Wicklow County Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume 1 Written Statement

1. Page 141

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   Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 5 | Placemaking for Town and Village Centres CPO 5.8 To target development that will regenerate and revive town and village centres, address dereliction and vacancy and deliver sustainable reuse and quality placemaking outcomes. CPO 5.9 To facilitate and support well-designed development that will contribute to regeneration and renewal, consolidation of the built environment and include interventions in the public realm and the provision of amenities. CPO 5.10 To support and facilitate proposals for heritage or technology led regeneration. CPO 5.11 To identify obsolete and potential renewal areas within town and village centres and facilitate the re-use and regeneration of these areas and derelict lands and buildings with a view to consolidating the core of town and village centres. CPO 5.12 To encourage the redevelopment of brownfield sites in order to maximise the sustainable regeneration of underutilised/vacant lands and/or buildings particularly in town and village centres. CPO 5.13 In many settlements in the County, there are sites and areas in need of development and renewal, in order to prevent: a. adverse effects on existing amenities in such areas, in particular as a result of the ruinous or neglected condition of any land, b. urban blight and decay, c. anti-social behaviour, or d. a shortage of habitable houses or of land suitable for residential use or a mixture of residential and other uses It is an objective of this plan to encourage and facilitate the appropriate development of such sites / lands and all available tools and mechanisms, including the Vacant Site levy, may be utilised to stimulate such development. In this regard, plans for towns in Levels 4 and 5 of the settlement hierarchy include a map showing the area within the town where it is deemed that renewal and regeneration is required and these areas will be examined in detail to determine if there are sites where the Vacant Site Levy should be applied. In addition, the following zones in larger towns (with stand alone plans) may include sites that are in need of renewal and regeneration, and these areas will be examined in detail to determine if there are sites where the Vacant Site Levy should be applied. Settlement Zones12 Bray & Environs Town Centre (TC), Neighbourhood Centre (NC), Seafront Zone (SF), Gateway & Transport Hub (GTH), Mixed Use (MU) Wicklow Town & Rathnew Town Centre (TC), Village Centre (VC), Port (PT), Mixed Use (MU) Arklow Town & Environs Town Centre (TC), Waterfront Zone (WZ) Greystones - Delgany & Kilcoole Town Centre (TC), Village Centre (VC), Small Local Centre (SLC) Blessington Town Centre (TC) 12 or other such zoning codes as may replace these, during the making of future local plans133

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   Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 5 | Placemaking for Town and Village Centres CPO 5.14 Promote the Town and Village Renewal Scheme as an enabler to bring vacant and derelict buildings and sites back into use as multi-purpose spaces and for residential occupancy. Placemaking CPO 5.15 Support the preparation of Placemaking Strategies for towns and villages, where feasible, which shall address physical, social and economic elements. The strategies shall provide a strong focus on public realm improvements and bringing life back into town and village centres. For strategic sites, notably in Bray, Wicklow-Rathnew, Arklow, Greystones and Blessington, detailed masterplans for town centre renewal may also be prepared. CPO 5.16 To actively pursue and implement environmental and public realm improvements and provision of amenities that create more attractive places and encourage healthier lifestyles for all ages and abilities. Heritage CPO 5.17 To harness and integrate the special physical, social, economic and cultural value of built heritage assets through appropriate and sensitive reuse, recognising its important contribution to placemaking. New development should respect and complement the historic fabric of existing towns and villages – the traditional street patterns, plot sizes, mix of building types, distinctive paving and attractive street furniture. CPO 5.18 To protect, integrate and enhance heritage assets, including attractive streetscapes and historic buildings, through appropriate reuse and regeneration and restrict inappropriate development that would undermine the settlement’s identity, heritage and sense of place. CPO 5.19 To implement environmental and public realm improvements in town and village centres to a high standard and finish. CPO 5.20 To establish a database of strategic brownfield and infill sites so that brownfield re-use can be managed and co-ordinated across multiple stakeholders as part of the active land management process. Design CPO 5.21 To strengthen the urban structure of towns and villages by ensuring that any new development contributes to a coherent urban form, focused on a high quality built environment of distinct character. New development shall incorporate a legible and permeable urban form that protects and complements the character of the street or area in which it is set in terms of proportion, enclosure, building line, design and by the marrying of new modern architecture with historic structures. CPO 5.22 Within town and village centres, particularly the retail core, new development is required to provide for active street edges. Ground floor units should be occupied predominantly by uses that promote a high level of activity and animation. In order to maximise street activity, set-backs should be minimised and there should be a high frequency of entrances (every 5 to 10 metres). CPO 5.23 To require that new town centre development particularly public realm improvement works incorporates the principles of universal design to create an environment that is accessible, usable, convenient and a pleasure to use for all users.134

