Written answers

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

National Spatial Strategy

9:00 pm

Photo of Colm KeaveneyColm Keaveney (Galway East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 443: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the details of the budget allocation for the spatial policy section, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government; the way staff are assigned to this unit; if he will provide information on the way hub status that was given to Tuam, County Galway, in 2007 will be benefit to it in the short, medium and long term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9214/12]

Photo of Jan O'SullivanJan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The 2002 National Spatial Strategy (NSS) is a twenty-year planning framework which was designed to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth between regions, and which designated nine gateways and nine hubs, including Tuam, with the capacity to grow sustainably and act as drivers of growth for their hinterland and wider regions. Among the principal objectives of the Strategy are to build up the strengths of all areas in order to achieve more balanced regional development through a better spread of economic activity, employment and population growth; to energise the potential of all urban and rural areas with the support of a stronger urban structure, including the gateways, hubs and other towns; and to set a national context for regional and local planning strategies.

The NSS Update and Outlook Report (available at www.environ.ie ), published in October 2010, reaffirms the importance of implementing long-term planning frameworks such as the NSS and identifies new priorities and objectives to deliver more consistent implementation at all levels, taking account of experience since 2002 and the new environmental, budgetary and economic challenges that Ireland faces, with the aim of maximising the role of NSS implementation in supporting overall economic recovery.

The adoption of updated Regional Planning Guidelines in 2010 for the twelve-year period to 2022 provides for coherence and consistency between the national and regional strategic planning frameworks. The delivery of these is underpinned by development plans and local area plans at the local level, which further translate the NSS objectives into concrete actions in the gateways and hub towns, including Tuam, and their wider urban and rural catchment areas for the promotion of development which is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable. Moreover, the new legislative provisions to include core strategies in development plans, taking account of regional policies, targets and priorities, are further embedding the NSS principles into the forward-planning process, and should help to deliver more co-ordinated, coherent and sustainable planning outcomes.

Costs associated with the ongoing implementation of the NSS and planning policy generally will be met from the planning funds made available to my Department, details of which will be provided in the revised estimates for 2012 shortly to be published. Staff assignments throughout my Department are made by management in the context of overall business priorities and programmes.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.