Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022–2028 — Chapter 7

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   Housing & Sustainable Communities Chapter 7 Sustainable Compact Growth Climate Action Accessibility and Connectivity Sustainable Places and Communities

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028191 Chapter 7: Housing & Sustainable Communities Strategic Objectives To promote development that is compact, diverse and sustainable and which is resilient and adaptive to climate change. To make places more sustainable, inclusive, diverse, accessible, and safe with the highest standards of design. To promote attractive, liveable, well designed permeable and accessible, high quality urban places that are home to diverse and integrated communities that enjoy a high quality of life and well-being. To support the role of the rural areas and communities in maintaining and growing a resilient population base through a strong network of towns, villages and settlement nodes. 7.0 Introduction Access to adequate, safe and affordable housing is the first indicator of the 11th Sustainable Development Goal. Housing is necessary because it allows people to lead healthy, secure, productive and dignified lives. A sufficient supply of adaptable, affordable, low-carbon, climate-resilient housing is critical to ending poverty and supporting economic development across Waterford. The population of Waterford has been growing steadily for a number of years, and over the next 20 years Waterford is projected to have a population of 153,000. To support this growth, and to create sustainable communities, the best use of infrastructure and increased levels of housing delivery, as well as being consistent with national and regional policy, requires that at least 50% of housing must be provided in Waterford City and Suburbs, and at least 30% of housing in other settlements across the County, within their existing settlement footprints. The Council will also promote and facilitate the use of publicly owned lands in the delivery of a mix of tenures, including private housing, social housing, affordable purchase and affordable rental housing. It is important to note that housing delivery must also accord with the provisions of the Core Strategy as set out in Chapters 2 and 3 which sets out the appropriate locations for future development across Waterford, as also informed by the NPF and RSES. The Council’s role is to guide the location, nature and quality of new housing developments in the city and county area, and to comply with its statutory obligations to ensure housing developments conform to relevant Government guidelines. Housing delivery should not simply be a matter of providing new residential units; rather it should result in the provision of new and/or enhanced communities and neighbourhoods. The focus of developments must be to create areas of a high-quality design which includes the creation of sustainable, compact, accessible, attractive, healthy and multifunctional places in which to live with an appropriate mix, type and range of units. This chapter provides the spatial planning policy framework and objectives to deliver sustainable housing throughout Waterford.

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028192 General Housing Policy Objectives H 01 To promote compact urban growth through the consolidation and development of new residential units on infill/ brownfield sites and mews and townhouse developments and support the most efficient use of publicly owned lands for residential and mixed-use developments. This will be achieved through working in collaboration with landowners, the Land Development Agency, The Housing Agency and other statutory and voluntary agencies and by the utilisation of available funding (URDF and RRDF) for plan and nature-based infrastructure led development. H 02 In granting planning permission, we will ensure new residential development: • Is appropriate in terms of type, character, scale, form and density to that location. • Is serviceable by appropriate supporting social, economic and physical infrastructure. • Is serviceable by public transport and sustainable modes such as walking and cycling. • Is integrated and connected to the surrounding area in which it is located; and, • Is designed in accordance with the applicable guidance and standards of the time: • Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (2009). • Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities (2007). • Urban Design Manual A Best Practice (2009). • Permeability Best Practice NTA (2015); and, • Design Manual for Urban Roads (DMURS) (2020) or any update thereof. • National Disability Inclusion Strategy (NDIS) 2017-2022. • United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). H 03 We will require that new development be in accordance with the principles of Universal Design and the National Disability Authority’s publication ‘Building For Everyone: A Universal Design Approach’ and shall have regard to the Government’s ‘National Disability Inclusion Strategy 2017-2021’. H 04 We will promote and facilitate sustainable and liveable compact urban growth through the thoughtful consolidation and of infill/ brownfield sites in a way which promotes appropriate levels of compactness while delivering healthier and greener urban spaces and residential amenities. This will be achieved by: • Facilitating and supporting a range of residential densities and building heights appropriate to the context and residential amenity of a proposed development location. • Proximity to high capacity public transport corridors and investment in sustainable and/ or active transport infrastructure. • Supporting the permeable integration and densification of existing built-up areas. • Supporting residential development proposals and urban design which incorporate clustering of mixed land use and co-location of services in appropriate location(s), or where quick and easy access to such services is available. • Promoting and ensuring qualitative design and technological solutions which deliver adaptable residential/living units/spaces and urban design. • Ensuing the integrated provision of quality green and blue infrastructure components/ public open space and networks of same so as to achieve distinctiveness and sense of place across our neighbourhoods; and, • Requiring the provision of support infrastructure/ facilities to encourage sustainable mobility.