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   Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 5 | Placemaking for Town and Village Centres CPO 5.24 In accordance with Government policy to support increased building height and density in locations with good public transport accessibility, particularly town / city cores, planning authorities are required to explicitly identify areas where increased building height will be actively pursued for both redevelopment, regeneration and infill development to secure the objectives of the NPF and RSES. In this regard, the identification of locations for increased building height shall be carried out in the preparation of Local Area Plans for settlements in Tiers 1-3 of the County Settlement Hierarchy as these are deemed the only settlements of sufficient scale and diversity in urban grain to accommodate such increases in height.135

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   Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 6 | Housing CHAPTER 6 HOUSING 6.0 Introduction Housing is a fundamental human right. The National Planning Framework recognises that ‘homes are both the places where we live and the foundation stone from which wider communities and their quality of lives are created’. One of the principal functions of a development plan is to put in place a framework for the delivery of new housing. The Core Strategy has outlined the population and housing targets for the County. This chapter in addition to the Core Strategy puts in place a framework to guide the delivery of new housing. The aim of this framework is to ensure:  The protection of residential amenity enjoyed by existing communities;  That new housing development is encouraged and facilitated in appropriate locations;  That adequate zoned and serviced land is available to meet housing demand;  That in areas where new housing will be permitted, on unzoned lands (e.g. in villages and in the open countryside) the policies and objectives for such development are clearly articulated;  That a range of house types and tenures are delivered to cater for all in society;  That new housing development is of the highest quality;  That climate considerations are adequately integrated into housing delivery, including for example, by directing new housing away from areas at risk of flooding or coastal erosion and designing new housing to accordance with the net zero greenhouse gas emission target for 2050; and  That the design of new housing will have consideration for Universal Design standards. While the County Development Plan is not directly responsible for the delivery of affordable homes there are a number of things it can do to create the right environment for the delivery of affordable homes, removing development bottlenecks and enabling a continuous supply of housing. These include:  Providing a robust development framework and core strategy;  Zoning land for development that is serviced and in appropriate locations which gives a greater degree of certainty to developers and infrastructure providers;  Providing a clear and articulated longer term development strategy that facilitates the coordinated and efficient provision of enabling infrastructure;  Including policy to support active land management;  Providing for higher densities that ensure more efficient use of land and enable more units to come to the market;  Providing flexibility in terms of design particularly in urban cores to enable more cost-efficient construction and variety of homes;  Including policy which encourages infill development and the densification of existing built up areas. With reference to the desired Strategic National, Regional and County Outcomes set out in Chapter 2 of this plan, the delivery of high quality housing will contribute to numerous goals across the three pillars of ‘healthy placemaking’, ‘climate action’ and ‘economic opportunity by’:  Delivering sustainable settlement patterns and compact growth in all towns and villages by capitalising on the potential for infill and brownfield development, moving away from a reliance on greenfield development and creating places that encourage active lifestyles;  Strengthening rural communities by leveraging the potential of rural areas to accommodate sustainable growth;  Supporting the creation of sustainable healthy communities where access to housing is a priority.

