Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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280. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if it is envisaged that the urban development zones proposed in the Planning and Development Bill 2023 could be used to support areas designated for developments of strategic national economic, social or environmental importance which do not consist of dwellings, where such developments are in line with objectives set out within the national planning framework; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5537/24]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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281. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to indicate if the new focused area plans proposed in the Planning and Development Bill 2023 could extend to areas of non-residential activity, which previously could have had a local area plan prepared for them under the Planning and Development Act 2000; whether the new focused areas plans, such as a priority area plan are to be prepared in respect of ‘settlements’, thereby preventing their preparation for certain strategic areas which do not consist of dwellings, which may not qualify as a ‘settlements’ as set out in the Bill; if this is to be the case, whether such strategic areas are to form part of development plans only in future under the Bill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5538/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 280 and 281 together.

The legislative provisions to establish Urban Development Zones (UDZ) are set out in Part 22 of the Planning and Development Bill 2023 and provide for the identification of suitable sites which in the opinion of the Minister or relevant authority, would be of ‘significant economic, social or environmental benefit to the State and be in the common good’. There is no requirement that a UDZ must contain housing.

UDZs will provide local authorities with the ability to identify strategic lands for which development would be of significant economic, social and environmental benefit to the State, which may include housing if that meets the strategic objectives for the land, in a manner consistent with national, regional and local spatial planning policy.

Under the Bill, local authorities will also choose from a range of new area based plans that are tailored and responsive to particular contexts and housing and other development needs and will empower more agile local implementation of national policy. The three types of area plans are:

• Urban area plans for regional growth centres and key towns that have been designated at regional level and where the scale of planned growth requires an integrated approach to land use and transportation planning for the entire urban area.
• Priority area plans for parts of towns and cities that have the capacity to deliver significant housing or other development or have a particular need for a plan for regeneration and renewal.
• Coordinated Area Plans for towns and locations that straddle more than one local authority area.