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028193 Regeneration Policy Objectives H 05 To maximise the efficient use of existing infrastructure and services and promote a positive modal shift towards sustainable transport use, we will facilitate the sustainable, compact, sequential regeneration and redevelopment of urban areas through the appropriate development of identified key infill and brownfield sites as per Table 3.2 and Appendix 21 for a mix of uses appropriate to the location. To assist in this regard, we will carry out a viability assessment for key brownfield sites during the lifetime of the development plan with a view to assisting in delivery of regeneration projects. Development proposals which are not fully consistent with the provisions of the land use zoning matrix (Volume 2 – DM Standards Table 11.2) will be considered on their own merits where it can be demonstrated that the proposed development is consistent with the ‘Vision’ for the site, and is in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. H 06 We will utilise our legislative power under the Derelict Sites Act 1990, The Urban Regeneration and Housing Act 2015, as amended and general CPO powers to prevent anti-social behaviour and remove dereliction and vacancy where appropriate. 7.1 Regeneration and Active Land Management The National Planning Framework and the Southern Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy identify ‘Compact Growth’ as the means to deliver sustainable growth in our urban settlements. The Council is committed to consolidation, redevelopment and regeneration of infill, brownfield, underused, vacant and/or derelict sites within the existing urban footprints, rather than the continued sprawl of urban development into the open countryside. Appendix 21 of the Development Plan identifies a range of regeneration/ opportunity sites across all settlement classes which could be developed during the lifetime of the Plan and beyond through active land management or other means.

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028194 7.2 Housing Need and Demand Assessment and Housing Strategy In order to ensure that the plan-making system is supported by a robust methodology to inform housing related policy outputs and the Council’s Housing Strategy, and funding relating to housing provision, and associated land requirements, a Housing Need Demand Assessment (HNDA) has been developed, please refer to Appendix 3. The purpose of the HNDA is to: • Assist local authorities to develop long-term strategic views of housing need in Waterford across all tenures. • Provide a robust evidence base to support decisions about new housing supply, wider investment and housing related services that inform our local and an overall national housing profile. • Inform policies relating to the proportional and other requirements for social and affordable housing, including the locational demand and need for different types and sizes of provision. • Provide evidence to inform policies related to the provision of specialist housing and housing related services.

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028195 Housing Strategy and Housing Need and Demand Assessment Policy Objectives H 07 We will secure the implementation of the Waterford City and County Housing Strategy and Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) in accordance with the provision of national legislation and relevant policies and standards through: • Zoning of sufficient land to cater for the housing need of our communities over the life of the Development Plan, having regard to the Core Strategy, the likely release of development lands to the market and service availability. • The purchase of lands/delivery of houses in line with obligations as a Housing Authority in collaboration with stakeholders and private and non-profit sectors, including Community Trusts/ Housing Agencies/ Developers/ Land Development Agency. 7.3 Social Housing and Part V Social and Affordable housing will be provided by Waterford City and County Council as the Housing Authority, Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs), The Land Development Agency and by a wide range of mechanisms, including under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). A recent significant change to Part V arrangements under the Affordable Housing Act 2021 is to increase the Part V contribution for new housing developments from up to 10% for social housing to a mandatory 20% requirement of new developments of 5 or more houses, at least half of which must be applied to social housing provision and up to half of which may be applied to affordable and cost rental housing. All proposed residential developments, or mixed used development with a residential component, shall have regard to, and comply with, the provisions of the Council’s Housing Strategy (Appendix 3 of the Development Plan) and Part V of the Planning and Development Act, 2000 (as amended). In this regard, an applicant for new development will be required to engage with the Planning Authority at an early stage of the planning process to ascertain any specific requirements in relation to their Part V obligation. While the Housing Strategy has found that the identified social and affordable housing requirement is equivalent to c.30% of the total anticipated households in County Waterford over the Plan period, the NPF warns against the intensification of social housing in areas that are already dense with social housing and advocates