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   Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 6 | Housing 6.1 Strategic Context Project Ireland 2040: National Planning Framework (NPF) The National Planning Framework sets out that the ‘the long-term vision for Ireland’s housing future aims to balance the provision of good quality housing that meets the needs of a diverse population, in a way that makes our cities, towns, villages and rural areas good places to live now and in the future’. The NPF identifies a number of national core principles to guide future housing as follows. National Core Principles to Guide Housing  Ensure a high standard quality of life for future residents as well as environmentally and socially sustainable housing and placemaking through integrated planning and consistently excellent design.  Allow for choice in housing location, type, tenure and accommodation in responding to need.  Prioritise the location of new housing provision in existing settlements as a means to maximising better quality of life for people through accessing services, ensuring a more efficient use of land and allowing for greater integration with existing infrastructure.  Tailor the scale and nature of future housing provision to the size and type of settlement where it is planned to be located.  Integrate housing strategies where settlements straddle boundaries (county and/or regional).  Utilise existing housing stock as a means to meeting future demand. (Source: National Planning Framework, 2018) The NPF acknowledges that the physical format of urban development is one of our greatest national development challenges and identifies compact growth as one of the National Strategic Outcomes. This entails delivering a greater proportion of residential development within existing built-up areas of settlements and moving away from a reliance on greenfield development to meet our development needs. In order to avoid urban sprawl, the NPF advocates for increased residential densities in urban areas. The NPF recognises that planning affords an opportunity to facilitate and deliver a more socially inclusive society through better integration and greater accessibility at all stages of the lifecycle. It supports the provision of lifetime adaptable homes that can accommodate the changing needs of households over time. Specifically, the NPF requires that local housing policy will be developed with a focus on meeting the needs and opportunities of an ageing population. The NPF warns against the intensification of social housing in areas that are already dense with social housing and advocates for the development of diverse neighbourhoods with a balance of public and private housing to create healthy communities. The NPF states that in addition to the significant investment in social housing we also need to ensure that more affordable homes are built for sale or rent, particularly in our cities, towns and villages, enabling people to choose to live within their communities and closer to where they work. It indicates that this will be facilitated through more proactive land management and coordinated and efficient provision of enabling infrastructure, particularly on local authority and State-owned lands, as well as providing flexibility on design and density, particularly in our urban cores, to enable more cost-efficient construction and provide a variety of homes aimed at first-time buyers. The National Planning Framework also identifies a number of National Policy Objectives (NPOs) that are relevant to housing:

6. Page 146

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   Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 6 | Housing National Policy Objectives NPO 30 Local planning, housing, transport / accessibility and leisure policies will be developed with a focus on meeting the needs and opportunities of an ageing population along with the inclusion of specific projections, supported by clear proposals in respect of ageing communities as part of the core strategy of city and county development plans. NPO 33 Prioritise the provision of new homes at locations that can support sustainable development and at an appropriate scale of provision relative to location. NPO 34 Support the provision of lifetime adaptable homes that can accommodate the changing needs of a household over time. NPO 35 Increase residential density in settlements, through a range of measures including reductions in vacancy, re-use of existing buildings, infill development schemes, area or site-based regeneration and increased building heights. Source: National Planning Framework, 2018) Regional Spatial & Economic Strategy 2019 (RSES) The RSES recognises that housing affordability and supply issues are impacting upon health and wellbeing, due to overcrowding, with people residing in substandard accommodation or becoming homeless. The slow growth of housing stock compared to rates of population growth and household formation has led to an increase in the average number of persons per household to around 2.8 in the Region, based on the 2016 census, which saw a reversal of the long-term decline in the average household size. The RSES points out that there is a need to incentivise mobility in the housing market, to address social isolation among older people and to offer more choice by way of an increased supply of accommodation for all life stages. The RSES highlights the importance of housing quality to secure positive health outcomes. The RSES recognises that achieving compact growth targets will require active land management responses to ensure that land and building resources within existing settlements are used to their full potential. 6.2 Wicklow County Housing Strategy The preparation of a Housing Strategy is a requirement under the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). The purpose of the strategy is to ensure that provision is made for the housing needs of the existing and future population of the plan area. The Act stipulates that the housing strategy shall take into account: a. ‘the existing need and likely future need for housing to which subsection (4)(a)1 applies, b. the need to ensure that housing is available for persons who have different levels of income, c. the need to ensure that a mixture of house types and sizes is developed to reasonably match the requirements, of the different categories of households, as may be determined by the planning authority, including the special requirements of elderly persons and persons with disabilities, and d. the need to counteract undue segregation in housing between persons of different social backgrounds’. The Strategy shall include an estimate of the amount of social housing required during the plan period and shall provide that as a general policy a specified percentage of the land zoned in the development plan for residential use, or for a mixture of residential and other uses, shall be reserved for those in need of social housing in the area. The Housing Strategy for 2022-2028 is included as an Appendix to this plan. The NPF acknowledges that the housing sector is more complex since the requirement for housing strategies was introduced under the Planning and Development Act 2000. Accordingly the NPF has identified that an enhanced methodology is required - a Housing Need Demand Assessment - to support the preparation of housing strategies. 1 Social housing support and affordable housing

