Evidence Based Planning: Councillors & Decision Making the Role of the Evidence Base

Deirdre Scully, BA, MRUP, MA, MIPI Senior Planner, Dublin City Council

Legislative Framework

   2010 Planning Act- framing clear linkages and integration between national-regional-county-local.

Changing content of Development Plan longer, new guidance to incorporate, greater number of issues addressed, clearer identification of policies and objectives Increasing new Directives impacting on planning process SEA, AA, Flooding, Water Framework, Groundwater..

Greater Dublin Area Regional Planning Guidelines - Images

Role of Development Plan

      Deliver Core Strategy (focussed on housing provision) Set out Retail Strategy Identify key infrastructure investments needed (linkage to Water Services Investment Programme) Economic Strategy (from regional policy) Transport policy in keeping with NTA Alongside rural housing, environmental targets, landscape assessment, schools & health policies

The Development Plan coalescences a range of issues impacting on communities and the environment and looks to give spatial expression to these at a local county level.

Swords, Fingal County Council Islandbridge, Dublin City Council

Where ’s the Evidence?

 NSS & RPGs- new in Irish planning plan cycle; creating a nationally adopted coordinated approach to planning for new populations  National Development Plan, NTA/T21 & WSIPs clarity on where infrastructure is/will be going  Designated areas/places for protection- natura, built heritage, protected landscapes  River Basin Management Plans, water source protection plans –

Decisions now made within a framework

• • • • • • •

Key Inputs into Decision Making

EU Directives Flood risk SEA AA Population demand Economic Requirements Government Guidance Proofing- Rural, Disability, Poverty, Language… National Policy Regional Policy Community Councillor Local Business Are we yet costing decisions on zoning and policies fully from an economic, environmental and social cost ?

Are all decisions made fully informed?

Extract of DoEHLG Guidance on Development Plans (page 77)

Councillors & Decision Making

 Challenge of focusing limited growth- in era of emigration- can core strategies bite the bullet  Necessity to look at Cost Benefit Analysis approach to achieve sustainable solutions  Role of SEA in plan decision making- is it failing to achieve its primary goal?

 How can executive assist councillors both to deliver an “evidence-based” plan and also recognise community issues?

END