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028196 for the development of diverse neighbourhoods with a balance of public and private housing to create healthy communities. In order to mitigate against undue segregation of tenure type, new developments should avoid an over proliferation of a single housing tenure by providing a balanced mix of private, affordable, social and cost rental housing to accommodate the needs of a mixed and balanced community. In this regard, applicants shall be required to have regard to both the existing and permitted house types and tenures within the surrounding and adjoining neighbourhoods and/or district and clearly demonstrate how the proposed development will add to the housing mix of the area. In areas where the relevant deprivation rate is below -3.0 as set out in Table 5.8 of the Housing Strategy & HNDA (Appendix 3) the preference of the Council is to promote a higher rate of private, affordable and cost rental housing as opposed to the provision of an excess of social housing in these areas. In addition, all development proposals with a residential component, shall comply with the policies set out in this chapter with regard to providing appropriate housing choice, location, mix and tenure. Social Housing and Part V Policy Objectives H 08 The Council will secure the provision of appropriate accommodation to meet the housing needs of all households, including social, affordable and cost rental housing, in a manner consistent with the Housing Strategy and in accordance with Part V of the Planning & Development Act 2000 (as amended). All housing units delivered by way of Part V should be integrated into the overall development in terms of location, design and build quality. 7.4 Voluntary, Co-operative/ Community Housing Organisations Voluntary housing bodies provide accommodation to meet the special housing needs such as those of the older people, people with disabilities, homeless persons or small families. The Council recognises the important role, resources and experience that voluntary housing organisations and the co-operative sector brings to the housing of these groups. The Co-operative / Community Housing model is widely seen as an approach to complement state and local authority-led public housing schemes, going beyond the simple provision of primary housing needs. They have typically been driven by motivations including affordability, a longing for community life, and social inclusion as well as progressive agendas around gender equality, environmental sustainability and demographic transition. A number of community-related projects have been initiated in Tramore through the Tramore Development Trust (TDT). These include renovation and redevelopment of the old Coast Guard building and the old Quaker Meeting House building, as well as a sheltered housing scheme. Such initiatives followed a series of public meetings and community engagement events held in 2000/ 2001, which identified a number of community focus areas and types of interventions/ initiatives. Voluntary, Co-operative/ Community Housing Organisations Policy Objective H 09 We will support voluntary housing associations and the co-operative / community sector in the provision of affordable housing at appropriate locations and to further develop relationships with these organisations over the period of the Development Plan.

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028197 7.5 Housing for All The Council will continue to ensure that housing for persons with specific requirements are met in a manner which suits their physical, social and cultural needs. Older People Ageing population and the need to provide suitable accommodation for older people has been recognised in the NPF and the RSES. In response to this, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Department of Health published a Policy Statement in 2019 – ‘Housing Options for Our Ageing Population’. The Council will facilitate the implementation of the Policy Statement and promote the appropriate provision of housing for older people in Waterford. In order to provide appropriate housing for older people throughout the City and County, the Council will work closely with other housing bodies and agencies associated with the provision of housing for older people and/or assisted living accommodation and will have regard to provisions set out within the Waterford Age Friendly Strategy. The Council will support proposals for accommodation for older people when located in existing residential areas well served by social and community infrastructure and amenities such as footpath networks, local shops and public transport in order not to isolate residents and allow for better care in the community, independence and access. Persons with a Disability Location is vital when considering housing for persons with a disability. 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 persons with a disability. The Council will support development which provides respite and/or residential care at appropriate locations and zonings throughout the County. Homeless The Council will continue to work in conjunction with voluntary housing bodies and other agencies to provide emergency accommodation for the homeless and those who find themselves in need of crisis facilities. Traveller Accommodation The Council will continue to update its accommodation programme for the Travelling Community as set out in the Council’s ‘Traveller Accommodation Programme 2019 – 2024’ (TAP). The TAP sets out a four-tier approach to the provision of accommodation, including through casual vacancies, refurbishment and extension of existing units, standard housing and construction of new units and development of new sites. Housing for All Policy Objective H 10 We will ensure that groups with specific housing needs such as older people, people with disabilities, the homeless, refugees and members of the Travelling Community are accommodated in a manner that is suitable to their specific needs. We will provide access for these groups to an appropriate range of housing and related support services, delivered in an integrated, sustainable manner which promotes equality of opportunities, individual choice and independent living where possible. H 11 We will support the provision of housing for older people by providing accommodation in central, convenient and easily accessible locations which facilitate independent living where possible.