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   Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 6 | Housing National Policy Objective 37 A ‘Housing Need Demand Assessment’ (HNDA) is to be undertaken for each Local Authority Area in order to correlate and accurately align future housing requirements. The HNDA is:  to be undertaken by Local Authorities with coordination assistance to be provided by the Regional Assemblies, and also at a Metropolitan scale, particularly where inter-county and inter-regional settlement interactions are to be planned for and managed;  to primarily inform housing policies, housing strategies and associated land use zoning policies as well as assisting in determining where new policy areas or investment programmes are to be developed; and  to be supported, through the establishment of a coordination and monitoring unit to assist Local Authorities and Regional Assemblies in the development of the HNDA (DHPLG, Regional Assemblies and the Local Authorities). This will involve developing and coordinating a centralised spatial database for Local Authority Housing data that supports the HNDA being undertaken by Local Authorities. The purpose of the Housing Need Demand Assessment tool is to:  Assist local authorities to develop long-term strategic views of housing need across all tenures;  Provide robust evidence base to support decisions about new housing supply, wider investment and housing related services that inform an overall national housing profile;  Inform policies about the proportion of social and affordable housing required, including the need for different types and sizes of provision;  Provide evidence to inform policies related to the provision of specialist housing and housing related services2. HNDA is required to be integrated into the development plan review process where planning authorities give notice of review of a development plan in accordance with Section 11(1) of the 2000 Act, after the date of Circular 14/2021 (14 April 2021). As the notice of the review of the Wicklow County Development Plan occurred before the date of this circular, HNDA is not being carried out at this time. It will however be carried out in due course, and should it identify that amendment of the County Development Plan is necessary to reflect its outcomes, the plan will be varied accordingly. Therefore until this exercise is completed, this Housing Strategy is to be considered an ‘interim’ one. While the Housing Strategy has found that there is rationale for seeking 10% of eligible residential development to be reserved for social housing (or 20% social and affordable in certain circumstances) during the strategy period of 2022-2028, this only addresses social housing needs that will arise during the 2022-2028 period and does not take into account the considerable demand for such housing that has built up over the currency of the previous strategy. It is also clear that the combination of the Council’s own construction and Part V will only cater for a proportion of the population experiencing affordability problems in the County. The Council must continue to utilise all policy avenues open to it and any new schemes that become available to ensure the greatest delivery of social housing possible and to ensure a regionally equitable balance of housing delivery, including providing for housing for older people in town centres more suited for those with reduced mobility. 2 Section 6.6, National Planning Framework

