Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 664: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has ordered or asked Meath County Council to place a development exclusion zone in archeologically sensitive areas along the route of the M3 motorway that is currently under construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3047/08]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 665: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to protect archeologically sensitive areas along the route of the M3 motorway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3048/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 664 and 665 together.

I am conscious of pressures for clusters of commercial and other development to occur adjacent to motorways, particularly in the vicinity of motorway interchanges. In the case of the M3 motorway, measures are in place to address these concerns.

Within the development plan process, appropriate objectives to protect the archaeology and surrounding landscape in the vicinity of the Hill of Tara have been incorporated in the Meath County Development Plan 2007 to 2013, adopted in March 2007, a copy of which is available on the Council's website at www.meath.ie. Chapter 8 of the Plan includes specific objectives and policies in this regard — relevant extracts are reproduced below:

Section 8.3.2 Archaeological Heritage: Meath County Council are also committed to the conservation of the Tara Skyrne area, another of the prime archaeological resources in the county. This can be seen in its objective to designate this area as a Landscape Conservation Area in conjunction with the Heritage Council.

HER POL 66: To employ the full extent of the statutory provisions of the Planning and Development Acts and Regulations and all other relevant legislation including the National Monuments Acts to ensure the sustained protection of landscapes of exceptional value and sensitivity and in particular to protect the rural character, setting, amenity and archaeological heritage of Brú na Bóinne and the Hill of Tara, and of the surrounding areas including the area in the vicinity of the proposed M3 Motorway and its related Interchanges.

Section 8.4.4 Heritage Landscapes: The Council will, over the life of the plan, move towards the preparation of a Local Area Plan in respect of areas surrounding and influencing (a) the World Heritage site of the Brú na Bóinne complex and will explore the designation of Landscape Conservation Area(s), pursuant to Section 204 of the Planning and Development Act, 2000, in respect of their core areas for (a) the Tara and Skreen area(s) and (b) Loughcrew and Slieve na Callliagh Hills. The purpose of such plans and/or designations is to protect the rural character, setting, historic context and archaeological heritage of the landscape. In identifying and/or designating such areas, the Planning Authority will be required to ensure that the scope and extent of such designation is sufficient to conserve the specific areas requiring protection, i.e. may be wider than the immediate area of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site, the Tara and Skreen area and/or Loughcrew/Slieve na Calliagh Hills. In the case of Tara-Skreen area, particular regard will be had to protecting the landscape from the perceived threat of possible secondary development on foot of the approved M3 Motorway and adjoining Interchange.

I support the objective of Meath County Council to designate the area in the vicinity of the Hill of Tara as a Landscape Conservation Area in accordance with the provisions of section 204 of the Planning and Development Act 2000. My Department has recently met with the local authority to consider how this can be progressed having regard to the Programme for Government commitment to introduce a national landscape strategy, work on which is being initiated by my Department.

I am also a statutory consultee under the Planning Acts, under which individual planning applications with the potential to impact on the built or natural heritage must be referred by the planning authority to me as Minister. Any comments from my Department must be taken into account before a decision is made on a planning application, with my Department also having a right to appeal to an Bord Pleanála against an individual planning decision, where an adverse impact on the built or natural heritage so warrants. It is my intention to pursue a robust approach in relation any development proposals impinging on the archaeological heritage, the rural character of the area and the setting of the Hill of Tara.

In addition, my Department, together with the Department of Transport and the National Roads Authority, is currently developing statutory planning guidelines on planning policy and roads to ensure that roads planning, development planning and development management processes are appropriately aligned. When finalised, these guidelines will issue under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 666: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the benefits that have accrued to each individual town, designated as a hub town in the National Spatial Strategy 2003; if he will provide a written outline for each town and the future benefits each hub town may gain in the next five years. [3055/08]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 667: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his plans to review the National Spatial Strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3056/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 666 and 667 together.

As outlined in the reply to Question No. 1370 of 30 January 2008, the 20-year National Spatial Strategy (NSS) which was published in November 2002, aims to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development across Ireland, supported by more effective planning, and has designated nine gateways and nine hubs which have the capacity to grow sustainably and to act as drivers of growth for their hinterlands 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 Department has taken due account of changing economic and demographic circumstances since the publication of the Strategy, through for example, revised regional population targets, on foot of the Census 2006 data analysis, which are being reflected in regional and local plans.

Investment priorities identified under the National Development Plan 2007-2013 and Transport 21 are fully aligned with the NSS. The 2004 Regional Planning Guidelines (RPGs), which are due to be reviewed by 2010, translate the NSS objectives into concrete actions at local level. City and County Councils have regard to the NSS and regional priorities in their development plan and local area planning processes. My Department has undertaken extensive research into the development issues and challenges of the nine Hub towns. This work culminated in the publication in June 2007 of the report, NSS Hubs – Development Issues and Challenges, which is available on the Department's website – www.environ.ie — and the dedicated NSS website – www.irishspatialstrategy.ie. Based on responses to a comprehensive questionnaire completed by each of the hub local authorities, the study provides a detailed description of the current status of the hubs, identifies the many development issues and challenges associated with the hubs and makes recommendations to support and advance future hub growth and development. On foot of this study, my Department is considering how best to implement the recommendations at both central and local Government levels.

Responsibility has been assigned to my colleague, Minister of State Batt O'Keeffe, to support work at central and local government levels to secure better co-ordination and timely delivery of key infrastructure and services in fast growing developing areas. The initial focus is on strategic locations which are experiencing significant development pressures within the gateways and hubs.