Michael Kitt (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 14: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for the revision of the national spatial strategy; his plans to review county development plans, de-zone lands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13206/12]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The 2002 National Spatial Strategy (NSS) is a twenty-year planning framework designed to achieve a better balance of social, economic and physical development and population growth between regions, and it provides the spatial vision and principles for statutory regional planning guidelines across eight regions and for development plans at a local level.

A comprehensive review of implementation of the NSS was undertaken during 2010, culminating in the publication in October 2010 of the NSS Update and Outlook Report (available at www.environ.ie). This report reaffirmed the commitment to implementing long-term planning frameworks such as the NSS and identified 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 we continue to face. In particular, the 2010 Report identified a series of actions in respect of:

· better alignment and prioritisation of sectoral infrastructure investment,

· improved governance at national, regional and local levels, and

· the promotion of more sustainable patterns of development, both in rural and urban contexts, through more effective, evidence-based planning policies,

with the aim of maximising the role of NSS implementation in supporting overall economic recovery.

In addition, the adoption of updated Regional Planning Guidelines in 2010 for the twelve-year period to 2022 and the new legislative provisions in the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010 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.

It is a matter for the locally elected members of planning authorities to introduce these evidence-based core strategy provisions in new development plans and variations to existing plans in line with the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2010, including providing information in relation to the quantum, location and phasing of lands zoned for development over the period of the plan. It is also a matter for the elected members to ensure that local area plans are consistent with the development plan thereafter.

I expect shortly to receive a Regional Planning Guidelines Implementation Annual Report 2011 being prepared jointly by the 8 Regional Authorities in respect of their activities; these include ensuring proper oversight of the alignment of plans at national, regional and local levels. I will as necessary consider the need for any further review of the National Spatial Strategy in light of evolving economic circumstances and the beneficial deployment of our now more constrained resources.