Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 562: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the residential density guidelines 2007 will be published. [7509/07]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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My Department is preparing a series of inter-related guidance documents on sustainable urban housing, including a review of the 1999 Residential Density Guidelines for Planning Authorities. The Residential Density Guidelines support the achievement of high quality residential density at appropriate locations, in conjunction with improved public transport systems and supporting services.

The review of the Guidelines currently under way will take account of experiences to date with the 1999 Guidelines, rapidly changing demographics and settlement patterns, the need for more compact urban development (particularly within the Greater Dublin Area) and the on-going policy of delivering sustainable communities and enhancing quality of life. The revised Guidelines will focus particularly on the quality of new developments, ensuring that urban design focuses on integrating education, transport, amenities, landscaping etc. to support development of sustainable communities. To help address these issues, a new best practice handbook on urban design and housing layouts has also been commissioned to illustrate how the policies set out in the updated planning guidelines might be implemented, with examples drawn from current practice.

My Department is currently drafting revised guidelines, in consultation with a broadly representative and expert steering group, with a view to issuing the guidelines for public consultation later in the year.