning Framework (NPF). The MASP provides, for the first time, a 12 to 20 year strategic planning and investment framework for the Dublin metropolitan area. The MASP is aligned with a number of Regional Strategic Outcomes in the RSES which include managing the sustainable and compact growth of Dublin, the regeneration of cities and better use of under-used land, integrated transport and land use and the promotion of Dublin as a global city region. The MASP is an integrated land use and transportation strategy for the Dublin Metropolitan Area that sets out; • A Vision for the future growth of the metropolitan area and key growth enablers, identifying strategic corridors based on their capacity to achieve compact sustainable and sequential growth along key public transport corridors, existing and planned • Large scale strategic residential, employment and regeneration development opportunities and any infrastructure deficits or constraints that need to be addressed • A sequence of infrastructure priorities to promote greater co-ordination between local authorities, public transport and infrastructure providers for the phased delivery of sites. 98 Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy
  9. The Dublin Metropolitan Area (DMA) The boundary of the Dublin Metropolitan Area (DMA) was established in the Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs) for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) 2010- 2022 and the NTA Strategy for the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) 2016 – 2035. There are seven local authorities in the metropolitan area including all of Dublin City, South Dublin and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and parts of Fingal, Meath, Kildare and Wicklow. Dublin City and suburbs has a population of 1.2 million people, in 2016, while the metropolitan area of Dublin covers a wider area and is home to 1.4 million people or 3 out of 5 people living in the Region. Between 2006 and 2016 the metropolitan population increased by around 160,000 people or 13%, which was slightly higher than the state, but lower than the average growth rate in the Eastern and Midland Region, which grew by around 15% over the same period. The MASP envisages a population of 1.65 million in the metropolitan area by 2031, an increase of 250,000 people or 18% from 2016. See Appendix E for more detail on the definition of the DMA boundary. Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, USGS, Intermap, INCREMENT P, NRCan, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), Esri Korea, Esri (Thailand), NGCC, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community 4 Dublin City & Suburbs MASP Boundary Figure 5.1 MASP Boundary Source: EMRA 99Dublin Metropolitan Area Strategic Plan (MASP)
  10. 5.2 Vision The vision for the MASP was developed in collaboration with key stakeholders in tandem with and complementary to the vision for the RSES. The visioning process identified some key strengths and place attributes to determine current issues and opportunities and building on this, developed a vision for where the Dublin metropolitan area should be in 12 to 20 years. Over this horizon the MASP needs to be flexible enough to adapt and respond to external risks such as climate change, technology disruption, demographic and cultural change and economic shocks and to support a future transition to low carbon, for sustainable and electric mobility, increased access to online services and an ability to respond to and benefit from smart technologies. The Dublin Metropolitan Area is young, diverse and multicultural and is performing well at an international level. However, there is a need to better manage the sustainable and compact growth of the city, and to address key challenges related to housing supply, affordability, transport, sustainability and liveability to ensure Dublin can sustain its competitiveness, provide good quality of life for residents and continue to attract and retain talent and investment as a global city region. Key assets are Dublin’s vibrancy, welcoming people and unique character, culture and heritage assets along with access to Dublin Bay and the coastline, the Phoenix Park and the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains. The friendliness and diversity of its people and the concentration of amenities, social and economic opportunities and access to public transport networks are also key to Dublin’s success. There is a need to enable regeneration and employment opportunities for established communities where redevelopment and re-intensification occurs, particularly in areas of on-going deprivation. Changing demographics and increasing urbanisation will also require a long-term planning response to meet existing and future needs translating into demand for regeneration, housing and employment. Vision Statement Over the years to 2031 and with a 2040 horizon, the Dublin metropolitan area will; “build on our strengths to become a smart, climate resilient and global city region, expanding access to social and economic opportunities and improved housing choice, travel options and quality of life for people who live, work, study in or visit the metropolitan area” This high-level vision is underpinned by a spatial framework that supports the overall Settlement Strategy in Chapter 4 People and Place and sets out an integrated land use and transportation strategy for the sequential development of the metropolitan area, focussed on: • Consolidation of Dublin City and suburbs • Key Towns of Swords, Maynooth and Bray • Planned development of strategic development areas in Donabate, Dunboyne, Leixlip and Greystones 100 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.

Independent planning information for Ireland — not a government website or an official planning service, and not legal advice. Contains Irish Public Sector Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Always confirm details with the relevant local authority before relying on them.

Planning portal

Free pre-planning reportCheck a site before you apply
Map of applicationsEvery application on one map, with zoning and heritage layers
AreasCounties and towns
Planning statisticsThe national picture, and every council side by side
CommencementsWhat actually got built
Property salesWhat it sold for
Ask the planning assistantPlain-English questions