Project Ireland 2040

Spatial planning: Implementation, Governance, Finance and Regulations

Implementing Ireland’s National Planning Framework

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Content

1) Spatial Challenges

2) Project Ireland 2040 - National Planning

Framework

3) NPF - Implementation

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Content

1) Spatial Challenges

2) Project Ireland 2040 - National Planning

Framework

3) NPF - Implementation

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Ireland: Spatial Challenges

• Significant economic growth, but remarkable primacy of Dublin

• Relative weakness of regions/other cities, lack of scale

• Urban congestion and sprawl; greenfield, rural focus

• Peripherality, both within territory and internationally - Brexit:

uncertainty, interdependencies, especially border regions

• Climate action – sustainability agenda

• Demographics in future

5

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Ireland: National Spatial PlansBuchanan Strategy 1968 National Spatial Strategy 2002

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Long Term ‘Business as Usual’ Trend – Growth and Divergence

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2,5

3

1966 1991 2016 2041 16-41 Change

Regional Population Growth to 2041

EMRA

SRA

NWRA

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Growth Drivers to 2040

• Around 1 million additional people (+20%)

• +660,000 additional jobs, +550,000 extra

homes

• High but falling birth rate, ageing

population, sustained net in-migration

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Content

1) Spatial Challenges

2) Project Ireland 2040 - National Planning

Framework

3) NPF - Implementation

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Influences on Strategy

• Modelling: ‘Business as Usual’ v Alternatives

• Stakeholders: Regional & Local Ambition

• ‘PIMA’ Public Investment Management Appraisal

• Attractiveness: locational choice of firms and individuals (talent & enterprise)

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Project Ireland 2040

• National Planning Framework to 2040 and 10 year

National Development Plan

• Long-Term, 10-20 years

• ‘Disruptive’ policy, to achieve

change, over time

NDP/NPF Alignment

• Shared National Strategic Outcomes

• Close alignment of planning and

investment

• To influence €116 Bn capital plan to 2027

across Departments/Agencies and

through Regional Plans

• Spatial and sectoral integration

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

NPF Strategy• Modest shift in Regional balance -

‘50:50’ target

• NOT by restricting East, but by increased growth in the regions

• Focus on Dublin and the other four cities, targeting at least 50% growth

• Five regional/cross-border growth drivers

• 50% brownfield/infill development target for cities, 30% elsewhere, 40% overall

• Package of measures for rural regeneration

Shared NDP/NPF National Outcomes1) Compact Growth2) Enhanced Regional Accessibility3) Strengthened Rural Economies and Communities4) Sustainable Mobility5) A Strong Economy, supported by Enterprise, Innovation

and Skills6) High-Quality International Connectivity7) Enhanced Amenity and Heritage8) Transition to a Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient

Society9) Sustainable Management of Water and other

Environmental Resources10) Access to Quality Childcare, Education and Health

Services

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Content

1) Spatial Challenges

2) Project Ireland 2040 - National Planning

Framework

3) NPF - Implementation

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

NPF Implementation• Governance: Ireland 2040 Project Board: Steering and

integration across Government

• Programme Management: Projects Tracker for monitoring,

reporting and review

• Three new Regional Strategies and the Office of the

Planning Regulator (OPR)

• Four new funds: €4bn, includes €2bn Urban and €1bn

Rural Regeneration and Development Funds

• New Land Development Agency (LDA)

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Governance: Delivery Board

• Project Ireland Delivery Board established – all Government Department heads, jointly

chaired by Secretary Generals of Departments of Finance and Public Expenditure and

Housing, Planning and Local Government

• Delivery Board reports to Government (Cabinet)

• Establishment of an enhanced Capital Projects Tracker – allowing a holistic view of the

pipeline of capital projects, programmes and their progress

• Development of a Construction Sector Group to input on strategic enablement of the sector

to perform at the level required for implementation of PI2040

• Delivery Board overseeing co-ordination of the four funds19

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Regional and Metropolitan Plans

• Three Regional Strategies to translate national strategy to regional tier

• Regional spatial development and investment priorities

• Also must include Metropolitan Area Strategic Plans (MASP) for the five cities

(Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford)

• City Vision, identification of Strategic Growth Areas and associated infrastructure

requirements

• Five Regional Centres (Sligo, Athlone, Letterkenny Dundalk-Drogheda) will require

similar plans

20

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Office of the Planning Regulator: OPR

• 2018 legislation provides for the establishment of an independent planning

regulator – Office for Planning Regulation (OPR) – scheduled for establishment

January 2019

• Arises from Tribunal recommendation in relation to historic abuses in use of

planning powers

• Will establish an independent review mechanism for local authority forward

planning functions to ensure consistency with national and regional plans

• Power of Direction stays with Government Minister (to retain democratic

accountability/balance)21

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Regeneration Funds

• Government has approved four funds to support PI2040/NPF

• €4bn over 10 years to 2027 – intended to support transformational place-making initiatives with

considerable scope for match funding and leveraging

• DHPLG to manage Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (URDF) - €92.5m for 2019, €2bn to

2027 – Call for proposals: 182 applications for €1.8bn, c€350m for 2019, currently assessing

• Rural Regeneration and Development Fund managed by the Department for Rural and Community

Development, €1bn to 2027

• 2 further funds on disruptive technologies (DBEI) and climate change (DCCAE), each €500m to 2027

22

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

Land Development Agency: LDA

New Agency established in September to ensure the optimal usage of State land, with key strategic objectives:

1. To coordinate appropriate State lands for regeneration and development - Open up key sites not being optimally used, especially for home delivery - Focus on the overall public interest in determining land use; and

2. To drive strategic land assembly for the long-term by introducing new mechanisms for working with both public and private sector land owners - Drive increased affordability through better land availability

23

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

In Conclusion - What’s Different?Institutional and Financial Support

• Alignment with €116 Billion ten-year National Development Plan to 2027, across all Departments and Agencies

• Delivery Board: Oversight and Monitoring

• New Regional Tier of Planning – ‘RSES’s, with Metropolitan area plans for the Cities

• Regional and Local Plan review – Office of the Planning Regulator (‘OPR’)

• Additional legislative provision for NPF as part of same enactment

• Four strategic funds, including €2 Billion Urban and €1bn Rural Funds

• New Land Development Agency (LDA)

Rialtas na hÉireann | Government of Ireland

// Thank youPaul Hogan, Senior Adviser, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Government of Ireland

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