Co-operation Ireland 2014 Overview of Spatial Planning in Ireland

Niall Cussen Principal Adviser DECLG

Evolution of Spatial Planning in Ireland

• 1964 – first real planning legislation, created local authority development plan structure… • 88 Planning Authorities – no overall statutory co ordination mechanism… • 2000 – Planning and Development Act, added legislative framework for Local Area Plans (sub-county) Regional Planning Guidelines (Co-ordination across local authorities) • 2002 – National Spatial Strategy • 2004 – First Regional Planning Guidelines

Ireland ’s Planning System

EU, National Legislation and Policy

EU Directives Planning Act Ministerial Guidelines Capital programmes

Spatial Strategy National Regional Regional Planning Guidelines Development Plans (Inc Core Strategy) Local Plans Local Establishes Policy Context for… Assessment of and Decisions on Development Proposals Application to Planning Authority (PA) Bord Pleanála (Strategic Infrastructure) (SI) PA Decision SI

Decision

Development/ Refusal of PP ABP decision to grant/refuse Appeal?

Local Authority

Housing Strategy Retail Strategy Social and Economic Plan Capital Programme

2002-2008: What Worked

What Didn ’t Work

• Unsustainable banking practices • Unsustainable planning practices • Weak evidential basis to planning • Wrong developments in the wrong places • Cost of dealing with legacies – NAMA, unfinished housing, illegal quarries

Improving our Planning Processes

• Ensuring right development happens in right places and at right time • Co-ordinating public and private sector activity to create the conditions where enterprise and job creation flourishes • Anticipating and meeting needs of all sectors/community: Employment, Housing, Infrastructure, Environment, Community • Focus: building communities - economies, not just buildings - alignment of national – regional – local priorities

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Future Developments in Spatial Planning

Linkage of (sustainable) economic and spatial planning • National Level: NSS(2)/National Planning Framework • Regional Level: Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies • Local Level: City/County Plans (Spatial – Place based) Local Economic and Community Plan (Actions) • Governance National Oversight Audit Commission Office for Planning Regulation

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Development of a Successor National Spatial Strategy

A new strategy responding to a new economic and operational context (Proposed post Troika economic plan) • Building on both strengths and weaknesses of NSS • Statutory basis for development and approval • More strategic (concise) • North-South and East-West Dimension: Will integrate with Regional Development Strategy (NI), take account of other Neighbouring Strategies – British Irish Council Workstream on Spatial Planning • Take account of a range of relevant national policies and strategies

Regional Dimension

• 8 Regional Authorities and 2 Assemblies replaced by • 3 Regional Assemblies –

Connacht –Ulster Region

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Southern Region

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Eastern – Midland region

• Key Task: Preparation of Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy to replace current regional planning guidelines by 2016 • NSS(2) Needs to be in place to inform RSES

Regional Spatial and Economic Strategies

• Purpose: set out a strategic development framework at regional level • Responding to NSS(2) with appropriate regional detail • Setting a framework for co-ordination of both spatial planning (City/County Development Plans) and economic development (Local Economic and Community Plan) at local authority level • To be developed with extensive national departmental/agency participation • National Oversight and Audit Commission to monitor buy-in • Assembly of requisite specialist skills (shared services) underway to have excellent linkages to national structures e.g. Irish Government Economic Evaluation Service (IGEES)

Local Development Dimension

• City/County Development Plans: To continue to set a clear and effective locational/place based policy framework • Local Government Reform Act 2014: Enhanced role for local authorities in economic and community development – new

L

ocal

E

conomic and

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ommunity

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lans, consistent with City/County Plan • LECP: Economic development strategy and community development actions • Economic Component: Profile of economic composition of each local authority, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, identification of implementable actions to improve the economic performance of the area consistent with wider Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy • LECP will act as local implementation of Regional Strategy

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Summary

Renewed focus on role of planning 50 years on since 1964 • Plan-led development recognised as way forward within reformed Local Government and planning systems • Ireland has learnt very expensive lessons about cost of not following good spatial planning • Strong regional/spatial/economic dimension to reform • Reorientation of planning towards sustainable economic development, not just building