Written answers

Wednesday, 10 March 2021

Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government

Planning Guidelines

Photo of Eoin Ó BroinEoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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363. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the working group on rural planning guidelines in his Department; and when revised guidance on the issue of rural planning will be provided to local authorities that are revising their development plans. [12475/21]

Photo of Peter BurkePeter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Under the Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable Rural Housing 2005, planning authorities are required to frame the planning policies in their development plans in a balanced and measured way that ensures the housing needs of rural communities are met, while avoiding excessive urban-generated housing.

A working group was established to review and, where necessary, recommend changes to the 2005 Guidelines and this group met on five occasions between May 2017 and January 2019. During this period, in 2018, the National Planning Framework (the NPF) was published and provides an important strategic basis for interpreting the 2005 Guidelines. National Policy Objective (NPO) 15 of the NPF fully supports the concept of the sustainable development of rural areas by encouraging growth and arresting decline in areas that have experienced low population growth or decline in recent decades, while simultaneously indicating the need to manage certain areas around cities and towns.

Work is current underway in preparation of an update of the 2005 Sustainable Rural Housing Guidelines for planning authorities, which were issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended). I expect to receive an initial draft guidelines document shortly. Given the complexity of the issues involved, the need for environmental assessment and both internal and external consultation, I would expect draft updated guidelines to be available in Q2 2021.

My Department communicated to planning authorities (Circular letter PL 2/2017) on 31 May 2017, advising that the existing 2005 Guidelines remain in place until advised otherwise by the Department and this remains valid.

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