Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Environment, Community and Local Government

Planning Issues

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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255. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ensure that rural dwellers have a reasonable opportunity of providing a home in their own environment through the planning process, while maintaining good planning practices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11858/16]

Photo of Simon CoveneySimon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department published Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housingin April 2005 as a broad national level policy framework for local planning authorities in drawing up their statutory development plans and addressing the issue of housing in rural areas, taking into account the particular circumstances of the relevant local authority and the type of rural areas it may contain, including areas adjacent to large cities and towns that require careful management of development pressures as opposed to areas experiencing population decline.

The guidelines require planning authorities to frame their local planning policies in a balanced and measured way that ensures that the housing requirements arising from rural communities are met on the one hand while avoiding excessive urban generated housing and ribbon development on the other hand , while also ensuring that sites developed for rural housing purposes are suitable with regard to access, wastewater disposal and design perspectives.

The Guidelines further elaborate on the physical development policies for rural areas as set out in the National Spatial Strategy (2002) which, inter alia, promotes sustainable rural settlement as a key component of delivering more balanced regional development.

It is a matter for individual planning authorities, including An Bord Pleanála on appeal, to implement the provisions of the Guidelines in individual cases.

The latest housing construction statistics show that approximately half of all national housing output is accounted for by single dwellings, mainly in rural areas, which suggests that there are significant levels of both planning approvals and commencements of new houses in rural areas as compared to urban areas where there is presently quite significant under supply.

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