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   Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 6 | Housing 6.3 Key Housing Principles 6.3.1 Sustainable Communities Well-designed homes in the right locations are fundamental to building strong, sustainable communities. It is essential to provide high quality places to live that:  deliver a quality of life which residents are entitled to expect, in terms of amenity, safety and convenience;  prioritise walking, cycling and public transport, and minimise the need to use cars;  provide a good range of community and support facilities, where and when they are needed and that are easily accessible;  provide access to high quality usable public open space including parks and playgrounds;  present an attractive, well-maintained appearance, with a distinct sense of place and a quality public realm that is easily maintained;  are easy to access for all and to find one’s way around;  promote the efficient use of land and of energy, and minimise greenhouse gas emissions;  provide a mix of land uses to minimise transport demand;  promote social integration and provide accommodation for a diverse range of household types and age groups;  enhance and protect the green infrastructure and biodiversity; and  enhance and protect the built and natural heritage. Sustainable communities require a variety of house types, sizes and tenures. It is important that new multi-unit residential development provides an appropriate mix that caters for a variety of household types and sizes. The number of people aged 65 or over has increased from 10.9% of the population in Census 2011 to 13% in 2016. The Council will support and facilitate the provision of supported housing for older people. This can enable people to live independently for longer and is an alternative housing option that falls somewhere between continuing to live in their own home independently and nursing home/residential care. A recent report3 prepared by the Housing Agency found that there is a strong financial benefit from the provision of supported housing. Social benefits include providing options to enable older people to remain living in their communities, improving wellbeing for the individual, their family and community, and the value of freeing up housing in communities for other households. 6.3.2 Location of new residential development In accordance with the NPF, RSES and the Core / Settlement strategies set out in Chapters 3 and 4 of this plan, new housing development shall be generally required to locate on suitably zoned / designated land in towns and villages. The priority for new residential development shall be in the designated town / village / neighbourhood centres, in the ‘primary zone’ or in the historic centre of large and small villages, through densification of the existing built up area, re-use of derelict or brownfield sites, infill and backland development. In doing so, particular cognisance must be taken of the need to respect the existing built fabric and residential amenities enjoyed by existing residents, and maintaining existing parks and other open areas within settlements. Where insufficient land is available in the centres of settlements, new housing development shall also be permitted on greenfield lands that are zoned / designated for housing. 3 Thinking Ahead: The Financial Benefits of Investing in Supported Housing for Older People (The Housing Agency, 2020)

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   Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 6 | Housing The zoning / designation of greenfield land for new housing shall adhere to the following principles:  Application of the ‘sequential approach’ whereby zoning extends outwards from centres, contiguous to the existing built up part of the settlement;  Application of compact growth targets;  Creation of ‘walkable’ neighbourhoods, whereby undeveloped lands within 10 minutes walking distance of the settlement centre and 5 minutes walking distance of any neighbourhood / village centres are prioritised;  Promotion of a sustainable land use and transportation pattern, whereby undeveloped lands that are accessible to public transport routes are considered most suitable for development. In this regard, undeveloped land within 1 km of any rail or light rail stop or 500m of bus routes will be prioritised;  Application of the tiered zoning approach in accordance with NPO 72 whereby land that is fully serviced is differentiated from land that can be serviced within the lifetime of the plan;  Lands already or easily serviced by a gravity fed water supply system and waste water collection system will be prioritised;  Cognisance will be taken of the need to provide upmost protection to the environment and heritage, particularly of designated sites, features and buildings;  Prioritisation of environmental and sustainability considerations for meeting sustainable development targets and climate action commitments in accordance with the National Adaptation Framework – examine environmental constraints including but not limited to biodiversity, flooding, and landscape;  The need to maintain the rural greenbelt between towns. The NPF recognises that in rural areas many people seek the opportunity to build their own home but find it difficult to do so in smaller settlements because of lack of available sites and services. Accordingly NPO 18b gives a commitment to develop a programme for ‘new homes in small towns and villages’ with Local Authorities and infrastructure agencies to provide serviced sites with appropriate infrastructure to attract people to build their own home in small towns and villages. 6.3.3 Compact Growth & Active Land Management Land is a finite resource. Sustainable development is predicated upon the efficient use of land. A compact growth policy combined with a strong focus on high quality design provides the best opportunity to harness the potential of our existing settlements and make them desirable places to live in. The NPF acknowledges the potential to re-use existing building stock to address housing needs. Creating more compact development has been traditionally more difficult to achieve than a continuous process of pushing development onto greenfield locations. Specifically the NPF requires that 30% of all new homes will be delivered within the existing built up footprint of settlements. This applies to all scales of settlements within the County, from key towns to villages. This will require making better use of underutilised land including infill and brownfield sites. All zoning plans will be prepared having regard to the requirement to deliver a minimum 30% of new housing within existing built up areas. Active land management will ensure that land and building resources within existing settlements are used to their full potential. High quality infill and brownfield development in town and village centres will be encouraged and supported. There are a number of different mechanisms available to the Council to assist with the active management of lands and buildings, contributing to the consolidation of existing town and village centres.

