Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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383. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department plans to change planning conditions which prevent the rejection of applications in suburban areas of high density buildings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10161/17]

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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National planning policy strongly supports goals relating to avoiding urban sprawl and securing the efficient use of serviced urban land and increased densities, especially in highly accessible inner city areas, where the full range of employment, retail, educational and recreational facilities are within walking or cycling distance and close to frequent public transport.

In addition, a detailed and national level policy approach in relation to residential densities in urban areas has already been set out in my Department’s Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas, published in May 2009 under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended.

The objective of these Guidelines is to ensure local authorities bring about high quality and sustainable urban development using their development planning and management functions to deliver:

- quality homes and neighbourhoods;

- places where people want to live, work and raise families; and

- places that work in relation to the provision of infrastructure.

The Guidelines set out a broad and accepted policy context for achieving sustainable development by balancing the need to ensure the highest standards of residential design which encompasses building lay-out, design and heights and the need to ensure efficient use of scarce land and infrastructural resources and the avoidance of urban sprawl.

In particular, the Guidelines outline a range of densities appropriate to different location types, from lower densities in the range of 15 to 20 dwellings per hectare at the edges of smaller towns and villages for private site-type developments to densities in the range of 20 to 40 dwellings per hectare in more central or edge-of-centre sites in smaller towns, through to densities in the range of a minimum of 50 dwellings per hectare in larger urban areas along public transport corridors.

The Guidelines also place a heavy emphasis on the importance of public infrastructure, such as public transport, community and sports facilities, as densities increase towards more central urban locations, and of the development plan process in securing effective sustainable urban development outcomes.

However, the Guidelines do not set out specific policy advice in relation to height of buildings alone, in isolation from broader location, design and layout considerations nor would it be appropriate to do so, given variability in urban contexts and the inappropriateness of a “one size fits all” height policy for urban areas that can range from small villages to towns and cities and from suburban to city centre settings. Rather, it is a matter for local authorities to ensure the appropriate application of the Guidelines in their statutory development plan and development management processes.

In addition, the National Planning Framework will further develop the policy in this area, for example in relation to identifying potential to build up the population and economic vitality of city and town centre areas that in many cases have witnessed a sustained movement of people outwards to suburban and wider settings.

In view of the above, I consider that there is appropriate and sufficient national policy guidance to support good higher density development proposals.