Neasa Hourigan (Dublin Central, Green Party)
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626. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of his plans to develop section 28 Guidelines for Planning Authorities on Sustainable and Compact Settlement Guidance; if it will be compliant with the design manual for urban roads and streets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19641/22]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Statutory ‘Section 28’ ministerial guidelines for planning authorities on Sustainable Residential Development in Urban Areas (the ‘Sustainable Residential Development Guidelines’) were last issued in 2009, having been first introduced in 1999.

Further related guidance has been subsequently issued in the form of the Sustainable Urban Housing: Design Standards for New Apartments Guidelines for Planning Authorities, most recently in 2020, the Urban Development and Building Heights Guidelines for Planning Authorities in 2018, the Local Area Plan Guidelines for Planning Authorities in 2013 and the Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS) in 2013.

While the principles, approaches and general requirements of the Sustainable Residential Development Guidelines continue to be applicable to the objectives of the National Planning Framework (NPF) for the development of compact, sustainable and liveable settlements, it is timely that the guidance is updated to take account of more varied development contexts and given the emphasis that the NPF places on tailored, plan-led and design-focused compact growth.

My Department is currently undertaking a practical and targeted review to update the Sustainable Residential Development Guidelines with new Sustainable and Compact Settlement Guidelines (SCSG). A preliminary draft of the new SCSGs is being prepared for the purposes of screening for Appropriate Assessment (AA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). Following the completion of the AA/SEA processes, the Draft SCSGs will be placed on display for a focused period of public consultation. It is envisaged that this will happen in mid-2022. Submissions made during the public consultation period will be reviewed and where appropriate and necessary, amendments will be made to the published Draft. Thereafter, the draft guidelines will be submitted to the Minister for approval. The final Guidelines will be issued under Section 28 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 (as amended).

The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets (DMURS), was jointly launched by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport and the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in 2013. DMURS sets out design measures and standards for urban roads and in order to support and encourage more sustainable travel patterns and to put well designed streets at the heart of sustainable communities. The manual is mandatory for urban roads and streets within the 60 km/h urban speed limit zone (with some limited exceptions). The proposed Sustainable & Compact Settlement Guidelines, will be concerned with the delivery of compact and sustainable forms of urban development more generally. However, due to the interrelated nature of the guidance the DMURS guidance will be reflected in the updated Sustainable & Compact Settlement Guidelines.