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   WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028198 Housing for All Policy Objective H 12 We will facilitate independent living for people with disabilities and older people by supporting the adaptation and retrofitting of existing houses, to ensure they are more environmentally safe and less costly, and the provision of specific purpose-built accommodation, the provision of nursing homes, retirement villages, residential care facilities at appropriate locations in towns and villages. These facilities should be serviceable by infrastructure and amenities including accessible footpaths, local shops and public transport in order to allow the resident to be socially included and to allow better care in the community, independence and access. H 13 We will support the development of new nursing homes, retirement villages, and residential care facilities within our settlements. We may facilitate their development outside of an existing settlement only where the site is located adjacent to or in close proximity to a settlement, the development would not impact adversely on traffic or public safety, the development is serviceable by way of public water and waste water services, the design and scale of the facility is suitable for the location and there are existing or planned accessible pedestrian linkages to the settlements and its services. H 14 We will have regard to the National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 and implement the strategic aims of this strategy and any future update thereof. H 15 We will support and prioritise the provision of homeless accommodation and/or support services throughout the City and County in collaboration with the HSE and other voluntary agencies. H 16 We will implement the ‘Traveller Accommodation Programme 2019- 2024’ (and any superseding programmes) in accordance with the principles of proper planning and sustainable development. 7.6 Housing Type & Tenure Mix The Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, requires Development Plans to take into account the need to ensure that an appropriate mixture of house types, sizes and tenures is developed to reasonably match the requirements of different categories of households and the demographics of an area. The HNDA undertaken as part of the Development Plan formulation process (refer to Appendix 3) provides a detailed analysis of the demographic and housing requirements in Waterford. It highlighted that whilst Waterford has a high level of retired families; it has displayed an increase in the inter-censal period 2011 – 2016 of the 40 - 46 age cohort, an increase in children under five. This provides an indication of the need to plan and cater for all ages across the family life-cycle, and an associated requirement for a variety of residential types and sizes to provide adaptability, flexibility, and choice of residential options, and to create sustainable and liveable neighbourhoods and communities. Providing an appropriate mix of house types creates neighbourhoods for people of different ages, social background, lifestyles and promotes inclusion and quality of life. Encouraging good housing mix also allows people the choice and opportunity to remain in a given area while availing of accommodation that caters to their changing needs at particular stages of their life. This concept is explained as the ‘Lifecycle Approach’ and is a core objective underpinning the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government guidelines ‘Delivering Homes, Sustaining Communities’ (2007). This approach helps foster a greater sense of community and fosters increased social inclusion. Figure 5.5 of the Housing Strategy & HNDA (Appendix 3)identifies that housing will be needed to provide for the household sizes set out in Table 7.1 below during the period of the Development Plan 2022-2028. Applications for residential development will be required to demonstrate how the development will contribute to meeting these housing requirements.

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    WATERFORD CITY & COUNTY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2022 – 2028199 Table 7.1 Forecasted household size cohorts and corresponding number of residential units required during the plan period Year 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Household Size No % No % No % No % No % No % No % Total 1-person 124 26.7 192 26.8 225 26.9 218 27.0 215 27.1 215 27.3 115 27.3 1304 2-person 140 30.1 216 30.2 253 30.3 245 30.4 242 30.4 241 30.5 129 30.6 1466 3-person 76 16.5 118 16.4 137 16.4 131 16.3 129 16.3 128 16.2 68 16.1 787 4-person 71 15.3 110 15.2 128 15.2 123 15.2 120 15.1 120 15.1 64 15.1 736 5+person 53 11.4 80 11.2 92 11.1 89 11.0 86 10.9 86 10.8 45 10.8 531 Total 464 100 716 100 835 100 806 100 792 100 790 100 421 100 4824

Source Waterford City and County Council: Waterford City and County Development Plan 2022–2028 — Chapter 7 (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.