Results 6,961-6,980 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: I have no doubt that we will come back to that point. I will move on to the second Fine Gael slot.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: We have about three minutes left in this slot. We can come back to Deputy Higgins's questions. Mr. Reynolds, do you wish to go first?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: Ms Vallone, do you wish to give your three-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: We are just up to eight and a half minutes in this slot, so I am sorry, Deputy Higgins, but I have to move on. We can come back to those questions if we have time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: Is that question for Ms Graham?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: There is about a minute left if Ms Graham wants to answer that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: We move to the Fianna Fáil slot. Is Deputy McAuliffe taking this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: Next is the second Green Party slot and I will take it. My first question is for Ms Vallone. If there is no county architect, who brings the visions and plans together to give that leadership? Do you know how many local authorities do not have a county architect?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: If the local authority does not have a county architect, or a civic architect as you call it, who does the responsibility fall to or does anybody take on that role?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: I mean no disrespect to engineers because they build fantastic bridges and roads and make fantastic designs, but sometimes they lack the ability to conduct the ideas and that is very important in planning. One of the recommendations I will put forward is a county architect for every local authority. In some cases if local authorities need to share a county architect, that might be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: I am sorry to interrupt Mr. Reid, but I have to be tight with my time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: However, I agree with you. We were talking about a European model. In many European models there is high-density town living but there are also very good managed civic squares and places, be it the municipal authority or whoever that manages them. My final question is for Mr. Reynolds and it is about dereliction. Do he think the definition of dereliction is too vague? We describe the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: Thank you. Deputy McAuliffe will speak next and then we will go into the third round. Members should indicate if they wish to speak on the third round.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Reynolds. To be clear, I think it is the view of all the members of the committee that there should be no reduction in any standards concerning fire safety or accessibility in protected structures or in the planning guidelines in that regard. What is being considered is a way of making that process easier, because we must use every administrative tool available to us now, not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: To clarify the question a bit, the building regulations set out what is exempt in planning. Generally, it concerns domestic buildings and endeavours such as extensions, in the context of a first floor, second floor or whatever square metres. Where a commercial premises, such as a shop, is going to be converted in a town centre, however, is it intended that planning exemptions will be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: Those kinds of projects can have a significant impact on streetscapes and on street usage. Where is the guidance to be found on what will be expected from an exempted development for the conversion of a commercial premises to residential use?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: Okay. Is that something we need to look at? I am thinking about heritage streets especially. They may not be in architectural conservation areas or they may not be heritage or protected buildings, but there is still a certain streetscape there that should be protected in some way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Mr. Hogan. If somebody is going to carry out a development they consider to be exempt, do they have to seek clarification as to whether it is exempt?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: Thanks. I will have to look a little closer at that. I have a question on spatial planning. Is the design manual for urban roads and streets suitable and appropriate where we are trying to bring town centre living back into place? Are there changes the witnesses would suggest to that? Ms Vallone might wish to comment on that as well.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Urban Regeneration: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Steven Matthews: When the Department issues the call for the urban regeneration fund or town and village funds, there is often a timeline on it and it can put the local district engineer or architect under time pressure. It would be better if they had a shelf of projects ready to pick off, already designed and ready to go, so when the funding is announced, they can choose whatever project they have brought...