10. Page 150

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    Wicklow County Development Plan 2022-2028 Chapter 6 | Housing The Urban and Regeneration Housing Act (2015) introduced measures to incentivise the development of vacant sites in urban areas for housing and regeneration purposes. Under the Act, Local Authorities had to establish a vacant site register and apply a vacant site levy to properties on the register. The vacant site levy is designed to discourage land hoarding and to act primarily as a site activation measure, rather than an income generating mechanism. For a site to be considered vacant, it must meet certain criteria:  For residential land, the site must be situated in an area in which there is a need for housing, the site is suitable for housing and the majority of the site must be vacant;  For regeneration land, the site or majority of the site must be vacant, the site being vacant or idle has adverse effects on existing amenities or reduces the amenity provided by existing public infrastructure and facilities or the site has adverse effects on the character of the area. The 2015 Act defines a site as ‘any area of land exceeding 0.05 hectares’, excluding a person’s home which is defined as a ‘dwelling in which the person ordinarily resides’. Vacant buildings and underused building stock undermine the vitality and appeal of our towns and villages. Bringing them back into use presents a significant opportunity to consolidate, revitalise and strengthen town and village centres as attractive and durable places to live. Many vacant buildings form part of the historic core of town and village centres and contribute towards the character and appeal of these settlements. A key objective of Pillar 5 of ‘Rebuilding Ireland’ is to ensure the existing housing stock is used to the maximum degree possible with a particular focus on measures to use vacant stock to renew towns and villages. ‘Bringing Back Homes – Manual for Reuse of Existing Buildings’ was developed to support and facilitate the reuse of older / vacant buildings in our towns and villages for residential use (DHPLG 2018). The Manual recognises that revitalising our main streets through well-planned and designed residential units, particularly above shops, could help to rejuvenate smaller town centres. Rent pressure zones were introduced as part of the Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Act 2019. A Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) is a designated area where rents cannot be increased by more than 4% per annum. Rent Pressure Zones are located in parts of the country where rents are highest and rising, and where households have the greatest difficulty finding affordable accommodation. All of County Wicklow is designated a rent pressure zone. New planning reforms4 were introduced to control short term letting in rent pressure zones. Short-term letting is defined as the letting of a house or apartment, or part of a house or apartment, for any period not exceeding 14 days. The use of any house or apartment for short-term letting use in a rent pressure zone is a ‘material change in the use’ of the structure and is therefore deemed to be development requiring planning permission except where the relevant exemptions apply. Applications for change of use from residential to shortterm letting will have to provide a detailed justification for the proposed use and demonstrate that there is not a shortage of housing in the area. 6.3.4 Phasing The development of zoned / designated land should generally be phased in accordance with the sequential approach:  Development shall extend outwards from the centre of settlements with undeveloped land closest to the centre and public transport routes being given preference, i.e. ‘leapfrogging’ to peripheral areas shall be resisted;  A strong emphasis shall be placed on encouraging infill opportunities and better use of under-utilised land; and  Areas to be developed shall be contiguous to existing developed areas. 4 Section 3A of the Planning and Development Act 2000- inserted by section 38 of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act 2019 (No 14 of 2019), and the Planning and Development Act 2000 (Exempted Development)(No.2) Regulations 2019 (S.I. No 235 of 2019).

Source Wicklow County Council: Wicklow County Development Plan 2022–2028 – Volume 1 Written Statement (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.